LedZeppelinNews.com giving away two copies of Zep photo book 'Good Times Bad Times'

Two copies of "Good Times Bad Times: A Visual Biography of the Ultimate Band" will go out today to the LedZeppelinNews.com readers who were the first to send me their complete U.S. mailing addresses.

Publisher Abrams Books, which released the 216-page hardcover book this month, provided two extra copies for this site to give away. (Update: Both copies have now been claimed. Congratulations to my readers in Texas and Tennessee who gets them!)

LedZeppelinNews.com printed a review of the book on Sept. 30. LedZeppelinNews.com also conducted an interview with Ralph Hulett, who contributed to "Good Times Bad Times" along with Jerry Prochnicky. Hulett says:

"Jerry Prochnicky is great for ideas. We go way back, and now we've done two books on Led Zeppelin. Jerry and I talked about doing a photo book. His initial idea was to do a visual biography. I said, 'This sounds great. I would like to be involved with that.' So, he did the research and came up with the ideas for the flow of the photos, and then I went ahead and took on the responsibilities of writing the captions and writing the introduction.

"We have quite a few photos of them. It's not just a book showing them onstage but places like the Chateau Marmont. It was an ancient hotel that had been used by Hollywood actors and producers, and so by the time Led Zeppelin came along, they began to love going there, and it became a home away from home for them.

"Later on, as they continued to enjoy playing in Los Angeles, they would be at the Continental Hyatt House, a place where you had all kinds of different, crazy parties going on all the time at the Continental 'Riot' House, they nicknamed it. In 1973, Neil Zlozower took the photo at the party of Jimmy Page with Lori Maddox, his teen-age girlfriend at the time. We have some photographs taken at the Hyatt.

"Various places that they would visit like that, we try to hit on somewhat. However, we also try to place Led Zeppelin in different locales throughout the book to show this isn't just a concert photo book. We have photos of them at home in England with their kids. We have them in different locations, so the book encompasses quite a few different locations and not just the concert stage."

More excerpts from Hulett's interview is scheduled to be broadcast on a future episode of Carol Miller's radio spotlight on Led Zeppelin, available in many U.S. markets.

Oh no, not again; music media really do want to predict a Led Zeppelin reunion eight months out

It was almost inevitable someone was going to read into Robert Plant's decidedly ambiguous and playful remarks on Monday and interpret them as a concrete indication that he was arranging a Led Zeppelin reunion concert.

And that chump was whoever at Contactmusic.com Ltd. dreamed up the laughably naïve headline, "LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN SET FOR GLASTONBURY 2010?"

Come on, give me a break!

The opening paragraph contains more like that:

"LED ZEPPELIN fans' dreams of seeing the rock supergroup back onstage together have been given a boost by confirmation frontman ROBERT PLANT is considering a slot at next year's (10) Glastonbury festival in England."

From there, however, the article transitions into a much more realistic assessment of the state of affairs. The second paragraph juxtaposes Led Zeppelin reunion rumors of a year ago with a statement that "the singer has since rejected all offers to hit the road with his old pals."

The third paragraph proves to be a little off the mark. It states:

"Last year (08), the rocker continually dismissed reports he'd be rejoining the band for a full reunion, prompting Page and Jones to consider touring without him. But those plans failed to materialise."

The statement here about what Plant did or didn't say "continually" throughout the whole of 2008 is a little misleading.

Plant may have been clear in some interviews about how much he disliked the idea of a lengthy Led Zeppelin reunion tour, but those comments did not necessarily reflect his opinions of a show here and there. It wasn't until nearly 10 months into the calendar year, as his touring commitments with Alison Krauss were winding down, that Plant produced his ultimate statement that he would not be going on tour with Led Zeppelin and not recording with them either.

That was his final word on the subject, he told us -- at least for the next two years.

So, by Plant's own words, sure, he could be making other plans for the end of 2010 that do involve Led Zeppelin. Could it somehow be that's exactly what he wants to lead the world to believe?

Or is that simply the action of a man who knows what effect his words will have? Did he want Contactmusic and others to jump at the opportunity to force his name back in the headlines at a time when all the Led Zeppelin-related news is coming from the supposedly "quiet one" and his "loud music"?

Surely, Plant's Glastonbury story got more mileage than did the context of Q magazine's Outstanding Contribution to Music award, which placed the microphones in front of his face in the first place. Maybe it was part of Plant's design to be a thunderthief to John Paul Jones on the day Them Crooked Vultures was releasing "New Fang" to radio stations and announcing further U.S. tour dates in light of a heavily anticipated album.

Plant's award didn't hold a candle to his summer trip to Buckingham Palace, where he received the rank of Commander of the British Empire at a Buckingham Palace. Everybody in England ran stories about that!

At least outside the royal residence, Plant had the dignity to mock reporters who dared ask him about the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion. "Sometimes I go a bit deaf in either ear, especially when people are talking nonsense," he was quoted as saying when the microphones were shoved in his face that time.

Right there, he said "nonsense."

Plant, facetiously as ever, did joke Monday about the idea of booking himself a solo spot on the Glastonbury stage. He said: "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm good at card tricks."

OK, so apparently, Plant has forgotten it is common practice for a solo artist to assemble a band for outings. What's that thing Plant's always insisting he is, over and above the singer in Led Zeppelin? Oh yeah, that's right, a solo artist. That's what.

Until he switches it up again.

Let's speculate just for a moment that Plant was meeting with Glastonbury's Michael Eavis about booking a Led Zeppelin appearance at the festival, which is set to conclude on June 27, 2010.

Go on and stick with me, baby.

If this were the case and Led Zeppelin was appearing, we would have been tipped off to the appearance eight months and a day before the festival's headlining act took to the stage.

That's just about how long Plant waited last year after the Led Zeppelin reunion at the O2 arena to announce he wasn't going to take part in any activity with that band again.

That's exactly what he's doing again!

If this really were the beginnings of a Led Zeppelin reunion, every indication is there would be no indication.

The people involved are the same people who kept their rehearsals and gig planning in mid 2007 a secret until it could be officially announced later in the year. They also kept word of last year's secret rehearsals that didn't involve Plant hidden from the mainstream media for the better part of a year. And the supergroup starring Jones, Dave Grohl and Josh Homme was also the world's best kept secret for about as many months until it all started to unfold delicately, piece by considered piece.

There's no way word of a Led Zeppelin reunion would have leaked so callously this early on. Plant, in an attempt to cast the media spotlight on himself, merely played the ambiguity card to let people believe what they want to believe.

Plant is a magician for sure. Maybe he's not the kind that specializes in card tricks, but he really has a magical effect on some in the media and some of his fans.

But the only trick up his sleeve is the one that gets us to pay attention to artists like Buddy Miller.

Michael Moretti is a Led Zeppelin fan who contributes to the Internet discussion group For Badgeholders Only with a regularity that barely surpasses Jimmy Page's album output of the past 10 years.

When Moretti wrote this weekend, he referenced some of the songs Plant has covered and diverse artists he's named in interviews as influential and enjoyable to him. Moretti writes:

"... BECAUSE of Robert Plant, I pause to take notice of something like 'Darkness Darkness' by the Youngbloods, or 'Morning Dew,' or Transglobal Underground, or Moby Grape, or ... and the list goes on and on. This is something that the 'Led Zeppelin ripped off old blues artists and never gave them credit' crowd doesn't get.

"The legalities of royalties and songwriting credits aside, [it] seems to me that the members of Led Zeppelin have never tried to hide their influences, but in fact went out of their way to call attention to and pay homage to their influences, which has given me a greater appreciation for a whole universe of music that I otherwise might never have taken the time to listen to with open ears and an open mind.

"And while I have to say I don't regularly pop in Robert Johnson when I'm out cruising the freeway and aren't likely to anytime soon, I have a great appreciation for Robert Johnson and the art form his musical statements represent."

That, hands down, was the FBO post of the month.

Award-winning Plant eyes 2010 festival appearance -- with whom? Led Zeppelin reunion rumors to abound

Robert Plant, in picking up Q Magazine's Outstanding Contribution to Music award at a ceremony held today in London, joins the likes of past award recipients David Gilmour, Smokey Robinson and Paul Weller.

Onstage, when accepting the award, Plant thanked his fellow members of Led Zeppelin, among other artists including Elvis Presley and Alison Krauss. Plant said that without them, he would not be receiving this award today.

But the big news of the day regarding Plant is not his win at the Q Awards. It's what the singer told reporters when asked to comment on a rumor that he has been in talks with the organizer of one of England's largest outdoor summer music festivals.

And also how he said it, including what details he left out.

Plant confirmed to BBC 6 Music, "I've just been talking to Michael [Eavis]. There's place for me there [in the 2010 lineup], but I have no idea who with."

Tickets to the Glastonbury Festival, to be held June 23-27, are already sold out. Next year's event marks the 40th anniversary of the original Glastonbury festival.

Glastonbury has been a popular destination for Led Zeppelin reunion rumors in the past few years. In light of the band's one show together in December 2007, one rumor held that Led Zeppelin would appear at Glastonbury in June 2008. Plant ended up playing that year with Krauss in support of their album, Raising Sand.

Plant also appeared at the Glastonbury festival in 2002 with his band, the Strange Sensation, in support of his album Dreamland.

Surely, the new comments from Plant on Glastonbury will fuel a new spat of Led Zeppelin reunion rumors in some corners of the world.

The BBC reports:

The rock icon said he is open to the idea of playing next year: "There is a chance, yeah, but I don't know with who."

When it was suggested to him that he could do it by himself, he joked: "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm good at card tricks."

Let the speculation begin!

As first single from Them Crooked Vultures released, West Coast U.S. tour dates announced

I've been calling my local modern rock radio stations and requesting "New Fang" since I haven't heard it yet on the air. It seems like some program directors need a good talking to!

The self-titled album from Them Crooked Vultures will be released on the following dates:

• Nov. 13 in Australia, Austria, Germany and Switzerland;
• Nov. 16 in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom;
• Nov. 17 in Canada, Spain and the United States;
• Nov. 18 in Sweden; and
  
• Dec. 2 in Japan.

Find the release date by your country:

• Australia: Nov. 13
  
• Austria: Nov. 13
  
• Belgium: Nov. 16
  
• Canada: Nov. 17
• Czech Republic: Nov. 16
• Denmark: Nov. 16
• Finland: Nov. 16
• France: Nov. 16
• Germany: Nov. 13
• Hong Kong: Nov. 16
• Italy: Nov. 16
• Japan: Dec. 2
  
• Mexico: Nov. 16
• Netherlands: Nov. 16
• New Zealand: Nov. 16
• Poland: Nov. 16
• Portugal: Nov. 16
• Spain: Nov. 17
• Sweden: Nov. 18
• Switzerland: Nov. 13
• United Kingdom: Nov. 16
• United States: Nov. 17

While Them Crooked Vultures completed a North American tour earlier this month, the band will be on the road in the United States again next month to support the U.S. release of their album on Nov. 17. So far, four additional dates have been announced:

• Nov. 17 at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, Calif.
  
• Nov. 19 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, Calif.
  
• Nov. 21 at Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Wash.
  
• Nov. 22 at Roseland Theater in Portland, Ore.

European tour dates are then to follow in December, with shows in Australia and New Zealand finishing out January.

EUROPE/U.K. TOUR DATES

• Dec. 6 at Zenith in Munich, Germany
• Dec. 7 at Columbiahalle in Berlin, Germany
• Dec. 8 at Palladium in Cologne, Germany
• Dec. 10 at Plymouth Pavilions
  in Plymouth, England
  
• Dec. 11 at Portsmouth Guildhall
  in Portsmouth, England
  
• Dec. 13 at Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, England
  
• Dec. 14 at O2 Academy Birmingham in Birmingham, England
  
• Dec. 15 at Edinburgh Corn Exchange in Edinburgh, England
  
• Dec. 17 at Hammersmith Apollo in London, England
• Dec. 18 at Hammersmith Apollo in London, England (Recently added!)
  

AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES

• Jan. 19 at Challenge Stadium in Perth, Australia
• Jan. 22 at Festival Hall in Melbourne, Australia
• Jan. 25 at Riverstage in Brisbane, Australia
• Jan. 26 at Hodern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia
• Jan. 29 at TSB Bank Arena in Wellington, New Zealand
• Jan. 30 at Vector Arena in Auckland, New Zealand

Them Crooked Vultures ready for U.S. radio

Two months ago, before Them Crooked Vultures had much of anything on its official Web site, a few hoaxes about the band were passed around the Web that were later determined to be a hoax.

One was an alleged promotional image declaring an album name, Never Deserved the Future, along with a supposed street date of Oct. 23. That date will evidently pass this Friday without a release by the band.

However, new music from John Paul Jones and his current bandmates may be heard on U.S. radio as early as this coming Monday. If this report today by FMQB is accurate, Interscope will be distributing "New Fang" as the band's first promotional single to rock stations on Oct. 27.

LedZeppelinNews.com will be working to confirm this independently. (Update: Billboard.com reports it likewise could not confirm this with a label rep, even when it was able to publish a full track listing -- see below.)

Singer Josh Homme confirmed in an interview that the Vultures debut album would be released in the United States on the Interscope label and on Sony/BMG internationally. Homme also said it would be self-titled.

The rest of the FMQB report says the album is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Nov. 17. This would precede the international release date of Nov. 23 that has been spotted on Amazon UK and other online retailers. (Update: Glasswerk National and the Music Magazine now both state the U.K. release will be on Nov. 16.)

Amazon in the United States does not currently list a release date for the album but offers several discs from the group's members and their past projects.

Update: The full track listing of the self-titled album by Them Crooked Vultures, as reported by Billboard.com, is as follows.

1. "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I"
2. "Mind Eraser, No Chaser"
3. "New Fang"
4. "Dead End Friends"
5. "Elephants"
6. "Scumbag Blues"
7. "Bandoliers"
8. "Reptiles"
9. "Interlude with Ludes"
10. "Warsaw or the first Breath You Take After You Give Up"
11. "Caligulove"
12. "Gunman"
13. "Spinning in Daffodils"

Note: Not found above is the song "Highway One," which was debuted in the middle of this month's U.S. tour!

In tweaking band lineup, Jason Bonham prepares for Calif. dates

Less than a week after the sudden cancellation of his tour's first three shows in Florida, drummer Jason Bonham announces some changes to the lineup of his group he will be bringing to California for a pair of concerts.

Bonham apologized to fans on his newly launched official Web site last week, explaining that the singer tapped for his band, Kelly Keeling, had taken ill. "We wanted to give Kelly all the time he needed to make sure he could or couldn't sing," Bonham wrote online on Oct. 16, one of three consecutive days last week his band, Bonham, was to appear in Florida.

Bonham says his band is "back on track and working real hard" to prepare for the gigs in California next week, Oct. 29 at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano and Oct. 30 at the Canyon in Agoura Hills. Following some adjustments, the performances are now to feature a revolving door of singers.

• One special guest vocalist already named will be the namesake's own sister, Zoe Bonham, who recently joined him at a charity gig for a rather impromptu version of "Black Dog," which brother Jason described as "fantastic" in a radio interview.
  
• Also on the docket is Marti Frederikson, who sang for Bonham's band Motherland and whose voice fans of the movie Almost Famous will recognize on "Fever Dog" and the other very Zeppelinesque songs by the fictional band Stillwater.
• Also lined up is Doug Henthorn, who continues to sing for the band Healing Sixes, which had Bonham in its lineup several years ago.
• The final singer slated for the West Coast dates is Franky Perez, who was lauded in his renditions of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and "Whole Lotta Love" in the company of Bonham and guitarist Slash at a festival in Norway on June 30.
  
  It is often suggested Perez is a top candidate for the singing gig in a reformation of Slash's supergroup Velvet Revolver, which he originally formed with two of his fellow Guns N' Roses alumni and lead singer Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots.
  

Bonham's latest message posted online assures fans they're in for quite the show. "We have had to change the set a little, but it's still going to kick ass," he promises.

First two shows of Bonham tour canceled due to illness, says band spokesman

The first two outings by a new lineup of the band Bonham have been canceled. Last night's show at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was scrapped hours in advance, followed shortly by the withdrawal of tonight's appearance in Orlando.

The cancellations were forced by an illness of Bonham's singer, says Sam Rapallo, webmaster for the newly launched JasonBonham.net official Web site. Singer Kelly Keeling would have been making his debut with Bonham at the shows.

Refunds are available for the pair of shows, and no plans have yet been announced to reschedule the dates. As of the time of writing, the third scheduled Bonham date -- tomorrow night's gig at the State Theatre in St. Petersburg, Fla. -- has not been affected (Update: It was also canceled), nor have the two California shows scheduled for Oct. 29 and 30.

Update: Following the cancellation of the third date, Jason posted a message on his official Web site, stating:

To all, I feel so bad for everyone that turned up and didn't know but we wanted to give Kelly all the time he needed to make sure he could or couldn't sing . We all have worked so hard the past week . I can only say it will only make it better. I hope we can be real ready for CA in 2 weeks . Love tto all JB