Nick Kent with DL  – Laughing off  the  matter of a 27 minute Dazed And Confused. Rough Trade Record shop Brick Lane March 3 2010 -Photo T. Zupancic
I have very rarely purchased an album on the strength of a positive album review but I can remember two vivid exceptions. One was a rave review in the Melody Maker in 1972 for the Jefferson Airplane album Long John Silver. ‘’This is the album that will brighten your weekend’’ it said.  I duly laid out the slightly extortionate £2.70 (it had a deluxe cover) …

At a special book signing event in London to launch his new book Apathy For The Devil, legendary 70s rock journalist Nick Kent reminisced about his days on the road with Led Zeppelin. ‘’When they got into their groove on things like Trampled Underfoot they were as good as it gets’’ he told Dave Lewis. ‘’I had some amazing times with them.’’
The book is a memoir of his life in the 70s as the most controversial journalist of the era – becoming as notorious as the stars he wrote about. …

Last night’s Sound & Vision Event at Abbey Road raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds for Cancer Research UK. 
 Throughout the evening the ongoing Silent Auction saw heavy bidding on the vast array of rare framed exhibition photos lining Studio 3 featuring The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, Blur, Oasis and many others. The Zeppelin attractions included a framed Neal Preston photo of Page & Plant at the Minneapolis rehearsal in 1975 and a collage of photos taken by Led Zeppelin 3 sleeve …

Three videos of Robert Plant’s appearance at the Sound And Vision charity show in Abbey Road Studios in aid of Cancer Research on Thursday have turned up on You Tube this weekend. They feature the haunting Scott Walker cover Farmer In The City, the inspiring I Bid You Goodnight and the George Harrison tribute  My Sweet Lord. For details of donating to the charity go to Cancer Research UK.

 Farmer In The City

I Bid You Goodnight

My Sweet Lord

That’s the younger less than forty DL and Gary Foy outside the famous 96 St. Marks Place building in New York some 15 years ago. 20 years previously as I gazed adoringly at that distinctive Physical Graffiti sleeve on February 24th 1975, the idea that one day I might stand on the very spot where that iconic sleeve artwork was conceived would have seemed a pretty unlikely one.
But it incredibly it all come to pass, thanks to Jimmy and Robert reuniting and taking to the road and a little help from …

35 years ago today February 24th 1975 Led Zeppelin’s sixth album Physical Graffiti was unleashed on an eagerly awaiting Zep public. This 15 track double album stands for many as their premier recorded statement. Over three decades on, it remains the perfect one stop summary of every ingredient that makes Led Zeppelin THE outstanding rock band of yesterday… of today and tomorrow… 
I vividly remember the pure excitement of investing in the new Led Zeppelin album that day 35 years ago. Feasting my eyes on that incredible sleeve, and the first …

In an exclusive interview with Dave Lewis for the forthcoming TBL magazine, Glenn Hughes has revealed the future plans for Black Country, the new group featuring Glenn together with Jason Bonham, Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian.
‘’This is the real deal, a big rock statement and the right thing to do at the right time’’ said Glenn.   
‘’We have recorded six songs and reconvene in March to work on another seven. We’ve worked really hard on this, changing arrangements, working on lyrics, we’ve really gone to boot camp with it. The album …

A rather action packed week to say the least, which started last Thursday with the interview over the transatlantic telephone with Glenn Hughes. He was an absolute joy to talk to – his enthusiasm for the new Black Country line up was quite infectious and his memories of John Bonham sincere and touching.  In between all that we had some good banter on the fact that his Wolves team had triumphed over Spurs the previous night. He was also somewhat surprised I was calling from Bedford, for it was the …

 
Them Crooked  Vultures continue to add dates to their summer schedule with four more European festival dates announced this week. The festivals are Rock Am Ring, Nurburgring, Germany over the weekend of 4th -6th June, The Hove Festival (Web Link) , Arendal, Norway on June 30th, The Peace & Love Festival (Web Link), Borlange, Sweden on July 1st and The Festivalpladsen (Web Link), Roskilde, Denmark on July 2nd.
The excellent Austin City Limits TV broadcast that was shown last week is now available to watch in its entirety by following this …

The new issue of Record Collector magazine (March 2010 issue) has a lengthy eight page interview with Jimmy Page by Jonathan Wingate in which he discusses the It Might Get Loud film and Zeppelin legacy. There’s also a four page interview with Eddie Kramer by Dave Lewis. This is an extended interview from the one featured in the current Tight But Loose magazine (issue 25). It’s a career overview in which Eddie recalls his work with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.
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