Jason Bonham Planning Led Zeppelin Story Tour

Rock Radio UK is reporting that drummer Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin's John, is planning a multimedia extravaganza tour which will seek to tell the entire Zep story from beginning to end.

Plans are at an early stage for Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience, but it's thought he'll gather a group of musicians to recreate the band's sound while elaborate video presentations provide historical narrative to the iconic outfit's history.

His plans come just months after he realised a long-held ambition to perform the Moby Dick drum solo alongside his father, who died in 1980, using modern multimedia techniques.

And the move may clash with plans to release an album recorded with Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath), Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian (Kiss, Alice Cooper, Dream Theater.)

LedZeppelinNews.com reports: "For Led Zeppelin fans, Bonham's sudden announcement marks a sharp turnaround, as the drummer's primary focus so far this year has been readying new music created with a supergroup that was to be called Black Country."

Producer Kevin Shirley, who recently completed work on the album, last week revealed that management arguments were a threat to the possibility of the album's release. It's already been heard by Iron Maiden's Steve Harris and Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith, both of whom are said to have been "blown away" by the experience. But now it's suggested that Bonham's plans could be part of the problem.

LedZeppelinNews continues: "Bonham was asked to rehearse with Led Zeppelin's surviving members in 2007 as the others were planning a reunion concert. This led, of course, to a single show as a tribute to the late Ahmet Ertegun.

"Following this were some expectations that a full-fledged tour would follow. Bonham even said recently that his mother warned him not to get his hopes up. She was right – Robert Plant eventually made known his intention not to revive Led Zeppelin again. By that time, Bonham had quit his touring gig with Foreigner and been replaced. Rehearsals with Page and Jones, and eventually singer Myles Kennedy, ended fruitlessly.

"Apparently, Bonham is seeing to it that his desire to bring Led Zeppelin's songs to a wide American audience in the concert setting will not to suffer the same fate."

Hughes recently confirmed a solo tour of the UK for September this year. It had been speculated that it might turn out to be a tour featuring the band formerly known as Black Country.