When Don Henley viciously stirred the pot over Led Zeppelin reunion rumours in 2014
It’s nice to be able to hold onto the hope that you might be fortunate enough to live to see the day when your favourite defunct or dormant band choose to reform and tour one last time, but if you’re clinging to the idea that Led Zeppelin might want to do this, you can kiss those pipedreams goodnight.
Even though their demise was brought about by the tragic passing of drummer John Bonham in 1980, people have still begged the question as to whether they’ll reform for more than just a one-off. Of course, committing to something of this scale without someone who was so integral to the sound and arguably irreplaceable would be a tough ask, but given the importance of Led Zeppelin to the canon of classic rock, you can still understand why the demand would be so high.
They’ve got together on multiple occasions with stand-in drummers, including Bonham’s own son, Jason, choosing to fill in for his father. Their appearance in Philadelphia in 1985 as part of the US Live Aid concert saw them bring in multiple competent stooges to wear the shoes of Bonham, including Genesis drummer and Robert Plant collaborator Phil Collins, but asking a man with as many commitments as him to take the position on full-time would have been too demanding, not to mention that Collins himself may have felt incapable of assuming the role of an arguably superior player.
So many other bands have managed to take the extra step and reform for full tours, even in spite of some key original members no longer being alive, and this is perhaps why many have questioned why Led Zep don’t take the same approach.
For example, Eagles did it in 1994, 14 years after their initial breakup, despite having originally claimed that it would take “hell freezing over” for them to agree to it. They jokingly titled their reunion tour and live album Hell Freezes Over as a result, and even though they’ve since lost Glenn Frey, they’ve remained active with Vince Gill and Frey’s son Deacon entering the fold as new permanent members.
Led Zeppelin, however, still won’t commit to such a thing, and Plant previously claimed that Eagles’ only reasons for doing this were not some greed-driven cash-grab, but a result of sheer boredom that gave the members something to keep them occupied.
However, not only did Eagles drummer and vocalist Don Henley firmly refute these claims from Plant, but he chose to stoke the fire between the two acts even further by questioning the real reasons why Led Zeppelin haven’t taken the opportunity to follow suit.
“I really wish they would get back together because they were one of the greatest bands of all time,” Henley told The New Zealand Herald in 2014, still acknowledging his respect for the band. However, he couldn’t resist making a further jab at Plant and how his ageing body might have an impact on some of the key components of a Led Zeppelin show. “I think maybe Robert is worried about hitting those notes,” he added. “He may not be able to unbutton his shirt any more.”
It’s obviously a tongue-in-cheek, if slightly barbed comment to make, but even if Plant was content with how his life was sans reunion, surely one last tour or official farewell concert wouldn’t hurt. Henley had every right to hold out hope, even if it’s highly unlikely his demands will be met.
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