Led Zep reunion: c(r?)ockrock karaoke?

Last week’s Led Zep reunion gig in London generated strong, opposing reactions among music lovers.

In the classic rock corner, the nostalgics, grizzled hippies and heavy metal boneheads who considered themselves lucky to be able to shell out £125 to watch a
c(r)ockrock karaoke show, alongside 20,000 others (plus the reputed millions who’d liked to have taken their place), made me smile, if benignly. The fawning media hacks who fed the hysteria were not a pretty sight.

In the post-Punk/alt-modern rock corner, the scornful younger fans (and their rabble-rousing media accomplices) who resurrected the “kill all hippies” vibe which drove Led Zep off the album charts in the late 1970s, seemed just as objectionably intolerant as they did 30 years ago.

Led Zep deserve a more measured approach: great band … four or five great albums … landmark instrumentation … took classic rock as far as it could go … but mostly silly lyrics … Percy had a great ballad voice, but veered perilously close to a Chipmunks parody on faster rockers … laughable stage attire … thank God for punk … blah blah … .

If I didn’t already own all the Led Zep recordings, I’d be delighted to receive Mothership, the new compilation (2CD plus DVD version), for Xmas and would spend many happy hours with it. Their best music is timeless.

But you couldn’t pay me to attend a Led Zep reunion gig: heritage rock/nostalgia isn’t my bag, man; arenas are an insult to any listener who takes music seriously; and the prospect of being surrounded by 20,000 pairs of smelly trainers for three hours in an enclosed space is just too awful to contemplate.



Gerry Smith