For two hours and 10 minutes Monday night, renowned British rock band Led Zeppelin was back, rocking privileged fans at an ecstatic O2 Arena in London. It was something not seen for almost 20 years.
The evening was to honor late Atlantic Records founder and producer Ahmet Ertegun, and the band's devoted throng -- many of whom had paid thousands of dollars and flown thousands of miles to see them -- could not have been happier.
The Led Zeppelin part of the show began right on time at 9 p.m. local, with a giant screen showing clips from U.S. television when Led Zeppelin first toured the States.
Original members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Robert Plant blasted onto the stage with drummer Jason Bonham, taking the place of his father, John Bonham, who died in 1980. The stage was brilliant and the lighting looked great, with an excellent video display offering multiple images behind the live players.
Page, 63, is stout these days, with puffy features and frizzled hair, but his fingers move just as quick. Plant, 59, whose visage is more familiar with all the publicity he's been doing for his hit album "Raising Sand" with Alison Krauss, appeared like a well-fed Anglo Wild Bill Hickok, commanding the stage and still finding those elusive trills.
Jones, 61, was clean cut and all business on keyboards or bass, and Bonham at the drums looked beefy but fit.
They began with a brisk version of "Good Times, Bad Times," with Page's guitar crisp and clear but Plant's voice cramped by feedback. When "Ramble On" followed, Plant's microphone was working better and he sounded in good voice, growling and snapping just like he used to.
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