After ably filling in for his late father John Bonham during Led Zeppelin's one-off reunion in 2007, drummer Jason Bonham was gung-ho—as was everyone in the group, save Robert Plant—to embark on a worldwide Zeppelin tour. Now that such a possibility seems increasingly remote (what with Plant clearly preferring his solo career, John Paul Jones busy with Them Crooked Vultures, and Jimmy Page wondering why Leona Lewis never calls anymore), Jason has opted for a gig that's not even remotely the next best thing: backing a Zeppelin cover band.
But that ain't the worst of it. According to Blabbermouth, Jason has announced a 30-date, North American tour with the band—dubbed Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience—to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his father's death. (Someone might want to tell him that celebrating the birthdays of the deceased are in slightly better taste.) Jason also says he'll be projecting selections from his personal collection of "old photos, home movies, and videos" onstage.
Granted, Jason has paid musical tribute to his dad before—tastefully, even—with the 1995 album In The Name Of My Father: The Zepset, proceeds of which were donated to charity. In his defense, Jason at least acknowledges the backlash that apparently has already begun: "Thanks for all the e-mails and good wishes and even the bad ones," he says. "It all helps, really, it does."