January 29, 2008

Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page Says Reunion Tour May Happen After All

By Gil Kaufman and Kurt Orzeck (MTV.com)

Led Zeppelin might not be headed over the hills and far away quite yet - the recently reunited rock legends have let it slip that they may actually perform together again after all, but not before September.

Guitarist Jimmy Page revealed the scenario over the weekend, according to Reuters, saying that the legendary band's one-off, strongly received December reunion gig in London, which sparked rumors of a world tour, was likely a precursor to more shows.

"I can assure you the amount of work that we put into the O2 [concert], for ourselves rehearsing and the staging of it, was probably what you put into a world tour," Page said, adding that more shows are off for the moment because of singer Robert Plant's commitments to touring with bluegrass star Alison Krauss in support of their Grammy-nominated joint album, Raising Sand.

"Robert Plant also [has] a parallel project running, and he's really busy with that project, certainly until September, so I can't give you any news," Page added.

In an interview with New York's Madison Square Garden Network during halftime at a Knicks game on Friday, Plant also opened the door to more shows, saying, "You never know what is around the corner. It's just nice to play with those guys," when asked about Zeppelin tour rumors.

That's a sharp contrast from what Plant said in late September, when he shot down claims of a potential tour outright. "There'll be one show and that'll be it," he told British music mag Uncut.

Plant's remarks had come days after Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl apparently volunteered his services for a potential Zep tour. After saying that he had planned to sneak his way into the long-sold-out London show, the former Nirvana drummer added that he wouldn't mind manning the kit for Led Zeppelin if needed. "[I am] at their beck and call," he told British music weekly the New Musical Express.