Led Zepp meets President Obama and go viral! Watch!



It was way ironic seeing Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page from the greatest rock band ever sitting dressed in sashes and what looked like African dictator uniforms, but Led Zeppelin’s appearance in a US-style OTT tribute, at the Kennedy Center Honors, was a joy.

How did I miss it in December last year? President Obama was there! So was Dustin Hoffman!

Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart sang ‘Stairway to Heaven’ as the finale of a star-studded musical tribute. Some say Ann massacred the piece, but I thought her voice was just perfect and, again, how the hell had I missed Heart? They’re fantastic and have been going for ever.

When it appeared on YouTube it went viral. So viral, in fact, that it was quickly issued on iTunes.

It seems like about 3,000 people were on stage during this performance, with the Wilson sisters joined by late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham’s son Jason on drums, as well as a gigantic house band featuring string and horn sections and what looked like two different vocal choirs.

Turns out the Wilson sisters have performed Led Zeppelin live many times over the years.

Earlier in the evening, the Foo Fighters, Kid Rock and Lenny Kravitz performed short versions of three other Led Zeppelin classics.  Kid Rock didn’t do too well, but Kravitz, who I always thought of as a bit of a Rock pastiche, really nailed it.
Jack Black, who introduced Led Zepp to a whole new audience in School of Rock introduced the tribute, perfectly.  And he had the Zeppelin survivors in the Hollywood equivalent of the royal box roaring with laughter.

“They sang songs about love,” he said, “about Vikings…about Vikings making love.”

“Led Zeppelin… the greatest rock and roll band of all time… yeah, I said it. Better than the Beatles. Better than the Stones… even better than Tenacious D. That’s not opinion… that’s fact. If you don’t agree with me, it’s because you never did the Zeppelin marathon. That’s when you sit your ass down and listen to all nine Zepp albums in a row… What makes them so special is the contrast of power and beauty. Heavenly melodies intermingled with hellish rifts of thunder. The first time I heard Zepp was in high school. My body was changing and my mind was opening to new possibilities when Derek Skanky made me a mix tape of his favorite Zepp jams. They quickly became my favourite band. Throughout the years, I’ve explored all kinds of genres and styles… but it’s always come back to the Zepp.”

“Sometimes I worry that they might’ve been the last great chapter in rock. Who will pick up the torch and lead a new generation into heavy metal Valhalla? Sadly, no living rockers possess the alchemy and black magic required for such a task… Until then, we have the blessed gift of Led Zeppelin’s box set to lift our spirits and soothe our souls. They say that Led Zeppelin sold their souls to Satan… come on guys, you know you did. There is no other way to explain your ungodly talent. I just want to say thank you… because while you suffer in the burning pit of Hell, the human race will cherish your heavenly jams till the end of time. A small price to pay. We love you. Best band ever.”

Watch here: http://vimeo.com/62879167

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