Led Zeppelin join the Foo Fighters!

5:10 PM GMT 08/06/2008

Jimmy Page and Jones Paul Jones strutted on to the Wembley Stadium stage last night, Saturday June 7, to help fulfill Foo Fighters’ leader Dave Grohl’s ultimate rock fantasy of playing with the members of Led Zeppelin.

With Zep singer Robert Plant on tour in the States promoting Raising Sand, the acclaimed album he released last year with Alison Krauss, Page and Jones formed a two song-long super-group with Grohl and Foo’s drummer Taylor Hawkins, as the four-piece rounded off a remarkable night at the revamped home of English football.

“This’ll be the night we’ll be talking about in 20 years!” declared Dave Grohl cryptically mid-way through the two hour and 20 minute-long set to the 86,000 capacity crowd who, at this point, were blissfully unaware of Page and Jones’s presence.

Indeed, the two Zeppelin men watched the Foos perform from the royal box. The set itself - which was delivered via an elaborate in-the-round carousel - was well-paced, spanning the last 15 years to take in crowd-pleasing favourites such as Learn To Fly, This Is A Call and Breakout. And acoustic section saw Grohl and co. deliver the likes of Skin And Bone, before delving back Marigold (the first song Grohl wrote as a member of Nirvana) and My Hero (a track poignantly written about Kurt Cobain). The closing romp of Monkeywrench and All My Life saw the four-piece of Grohl, Hawkins, bassist Nate Mendel and guitarist Chris Shiflett leave the stage in preparation for the encores.

Grohl and Hawkins re-emerged five minutes later and, while the former made an impassioned speech thanking British audiences for their part in the Foo's success, Page and Jones sauntered out almost incognito on to the rainy Wembley stage in preparation for the mother of all finales. Then, life-long John Bonham devotee Grohl excitedly introduced the pair before handing the mic to Hawkins and making his way hastily to the drum kit to beat out the familiar drum tattoo announcing Led Zeppelin’s immortal Rock’n’Roll.

While Page clearly relished the opportunity to riff away in front of a stunned Wembley, Jones locked into to an elephantine groove with Grohl, underpinning an emotional vocal from Hawkins, whose southern-styled delivery appeared to suit the track.

Grohl and Hawkins then switched places for Ramble On, with Dave adding a stoner rock edge to his heavy-throated version of the Led Zeppelin II classic that made up in spirit what it lacked in soul.

Clearly enjoying themselves, Page and Jones then hugged Grohl and Hawkins before exiting the stage to allow Mendel and Shiflett to return for the final bow of Best Of You – a track which saw Grohl fight back tears of sheer joy. “Welcome to the greatest day of my fucking life!” he declared, beaming at the crowd. Somehow, as he waved his farewell and the fireworks began to crackle overhead, you sensed that the ever-affable Grohl would dearly have loved to thank every member of the audience personally for joining him for a night he’ll never forget. Come to think of it, neither will most of them.

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 5:10 PM GMT 08/06/2008

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"My Hero" was not written about Kurt Cobain. Check your facts. It was written about a sports guy whose name and specialty escapes me now, but you can find out all about it in the "nothing to lose" Grohl biography. Must've been someone in football or baseball or something. One must stop-stop-stop the Nirvana reference all over the place. It may be wishful thinking, but nope....Grohl's hero was just an ordinary sports guy...

Posted by Haaaaa at 9:21 AM GMT 09/06/2008 Report Abuse

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well who cares about the details about what song was about what. The important thing is someone like Dave just fulfilled his dreams and best of luck to him, as i bet he almost went under when Nirvana ended with such a burn.

www.myspace.com/hammondmark

Posted by Mark Hammond at 2:18 AM GMT 11/06/2008 Report Abuse

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