After the meet and greet, he then blew the faces off the theater crowd with almost 3 hours of live Led Zeppelin music. All was forgiven for the strange photo op as soon as the lights went down. Who wouldn't want to see the son of John Bonham, the legendary skins behind Led Zeppelin, play his dad's music with a full production and excellent musicians?
Maybe it's not for everybody, but if I'm asked to see a tribute show, I'd be less likely to say "um, no" if there was some actual linage to the artist (hence: you probably won't catch me at an Austrialian Pink Floyd show).
Jason keeps his dad's memory alive through his live performances. The surviving members of Zep think of him as family, and have supported his career in many ways over the years. Jimmy Page invited Jason's band Virginia Wolf to open for The Firm's 1986 tour. Jimmy then used him as his drummer during his "Outrider" album and tour in 1988.
Since then, Jason's recording and stage credentials include Paul Rogers, UFO, Foreigner, Joe Bonamassa, Black Country Communion, his own band "Bonham," and very occasionally, with a group of Britts called Led Zeppelin.
Jason would love the opportunity to be the full time drummer in his fathers band, but that just won't ever happen. Robert Plant will not play full time in a Zep without John Bonham. He acknowledges Jason's natural talent, but respectfully declines. John's loss is too great of a barrier for him, even 35 years after his death.
As someone who has followed Jason's career since it basically started, I have seen him mature as a talent and more importantly, as a human. I say that because he created a legendary reputation as a party animal, on par with that of his father, during his first 20 years of adulthood as an performer.
Jason was convinced he would die at the age of 32, because that's what dad did. He tried his hardest to kill himself with alcohol, creating a trail of stories and drunken memories along the way. He was notoriously out of control on more than one occasion.
Then he did something unexpected: somewhere around 2002, he got sober. He did it for his family, but subsequently did it for the world as well.
I read somewhere that Jason had his moment of clarity in a pub watching a woman drop off a child with a drunk father sitting at the bar.If that is true then I'm sure he thought about his own children (he has 2).
He reached out to his wife and asked for help. As someone who has hit rock bottom a time or two in my own life, I imagine that was the hardest call he ever made.
I heard an interview with Jason after he announced his sobriety publicly, so I put him in my war chest of inspiration for finding some clarity of my own. Believe it or not, I actually do have a mental list of iconic people that have chosen the "clean living" path, and I think about them quite a bit, especially Jason. The quote I remember from him was something like "it only took me 35 years to figure it out." It has taken me 40, and I still struggle given the right triggers, so I absolutely respect his honesty and dedication.
Today, 14+ years sober, he is proud. It is mentioned in every interview and discussed openly alongside questions about Led Zeppelin. Jason never dodges any questions about either.
It can't be easy being the son of a legend, especially if you have chosen the same path as your father. There is no way to eclipse, transcend or escape John Bonham. A lesser man would succumb to the demons, but not Jason. He embraces his fathers legacy. I am sure John would be proud.
Most recently, Jason can be heard pounding the skins behind Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony on the Live album "At Your Service" from the supergroup "The Circle." I have listened to this album, and unless they are playing a Zep tune (which they do) you forget it's Jason playing.
That's the test of how good Jason really is. He plays Alex Van Halen just as good as he plays John Bonham. He pounds out Hagar solo material and Montrose songs with ease. According to Vic Johnson (The Circle's amazingly experienced, but virtually unknown guitarist), Jason also handles any sampling from behind the kit (cue the string slides on "Whole Lotta Love.")
No two drummers play exactly the same. I do notice a difference between Jason and John when I hear Jason play. Maybe it's swing? I can't really put my finger on it exactly, but there is no other person alive better to carry on John's legacy, regardless of the project he is involved with.
Jason is a multi-millionaire. He doesn't have to work, let alone put himself out there as the one person from the Zep camp consistantly performing the classic material Live. He chooses to do so. The fact that he also plays other material outside his Dad's history is a testament to his passion for his craft.
In regards to the The Circle, I am glad they exist. The Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen needs to be played and not ignored. These guys do it justice, and Vic Johnson is a beast with amazing guitar tone. His story and history is a pretty wild ride itself. From playing Funk-Rock with BusBoys to hip-hop with Dr. Dre's as Dre's house guitarist during the early years of Aftermath, Vic is a bit of an unsung legend in his own right.
Both Led Zeppelin and Van Hagar are big parts of my soundtrack, and I really like having a mash-up of both in a live setting. It's a best of both worlds scenario, so I give it all of my love.
The band is solid, and if they come within 5150 miles of wherever I am on any particular day, I'll go see them to celebrate some great classic heavy music.
Nago
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