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.

Jason Bonham says mother would proudly approve if Led Zeppelin reunion included him

Jason Bonham was gracious enough to grant an interview to Lemon Squeezings on Oct. 17 after a concert with his current band, Healing Sixes, at the Thunder Dome in Baltimore. Behind a drum set, this thirtysomething musician sounds tight. But leaning against a bar and sipping from a can of Diet Coke, Jason shows his loose, easygoing demeanor.

Healing Sixes played a great set of material from its new CD, Enormosound, and three Led Zeppelin covers ended the concert on a high note for the energetic crowd. Luckily enough, that's just when things were beginning for myself and the son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer. Off to the side of the stage, he made himself available to sign autographs for new fans and to answer questions regarding bootlegs, cars and his take on the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion in 2003.

"I'd be a fool not to ask you if you have any plans for next year, with all the rumors circulating," I coyly phrased the question. Apparently, the London Times was more straightforward when the newspaper recently posed the question to him by telephone.

According to Jason, an interviewer for the Times said that Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones had met on a certain day. Jason, knowing about the work being done on a Led Zeppelin DVD through a common contact, said they were probably meeting to discuss the DVD project.

But the Times insisted that they had also discussed reuniting. Jason said that he had not been contacted by anyone from Led Zeppelin or their management. "So, I phoned Jimmy to see whether he really did want me," Jason told me. "I left a message for him asking to call me and let me know. Well, I haven't heard back."

Jason said he would be comfortable drumming for a reunion and that his mother, Pat Bonham, would proudly approve. "My mom has said that she will give full support to the tour if I'm on the drums but not if anyone else is on drums," Jason said.

Although he hasn't heard from Page about the reunion, he has heard from the engineer on the Led Zeppelin DVD project. Jason said that the man helping Page on the project is Kevin Shirley, who also worked on the Healing Sixes CD as well as Live at the Greek, the double live album by Jimmy Page and the Black Crowes. Although Jason was not able to name any specific footage that would appear on the upcoming Led Zeppelin DVD, he said he's heard it's all excellent footage.

While fans prepare for the first official live release by Led Zeppelin since 1997's BBC Sessions, Led Zeppelin bootleg collectors have been enjoying a highly productive round of newly released soundboard recordings, video releases, and more. Trying to ascertain the sources of these newly discovered recordings, some fans assume that it must be coming from someone near the band.

Since Jason's name has been mentioned in the past in conjunction with such guesses, I asked him whether he knew where such recordings were coming from. He did not claim responsibility for any leaks. However, he hinted that he has been in possession of some recordings that are not available in trading circles, including at least one with a concert date previously unknown to Led Zeppelin historians. Lemon Squeezings will certainly follow up on this issue!

In the meantime, Healing Sixes is scheduled for the following appearances in the eastern United States and Canada:

• Oct. 21: Philadelphia (Venue TBA)
• Oct. 22: B.B. King's, New York
• Oct. 24: Hard Rock Cafe, Toronto
• Oct. 25: Double D's, Morristown, N.J.
• Oct. 26: Palace, Lansford, Pa.
• Oct. 29: Stone Pony, Asbury Park, N.J.
• Oct. 30: Crocodile Rocks, Allentown, Pa.
• Nov. 1: Town House, Williamstown, N.Y.
• Nov. 2: Jarrod's, Attleboro, N.Y.
• Nov. 6: Zanies Too, Indianapolis

And coming soon, dates on the West Coast!