No love for Jimmy Page at the Oscars

A week ago, after the umpteenth post in a row on this site about nothing but Them Crooked Vultures, somebody commented that Lemon Squeezings had in effect become a news site for developments on that band.

Feeling sorry for that person who wasn't getting a steady Led Zeppelin fix over here at LedZeppelinNews.com, I started putting some more stuff up at OnThisDayInLedZeppelinHistory.com right away.

In the past week, there have been new posts about Jerry Wexler signing Led Zeppelin to Atlantic Records in 1968 and turning operations over to Ahmet Ertegun, the band proceeding exactly one year later to begin recording music for a third album in a row, and John Paul Jones reflecting on the band's BBC sessions during an interactive online interview in 1997.

While I felt sorry for this one disenchanted reader of LedZeppelinNews.com, I felt even more sorry for Jimmy Page, the member of that band who put it together from day one, lingered in the studio to put onto tape the sounds in his head, painstakingly mastered the tapes again and again through the years to make sure they fit his vision, and sought time and time again to do something a little more for us unworthy fans.

Like last year, when he wanted to assemble a new band. We now know that it fell by the wayside.

Ever since his last bout of rehearsals and planning came and went without any fruit, Jimmy's been out of the limelight for a little while. Some of the reason is he hasn't done much to put himself in the limelight, but another part of it is because the film "It Might Get Loud" didn't make the big splash I thought it deserved.

I've seen three public showings of this film, twice on opening day in New York City and once in Washington, D.C., a little while after it opened there. Of those three showings, only the second, a noontime showing in Greenwich Village, was packed. Energetic people in the theater burst at the funny moments, and they waited patiently during the film's exaggerated lulls for the next thing to grab them by the arm and entertain. It was a thrill to see so many people so into this movie.

But for the third public showing I attended, I was the only person in the theater. Sure, I suppose downtown D.C. mid-day on a weekday is a thriving metropolis, but not the kind that has people flocking to the cinema at that time. Everybody was busy. I couldn't even coax a friend of mine, a closet U2 fan who works for one of the government agencies, to skip work for a couple of hours and watch his favorite guitarist and mine share the silver screen.

I don't think this film had the crossover appeal it was destined to have. Maybe the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray releases, and the online release preceding that, will make it easier for people to know of it, enjoy it, talk about it, recommend it and really make something of a sleeper hit out of it. I think generations to come should be watching this film.

The sorrow I feel for Jimmy Page was enhanced today when I noticed some news outlets are reporting "It Might Get Loud" has been overlooked by the Academy Awards in nominating films to the documentary category. Director Davis Guggenheim's previous work, "An Inconvenient Truth," may have picked up an Oscar, but "It Might Get Loud" evidently won't share that fate, which is regrettable.

True, the Grammys overlooked Led Zeppelin in the '70s, and that didn't hurt anybody, so there's really nothing to sweat here. Yet this is a different day and age. Most of the Led Zeppelin news these days is from Them Crooked Vultures, whose members have signaled they're in for round two. Robert Plant earlier this year created waves, picking up five Grammys with Alison Krauss and then creating enough momentum to earn a second wave of sales.

Now, although a follow-up album by Plant and Krauss has stalled, and Plant's fit not to be on tour right now or have any particular album to peddle, his bluegrass turn of the past few years still manages to get acclaim from all directions:

• National Public Radio has just named Plant and Alison Krauss's album Raising Sand one of the current decade's "50 Most Important Recordings."
  
• Furthermore, Crawdaddy contributor Angela Zimmerman now believes that the work by Plant and Krauss has, in retrospect, totally overshadowed the possibilities of a Led Zeppelin reunion.

That just has to be eating at Jimmy Page.

Now, can it be the right antidote to coax him into action again and generate some new music for people to hold up and appreciate?

Update, 4:45 p.m.: Ah! I did not see this until just now, but similar thoughts were posted three weeks ago by Matt Patterson, a National Review Institute Washington Fellow and the author of "Union of Hearts: The Abraham Lincoln & Ann Rutledge Story." His remarks are also reflective of the sentiments I expressed here on Sept. 2, in my post "Do musicians ever really retire?"

John Bonham's mother picks up drummer's posthumous award

A Classic Rock magazine panel of judges has voted to honor the late John Bonham with this year's Tommy Vance Inspiration Award.

On hand at London's Park Lane Hotel to receive the posthumous honor last night were the drummer's mother, Joan Bonham, and his sister, Deborah Bonham.

The award was sponsored by Rhino Records.

Other winners in the 2009 Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards include singer Iggy Pop, who was named a "Living Legend"; Ronnie Wood, who received the Outstanding Contribution award; and Ginger Baker, who received the Innovator award.

The presenters and guests in attendance included guitarists Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Brian May, Slash, Joe Perry and Billy Gibbons, plus singer Chrissie Hynde. (Update: To add to this, photographer Ross Halfin says Jimmy Page was there, along with Tommy Iommi, Mick Ralphs and Joe Bonamassa in addition to the aforementioned guitarists.)

At the ceremony two years ago, it was Jimmy Page who was named a Living Legend. For that 2007 ceremony, Robert Plant contributed a video tribute to him, which can be seen below.

'It Might Get Loud' slated for December release on DVD, Blu-Ray

Coming this December to DVD: the film documentary showcasing Jimmy Page's and two other guitarists' affection for, and personal encounters with, their electric instrument.

"It Might Get Loud" was still opening theatrically in some U.S. markets this month, but Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced a new way for enthusiasts to catch the movie. Beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 22, it will be available for purchase on the DVD and Blu-Ray formats with a collection of bonus features.

Sony says the press conference held at last year's Toronto International Film Festival will make it onto the new releases. During that September 2008 press conference, Page and his costars and fellow guitarists, Jack White and The Edge, fielded questions about the movie.

Page, who is an associate producer for the film, has already described some scenes not included in the film that could be destined for the home releases. He told Billboard magazine earlier this year, "There'll be some extra stuff from the summit," referring to the scenes that document his interactions with the others. "There'll be some extra stuff from the summit, that's obvious. I know there's another number I did. There was a lot that was played at the summit, that Edge did, I'm sure, and Jack."

Update: Sony now states deleted scenes will be included on the DVD and Blu-Ray. Also, the Blu-Ray is to include "an interactive playlist where you can bookmark your favorite songs featured in the film" as well as a special feature called BD-Live, which "connects you to access real-time information on the cast, music, trivia and more while watching the movie."

The movie shows the initial gathering of the three guitarists, as filmed in January 2008, and their jam sessions on their own songs such as "In My Time of Dying," "I Will Follow," "Dead Leaves on the Dirty Ground" and "Whole Lotta Love." The movie also shows a reflective Page as he arrives at the mansion Headley Grange about 37 years after he first recorded Led Zeppelin's untitled fourth album there.

Jimmy Page's charity, ABC Trust, announces Big City Sleep in London

Note: The following is adapted from promotional materials highlighting an upcoming event in London for the ABC Trust, a U.K. charity for which Jimmy Page is a patron.

Time: From 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30, to sunrise on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009
Location: Spitalfields Market, Crispin Place, Brushfield Street, East London
Fundraising target: Minimum £150 per person

Spend a night under the stars with ABC Trust this Christmas and help thousands of street children and young people in Brazil.

The ABC Trust invites you to take part in a 12 hour sponsored mass sleepout challenge by swapping your comfortable beds and homes for the basic provisions of a cardboard box on the floor of London’s well-loved Spitalfields Market, in the heart of the city. Once you have found your pitch inside the market for the night, ABC Trust will offer you some bedtime entertainment in the form of a capoeira demonstration and some live Brazilian acoustic music, as well as some hot food to help ease you into a good night’s sleep.

Every day, an estimated 7 million children are forced to face the violence, hunger and isolation of life on the streets of Brazil, with little hope for the future. ABC Trust helps transform the lives of the most vulnerable children. The ABC Big City Sleep is aimed at raising awareness of the plight of homeless children and raising funds to help provide them a better future.

For the everyday Brit, the issues that Brazilian street children are facing is a distant concept, this event is an opportunity to bring it closer to home, by experiencing something totally out of our comfort zones. The difference is that we only have to experience it for one night before going back to our everyday comforts. We hope that through the Big City Sleep, we will give you a personal experience which will emphasise the importance of the work the ABC Trust does. All funds raised through the Big City Sleep, will go towards sustaining the vital work of our partner projects in Brazil who provide support, care and education to some of the country’s most vulnerable children and young people.

For further details, view this document.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame releases massive DVD set including all-star jams

In December 2007, Jimmy Page played on the stage of the O2 arena in London, leading a Led Zeppelin reunion. Almost two years later, Jeff Beck said Page was "too chicken" to join him onstage at the O2's smaller venue, the IndigO2.

Of course, Beck was kidding.

And he also called out Ron Wood. Both Page and Wood were attending Beck's IndigO2 gig, but they were up in the balcony. (Thanks to reporter Simon Hays for the above details.)

Page and Wood weren't too chicken this April when they jammed with Beck and others in Cleveland on the occasion of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their onstage collaboration on "Train Kept A-Rollin'," also with Joe Perry and members of Metallica, is a fine example of the caliber of jamming the Rock Hall draws year in and year out.

And now, finally, as if it's never been a good idea before, there's now a giant box set release courtesy of Time Life that compiles many of those induction ceremony jams. One edition of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame LIVE includes nine DVDs, and another includes 14 DVDs plus a booklet.

In either set, a disc called "Feelin' Alright" includes Beck and Page jamming on "Beck's Bolero" with an "Immigrant Song" interlude from this April, and a disc called "Whole Lotta Shakin'" includes the "Train Kept A-Rollin'" electric guitar blitz!

Beck's also included on another disc called "Come Together," where he jammed with Jonny Lang on Gene Vincen't "Be-Bop-a-Lula" in 1999, and also played the Curtis Mayfield track "People Get Ready" in 1994 as a tribute to Rod Stewart.

See, this archive really does go back a while! It also includes the Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which took place in September 1995, upon the Cleveland museum's opening.

Alas, the DVD set does not include any of Led Zeppelin's reunited performances on the night of the induction in 1995, but that may be a matter of the performance being vetoed for release. That's why the Page-Plant-Jones performance at Live Aid in 1985 wasn't included on the official DVD release of those concerts either.

But what this new set does include is pretty amazing!

Zep members benefit charity front

News today from Led Zeppelin headquarters as all three surviving members have donated an assortment of band memorabilia to a charity auction benefiting Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital.

Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant have joined other people close to the band in donating an array of books, photographs, and even two autographed Electric Magic fanzines, to be auctioned off for the hospital's benefit.

Of the items related to Led Zeppelin, the highest valued one is a concert program from the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert, held in December 2007 at the O2 arena. (The event, of course, became more famous for its headlining act, the reunited Led Zeppelin with Jason Bonham on drums in place of his father.) Now bearing autographs by Page, Plant and Jones, this hardcover concert program, shown at right, carries an estimated value determined to be approximately $500.

The auction also includes:

• live still photographs of the band in concert in 1973, 1975 and 1977;
• an 8 mm film reel of footage shot from the front row of a Led Zeppelin concert in 1972;
• a photo of John Paul Jones playing the bass at the Knebworth festival in 1979, autographed by the man himself; and
• a rare promotional 12-page promotional book published by Atlantic Records in 1997, which highlighted the upcoming release of the Led Zeppelin album BBC Sessions.

In addition:

• Jason Bonham has autographed an issue of the fanzine Electric Magic from 1991 with his image on the cover; that's being auctioned.
• Page has done the same to another 1991 edition of Electric Magic bearing his image on the cover.
• Sam Rapallo, the author of those Electric Magic fanzines, has also signed a copy of his book, "Led Zeppelin: The Montreux Concerts," along with coauthor Gilles Chateau; that's being auctioned.
• There's also a rare photo collection by Mick Bonham, brother of the late Led Zeppelin drummer, titled "Bonham by Bonham," which was released posthumously in a limited and numbered set.
• Finally, there is a Robert Plant/Alison Krauss Raising Sand CD that is autographed on the cover by Plant.
  

Bidding for the Led Zeppelin-related items closes on Oct. 8 at 10 p.m. Eastern.

The announcement of these auction items comes 48 hours before Plant, who recently turned 61, is to take the stage at the O2 arena for the first time since the Led Zeppelin reunion. He's billed to appear at the star-studded Rockwell fundraiser.

The Rockwell lineup -- which also includes Tom Jones, Lulu, David Gray, Razorlight and Joss Stone, among others -- promises "unique collaborations." However, from an announcement of the full line-up, it does not appear Plant will be pairing up with any other acts on the bill. That doesn't mean he won't surprise us!

Proceeds from this concert on Friday are to benefit Nordoff-Robbins, a U.K. charity that uses music therapy techniques as a means to improve the quality of life for people living with various illnesses and conditions.

Beatlemania hits U.S. on feast of the nines

Beatles fans will be shelling out upwards of $250 to obtain the new box sets that present the first remasters of that group's catalog since the 1980s. Just as the Led Zeppelin catalog was remastered for re-release in the early 1990s, and selected tracks remastered yet again for the Mothership collection in 2007, the sound of all the Beatles albums has been updated for modern listeners.

The Washington Post yesterday included two opposing articles, one in support of the Beatles tracks in mono and the other in support of them in stereo.

Also because 09.09.09 is here, a Beatles edition of the video game "Rock Band" has also arrived, ushering a new use of licensing of the band's catalog. Contributing some thoughts on this, not surprisingly, is music-industry commenter Bob Lefsetz. He says the Beatles are behind the curve in reaching out to this format, one he says "is on death watch." Lefsetz doubts this move to the "Rock Band" enterprise will create fans out of today's youth: "If you want to teach the younger generation how great the boys from Liverpool were you'll reach more of them via advertising than you will via this half-baked game."

Jimmy Page, too, was recently critical of the "Rock Band"/"Guitar Hero" format, expressing his displeasure at the thought of dads trying to be John Bonham when they're not. Page said this to the press this June while promoting his film "It Might Get Loud" along with co-star Jack White in Los Angeles. White, too, expressed his ambivalence about that style of video game, offering that he noticed "a loss of romance" when those controllers get between the music and the listener.

In one October 2008 edition of the influential Lefsetz Letter, the author railed against the band for licensing a line of footwear. It was little over a month later that I similarly criticized the Led Zeppelin activity of 2007 -- not the reunion concert but the further distillation of Zep's material via Mothership, the moves to iTunes and YouTube, the launch of the official Web site, and even the new version of The Song Remains the Same -- as the popularization of Led Zeppelin to the everyman, the gasping last breaths of any mystery once associated with Led Zeppelin.

You know, the kind of mystery we're now seeing with the arrival of Them Crooked Vultures!

But the Lefsetz Letter also featured the lengthy and reasoned reaction by Jeff Jampol, the acting manager today of the Doors, explaining his actions. It wasn't an attack, and it wasn't a defense. It was just an explanation, a history of decisions. And the more I reflect on Jampol's words in response to Lefsetz, the more I budge from that hard-lined position and realize why the footwear line and other judgment-call decisions by the Doors management were appropriate at the time -- and, by extension, why these moves undertaken every once in a while by the Beatles and Led Zeppelin are appropriate for them at those points in time.

That all being said, Lefsetz may be right about "Rock Band" as a dying art form, and Page has the right to believe it was never that great in the first place. Lefsetz often says the CD format is dead. He's even argued physical media are dead, and selling digital files is on its way out too, soon to be replaced by the format he's now championing: streaming on-demand media. Of the Beatles, Lefsetz says:

"We know that the Beatles blazed trails. Opened doors that were not even seen. Created music that you could not only sing along with, but inspired you to take up musical instruments to play. The Beatles Rock Band will inspire no one to become a musician, will turn few on to the music, because it's at least two years too late. The Beatles led, we followed. Now Apple Corps. is so tentative that it can't help but follow. Imagine the remasters on Blu-Ray. Sure, few would be able to play them, but they'd inspire the public to get Blu-Ray players just to hear them. Could have been done. Would have blown our minds. We'd have gone to friends' houses just like we did in '64, to be exposed to this magic music. But that wouldn't be expedient business. Expect the Beatles to sell MP3s when streaming is the norm. It's a bit sad. But the music, even listened to at 128kbps on cheap white earbuds, is still revelatory. It will never fade away. Unlike Guitar Hero and Rock Band, the White Album, all of the Beatles records, are not a fad. They still get our adrenaline pumping and put a smile on our face. No matter when and where we hear them. You can build edifices atop the music, but the tunes still shine, will continue to shine. Thank God."

Maybe it's just because I'm a bigger fan of Led Zeppelin than I am the Beatles, but I think whatever new medium hasn't yet arrived could be new territory for Led Zeppelin. The embalming liquid of the future that will preserve Led Zeppelin's music for eternity -- or at least until the next medium makes it obsolete. The new format that will be employed whenever Them Crooked Vultures have new music they want heard -- and, preferably, sold for profit. Because it's a business.

Do musicians really ever retire?

There's an unconfirmed report that Charlie Watts is quitting the Rolling Stones. The veteran drummer apparently isn't interested in touring or recording with the group anymore.

So, in effect, would Charlie be retiring? I mean, he's not forfeiting his license to play Stones songs. But if he's not playing them with Mick and Keith anymore, then who's he gonna play 'em with?

Is Charlie going to go the Ringo Starr route and start up his own cavalcade of stars, rock musicians who go around and play yawn-inducing versions of their songs to aging folks in lawn chairs?

Drummers aren't afforded the same luxuries given to singers. If Robert Plant doesn't want to tour with Led Zeppelin, he can still record an album with Alison Krauss and sing "Black Dog" in concert -- and he does, and then people vilify him for doing the same thing others praise him for doing.

Or is Charlie just going to sit at home and relax now that he is in advanced age and enjoy the fortunes he has earned playing his limited role in the creation of songs like "Street Fighting Man" and "Start Me Up"? And if that's what he's doing, doesn't the word "retirement" come to mind? How many times do you hear that word in this discussion?

Jimmy Page hasn't been on a major tour since 2000, and he didn't even finish it for reasons that were explained at the time as medical. There was probably a time last year that he genuinely thought he would be on the road this very day, playing Led Zeppelin songs with John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham and the singer of their choosing. It fell through for reasons not exactly explained, and Jimmy must be disappointed about that, if not absolutely heartbroken.

He says he wants to be seen again, and thank goodness for that -- because if things continue to carry on the way they have for the past decade, Jimmy will soon find himself in declining health and moping that he missed out on being seen, and enjoyed, when he certainly was capable. People want to see Jimmy and enjoy him.

Les Paul never retired. To the very end, he made himself available to his fans. Those who met him found a man who was very proud of his accomplishments and who was very friendly with those who admired him. Les was a great role model for any artist, not just guitarists but singers, drummers, everybody.

There's still a market for Jimmy Page, no doubt. There's still a market for Charlie Watts too. But is it the Rolling Stones crowd? Is that the only vehicle for his career today?

Does Charlie still have any unrealized aspirations? His technical abilities aside, could Charlie be the mastermind drummer in a spontaneously arranged supergroup not unlike the one John Paul Jones is in, and go out and write new music that has nothing to do with "Street Fighting Man" and more to do with, say, "The Day that Never Comes"? Might Charlie have some skills he's been shielding from the spotlight, like a decent singing voice?

As I watched "It Might Get Loud," it struck me when Jimmy Page declined to sing along with The Edge and Jack White when the three attempted "The Weight," the classic by The Band. Jimmy used the word "can't" when asked to sing. Aren't we taught as children to aspire higher than that? "Can't" was a naughty word in my household. Jimmy does end up singing a third harmony on the "and" at the end of each chorus, so kudos to him for overcoming one of his anxieties.

Jimmy also sang backup a few times during Led Zeppelin's career, and don't forget his pre-Yardbirds solo single "She Just Satisfies"; he was all over that one vocally. But why a man at his age would be debating whether or not to sing in the company of The Edge and Jack White is beyond me. Just go out there and do it, Jimmy. I encourage you!

Don't retire, Jimmy, and don't make us think you retired either. There's a market for you. There's a band for you. You're not washed up, and you never will be. Go out there and be seen. We promise your fans will be there.

Jimmy Page's instrumental composition follows familiar path

Jimmy Page's guitar instrumental "Embryo No. 2," as heard during the movie "It Might Get Loud," has already had a 10-year life. It debuted publicly onstage at a concert appearance in October 1999, when its title was later confirmed to be "Domino."

It is assumed that five months earlier, Page included "Domino" among instrumental studio tracks he recorded with drummer Michael Lee as the basis for what they hoped would be a new album with Robert Plant. The singer had just bagged a set of tour dates and set about to avoid touring on memories with Led Zeppelin, but Page was still doing whatever he could to re-energize Plant so they could work together again on some new collaborations. He was unsuccessful in recruiting Plant back into the fold, and life went on for them both.

The next time Page and Plant reunited for any great length of time was eight years later, with John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, in a group billed as Led Zeppelin for a tribute concert to Ahmet Ertegun. Following this one show, Page, Jones and Bonham spent parts of 2008 rehearsing for a touring and recording group they hoped would also involve Plant. That group never came to fruition. It is believed that "Domino" was introduced during the rehearsals, as Page reveals he "played [it] with other musicians relatively recently, in the last year or so."

Toward the end of last year, the original drummer on "Domino," Michael Lee, died unexpectedly.

Now that the instrumental, retitled as "Embryo No. 2," makes an appearance in the movie "It Might Get Loud," he says he expects to revisit the piece during his next musical project, the details of which will probably be unfolding in another year or two.

On the Led Zeppelin discussion group For Badgeholders Only, one user joked today that "Embryo No. 2" will make the 12-minute Led Zeppelin composition, "Carouselambra," released on Led Zeppelin's final studio album 30 years ago today, look like "a mere ditty compared to this, huh?"

There actually is a model from Page's past for the path "Domino"/"Embryo No. 2" has taken over the past 10 years. This involves several coincidences, and it foretells that the piece, when completed in time, will be well worth the wait.

Page first conceived an instrumental "Swan Song" in about 1973 or perhaps even earlier. He rehearsed it with John Paul Jones and John Bonham at the time, but the track was abandoned during the Led Zeppelin years. Meanwhile, Page continued previewing segments of it live during their concerts, fitting it in during his solo guitar showcase of "White Summer" and "Black Mountain Side."

About three years after the track's original drummer had died, "Swan Song" underwent a new name change, to "Bird on the Wing," and made it onstage yet again, this time with Paul Rodgers during their touring for the ARMS concerts. Now it had words too, born out of the loose Page-Rodgers collaboration. It finally emerged in finished form on the Firm's first album as the beautiful "Midnight Moonlight." Only through collaborating with other musicians did this final product come about.

By now, Page must realize he can no longer wait for Plant to be involved. He may never come around again. Whoever Page's next Paul Rodgers is will hopefully bring a voice to "Domino"/"Embryo No. 2" -- and perhaps under a new, definitive title.

Jimmy Page recasts his life story in 'It Might Get Loud'; echoes of Les Paul observed in another flick also showing in New York this week

Reminders of the late Les Paul permeate anything having to do with modern music. The 94-year-old guitarist and multi-track recording pioneer is remembered in two new music documentaries that premiered in New York City, coincidentally the day after his death.

In "It Might Get Loud," associate producer Jimmy Page employs a unique opportunity to relate some of the key stories of his musical career. His two co-stars are as mesmerized with Page as they are forthcoming with stories of their own formative moments.

Meanwhile, "Rock Prophecies" focuses on recent developments in the life of longtime rock photographer Robert M. Knight. For more than four decades, he has lived to capture still images of little known bands and artists who would later become the world's most seminal figures in rock music. In the '60s, his subjects were Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Knight, in the film, says he collects rock stars. His shots of ZZ Top, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Slash, Panic at the Disco and many more are highlighted in the film.

In both movies, electric guitar features prominently. It is the central muse of "It Might Get Loud," which director Davis Guggenheim has described as "a love letter to the electric guitar." The instrument figures no less in "Rock Prophecies," where Knight's discovery of blues guitarist Tyler Dow Bryant at age 16 gives way to a turning point in the unfolding plot as Knight champions and courts the youngster to some of his formidable connections in the music world.

Knight, in his narrative asides and on-screen encounters, peppers "Rock Prophecies" with anecdotes about the musicians he's photographed. In one scene, he passes on to the young band Panic at the Disco some insight he attributes to Robert Plant: that the more successful you become, the lower the quality of the people you meet.

In "It Might Get Loud," numerous witticisms and observations come straight from the artists themselves in personal revelations by Jack White, The Edge and Page. When Edge asks Page what songs from his '60s studio session work in London he would recognize Page's uncredited playing on, the elder guitarist names one, Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" and immediately relates a story about the recording session. Edge follows up and asks if Page played with the Kinks, and the elder guitarist ends up saying yes but the reports of his pervasive contributions to them have largely been exaggerated.

While White discusses how unpopular it was to play any musical instrument in his native town and Edge recalls the impact the punk music movement and violence in his Irish homeland had on his music in U2, Page talks moviegoers through every phase of his career prior to and including Led Zeppelin. As a visual backdrop is a showcase of many still photos of Page as a youth.

The film may not have many new revelations for the ardent Zeppelin fans who have ingested the liner notes of every box set to the point of memorizing dates and facts, but this film may possibly represent the most accessible way for fans of rock music in general to learn, directly from Page, about his direct line of progress from his early road work to art school to his session days to the Yardbirds and, finally, Led Zeppelin. While playing an instrumental version of the recognizable "Ramble On" for the cameras, a cleverly placed voiceover from Page demonstrates the concept of "light and shade" in Led Zeppelin's music.

If "It Might Get Loud" is a love letter to the electric guitar, it is also a tribute to Les Paul. "Rock Prophecies" is a tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan and a love letter to Knight's mother, who is living with Alzheimer's disease under his care. Touching moments in "Rock Prophecies" make the film suitable for all audiences with a heart.

"It Might Get Loud" is playing daily in New York at the AMC Empire 25 and the Landmark Sunshine Cinema through at least Aug. 20. It is also showing in Los Angeles. Further theatrical release dates in U.S. locations have been scheduled through October.

"Rock Prophecies" is playing daily at the IFC Theater near New York University through Aug. 20. It will also show Aug. 27 in Aspen, Colo., and Sept. 5-6 in Seattle, Wash. Click here for more details.

Jimmy Page foreshadows his next musical project in new interview

Tomorrow's theatrical premiere of "It Might Get Loud" in New York and Los Angeles allows people to hear the early workings of some new music Jimmy Page says is destined for a future project of his.

As Lemon Squeezings reported in April 2008, the movie contains instrumental numbers called "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2." These are the first new compositions from Page released in any form since October 1999.

Now, Page tells Billboard magazine he intends to morph these, and other new tracks, into fully developed studio compositions.

In exactly what setting the "Embryo" pieces will emerge, Page didn't specify. But he did tell Billboard he had "played them with other musicians relatively recently, in the last year or so."

By this he might mean John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, even possibly with Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy. It has been widely reported that those four considered assembling a band for some time last year, even to the point of rehearsing new music and eventually going out on tour to support an album release.

By the end of last year, that prospective band project was no longer being considered. Now, Jones has just debuted his new band, Them Crooked Vultures, reportedly after six months of rehearsals and studio recording. Page, meanwhile, seemed to have given no indication to his manager, Peter Mensch what projects he would be working on in 2009. Mensch said in an interview with MusicRadar this January, "F--- if I know" the direction in which Page's career would head.

Page now tells Billboard what's been going on and what he has in mind. "This year I've had quite a lot of things going on," he says, "sort of things relative to preparing for projects. There's a lot of groundwork that's been going into that so that I can be getting on with things next year. I really intend to be doing some playing and ... be seen, if you like. If you've got ambitious projects, they take time to put together if you're going to do them properly."

Page's last publicly disclosed comments on the subject came in June, as reported by the LA Weekly blog West Coast Sound. In that interview, Page said:

"I've got some new music. There's sort of little tastes and shades of it in the documentary. Bits. It's just a question of actually doing it now. Actually getting a project that I've had in mind for a while. I've just got to go and do it. Don't want to tell anyone about it. But, yes, I've got a big project I'm working on."

As for tomorrow's public premiere of his "Embryo" pieces in the film "It Might Get Loud," Page says he is excited. He's even hinting toward a future DVD release of the film packed with surplus footage of songs its starring guitarists played each other.

"It's inevitable there'll be a DVD on the horizon," he offers. "There'll be some extra stuff from the summit, that's obvious. I know there's another number I did. There was a lot that was played at the summit, that Edge did, I'm sure, and Jack. I'm sure there'll be a DVD, and I can tell you with a certain confidence there'll be extras because that's the way things work these days."

Theatrical release dates for "It Might Get Loud" in various U.S. cities stretch into October, and a U.K. premiere has been promised for this autumn. Sony Pictures Classic last year purchased widespread international distribution rights for the film, which has been screened at numerous festivals worldwide.

Update:

After watching "It Might Get Loud" in a theater twice today (Friday, Aug. 14), I couldn't pick out "Embryo No. 1" either time in the film. It's listed in the credits as having appeared very early on, but I listened for it twice and either missed it twice or it was not really there. Have any sharp-eyed readers spotted "Embryo No. 1" in the film?

Also, I was somewhat disappointed to learn that this so-called "new" composition, "Embryo No. 2," is a mere remake of the instrumental that was called "Domino" and included during a Net Aid set in October 1999 with Guy Pratt on bass and the late Michael Lee on drums.

If there was no "Embryo No. 1," and if "Embryo No. 2" is only an unfinished version of an instrumental track written 10 years ago, then perhaps Page isn't all that far into what he describes will be a "big project"!

Further update:

After my third screening of "It Might Get Loud," I realize "Embryo No. 1" is what's playing over the opening credits. Furthermore, it's what you hear in the background between seconds 25 and 53 on the trailer. Listen!

Les Paul, father of the electric guitar and modern sound recording, dies at 94

Jimmy Page spent his teen years teaching himself how to play guitar, and one of the jazz guitarists who inspired him at that time was Les Paul.

Page once said, "Les Paul was so far ahead of the time, he was like a scientist."

Paul died today at a hospital in White Plains, N.Y., after a bout with pneumonia. He was 94.

In addition to being a pioneer in utilizing the complexities of the electric guitar, Paul was also responsible for developing multi-track recording processes.

Page grew up listening to the jazzy hit records Les Paul made in the 1950s with his wife, Mary Ford, on vocals. Often, Ford would be harmonizing with herself on two separate tracks, while her husband would be playing a lead track on top of a rhythm track.

Multi-tracking became an industry standard, and it is certainly a part of the Led Zeppelin sound on albums.

In the movie "It Might Get Loud," which opens tomorrow in New York and Los Angeles, Page tells his fellow guitarists Jack White and The Edge that as a kid, he used to listen to any records that had guitar in them at all. This clip, which also shows Page playing air guitar to "Rumble" by Link Wray, is available below:



Les Paul played weekly jazz sets in New York, often with special guests. Page attended Paul's birthday celebration on June 9, 1987, and the two jammed together.

Nile Rodgers reflects on Tony Thompson guest spot at Live Aid

Today's the 24th anniversary of Live Aid, and Nile Rodgers has just shared with me a short reflection on the lineup his late former bandmate in Chic, Tony Thompson, started that day.

As we know, Thompson sat in with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones. As we also know, they had little time for rehearsals before the show, and Page in fact amped up his guitar for the prime time set without even having it tuned first. Not to mention, the four were joined on a second drum set by Phil Collins and also by Paul Martinez, who was Plant's bass player at the time.

Take out those extra superfluous people, and you have yourself a fourpiece lineup that may have very well been the next coming of Led Zeppelin the following year. Rolling Stone broke the story in 1986 that Page, Plant and Jones were rehearsing with Thompson. The former Led Zeppelin members, with their past experiences, viewed it as a bad omen and too much like events of the dark past when Thompson was injured in a car crash during their rehearsal stage, and the lineup retired before anything came off the ground.

Just the fact that they attempted anything like this in 1986 shows there must have been some magic present among the four of them. Guitarist Nile Rodgers was already close to the Zeppelin boys, having been a part of the production team behind The Honeydrippers EP with Plant and that also included Page. Now with ample time to reflect over the nearly two-and-a-half decades that have elapsed since Live Aid, Rodgers spoke to me today, offering the following words about the brief chance Led Zeppelin had to fly again with his close friend and colleague, Tony Thompson, on drums.

Rodgers says:

To see Tony Thompson playing at Live Aid with one of my favorite groups of all time, Led Zeppelin, was a dream come true. I know he had to struggle through the gig because of the near fatal accident he had suffered, but like the troopers all CHIC alumni are, he hit the skins as hard as his body could deliver. It brought tears to my eyes. I love and miss him. How great is music? Who'd believe some unknown black guys from NYC could wind up being life long friends with arguably the greatest Rock band ever (in my humble opinion).

I'm a permanent member of the Honeydrippers with Robert Plant, and we speak on a semi regular basis. I respect Jimmy, John Paul Jones (the unsung hero of the band), and Little Jason Bonham stepped up to deliver the goods at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute in London after his death. Tony Thompson was one of the greatest drummers ever, and that night was history.

Bob Lefsetz thrilled with Jimmy Page's rendition of 'Ramble On' in new movie

The movie "It Might Get Loud" features Jimmy Page performing five songs alone.

Two are "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2," which are pieces of new music perhaps destined for a "big project" Page says he has "had in mind for some time."

The three others are "The Battle of Evermore," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Ramble On."

The way he played "Ramble On" onscreen prompted Bob Lefsetz to revive his writing in "The Lefsetz Letter" for the first time in 10 days. He viewed the film at its L.A. premiere on Friday, a few seats from Page himself.

Just as I was getting comfortable in my seat, just as I'd settled into WATCHING this movie, Jimmy strapped on a sunburst Les Paul and started to play...

A tingle just shot through my body thinking about it.

You know how Jimmy holds his guitar so low, down by his pubic area, like it's a sexual being, not a musical instrument? He's not just playing, he's romancing the entire instrument, the neck is bobbing and weaving, the body of the Gibson is throbbing, and with his nimble fingers, Jimmy Page is playing RAMBLE ON!

The track has not been overdubbed after the fact, the original master has not been stripped in, this is the guy who wrote and played it standing there and WHIPPING IT OFF! And in classic "Led Zeppelin II" fashion, he's not playing to the last row, there's that subtlety that separated the band from its imitators, they could be quiet as well as heavy.

And speaking of quiet, when Jimmy sat on a stool in the garden of Headley Grange and played "The Battle Of Evermore", I got goosebumps.

But "Ramble On" was the peak. Better than Jimmy playing the riff from "Whole Lotta Love" on the soundstage. There was a lyricism, a whole story was unfolding in his playing.

I played "Led Zeppelin II" for a week straight. After buying it the day of release. I thought I never needed to hear it again. But years later, when the focus was no longer on it, it turned out to be one of those mementos of youth that was just as vital today as it was back then. Somehow, music can do that. People age, but not tunes. Not the best ones.

My leg is bouncing, my body is twisting. I'm surveying the theatre, I see no concomitant movement. How can this BE? Has our nation been castrated to such a point that viewers need to take their cues from television? Can they only be infected, jump up and down when they're in front of the stage at an overpriced gig? This performance of "Ramble On" was the essence of the experience. It was the zenith of rock and roll. Jimmy said how the critics didn't get it. And he was right. But the public did. Led Zeppelin was instantly successful.

Lefsetz also mentions another scene in the movie with Page:

Like I said, they shot a bunch of footage at Headley Grange, where the fourth album was cut. Jimmy hasn't been there in a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. He's overwhelmed at first. Then he starts telling stories. About the mobile truck outside (and a picture is flashed...that truck was HUGE!) They ran cables up the stairways, out the windows, it was key to be in an environment unsullied by everyday life.

And John Bonham ordered a new set of drums. And his tech set up this kit in the entry hall, with its multiple story ceiling, so Bonzo could check it out. And once Bonham started to play, they decided to record RIGHT THERE!

Then Jimmy claps his hands. As he's standing in this entry hall. And you hear that unmistakable echo, the sound of late night seventies parties, of lying on your bedroom floor in the dark, listening to "When The Levee Breaks".

It was ASTOUNDING! It sounded JUST LIKE THE RECORD!

Lefsetz also writes about his meeting Page at the afterparty:

We ended up having a conversation about being best man at failed weddings. Had to give Jimmy credit, he knew how to play this game, he knew how to be warm and personable. And how do you not love a man who lets his hair go gray, who owns his age?

From there, he closes with his thoughts on Jimmy Page's long and storied life, plus the place Led Zeppelin has earned in rock history and our culture:

It's been a long strange trip. From discovering a left behind guitar in a new abode to playing sessions to being in the biggest band of its era, the second biggest band of all time.

Yes, the Beatles were bigger. But they were different. They were the darlings, the sunny boys who could be endorsed by the media, cheeky and lovable. Zeppelin were different. There was an inherent darkness. You hear it in the music. They're looking for satisfaction, but still living along the way. And life is hard. It's dark and creepy with a bit of exuberance sprinkled in. Like Led Zeppelin's music. Zep's music wasn't one note, it was like life, it covered the spectrum of emotions. And for this reason, we cannot forget it.

When you see Jimmy Page play these tunes up close and personal in this movie you'll be flabbergasted. It's not like a concert, where you can hear but not really see. When you see Jimmy's fleet fingers fly across the fretboard, when you see his right hand pick out the notes, you experience the true spirit of rock and roll, in all its power and glory. These moments are not only worth the price of admission, they're what we live for!

Six minutes of segments from the film are included (with French overdubbing) here:

Jimmy Page mum on details of his 'big project ... that I've had in mind for a while'

In a moment of clarity the other day, Jimmy Page discussed the similarities, and differences, between guitars and women. As Lina Lecaro reports for the LA Weekly blog West Coast Sound, Page said:

"I've said that it's shaped like a woman, you know. You can touch it and caress it. The thing I haven't said, that I'll tell you now is: it doesn't ask you for alimony!"

Aside from this witty moment, West Coast Sound also relates good news for Jimmy Page fans who've been hoping to hear new music from the guy. (That is, more new music than just the "Embryo" pieces contained in the guitar documentary "It Might Get Loud" opening this August.)

Page hinted, "I've got a big project I'm working on." Of course, the guitarist was mum on the details, just like his Led Zeppelin counterpart John Paul Jones, who hasn't offered any further details in the past two months on his "secret" project now believed to be an album recorded with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme.

An announcement regarding Jones's project is anticipated soon, especially considering the fact that back in April he said he'd hoped "to be everywhere this summer" with the people whose names he failed to mention.

As for Page's "big project," he says, "I've got some new music. There's sort of little tastes and shades of it in the documentary. Bits. It's just a question of actually doing it now. Actually getting a project that I've had in mind for a while. I've just got to go and do it. Don't want to tell anyone about it. But, yes, I've got a big project I'm working on."

There's no word on the timetable for this musical project of Page's as of yet. Update: He told a WalesOnline reporter on Friday, "I'm taking a little bit of time off and then getting back into work thoroughly around December time and into the New Year."

Jimmy Page and Jack White discuss future plans, video games at L.A. press conference

Reuters and the New Musical Express are reporting on a press conference with Jimmy Page and Jack White that took place this morning in Los Angeles. Both are in town for the city's film festival and tonight's premiere of "It Might Get Loud" there.

Both stories carried a humorous quip from White on whether he might consider playing again with Page, such as on the solo album White is rumored to be embarking on. "I think Jimmy needs to practice a little more," he commented. Yeah, he was joking.

The Reuters coverage carries more interesting remarks from both guitarists on the way music is presented to today's youth. For instance, neither thinks video games are very useful for musical practice.

White said, "That's like the only outlet now, that you have to put [your music] in a video game to get it in front of [kids]. That's a little sad."

Reuters carried a long, candid remark from Page about amateur musicians setting out to imitate their heroes:

"If you start with the first track on the first (self-titled Led Zeppelin) album, 'Good Times Bad Times,' and you think of the drum part that John Bonham did there, how many drummers in the world can actually play that? Let alone Dad on a Christmas morning? There might be a lot of alcohol to be consumed over Christmas, he still ain't gonna get it."

Interestingly, as the NME story tells us, Page pointed out that both he and White, and also their third co-star, The Edge, are all self-taught guitarists.

The film premieres in L.A. about an hour and a half from the time of writing.

Update: Getty Images and the Associated Press have photos of Page and others at the premiere. Also, the video below is from a Q&A session at the L.A. film premiere.

Jimmy Page hobnobs with Jack White in Los Angeles in time for film premiere

Two days before the first public screening of "It Might Get Loud" in Los Angeles, at least two of the film's stars were in town. It is likely both Jimmy Page and Jack White will stick around long enough for the Friday evening screening of their film, taking in the flick yet another time before its widespread theatrical distribution in August.

Don't expect a full reunion of the three guitarists starring in "It Might Get Loud." Unlike at the world premiere in Toronto last year, when all three attended and participated in a public question-and-answer session, this time, The Edge is in Barcelona, where he is with the rest of U2 preparing for the 360 tour, which is set to open in less than two weeks.

Page's frequent traveling companion, photographer Ross Halfin, details the events of the June 14 flight they shared into Los Angeles on his blog. Halfin then discusses the concert he and Page attended at the Roxy last night.

• The band was the Dead Weather, which consists of Alison Mosshart on vocals and Jack White on lead guitar and occasional vocals. An L.A. Times blog by Ann Powers mentions Page's presence at the show, saying he "was the show's most whispered-about attendee." Luckily for Page, the blog says, his "It Might Get Loud" co-star didn't fail to "invoke" (might she mean "evoke"?) Led Zeppelin during the hour-long set.
• The Dead Weather is scheduled as tonight's musical guest on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien." Their album, Horehound, is expected to drop July 14.
  

Anyway, Halfin says he and Page had barely just arrived in Los Angeles when they ran into Roger Daltrey of the Who. In Halfin's words, the singer "wasted no time in badgering Jimmy to play at the Teenage Cancer Trust next March. Jimmy didn't say no, so you never know." Indeed, this 2010 charity event would be a welcome addition to Page's invisible concert schedule, seeing as he is nearing the halfway point of this current year with only one in-concert appearance under his belt.

There's been no mention of how long Page would remain in Los Angeles or what the purpose of his visit, so assuming he'll attend tomorrow's "It Might Get Loud" showing is just a logical conclusion. However, if he's still around through the weekend, perhaps Page would pad up his sightseeing itinerary with another concert. Led Zepagain is one tribute band Page has watched in approval and solidarity. It's possible that on Saturday night, he may head over and watch the tribute act again at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, which was the scene of four consecutive nights with Led Zeppelin and Alice Cooper sharing the bill 40 years ago.

Also, there is that gong of John Bonham's that seems to be in town past its expiration date. Imagine stuffing that in the overhead bin on the flight back!

One last thought: Gee, I hope Jimmy gets a chance to listen to the nightly installments of "Get the Led Out" on 95.5 KLOS. The program, for which I write and consult, just debuted in Los Angeles last week and is now airing at 7 p.m. Pacific time (10 p.m. Eastern). Those of you not in the area can tune in on the Web site to listen live, or check with your local classic rock stations to see if they already "Get the Led Out" with Carol Miller.

Rare Zep footage included in guitar documentary's trailer

What happens when three generations of guitar heroes meet?

"Probably a fistfight," predicts Jack White, on his way to an arranged guitar summit with The Edge and Jimmy Page.

This comical prediction comes courtesy of a newly released trailer for the feature film "It Might Get Loud," which heads to theaters this August.



The trailer cuts to a scene with Page shot on location at Headley Grange, known to Led Zeppelin fans as the place where many of that group's songs were recorded. At the bottom of a staircase, Page names off one of them, "[When the] Levee Breaks."

The shots, in this film directed by Davis Guggenheim of "An Inconvenient Truth" success, bring this mythical and storied mansion to life for a mass of Zep fans who have never seen inside it before.

Just as this comes to life, Page says memories are coming back to him, and the shot changes to home footage I haven't ever seen before. Probably from 1971, Jimmy Page is shown wielding a guitar in a garden, presumably on the grounds of Headley Grange, with a dog relaxing on one side and an energetic Robert Plant bouncing around on the other side.

The trailer later cuts to a glimpse of Page playing air guitar, as has been explained before, to his recording of Link Wray's "Rumble." Get a load of the library of records behind him! This was filmed at his home, which video crews are said to have never been allowed before.

The trailer begins and ends with White building his own makeshift guitar -- "Who says you need to buy a guitar?" -- but also includes a moment of three-way laughter as Page treats the two agape and onlooking guitarists to a personal performance of "In My Time of Dying."

No fistfights are apparent in this trailer!

Tickets on sale Friday for L.A. premiere of 'It Might Get Loud'; Australian debut set for June 3

Music and movie buffs around the world are preparing for some more early screenings of "It Might Get Loud" beginning next week.

The guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge is destined for theatrical distribution in North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Distributor Sony Pictures Classic indicates the film will open in New York and Los Angeles beginning Aug. 14 with other cities to follow shortly thereafter.

For now, Hollywood types will be gearing up to witness the flick's early showings at the Los Angeles Film Festival in mid June.

• The L.A. premiere is to take place on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m., at the Mann Festival Theatre.
• An additional L.A. screening is scheduled for Monday, June 22, at 2 p.m., at the Landmark 8.
• Tickets for these two Los Angeles Film Festival showings go on sale this Friday, May 29.
• Ticket queries can be e-mailed here, or call toll-free: (866) 345-6337.
• Festival passes are already on sale; click here for pricing.
• "It Might Get Loud" is eligible to receive an audience award for Best Documentary Feature. It will compete against 10 other entrants in the Summer Showcase section for the honor.

By then, "It Might Get Loud" will have already made its Australian debut courtesy of the Sydney Film Festival.

• Tickets to June 3 and 6 presentations of the guitar documentary with Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge are already on sale.
• The first showing down under is slated for next Wednesday, June 3, at 8 p.m. at Sydney's Greater Union George Street.
• A second showing at the same location is to follow on Saturday, June 6, also at 8 p.m.

Past screenings of this film since last year have taken place in Toronto and Berlin as well as at Sundance. All three guitarists featured in the movie attended the world premiere in Toronto last September, answering press questions.

The film's segments profiling each guitarist center on his unique approach to the guitar throughout his career. In the case of Jimmy Page, the film presents his first-ever TV appearance, at age 14, and some new music as it is created out of thin air. Two new pieces written and performed by Page -- "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2" were created as the filming unfolded.

"Jimmy played us previews of two new tracks he was writing -- both of which actually ended up in the movie," director Davis Guggenheim says on the film's official Web site.

The "Embryo" tracks turn out to be the first new music offered commercially by Page in longer than a decade, despite studio recording sessions that took place 10 years ago this month that he could not persuade Robert Plant to take part in. (Listen to the May 29 episode of "Get the Led Out" for more on these abandoned recording sessions of May 1999, involving Page and the late Michael Lee.)

Another of Guggenheim's favorite "It Might Get Loud" moments involves Page:

We were filming in Jimmy Page’s home outside of London -- which he has never allowed before -- and he starts pulling out his favorite albums and playing them for us. These are the records that he listened to and learned from as a young musician. Just watching him listen to the records was incredible -- and then he started playing air guitar!

In writing for the Toronto Film Festival, Thom Powers also mentioned this moment:

Contrary to the stereotype that rock 'n' rollers are sullen and guarded, these three display an infectious joy when discussing their craft. Anyone who has ever played air guitar along with a Zeppelin song will be thrilled watching Page mimic the licks of one of his own favourites, Link Wray's "Rumble."

A member of Internet discussion group Royal Orleans, ajoso, wrote the following upon seeing the film in Toronto:

The film had a lot of humor and made me laugh with delight on more than one occasion. ... When Jimmy shows the riff to "Whole Lotta Love" to Jack & the Edge, the latter two are grinning like: "I can't believe I'm two feet away from Jimmy Page playing 'Whole Lotta Love'!"

Guitar documentary with Jimmy Page to screen at L.A. Film Festival

The much-talked about "It Might Get Loud" guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page is part of the upcoming Summer Showcase just announced for the Los Angeles Film Festival taking place next month.

Ten other films round out the Summer Showcase's full lineup, and they will compete for three audience awards: Best International Feature, Best Narrative Feature, and Best Documentary Feature.

Details on individual film screenings have yet to be announced, and movie tickets will go on sale to the general public on May 29. First, festival passes will go on sale to the general public on May 18. The festival takes place June 18-28.

"It Might Get Loud," directed by Davis Guggenheim, has previously been screened at film festivals in Toronto and Berlin and at Sundance. The L.A. Film Festival would mark the flick's second festival appearance in the United States, where it is scheduled to open in theaters on Aug. 21. It is also to be distributed to other countries this summer.

As portrayed in the movie, a soundstage in Los Angeles provides the setting for the arranged first-ever meeting of Page and fellow guitarists The Edge and Jack White. The three guitarists jam on the songs "I Will Follow," "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground," "The Weight" and "In My Time of Dying."

In other segments, Page is shown creating and performing original pieces called "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2." The film crew also follows Page to Headley Grange, the mansion where parts of three Led Zeppelin albums were recorded. There, Page discusses the recording techniques used on the songs "Stairway to Heaven" and "When the Levee Breaks."

Update, May 14: The reel is also headed to Australia's Sydney Film Festival, to be held June 3-14. Tickets are already on sale.