Photo –  Krys Jantzen

Robert Plant has been nominated in the category of Best British Male Solo Artist in the annual Brit Awards due to be staged at the 02 Arena on February 15th. This is the first ever Brit nomination for any Led Zeppelin related artist. The full line up of nominations in the British Male Solo Artist category is:

Mark Ronson

Paul Weller

Plan B

Robert Plant

Tinie Tempah

Robert Plant & The Band Of Joy are back out on the road from next Tuesday. The US tour kicks off at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium Asheville, NC and takes in 17 dates through to February 9th.

As ever we welcome feedback, reviews and photos from the gigs – so if you are attending one of the shows let us know what you think – email your tour watch reports to Gary Foy at  garyfoy@live.co.uk

Here is the full line up of dates:

January: 18: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, N.C.

January: 19: Peterson Events Centre (University of Pittsburgh), Pittsburgh, Pa

January: 21: Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Mich.

January: 22: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Ont.

January: 23: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, Ont.

January: 25: House of Blues, Boston, Mass.

January: 26: Tower Theatre, Upper Darby, Pa.

January: 28: MGM Grand Theatre at Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Conn.

January: 29: Beacon Theatre, New York, N.Y.

Janaury 30:  Beacon Theatre,New York, NY

February: 1: D.A.R. Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.

February: 2: Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh, N.C.

February: 4: North Charleston Performing Arts Centre, North Charleston, S.C.

February: 5: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, Ga.

February: 7: Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, N.C.

February: 8: War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn.

February: 9: War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn.

John Paul Jones will be appearing as part of the orchestra/esemble for the forthcoming production of the new opera Anna Nicole. The opera composed by Mark-Anthony Turnage, charts the eventful life of Anna Nicole Smith, the Playboy model who married an elderly billionaire and died of a an overdose of sleeping pills. It opens on February 17th 2011 and runs for six performances (Feb 17, Feb 21, Feb 23, Feb 26, March 1, March 4) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

See link at

http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=13802

John is planning to write his own opera over the next year working with theatre director Gerald Thomas.

TBL is sad to report that producer/engineer Pat Moran has passed away after a decade-long battle with a debilitating disease. Pat was credited with engineering and assisting the mixing on Robert Plant’s first two solo album’s Pictures At Eleven and The Principal of Moments – he also worked with the likes of Lou Gramm, Big Country and Iggy Pop.

Newly formed tribute band Hats Off To Led Zeppelin are in action next Friday January 21st at the Wheatsheaf pub at 57 North Street in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.

Admission is free and the band are due on around 9.45.

Myself and the TBL crew will be in attendance for this show – we look forward to seeing all that can make it along. (DL)

The band’s four piece line up features Peter Eldridge on vocals (his previous credits include appearing in the We Will Rock You Queen musical), Kevin Oliver Jones on bass/keyboards/mandolin, Simon Wicker on drums and percussion and guitarist Jason Beeson.

See links at

http://www.hatsofftoledzeppelin.co.uk/

http://www.thewheatie.co.uk/