Led Zeppelin looking to tour without Plant-report

LONDON: British rockers Led Zeppelin are
looking at the possibility of touring and recording without
frontman Robert Plant, who has resisted pressure to reunite with
his former bandmates, according to a report.
The band, which sold an estimated 300 million albums and is
considered one of the most influential in rock music, briefly
re-grouped for a one-off charity concert in London in December,
2007, leading to calls from fans for a full reunion tour.
Guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist/instrumentalist John Paul
Jones are both understood to be keen to return to the stage, as
is drummer Jason Bonham, the son of original member John who
died in 1980, reportedly after a bout of heavy drinking.
But Plant, who has forged the most successful solo career of
the surviving band members, has always appeared reluctant and
last month issued a terse statement confirming his intentions.
“Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will
not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin,” he said.
Jones told the BBC's Radio Devon that the band had already
tried out possible replacements for Plant.
“We want to do it. It's sounding great and we want to get on
and get out there,” he said at a guitar show in Exeter,
southwest England.
“It's got to be right. There's no point in just finding
another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we
don't want to be our own tribute band,” he added.
Jones said Led Zeppelin, which broke up in 1980, planned a
tour and a new record.
Other big pop acts have re-formed with new performers
brought in, most notably Queen which has been working with Paul
Rodgers on lead vocals in recent years replacing Freddie Mercury
who died in 1991.