Jason Bonham announces fall Led Zeppelin Experience tour dates; live DVD from Black Country Communion also previewed

Two bits of news have emerged from Jason Bonham's camp this week: one involving an upcoming live release from his group Black Country Communion, and the other involving his other touring outfit, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience.

First, a release date has been set for Black Country Communion's live 2-DVD set. While Bonham toured Europe with bandmates Glenn Hughes, Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian over the summer, they filmed what looks like a pretty decent performance of tracks from their two studio albums.

Titled Live over Europe, the two-DVD set will be available Oct. 24 with pre-orders being taken beginning Sept. 13. It will be Black Country Communion's second release this year, following the June release of Black Country Communion 2. It hasn't even been a full year since the release of their self-titled debut.

There's already a trailer for the DVD, just released on YouTube this week. And anyone going to the band's official website, bccommunion.com, can register to receive a free MP3 download of one of the songs included on the DVD. Downloading begins Sept. 8.

For more information on the 2-DVD set, visit this page on Black Country Communion's site.

In other Bonham news, his other band has today announced a slew of upcoming tour dates scheduled this fall. Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience began last year as a large-scale vehicle for the drummer to connect with audiences in sharing his own personal story of growing up with the Led Zeppelin family. The stories Bonham tells onstage are complemented by the songs played by hand-selected musicians who aren't lookalikes or even imitators of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones.

This will be Bonham's third outing with the Led Zeppelin Experience lineup. They have toured the United States and Canada twice already.

Four of the upcoming live dates were rescheduled from earlier appearances that were postponed at the time due to the illness of singer James Dylan. Tickets from the previously postponed California and Nevada shows will be honored on the night of the rescheduled show.

The four rescheduled dates are:

• Oct. 14: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, Calif.
• Oct. 15: Alliente Casino, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Oct. 17: Crest Theatre, Sacramento, Calif.
• Oct. 18: Uptown Theatre, Napa Valley, Calif.

Ten other newly announced shows are to take place in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Ontario, Canada. The band will be returning to previously entertained markets in some of these cases. The new dates are:

• Oct. 12: Fox Performing Arts Center, Riverside, Calif.
• Oct. 13: Fox Theatre, Bakersfield, Calif.
• Oct. 27: Bergen PAC, Englewood, N.J.
• Oct. 28: Paramount Theater, Huntington, N.Y.
• Oct. 29: Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Pa.
• Oct. 31: Wilbur Theatre, Boston, Mass.
• Nov. 1: Best Buy Theater, New York, N.Y.
• Nov. 2: The Webster, Hartford, Conn.
• Nov. 4: Town Ballroom, Buffalo, N.Y.
• Nov. 5: Casino Rama, Orillia, Ontario, Canada

In addition, the locations of two shows in Quebec remain to be announced later this month.

• One will take place Nov. 6 at a venue in Ottawa or Gatineau; details are to be announced Sept. 19. (UPDATE: It takes place at Casino Lac Leamy in Gatineau.)
• The other show is to take place Nov. 7 in Quebec City; details are to be announced Sept. 6. (UPDATE: It takes place at the Grand Theatre de Quebec.)

Additional tour dates were announced Sept. 15 as follows:

• Nov. 10: The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Md.
• Nov. 11: The Chance, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
• Nov. 12: The National, Richmond, Va.
• Nov. 13: Center Stage, Atlanta, Ga.
• Nov. 16: Hard Rock Live, Orlando, Fla.
• Nov. 17: Seminole Hard Rock Live Arena, Hollywood, Fla.
• Nov. 18: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, Fla.

Jason Bonham part of 3 touring lineups in UK, US, Europe

A summary of Jason Bonham's upcoming tour dates with as many as three different band lineups (updated as time goes on):

UK tour dates with Paul Rodgers
April 15: Blackpool - Opera House
April 16: Sheffield - City Hall
April 18: Newcastle - Metro Radio Arena
April 19: Glasgow - Clyde Auditorium
April 21: Manchester - O₂ Apollo
April 22: Nottingham - Royal Centre
April 24: Bournemouth - International Centre
April 25: Southend - Cliff Pavilions
April 27: London - Royal Albert Hall
April 28: Birmingham - National Indoor Arena

US/Canada tour date(s) with Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience
May 4: Wallingford, Conn. - Oakdale Theatre NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 25
May 5: New Brunswick, N.J. - State Theatre NEW! Tickets available here
May 6: Atlantic City, N.J. - Borgata Resort NEW!
May 7: Concord, N.H. - Capitol Center for the Arts NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 21
May 9: Buffalo, N.Y. - University PAC NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 25
May 10: Westbury, N.Y. - Theatre at Westbury NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 25
May 12: Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis NEW!
May 14: Toronto, Ontario - Sound Academy NEW!
May 15: Greensburg, Pa. - The Palace Theater Tickets available here
May 17: Indianapolis, Ind. - The Murat Theatre NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 25
May 18: St. Louis, Mo. - The Pageant NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 18
May 19: Kansas City, Mo. - Harrah's Casino NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 26
May 20: Denver, Colo. - Ogden Theatre NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 19
May 21: Salt Lake City, Utah - The Depot NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 18
May 24: Fremont, Calif. - The Saddle Rack NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 25
May 25: Napa Valley, Calif. - The Uptown Theatre NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 18
May 26: Sacramento, Calif. - Crest Theatre NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 19
May 27: Los Angeles, Calif. - Greek Theatre NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 25
May 28: Las Vegas, Nev. - Aliante Casino NEW! Tickets on sale beginning March 26

US tour dates with Black Country Communion
June 9: San Diego, Calif. - Civic Theatre Tickets available here
June 10: Anaheim, Calif. - City National Grove of Anaheim Tickets available here
June 11: Salt Lake City, Utah - The Depot NEW! Tickets available here
June 13: St. Louis, Mo. - The Pageant NEW! Tickets available here
June 15: Indianapolis, Ind. - Murat Theatre NEW! Tickets available here
June 17: Hampton Beach, N.H. - Casino Ballroom NEW! Tickets available here
June 18: Sayreville, N.J. - Starland Ballroom NEW! Tickets available here
June 19: Washington, D.C. - 9:30 Club NEW! Tickets available here

European tour dates with Black Country Communion
June 23: Vitoria, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival
June 30: Stuttgart, Germany - Killersberg
July 1: Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
July 2: Liepzig, Germany - Parkbuhne
July 4: Munich, Germany - Zenith
July 5: Berlin, Germany - Zitadelle
July 6: Hamburg, Germany - Stadtpark
July 10: Weert, Netherlands - Bospop Festival
July 14: Bonn, Germany - Museumsplatz

UK tour dates with Black Country Communion
July 23: Llandudno, Wales - Llandudno Cymru Arena NEW!
July 26: Leeds, England - O₂ Academy
July 27: Newcastle, England - O₂ Academy
July 29: Glasgow, Scotland - O₂ Academy
July 30: Manchester, England - O₂ Academy

Paul Rodgers, Jason Bonham link for UK tour in April

While waiting for Black Country Communion to release its second album and begin touring in June, Jason Bonham will not be lounging around the house waiting for the unemployment check. Bonham will be part of the touring lineup backing Paul Rodgers on his April jaunt through the UK.

Photo: Carl Dunn

The tour will be in support of the 31st album of Rodgers's career as a recording artist. Completing the band lineup with with Bonham on drums will be Heart guitarist Howard Leese and bassist Lynn Sorensen.

Rodgers has led a successful solo career in addition to fronting the bands Free, Bad Company, the Firm and a post-Freddie Mercury Queen. Bonham drummed on two of Rodgers's albums in the 1990s: Muddy Water Blues in 1993 and The Chronicle in 1997.

Rodgers and Bonham also shared the bill of the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert in 2007. Before Bonham filled his father's seat for the Led Zeppelin reunion portion, Rodgers opened with renditions of his song "Seagull" and the Free hit "All Right Now." a rendition of his song "Bluebird."

Tickets for this tour in April are ₤34.50 regionally and ₤32.50, ₤37.50, ₤40.00 and ₤50.00 in London from Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

Tour dates are:

• April 15: Blackpool - Opera House
• April 16: Sheffield - City Hall
• April 18: Newcastle - Metro Radio Arena
• April 19: Glasgow - Clyde Auditorium
• April 21: Manchester - O₂ Apollo
• April 22: Nottingham - Royal Centre
• April 24: Bournemouth - International Centre
• April 25: Southend - Cliff Pavilions
• April 27: London - Royal Albert Hall
• April 28: Birmingham - National Indoor Arena

Black Country Communion previews second album, 'BCC II'

Black Country Communion has released video footage of the band recording Black Country Communion II, an album singer/bassist Glenn Hughes referred to earlier this week as "my proudest musical moment."

Update: Black Country Communion's European summer concert dates so far include the following:

• June 23: Vitoria, Spain - Azkena Rock Festival (tickets)
• June 30: Stuttgart, Germany - Killersberg (tickets)
• July 1: Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle (tickets)
• July 2: Liepzig, Germany - Parkbuhne (tickets)
• July 4: Munich, Germany - Zenith (tickets)
• July 5: Berlin, Germany - Zitadelle (tickets)
• July 6: Hamburg, Germany - Stadtpark (tickets)
• July 10: Weert, Netherlands - Bospop Festival (tickets)
• July 14: Bonn, Germany - Museumsplatz (tickets)
• July 26: Leeds, England - O₂ Academy (tickets)
• July 27: Newcastle, England - O₂ Academy (tickets)
• July 29: Glasgow, Scotland - O₂ Academy (tickets)
• July 30: Manchester, England - O₂ Academy (tickets)

UK dates for Black Country Communion announced

By Brian Gardiner and Steve Sauer

Black Country Communion announced four UK shows following their appearance at London's High Voltage Festival this July. The festival, held at historic Victoria Park, takes place the weekend of July 23-24.

Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa perform a secret gig in London for Black Country Communion's September 2010 album release. Photo by Christie Goodwin; used with permission of Noble PR.

The newly announced UK shows are:

• Tuesday, July 26: Leeds O₂ Academy
  Tickets: £40.00 Standing; £45.00 Seated

  Box Office: 0871 230 1101
 www.o2academyleeds.co.uk
  55 Cookridge Street, Leeds, LS2 3AW
• Wednesday, July 27: Newcastle O₂ Academy
  
  Tickets: £40.00
  Box Office: 0871 230 1101
 www.o2academynewcastle.co.uk
  Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE1 1SW
• Friday, July 29: Glasgow O₂ Academy
  
  Tickets: £40.00 Standing; £45.00 Seated

  Box Office: 0871 230 1101
 www.o2academyglasgow.co.uk
  121 Eglinton Street, Glasgow, G5 9NT
• Saturday, July 30: Manchester Academy
  
  Tickets: £40.00

  Box Office: 0871 230 1101
 www.manchesteracademy.net
  Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR

Tickets for the above shows are also available through 24-hour box office at 0871 230 1101 or online at See Tickets or The Gig Cartel.

A special ticket pre-sale will be available to O₂ Academy Priority subscribers beginning Wednesday, Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. GMT. To become an O₂ Academy Priority customer, please register at www.o2blueroom.co.uk. Tickets will then go on sale to the general public at 9 a.m. GMT on Friday, Feb. 4.

It's quite possible that by the time of the shows, their second album will have been freshly released. Progress continues on the album today, with singer and bassist Glenn Hughes providing frequent updates via his Twitter page. Yesterday, he said he expected to be recording vocal parts along with guitarist Joe Bonamassa for the new album today. As was the case on some tracks on their debut album, they would be sharing vocals on the new album.

"I'm a really big supporter of having a couple singers," Hughes told LedZeppelinNews.com at the time of the first album release. "I've shared the stage with a few singers, but I think David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes set the mark in the '70s for the dual lead singer thing," said Hughes, referring to their days as bandmates in Deep Purple.

He continued, "I've always liked to be in bands where there are two singers. A lot of lead singers want that mic all the time. I think it's great having a different timbre, a different tone coming in. It switches gears to a different singer. I think it's great. Lennon and McCartney, baby!"

The UK appearances follow a seven-show tour of Germany from June 30 to July 14. Those previously announced dates are as follows:

• Thursday, June 30: Stuttgart, Germany
• Friday, July 1: Frankfurt, Germany
• Saturday, July 2: Leipzig, Germany
• Monday, July 4: Munich, Germany
• Tuesday, July 5: Berlin, Germany
• Wednesday, July 6: Hamburg, Germany
• Thursday, July 14: Bonn, Germany

Robert Plant hits Europe; Jason Bonham pro-shot video appears online; Sons of Albion tours New York clubs

Just some quick hits for the beginning of this work week.

Robert Plant hits Europe

First, Robert Plant and the Band of Joy are back in the United Kingdom again, having just hit Sweden and Norway for a pair of shows and this illuminating TV interview in which Plant discussed a lot about Led Zeppelin -- both in the old days of seeing Stockholm with ABBA in the days of recording In Through the Out Door and, more recently, reuniting the band in 2007.

Said Plant: "The guys in Led Zeppelin were spectacular players, and we lost John, but Jimmy and John Paul are still magnificent. And, really, it was a serendip-- it was an amazing phenomenon that we got together and did what we did, honestly, for honesty's sake, not for money's sake or for kudos ..."

Plant and the Band of Joy play in Edinboro, Scotland, tonight. Shows the rest of this month include the Electric Proms in London on Oct. 29, where the band is to be backed by the London Oriana Choir. It will be Plant's second performance with the 72-piece singing ensemble this year: the choir backed him at the Sound & Vision charity concert on Feb. 25.

Jason Bonham pro-shot video appears online

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience has finished its first seven-show pass through Canada. Now the band prepares to hit Minneapolis for the first of three U.S. shows. That concert is tomorrow, followed by Milwaukee on Wednesday and Merrilville, Ind., on Thursday.

As of only a few hours ago, some professionally shot multi-camera footage from the Oct. 14 show in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, appears online. In it, the band performs "Good Times Bad Times" in an arrangement similar to the first song of the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion concert. There are three other full songs as well: "Since I've Been Loving You," "Black Dog" and "Kashmir." Does this mean a DVD release of Bonham's tribute concert may be in the works? Lemon Squeezings will let you know.

Few fan-shot videos of the group online capture full songs, but there are several from the Oct. 17 show in Winnipeg. Check out "I Can't Quit You Baby," "Dazed and Confused" and "Stairway to Heaven."

Sons of Albion tours New York clubs

Another band with a genetic link to Led Zeppelin hit the United States recently for a slew of shows in Manhattan. Katie Higgins, a fan who saw Sons of Albion multiple times, writes her account in the following summary:

Sons of Albion recently wrapped up a two week stint in NYC. I was lucky enough to catch a few of their shows, the last of which was Thursday night at Fontana's in the Lower East Side. Yhey did not disappoint. They played some familiar songs which they've already released, "Take a Look," "I Feel You" and their most recent, "Blackened Heart." Download them from iTunes if you haven't! There were a couple of newer songs which they've hinted about -- "Killing the Machine" and "Primal Scream," as well as a heartfelt softer ballad sung beautifully by Logan -- this is my new favorite.

The band played with a massive amount of energy which grew stronger every night, as did the crowds. Francisco's drumming was amazing, pounding so hard on the drums, his finger bled. Gones (bass) and Nuno (guitar) seemed to escape into worlds of their own while playing with a tremendous passion, creating a sound which is unmistakably their own. Logan sounded great and was at home on the stage; however, the stage was much too small for them and at times he seemed a little like a caged animal looking to break free. He will ... they all will ...

New York-based DJ Carol Miller, host of the nationally syndicated "Get the Led Out" for which I consult, mentions Sons of Albion in her latest blog entry at LedZepOnline.com. She writes:

The band has been making some new music produced by Paul Logus, who is a contributing producer for GTLO, so it's "all in the family"!

So happy with the level of support Sons of Albion have been getting here in New York... All I can say is look out for big things! More to come on this...

Jason Bonham pleased as Led Zeppelin Experience tour kicks off in Canada

Photo by Glenn Francis,
www.PacificProDigital.com

Concertgoers at the Encana Events Centre in Dawson Creek, B.C., Canada, last night witnessed the first showing from the multimedia tour Jason Bonham has spent the last few months publicizing.

So far, the few firsthand accounts from inside the concert venue could not be more positive. Most of what's been said, however, comes from the band members themselves!

About six hours before his second show, Bonham took to the Internet to post his thoughts on the Friday night debut: "This was the opening night of the tour and all I can say is , Thank you for making it one of the best gigs of my life !!!!!!! xoxo."

Update: In another message, Bonham gives away much of the set list. Be forewarned of a possible spoiler alert before clicking here.

Some of his bandmates were also communicating online after the show thanks to the complimentary Wi-Fi on their tour bus. Their bass player, who shall remain nameless unless you click here, granted an e-mail interview to Lemon Squeezings.

"Jason was in heaven from where I was standing," the bass player writes. "It's safe to say he loved every minute of the first show and it was really fantastic to be a part of it with him and the rest of the boys."

Clips of "Since I've Been Loving You" and "When the Levee Breaks" from the opening show in Dawson Creek have made it online.

Just ahead of Jason Bonham's tour, supergroup offers pour in

Jason Bonham is ready to rock as the offers pour in.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience multimedia tour is set to begin Friday tomorrow night in British Columbia, and he has still managed to keep his onstage lineup of musicians from being publicly revealed. (my mistake)

Meanwhile, just after the self-titled album from Black Country Communion hit the streets with Bonham on board, the drummer has now received a namecheck from guitarist Joe Satriani mentioning him as a possible touring member of Chickenfoot next year.

Joe Bosso of MusicRadar spoke with Satriani on the occasion of his new solo album, Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards, being released. When the subject of Chickenfoot came up in the interview, Satriani mentioned Bonham and two other drummers who might be good additions to the band, which also features Sammy Hagar on vocals and Michael Anthony on bass.

Satriani says current drummer, Chad Smith, is likely available to record their second album early next year. But after that, Smith might be back with his previous band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, meaning somebody would have to fill in on any Chickenfoot live dates.

Satriani mentioned the "really outrageous" Tommy Lee as one possibility. "He's a great drummer, a lot of fun and a crazy personality," he said.

"We've had some guys sit in from time to time. Some names that have been thrown around are Abe Laboriel Jr. and Jason Bonham -- they'd be really great."

Laboriel, who plays for Sir Paul McCartney, recently participated with Bonham at the Los Angeles concert tribute to John Bonham on Sept. 25, the 30th anniversary of the late Led Zeppelin drummer's death. A full summary of the show has since been provided by Steve Krugman with photos by Alex Kluft.

Zeptember arrivals from Robert Plant, Jason Bonham hit No. 1

Two of the musicians who played onstage with Led Zeppelin in December 2007 released their first new albums since that concert this month, and both discs hit No. 1 on one chart or another.

Second-week sales of Robert Plant's Band of Joy were down by almost half in the United States. Statistics indicate the disc sold 49,000 copies over the week of its Sept. 14 release and 25,000 the following week.

That has been enough to place the album at the top of Billboard's Tastemaker Albums chart for the week of Oct. 2. This chart represents "the week's top-selling albums based on an influential panel of stores comprised of independent retailer coalitions and smaller regional chains. Titles are ranked by sales data as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan." It's hanging on at No. 3 in the updated listings posted today, for the week of Oct. 9.

Meanwhile, Jason Bonham's latest album release, the debut album by Black Country Communion, landed at the top spot in its debut on BBC Radio 1's UK Top 40 Rock Albums chart. (Incidentally, the same Sept. 26 chart listing also has the debut disc from another Zep-related supergroup, Them Crooked Vultures, lingering at No. 26 in its 42nd week since release. Oh, and Led Zeppelin's 2-CD set Mothership from 2007 ranks at No. 30! It's still charting high in its 114th week.)

As an independent album, Black Country Communion is doing well. It debuted at No. 2 on the UK Top 40 Indie Album chart. Its debut among independent albums on the Billboard chart was at No. 6.

Other chart listings follow.

For Black Country Communion release, band plays secret London gig

Glenn Hughes;
photo by John Rahim

The members of Black Country Communion have been running the publicity rounds in support of their album release. Black Country was released in the United States today on the J&R Adventures label. While Jason Bonham is flying back to the U.S. straight after the band's London debut in front of 100 people at a secret show, singer and bassist Glenn Hughes remains in England where he'll begin touring right away.

The singer took some time today to update Lemon Squeezings on the success of last night's gig and how it came about. "We were in New York a couple of weeks ago doing the same thing, and we wanted to do a media show in England because the band's strength, we believe, will start from England, and it has today," said Hughes. "It's looking really strong here."

A small assembly of contest winners and media personnel attended the show, which was held at a rehearsal studio in London. The U.K.'s Planet Rock Radio broadcast the show live as the band ran through eight songs on the disc, including their remake of "Medusa" from Hughes's old band, Trapeze. "It was great, really successful, and it's really looking strong right now. It's all go. It's all Black Country Communion, baby," he said enthusiastically over the phone early in the London afternoon.

He believes they've achieved their goal in England for the time being, until they return next year for a longer trip. "We needed to do something in England, something in New York, and this is what we needed to do to get a foundation, a buzz going," explained Hughes.

Black Country Communion not afraid to jam on debut album

As the debut album from Black Country Communion is released later this month, fans will hear extensive jamming amid the 13 songs that span this 76-minute CD featuring Jason Bonham on drums. On a few of the tracks, the song sounds like it is about to end, but then somebody plays or sings something that pretty soon has everybody else jamming along, effectively giving the song a second life so that the track continues for another few minutes.

Glenn Hughes photo by Robert M. Knight

"This band is a live band, [and] the album was recorded live," said lead singer and bassist Glenn Hughes in an interview for Lemon Squeezings. "The reason why these songs sort of go on a little bit and there's that vibe of that, I don't know, psychedelia, whatever you want to call it -- it's just that we wanted to let it run ... like we used to do in the '70s. It was kind of that way, you know. We didn't want it wrapped up in a pretty little box. It wanted to be a little rough around the edges, so this is what we get."

One fine example of this is on a song called "Sista Jane." Hughes doesn't deny it sounds like your prototypical AC/DC song. He's stated before that he believes this disc will hold up well in CD collections against classics like Back in Black. When I even mention my AC/DC comparison on the phone to him, he gives me an "Oh, absolutely, yeah." I tell him his voice sounds like Sammy Hagar's on the same tune, that Joe Bonamassa's guitar first sounds like Randy Bachman on the Guess Who's "American Woman" and later sounds more long the lines of Cream's "Crossroads," and that the song ends just short of organist Derek Sherinian leading them into "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who.

At my mention of this last comparison, Hughes interjects, "Yeah, I was a bit concerned about that. I said to Derek, 'That might be going a little too far.' But, you know, it's kind of a tip of the hat."

Hughes spoke about his relationship with the late John Bonham, who used to drive him to his gigs with the band Trapeze and would even sit in from time to time. In doing so, Bonham would drum on the Trapeze song "Medusa," which Black Country Communion re-recorded for the debut album. "It's kind of crazy now to have both Bonhams play on that track," says Hughes. "I've known Jason since he didn't remember me when he was two or three years old."

Black Country Communion's official YouTube channel features some behind-the-scenes footage from the recording of the album. Here's the making of their song "The Great Divide," beginning with Hughes suggesting what one part should sound like, followed by producer Kevin Shirley urging them to give it a try.

The U.K.'s Planet Rock radio station dedicates its 6:00 hour tonight to Black Country Communion, premiering a behind-the-scenes audio documentary with exclusive interviews with the band plus some tracks from the album. In addition, the hour will include some songs from the album, which is to be released Sept. 20 in the U.K. and Sept. 21 in the U.S. As if that's not enough reason to listen, Planet Rock's website says the hour will also include "a very (VERY) special announcement about the band during the special on Saturday." Listen online at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific by tuning in to www.planetrock.com. If you miss it the first time, it repeats Thursday at 11 p.m. GMT/6 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Pacific.

30-ish tour dates announced for Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience; drummer seeks opportunity for Zep members to help him pay tribute to John Bonham

Jason Bonham plays a custom drum kit during the Led
Zeppelin reunion concert in London on Dec. 10, 2007.
Photo by Ross Halfin; used with permission of MSO.

The tour promoted as Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience will appear for a limited run of about 30 shows in North America this fall, according to the concert itinerary announced this morning. The significance of the number 30 is that this fall marks 30 years since Bonham lost his father, and Led Zeppelin its drummer.

He says his tour is a tribute to John Bonham. What's more, he said last week he hopes the surviving members of Led Zeppelin might join him in his cause of paying tribute to his father. They'll have about 34 about 30 chances to do so.

Some details about the concert, such as the intended set list and of course what musicians are to be joining Bonham onstage, remain to be seen. The drummer insists the musicians won't be revealed before the first concert so as to shield the group from prejudice.

And of course, there's also the whole issue of whether live audiences might be seeing any special guest appearances from the likes of Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones or Robert Plant. In his interviews last week, Bonham said it's his wish that they would.

The span of these concerts overlaps Plant's European tour with the Band of Joy, so while that particular singer -- who has given his blessing to the tour -- is unavailable for most of the dates, the timing may be ideal for the other two Led Zeppelin members in question.

Jones's touring project with Them Crooked Vultures has ended just this month, and he's already shown no interest in gathering any moss. Granted, the last time he was planning a touring act with Jason Bonham, he said he hoped it wouldn't become a Led Zeppelin tribute band. But keep in mind that this is a limited-time concert tour, Jones is under no obligation, and he speaks fondly of playing the music with the young Bonham, who's now 44. For Jones, it would be just like the last time he played out live with Dave Grohl before they formed Them Crooked Vultures, when they performed two Led Zeppelin numbers at Wembley Stadium with Taylor Hawkins and -- wait a minute, who was on guitar? Oh yeah, Jimmy Page.

Page has thus far kept his 2009 promise to "be seen" more often in concert settings by going to numerous other people's concerts rather than appearing onstage, but the other part of his promise -- published one year ago on Aug. 13 -- was to be "doing some playing." If he's been doing some playing, it hasn't been public. And now that he's launching his own official website at www.jimmypage.com and an official Facebook page to go with it, he's bound to have some news he's ready to unleash. Some concert appearances, even as a guest of Jason Bonham's, may be a good way to kick off his own return to live activity.

This represents an honest assessment of what could happen. What you won't see on Lemon Squeezings is bullheaded know-it-all prognostication. If you want that, go to Prefixmag, where the commentator insists he's sure the Zeppelin members have better things to do with their time than sit in with Jason Bonham.

The complete listing of Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience tour dates follows after the break.

Jason Bonham one week away from tour announcement

One more week, says Jason Bonham.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is hitting the road in October, and the 30 dates for the tour may be announced as early as next week. Bonham spoke about his concert tour, a tribute to his late father, in an in-studio appearance on the Fox News show "Red Eye."

The drummer reiterated that he wasn't going to spill the beans in advance about what musicians would be joining him onstage on the tour. Bonham didn't mention that the bass player's identity was slipped in an online interview published yesterday (spoiler alert).

Two U.S. concerts for Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience have already been announced: Oct. 20 in Milwaukee, Wis., and Oct. 21 in Merrillville, Ind. Tickets to the latter show are already on sale, and the Milwaukee date goes on sale Aug. 20 (with a pre-sale on Aug. 18).

Watch the full interview here.


In the meantime, Bonham's other band -- Black Country Communion -- has released its first single in advance of the album release slated for Sept. 20 in the U.K. and Sept. 21 in the U.S. Free downloads of the song "One Last Soul" are available for a limited time, with a promo code, at the group's official website.

In the U.K., pre-orders of the group's debut album have made the disc No. 6 on Amazon UK's album pre-order chart (with Robert Plant's Band of Joy at No. 3).

Black Country Communion releases song 'One Last Soul' to radio

The first song from Jason Bonham and his talented colleagues in the highly touted band Black Country Communion makes its radio debut today.

"One Last Soul," one of the tracks from the album expected in September, is to be released to the world today with the recording's broadcast premiere set for tonight's "Nicky Horne Show" on Planet Rock.

The song features the soaring lead vocals of Glenn Hughes, who was the Trapeze frontman and also had stints in Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. On guitar is Joe Bonamassa, and on organ is Derek Sherinian. Bonham joins them on drums.

Their album is called Black Country, the group's original name before "Communion" was added for legal reasons. Its release is scheduled for Sept. 20 in the U.K. on the Mascot record label and on Sept. 21 in the U.S. with the imprint of Bonamassa's label, J&R Adventures. A limited-edition double-disc pressing of the album is to include a bonus DVD with interviews of the band members, along with behind-the-scenes footage of the band in the recording studio with producer Kevin Shirley.

Jason Bonham says aborted project with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones was 'as close as you could get,' felt real

Jason Bonham didn't keep it a secret in 2008 when he thought he might be working in an official capacity with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. The drummer said he'd been to England for rehearsals, and Jones soon remarked that once singer auditions concluded, the announcement of an album and tour would be likely.

In a far-reaching interview for MusicRadar, Bonham goes further than ever before in explaining why their collaboration in 2008 never did come to fruition before he and Jones went on to separate projects last year.

"It got as close as you could get. It got real close," he tells Joe Bosso in a piece published online yesterday. "You know, we did a year of writing and putting stuff together. I loved working with Jimmy and John Paul. It was so much fun. That band ... I think we felt more like a band than Black Country Communion."

It is in an unpublished portion of the interview that Bonham more fully discusses that group, whose debut album was recorded in less than two weeks and will be released this September. The crux of Bonham's interview, as published online yesterday, focuses on his imminent touring project, called Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, which is a multimedia tour featuring the music of Led Zeppelin and plenty of personal photographs and home movies that help Bonham to tell the story of growing up as the son of Led Zeppelin's drummer. Bonham says he will not announce the lineup of his band before the first show of the tour, so as not to invite any prejudices regarding the musicians he has already picked.

As to why last year passed without him touring with Page and Jones, he says, "I think ... basically, they [Page and Jones] agreed to disagree. After a while, it was just time to move on."

When Bosso asks whether singer Myles Kennedy was a definite enlistment for their group, Bonham says, "Nope. There was somebody else. [pauses] Somebody else was involved -- and that's all I'll say to that. But as I said, I've always love the time we had together. I can't even explain it, it was just great!"

Lemon Squeezings spoke with Bosso today about the interview, and he declined to speculate on who the other singer might have been. At least one account has confirmed that Aerosmith's Steven Tyler sat in one weekend in 2008 but that Page thought his audition was "shambolic." Another possibility is that Page was hoping to hold out for Plant to join up.

Bosso did comment to Lemon Squeezings, however, on Bonham's statement regarding the rehearsals with Page and Jones feeling "more like a band than Black Country Communion." Bosso says he didn't interpret this as a dig on the so-called supergroup, which also involves singer and bassist Glenn Hughes, guitarist and singer Joe Bonamassa, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian.

"We did another part of the interview that will run on MusicRadar later," says Bosso, "during which he said that the group (BCC) recorded their record 'very quickly; the whole thing took 10 days from start to finish.'

"He said that the speed in which they worked was surprising, that he might have liked to have done some drum parts over again, but everybody else seemed very happy so there was no reason to. My take, and you can quote me, is that he sounded very proud and pleased with BCC and is definitely looking forward to going on tour with the band and making another record with them. He does see them as a band with a future. From the impression I got, he's looking for them to gel as a group on the road. Because the record was done quickly, this is in stark contrast to the year he spent working with Page and Jones, hence his remark. I don't think his comment was a slight against BCC at all."

Black Country Communion provides details of September album release

Along with the scheduling of a release date this September, the Black Country Communion supergroup has officially announced the track listing of its debut album, Black Country.

The album -- featuring Jason Bonham on drums, Joe Bonamassa on guitar and vocals, Glenn Hughes on lead vocals and bass, and Derek Sherinian on keyboards -- is to be released:

• Sept. 20 in the United Kingdom on the Mascot Records label
• Sept. 21 in the United States on the J&R Adventures label

In this regard, the album follows the release of Robert Plant's Band of Joy by exactly one week.

The name of the album, Black Country, is almost nearly a self-titled one. Would the band have been legally allowed to keep its earlier announced name of "Black Country," it would have worked out that the band, the album, and the first song on that album are all identical.

The track listing of Black Country is as follows:

Kevin Shirley: 'Imagine putting together your dream band'

Producer Kevin Shirley has worked on projects for bands such as Aerosmith, the Black Crowes and Led Zeppelin. He says Zep was one of his "first loves," the type of music he grew up on, along with Bad Company and Deep Purple.

The secret to producing, he says, is to make "the type of music you love to listen to." However, it can be tough to do that when you've hardened with age and experience. Shirley concedes, "After almost thirty busy, passionate years making records, there are only a handful I love," he confesses.

There was one time last year that Shirley fell in love musically once again. It happened on Nov. 12, 2009, at the House of Blues in Hollywood, Calif., when one of his closest friends and favorite guitarists welcomed to the stage a former member of Deep Purple. The two performers were guitarist Joe Bonamassa and singer/bassist Glenn Hughes.

Shirley says Bonamassa takes the cake as a guitarist. "It's his lyrical fluid guitar style, rooted in the deepest blues traditions, that touches my soul," Shirley attests. "And he can flat out rock, all the time keeping his own style front and center. There’s no copycat styling there, just 'Always On the Road' Bonamassa."

As for Hughes, he's just as complimentary. "Will the voice of rock please step up," he emphasizes. "The enigmatic Glenn Hughes! He sings [and] plays everything from metal to soul. ... There’s nobody else around that can match the talents of Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers and still be unique."

Robert Plant backs Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience

Speaking by phone from Wales to a radio show in Florida this morning, Robert Plant made some friendly banter with Jason Bonham, who was on a separate phone line.

The two musicians were last seen onstage together during the Led Zeppelin reunion concert on Dec. 10, 2007, when Bonham took the place of his father, drummer John Bonham, and played along with Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones.

Both musicians were given some time to discuss their own projects, Plant kicking things off alone in a first segment by discussing his upcoming album and tour. When Bonham was patched in following a commercial break, the hosts of "The Paul and Young Ron Show" sat back and listened as Plant and Bonham playfully bantered back and forth.

"The whole deal with Zep was that the four of us were always pushing and re-crafting that whole game that we were in. You can repeat something for so long but not forever. I think the whole adventure with Led Zeppelin has carried on in my spirit. I carry a flag for invention and making something quite exciting and unusual."

Robert Plant

Plant explained to the hosts that Bonham, who was just a school-age kid in the early 1980s, played drums on some of Plant's earliest studio demo sessions as a solo artist. Bonham remarked that it was while Plant was taking him to school that he was recruited to come along to the studio to sit in on drums. Their chummy exchange set the tone for the rest of the interview, during which they supported each other's upcoming projects.

"I'll be there at your show, Robert," said Bonham.

"Well, I'll be there at my show too," Plant joked.

The interview did include the first endorsement by any member of Led Zeppelin of the upcoming tour called Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience.

Jason Bonham's band settles on new name, Black Country Communion

Black Country Communion: from left, guitarist Joe Bonamassa, lead singer and bassist Glenn Hughes, drummer Jason Bonham, keyboardist Derek Sherinian

Just a few hours in advance of a morning radio appearance by Jason Bonham, the name of his band also featuring Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes and Derek Sherinian has been revealed. An official web site has been launched for the group now called Black Country Communion.

The band has uploaded footage of its March 17 onstage run-through of a new track called "One Last Soul."

The previous name of Black Country, first reported by the press in January, was eventually rejected. Bonamassa, the group's guitarist, recently told Classic Rock magazine that "somebody else had a prior claim" on the name Black Country, and that the group had selected a new name but was not ready to announce it.

Black Country Communion is now on the Web:

• Official Web site, www.BCCommunion.com (domain registered April 30)
• YouTube channel (launched May 21, first video uploaded May 26)
• MySpace page (established May 21)
• Twitter feed (first tweet May 26)
• Facebook page

Black Country Communion has recorded an album, and its release is expected this September with a tour to follow in 2011. The band's official Web site has a mailing list sign-up for future updates.

At 8:20 a.m. Eastern today, Bonham and Robert Plant are scheduled to join South Florida radio's "The Paul and Young Ron Show." The reason for their joint appearance was not publicly disclosed in advance of their interview.

Bonham is soon expected to announce details of a separate project, Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, which he says would tour North America later this year and play 30 dates in honor of his father, John Bonham, who passed away 30 years ago this September.

Plant will be on a tour of his own this July, in support of an album also to be released this year, tentatively titled It's Rude to Say No.

While Zep Glastonbury reunion rumor put to rest, Robert Plant and Jason Bonham align

The band replacing U2 at the Glastonbury Festival next month is going to be Gorillaz, the festival announced today. U2 canceled the Glastonbury date as well as North American tour dates due to the physical condition of singer Bono's back.

So much for reported rumblings that U2's replacement might be a reunited Led Zeppelin.

That's one less possible topic of conversation tomorrow morning when Jason Bonham and Robert Plant appear together on "The Paul & Young Ron Show" for whatever reason. Since their booking, originally slated for yesterday morning, was accompanied by a press release that got a fair amount of traction on the Web, they must have some kind of an announcement.

Yesterday, a publicist for Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience confirmed Plant and Bonham's joint radio appearance as well as the timing of it -- now scheduled to take place at 8:20 a.m. on Thursday, May 27 -- but said she would be finding out what it was all about while the chat takes place live.

"The Paul & Young Ron Show" airs live weekdays between 6 and about 10 a.m. on several terrestrial radio stations in Florida. Big 105.9's Web site streams the show live.