Led Zeppelin share first clip from ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ documentary
Led Zeppelin have unveiled the first clip from their upcoming documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin, which will be released in February.
The film promises to combine interviews with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones, as well as historic clips of John Bonham speaking, with archival concert footage of the band in action throughout 1969 at Fillmore West, the Atlanta Pop Festival, and the Texas Pop Festival. It focuses on the band’s early chapters rather than their full story and their meteoric rise within 12 months to become the most popular group on the planet.
The synopsis for Bernard MacMahon’s documentary reads: “Becoming Led Zeppelin explores the origins of this iconic group and their meteoric rise in just one year against all the odds. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.”
In the first clip released from the forthcoming documentary, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant reflect in new interviews on their first time playing together as Led Zepellin. “I said the first number that I want to do is ‘The Train Kept A-Rollin”,” Page explains at the beginning of the clip.
Page continues: “We just kept playing it, doing little solo breaks and all the rest of it and Robert’s improvising.” Jones claims that he’d “never heard anything like it” when discussing hearing Plant’s vocals for the first time, adding, “I was expecting some cool soul singer, and there’s this screaming maniac with this fantastic voice and fantastic range, you know. I was like, ‘What are you doing up there? You’ll hurt yourself, man.'”.
Plant recalled his memories of their first performance together: “It was devastating because it seemed like that is what I had been waiting for.”
The clip also features archival audio from drummer John Bonham, who died in 1980, who said of joining the band: “Well, I was pretty shy, and the best thing to do when you’re in a situation like that is not to say much and soldier along and suss it all out.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin will air exclusively in IMAX theatres across the United Kingdom on February 5th and February 6th, before a nationwide release in cinemas on February 7th.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Led Zeppelin Newsletter
All the latest stories about Led Zeppelin from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.