Phil Collins ruthless on the Led Zeppelin reunion at Live Aid
John Bonham’s orphans, who disappeared in 1980, the Led Zeppelin gathered on the scene July 13, 1985 in Philadelphia on the occasion of the Live Aid. In that circumstance, Tony Thompson had been replaced by the legendary drummer of the “Stairway to Heaven” band and, above all, Phil Collins. Several times the drummer and singer of the Genesis has returned to theepisode, known as one of the successful worst in the history of rockand his memories have always been ruthless, Don’t save anyone.
Although Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones returned several times to share the stage after his friend’s loss and bandmate, have always reiterated that Without Bonhamthe beating heart of the group, A real and authentic performance of the Led Zeppelin would never have been able to exist. Given his long friendship with Plant, this aspect was well known to Collins, who therefore had to be aware that Accepting the invitation to be part of the “reunion” of the British formation would have been a difficult mission. Nonetheless, the former Genesis at time was not prepared for the wave of ferocious criticisms that followed the performance at John Fitzgerald Kennedy Stadium.
Of disastrous character of the concert The same surviving members of the Led Zeppelin were aware, so much so that they denied permission to include their performance in the 4 dvd confanet “The day the music Changed the World”. Interviewed by MTV Alan Hunter immediately after getting out of the stage in Philadelphia, Robert Plant admitted that he had “problems with the mix of the monitor”, but he added with a certain sarcasm: “The three of us know what we are doing, and all those who helped us have done their best“.
A commentary on the glass, accentuated by the fact that John Paul Jones, sitting next to him, indicated Collins. Subsequently, Jimmy Page was even more explicit: “We had two hours of rehearsals, not even that, and the drummer could not even play the beginning of ‘Rock and Roll’,” he told Times in 2021: “We were really in trouble, so the thing was not intelligent at all“. In another interview, Page described Collins as someone who, during “Whole Fight Love”, “beat randomly and smiled”. However, Phil Collins has always refused to be the scapegoat.
The protagonist of a unique performance of its kind, which saw him perform first in London and then, taking advantage of the time zone in favor, in Philadelphia, Collins in his 2016 autobiography “Not Dead Yet” wrote: “I know things were going to roll since the beginning of the set I couldn’t feel Robert well from where I was sitting, but what little I felt was enough for me to understand that it was not at the best of the form.
The same was valid for Jimmy ”. Admitting that he felt “very uncomfortable” throughout the performance, he added: “If I could, I would have gone in the middle of ‘Stairway to Heaven’, if not before. But imagine what titles they would come out! ‘Collins leaves the stage’. ‘Who the hell do you think you are Collins?’ Bob Geldof would really have had something to cure on. “In that same year, the drummer then told to the” .telegraph “:” I felt I was used as a scapegoat for what had happened to the live AID, so I wanted to bring the truth to light “. And he admitted: “It was not a good experience. If you watch the videos, you can see Jimmy staggered on stage, Robert who did not spot the notes and I pretended to play, making Air Drumming, just to get away from me … When the Zeppelin gathered, something happens. Bad karma ”. So he concluded: “Here’s how things were. Robert alone: an adorable person. Robert and anything he has to do with the Zeppelin: A strange alchemy happens. It is like a malignant variant of alchemy. Everything becomes very dark. “
Years later, Phil Collins returned to the disastrous reunion of the Led Zeppelin to the live AID during an interview granted to the “Classic Rock” magazine in 2020. “When I arrived the fact that I, Robert and Jimmy played together had become ‘the second coming of the Led Zeppelin’ – was also John Paul Jones,” said Collins, continuing: “Jimmy says, ‘we have to try’. And I say, ‘We can’t simply get on stage and play? ‘”. As known, the fateful proposal, which infuriated Jimmy Page, did not have a great result. He then remembered the drummer: “I arrived and went to the caravan and Robert told me, ‘Jimmy Page is on the war footing‘”.
And in fact: “Page said ‘We tried!’ And I said ‘I saw your first concert in London, I know things’ “. The answer of the Zeppelin guitarist is ready:” In agreement, so now how does it work? “No, it doesn’t work! It doesn’t work in this way“. During the long chat, Collins also remembered the second drummer who accompanied the Led Zeppelin, Tony Thompson, who disappeared in November 2003: “Thompson, I put in peace, had gone back for a week and I was about to steal the scene – the famous drummer had arrived! – And he did what he wanted to do, “said the former Genesis that, to the declaration of Page that” a drummer crossed the Atlantic and did not know things “, he replied:” And I pissed off. Maybe I didn’t know it as well as he would have liked but … I became the flagship and it seemed that I was giving me arias. I should have overcome it by now but occasionally still makes me nervous“.
