RE: Harvey speak...

[Kurt Rompf <RompfK@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:02:45 -0400
From: James Bonal <bonal71@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Harvey speak...

This kind of event - put together on short notice, one-off, limited song set 
slotted in among many other artists with a guarantee that the start time of the 
set would be uncertain, with lots of equipment/soundboard changes by those not 
necessarily familiar with the band - is, and always has been, a recipe for 
disaster for Messrs. Page, Plant and Jones.  Way too much of a chance that 
their performance would be much closer to the level of Live Aid or Atlantic 
Records than the O2, thereby tarnishing that "final memory" they worked so hard 
to create in 2007. 
 
I am therefore very glad they didn't reunite for this benefit show.
 
That said, I will sit back and wait for the legions of Plant-bashers to digest 
the potential that Robert and JPJ were ready to go and Jimmy was the one to say 
"no."  Do we dare imagine the possibility that Jimmy isn't actually waiting 
like a schoolgirl, staring at the phone in giddy, unrequited anticipation that 
Robert may one day ring him up?
 
Robert has always said he'd do it again for the "right reasons."  As I think 
someone else has already noted earlier today, Plant was supposedly the reason 
that the $200 million offer conveyed by Gene Simmons was rejected, but he 
apparently said yes to this (if you believe the article and I don't know why 
anyone would make something like this up so long after the fact).  Perhaps the 
"right reasons" for Robert are different than those for one of the other 
bandmates.
 
Then again, to be fair, the article doesn't identify the specific reasons that 
Page's camp rejected the offer, so to suggest they may have been monetary or 
control-oriented is mere speculation on my part.   Frankly, I hope I'm wrong.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Totally agree.

The other thing that could very well be the issue was that Jimmy just wasn't 
capable of (at least in his mind) of pulling it off on such short notice.  
Robert is in fine singing voice, and JPJ can play anytime, but Jimmy, not so 
much.  As the past shows, he lets his guitar playing abilities slide.  If I 
were a betting man I'd say it was not just one thing, but a combination of the 
things you mention and his lack of practice at the time. 

Led Zeppelin is bigger than that anyway.  Unlike just about every other band, 
their chain can't be pulled like that.

 And can someone enlighten me on the Gene Simmons thing.  I must have missed 
that day on FBO.  Thanks.