Members the_big_geez Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 (Yes, you read it correctly!) http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/gbase/Music/content.html?oid=oid:50294 Hammer of the Goddesses A gender-bending Zeppelin tribute by John Adamian - January 15, 2004 PHOTO COURTESY LEZ ZEPPELIN Lez Zeppelin: Does anybody remember laughter? Lez Zeppelin, a New York-based all-girl Led Zeppelin tribute band, has engineered a perfect realization of the male fantasy and brought it to life, amplified and on stage: chicks kicking out the jams of the greatest rock band ever. When Brooke Gengras -- a regular on the Hartford music scene until she relocated to New York a little over a year ago -- takes the stage as "Roberta Plant," there may be a thick layer of theater to bore through, but she and her bandmates mean business when they pay homage to the monolithic English rock quartet. "That idea of playing with gender comes into it," says Gengras. "But if you're going to cover a band, whether you're a guy or a girl, you better cover the best {censored}ing rock band in the world. So, I think that's where we're all coming from. It's funny, and it's a schtick that it's an all-girl band, but really we just truly love Led Zeppelin. It so happens that it's our favorite band." The combination could short-circuit the critical capacity of many rock fans. After all, it's hard to think of a band that oozes more testosterone than Zep. When people sling around accusations of masturbatorial bombast, Led Zeppelin is the first name at which they get slung. So to transmute that raw pheromonal power using womanly ways might be like playing with the volatile components of creation. If it works, it could give off some extraordinary heat. But if it fails, the gods of rock themselves might come down from the their smoky perch on high and just kick your ass for having the hubris to try to emulate such greatness. That doesn't intimidate Lez Zeppelin. For them, the chance to play Jimmy Page's flamboyant blues riffs and John Bonham's thunderous beats is like an advanced-placement musical apprenticeship. The challenge of embodying these rock icons is not taken lightly. "Everyone is truly, truly the essence of their Zeppelin musician," says Gengras. In honor of Jimmy Page's signature stage flourishes, the Lez Zeppelin guitarist uses the tell-tale double-neck Gibson, the violin bow trick, the theremin. Gengras says it's more than just the simulacra of period gear or the studiously replicated chops. Page's posture and moves are all studied -- the placement of the legs, the bend of the neck, the swivel of the foot. "She's got all the moves down. It's pretty outrageous," says Gengras. The world of the tribute band has many interpretive schools. There are the trompe l'oeil artists who aim to get every visual detail just right. Bandannas must be worn just so. Hair, that all-important rock stage prop, must have the proper length, color and curl to it. Authentic gear is important -- only the right circa-1969 sparkling Ludwig kit, or devil-horned Gibson SG will do. In the cosmology of coolness, playing in a tribute band doesn't really rank anywhere near the upper regions, but somehow the sheer novelty of the all-girl gimmick seems to exempt the ladies of Lez from the derision often accorded those who simply play covers. Plus, though Robert Plant may have had some girly stage moves and flouncy baby-doll tops, it's doubtful anyone will think Gengras is a Plant impersonator. Gengras says that Lez Zeppelin takes a more impressionistic approach to replicating the work of their idols. They don't strive to actually look exactly like Zep. Referring to some of Zeppelin's more outrageous costume choices, Gengras says, "We haven't really jumped into our wizard suits yet." And then there's the music. There are a lot of people out there who grumble about cover bands. Rock 'n' roll, say the sticklers, is supposed to be about originality. Such an emphasis is placed on the importance of penning your own tunes. This denies young musicians the pleasure and the challenge of playing some of the greatest material. And on top of the all-girl gimmick, Gengras says the band offers a great chance for everyone to fine-tune their rock chops. "It's a challenge and that's why we all chose to do it. Every practice, every show, I walk away a better musician. Being in this band has made us all better players," she says. "You don't want to be too silly about it. The spirit of Led Zeppelin was clever but it was never a joke." ======== They are appearing in Columbus, OH on Oct 28 @ Promowest Their site: http://www.lezzeppelin.com/ No audio clips (may have something to do with copyrights), but you can get a t-shirt! Yes, you too can look like THIS! Actually, there is a brief soundbite in the radio promo they are running currently, and it doesn't sound too bad! But still I think it's too much of a gimmick. Sorry ladies...
Members Jazz Ad Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 What's wrong with it ? It doesn't beat the Iron Maidens or Midget Kiss, mind you.
Members syciprider Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 Yeah the Goddesses need to hammer them alright. Such fugly wimmin.
Members Archon_113 Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 Originally posted by syciprider Yeah the Goddesses need to hammer them alright. Such fugly wimmin. My thoughts exactly.
Members der oxenrig Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 I always thought Led Zeppelin had a chick singer.
Members Archon_113 Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 Originally posted by The Ox I always thought Led Zeppelin had a chick singer.
Members Ole Man Blues Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 If they do Led Zepplin justice it's all good.......... OMB
Members Apendecto Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 I would just like to see someone tackle John Bonham. Good luck ladies. Also, what's with the Lez? Why try to sound like your gay if your not? Uhh, maybe they are Yo.
Members fremenblue Posted October 22, 2005 Members Posted October 22, 2005 Goin' ta see Hell's Belles tonight. Grrrrl rock. Hope it's all good.
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