9 April 2023 – The Tivoli, Brisbane – words by Lucas Bell – pictures by Nino Lo Guidice
There are a few bands on my personal bucket list, that I will never get to see the original line ups for. Queen, Nirvana, and Pink Floyd are just a few of those names. But one name has always topped that list, and it is Led Zeppelin. When Jason Bonham announced he would return to Australia after a long absence, with his “Led Zeppelin Evening” tour, that was the moment I knew that if I ever had a chance to see Led Zep live, this would be the closest I would get to it.
The venue wasn’t advertised as sold out, but I’ve never seen The Tivoli as packed out as it was for this show. A mix of patrons, young and old, filled the venue in such a variety of ages, that I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before. Led Zeppelin are a band that feel like they unite generational divides. As the clock struck 8pm, the lights went down as AC/DC’s For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) rang out over the speakers, with everyone singing along. After a quick snippet of ‘In the Evening’ played with the band walking out, including a massive ovation for Jason himself, we got the familiar introduction of ‘Immigrant Song’. The sing-along was LOUD, before Bonham and company jumped into ‘Good Times Bad Times’.
A quick break occurred as a single light shined on Jason and his drums, as Jason introduced everyone to the show. He regaled the audience with tales and memories of his dad, and his friends. And how after doing the reunion tour in 2011, the idea of honoring his father and his work, became more of a reality for him, after not wanting to touch it for so long. And so, here it is. 13 years later, and the Jason Bonham Led Zeppelin Evening has found a solid footing amongst the Led Zeppelin faithful. Throughout the show as well, we had more tales, from John’s mother taking John to jazz clubs to learn to play, to how whenever John played any song, by any band, it still felt like a John Bonham drum line, as if it was a super power. Jason has a lot of reverence for his father. And if it wasn’t on display, with him touring songs his dad was a part of across the world, it was in his words.
As for the show though, after two songs, the quality only improved. ‘Over the Hills and Far Away’ was a big song. ‘Ramble On’ was loud. ‘The Song Remains the Same’ was another beautiful sing-along between band and crowd. We even got a B-Side with ‘Hey Hey What Can I Do’, and a cover of ‘When the Levee Breaks’, which was amazing. After a story about how guitarist Jimmy Sakurai joined the band, we were treated to an emotional rendition of ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’. The power of singer James Dylan’s vocals during this song moved some people to tears around where I was standing. Not many people can stand next to Robert Plant’s vocals on these songs, but Dylan felt as close to the real thing as it could be.
The last six songs of the show were honestly a true best of, send off, with ‘No Quarter’ and ‘The Ocean’ setting a perfect scene for the last two songs of the main set, with ‘Kashmir’ (my personal favourite LedZep song) getting a massive ovations, before getting what was naturally the biggest reaction of the show, ‘Stairway to Heaven’. After a quick break, the show closed off nicely with ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Rock and Roll’.
This is a show for those that are Led Zeppelin faithful. The show is tied together with care and respect for the original artists, anchored by a man as close to the band as you can get. The stories of his dad were beautiful, and this is a show that no matter where you are in the world, I would recommend checking out if you are even the slightest bit of a Led Zeppelin fan.
