The song John Bonham never played live

In the rock world they say that every drummer can be replaced. All except one: John Bonham which is the very essence of the sound of Led Zeppelin.

Since his audition to join Jimmy Page’s band in the late 1960s he revealed that his playing style was central to the musical character of Led Zeppelin.

Bonham, known for his power and speed, profoundly influenced the sound of hard rock and metal drums, becoming one of the best drummers of his time. His skill has made a significant contribution to the band’s records and live performances, making his presence an unmistakable selling point (Read also)

The death of Bonham (known as “Bonzo” and then “The Beast”) in September 1980 led to the dissolution of Led Zeppelin, as the group’s members recognized that no other drummer could replace him.

Despite calls for reunion tours, Led Zeppelin has performed only sporadically since his death, with performances that have included drummers such as Phil Collins And Tony Thompsonbut without the hoped-for success.

Afterwards, Jason BonhamJohn’s son, took his place in some performances, including a memorable one at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert in 2007, where he played a piece his father had never performed live, “For Your Life“.

This song, written by Robert Plant, had never been performed by Led Zeppelin before, which made Jason’s performance even more significant. Although his style cannot replicate that of his parent, Jason manages to pay homage to Bonham’s legacy by tackling songs that his father never played.

The song was included in the album “Presence” published in March 1976 and created in November 1975 during his convalescence Robert Plant was suffering from the serious car accident that occurred on the island of Rhodes and which forced them to cancel an already scheduled American tour. Plant sang the entire album sitting in a wheelchair.

The singer later explained that the venom referenced in the song was due in part to his observations of the excessive amount of cocaine that had now pervaded and ruined the Los Angeles music scene, noted during his rehab stay on the West Coast prior to recording.

Part of the song’s lyrics, written by Plant, indicated that he was also dealing with an unknown female acquaintance of his who had been drawn to the City of Angels’ drug scene, to whom he wagged a finger and said “be careful “.

While “For Your Life” has never been performed live by the band, an arrangement was worked out for Coverdale and Page’s tour of Japan in 1993, but was never presented on stage. The first performance was on December 10, 2007 with Jason on rhythm.

“Presence” is the penultimate studio album made by the entire band, the subsequent and final choral album, ”In Through the Out Door”, was released in 1979. The closing album of Led Zeppelin’s career “Tail” saw the light in 1982 after the death of Bonham which took place on September 25, 1980 and was a collection of old unreleased recordings and live songs recorded between 1968 and 1981

“For Your Life” it is currently in the lineup on the show called “Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening”, which the late drummer’s son is carrying around.

Although the reunion concerts have been very successful, a large-scale tour is unlikely, as Led Zeppelin cannot exist without John Bonham and the drummer’s seat cannot be passed down dynastically.

The entire tribute concert to Ahmet Ertegun (the founder of Atlantic Records for whom Led Zeppelin recorded until 1973, before the creation of Swan Songs, their personal label) was released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray in 2012 as “Celebration Day”.

This is the lineup for the evening

Good Times Bad Times
Ramble Hon
Black Dog
In My Time of Dying
For Your Life
Trampled Under Foot
Nobody’s Fault but Mine
No Quarter
Since I’ve Been Loving You
Dazed and Confused
stairway to Heaven
The Song Remains the Same
Misty Mountain Hop
Kashmir

Encore:
Whole Lotta Love

Encore 2:
Rock and roll