When you think of tribute/cover bands, you think of the local pub or RSL where you can also get a bowl of chips and gravy or something from the carvery. Indeed, for whatever reason, The Tivoli smelt a bit like there were hot chips getting cooked somewhere when I entered (is someone holding out on me regarding food options at the Tivoli?).
Letz Zep comes with a good amount of hype and it can’t be easy playing some of the most recognisable songs from one of the biggest bands in rock history, but they have do have the accolades, most notably from Led Zeppelin themselves, with Robert Plant checking them out, and feeling like he was looking back at himself.
Kicking off the evening was Black Rose, a Thin Lizzy tribute band from Brisbane, Black Rose. The did a quick set that included all the well-known Thin Lizzy songs, ‘Jailbreak’, ‘Whisky in the Jar’ and ‘Boys are Back in Town’. The set was really well received by the crowd who were taking their seats and getting drinks.
Then came what everyone had come to see, Letz Zep. When singer Billy Kulke walked out onstage it was rather uncanny the similarities in appearance to Robert Plant. Replicating Jimmy Page and John Bonham was always going to be stretch but Jack Lonergan sure looked like a young John Paul Jones to me.
They kicked off their set with ‘Good Times, Bad Times’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ and the crowd called out their appreciation. Next up was ‘Misty Mountain Hop’ and one of my favourites, ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ that then morphed into ‘No Quarter’ a song that even members of Led Zeppelin admit is a technically difficult song to play and they pulled it off amazingly.
I had forgotten just how long Led Zeppelin songs could be, especially ‘Dazed and Confused’ which seemed to go on forever, morph into another song, then morph back. The band then brought out stools to sit on with a beautiful rendition of ‘Going to California’ (the mandolin part was perfect) and the foot-stomping ‘Bron-Y-Aur Stomp’.
‘Kashmir’ was as technically brilliant as the original and then Peter did the Bonham solo on ‘Moby Dick’.
No Led Zeppelin tribute band set would be complete without ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and the crowd went off, calling out and more than one bloke doing a bit of air guitar. The set rounded off with ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Whole Lotta Love’.
Tribute bands are not normally my thing, I generally fall over them at the pub. Letz Zep are not your average tribute band, they are next level and have received the seal of approval from the band they cover. I highly recommend Led Zeppelin fans check them out.
