Led Zeppelin plan comeback without Plant

Legendary British rock band Led Zeppelin are planning a comeback with a studio recording and a world tour, according to bassist John Paul Jones. But charismatic lead singer Robert Plant is out of the pitch.

Legendary rock band Led Zeppelin are planning to return to recording and touring — without singer and frontman Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones told BBC radio.

Jones said the hard-rocking British group were trying out different singers to replace Plant, who has repeatedly voiced his reluctance to join in a full reunion after a mammoth one-off gig at the O2 Arena in London last December.

Some 20 million people applied for 20,000 tickets for the charity concert — the band’s first full gig since they split in 1980 following the death of drummer John Bonham.

Jones said he, guitarist Jimmy Page and Bonham’s drummer son Jason were keen to get out playing concerts again — and were not hanging around waiting for Plant to change his mind.

“We are trying out a couple of singers,” the 62-year-old said. “We want to do it. It’s sounding great and we want to get on and get out there.”

Jones said the band were not searching for a Plant replica.

“It’s got to be right. There’s no point in just finding another Robert,” he said. “You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don’t want to be our own tribute band.

“There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be on board.”

The O2 show — the first time the original three played together in public for 19 years — was part of a tribute concert for the late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who signed the group in 1968.

Led Zeppelin went on to sell more than 300 million albums worldwide, with “Stairway to Heaven”, “Whole Lotta Love” and “Kashmir” among their best-loved songs.

Jones said the one-off London show was “wonderful.”

“The most pleasure is making music. I love listening to it, but nothing is as much fun as having an instrument in my hand and communicating with people,” he said.

Preparing for the O2 concert had been “very hard work,” but everything had clicked on the night, he added.

“It felt like the next night of the last tour.”

But while the others seem keen on keeping the momentum going from their hugely successful reunion gig, Plant has said the context would have to feel right and he would not want to tour old material and become their own tribute act.

Plant has been busy touring with US country violinist Alison Krauss following a well-received hit album together.

In a statement on his website on September 29, Plant said he had “no intention whatsoever” of touring with anyone for at least the next two years once his current tour ends.

“Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin. Anyone buying tickets online to any such (an) event will be buying bogus tickets,” the statement read.

Plant said: “It’s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward.

“I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects,” he added.