Tribute bands keep Led Zeppelin's undying appeal alive

This news originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

Keeping Led Zeppelin's undying appeal alive through imitation are today's Led Zeppelin tribute bands. Listed here are six bands, half in the United Kingdom and half in the United States. This constitutes only a few of the Led Zeppelin tribute bands in the world.

United States

• Zoso
  http://www.zosoontour.com/
  Reader's comment: "If you're ever in the Charlotte, N.C., area, you might want to check out Amos' Southend. They have a lot of tribute bands, and a Zeppelin tribute band from Los Angeles called Zoso appears there about every two or three months. They are due in for another show on Nov. 27. These guys are absolutely amazing." - Scott, North Carolina, Nov. 21
  Next shows: Tonight & tomorrow, Univ. of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
• Four Sticks
  http://www.four-sticks.info/
  Next show: Tomorrow (Nov. 23), Black Rock & Blue, Fairfield, Conn.
• Led Zepland
  http://www.ledzepland.com/
  Next show: Nov. 27, Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
  Rumor has it a studio album is on the way!

United Kingdom

• Fred Zeppelin
  http://fly.to/fredz
  Reader's comment: "I went to The Limelight Club in Crewe to see a tribute band called Fred Zeppelin. What a performance these guys gave! A two-hour-plus gig was absolutely fantastic. Their renditions of 'Dazed and Confused' and 'Stairway to Heaven' were the best I have heard from any tribute band." - Ashley, Chesire, England, Oct. 30
  Next show: Tonight (Nov. 22), Schofields, Birmingham, England
• Simply Led
  http://www.simplyled.net/
  Reader's comment: "This was a special event that I will remember for all my life. The reason why I'm unsure of the set list is because I was just having too much fun. It was also very refreshing to see how the audience seemed so split between old people coming for a bit of nostalgia and younger kids coming to see what the whole fuzz was all about. Simply Led surely showed them that." - Daniel, Reykjavik, Iceland, April 9
  Next show: Dec. 14, Club 85, Hitchin, England
• Whole Lotta Led
  http://www.wholelottaled.co.uk/
  Next show: Tonight (Nov. 22), Central Station, Wrexham, England
  Then: Tomorrow (Nov. 23), Pavilion, Bath, England (where Led Zeppelin played in 1968 and 1971)

Letter: What's that noise on 'Black Dog'?

These comments originally appeared in an edition of the newsletter "On This Day In Led Zeppelin History."

More than 30 years after its creation and release, and more than 20 years after my first hearing it, "Black Dog" never ceases to amaze and challenge on both visceral and musical levels. Where is that downbeat, anyway?)

However, I could swear that during the final instrumental coda/solo, over Page's Leslie guitar solo and Plant's panned vocal moans, I still hear some leakage voices --not unlike the leakthrough voices on "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Misty Mountain Hop" (possibly an earlier guide vocal) as well as Sister Sledge's "We are Family" and Kool & the Gang's "Celebration." In this case, of course, it's not like explicit party talk, but it almost sounds like spoken leakthrough as if they had recorded the sound of the otherwise final "Black Dog" mix in the control room and heard Page, Jones, etc., speaking quietly over it...?

Jay

Thanks for the question, Jay. I don't hear it, but I did have a great time trying to keep track of how many stray clicks there are from Bonham's drumsticks. But maybe some of my other readers are hearing voices too and would like to comment.

Oh, and a special note to my next-door neighbors. (Hopefully, they're on this mailing list.) That loud music you just heard was "Black Dog." It's over for now, but don't be surprised if it comes on again before midnight. And please don't call the police on my birthday!