News The war of words between Robert Plant and Don Henley: “It’s because they’re bored”
While Robert Plant might be one of rock music’s more amiable older statesmen, he can have an acid tongue when he wants to. The former Led Zeppelin man is usually rather agreeable and relatively candid with his accounts, but if he takes issue with something, he will be resolute in making it known. One man who knows all about Plant’s vitriolic side is Eagles member Don Henley.
Plant has always been one of the most realistic figures of his generation, with him fully understanding the limits of his work. Of course, this applies to his 12 years as the frontman of Led Zeppelin. Following the heartbreaking death of his best friend, the band’s drummer John Bonham, the group knew it was time to call it a day.
Despite frontman and guitarist Jimmy Page reconvening for the duo Page and Plant in the 1990s, the group Led Zeppelin has only come together on a small number of occasions since their split. The most recent and notable instance was in December 2007 for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at London’s O2 Arena, with Bonham’s son Jason again taking his father’s place behind the kit. Since that resounding moment, though, Led Zeppelin have denied requests to reunite. Page suggested they would perform more in the aftermath of the 2007 show, but Plant ultimately changed his mind.
Plant has regularly been asked about Led Zeppelin converging again, and he took issue with the topic when speaking to Rolling Stone in 2014. The frontman even claimed he was happy for Page and Jones to continue as Led Zeppelin with a different singer, which, according to him, they were rehearsing for before coming to a halt.
As a series of super deluxe versions of Led Zeppelin albums were also about to be released, the subject of the band getting back together was brought up once again, which irritated the singer. Not only did he pour cold water on the idea, but he also took a potshot at other acts of his generation that have reformed or, even worse, carried on.
“You’re going back to the same old shit,” he said. “A tour would have been an absolute menagerie of vested interests and the very essence of everything that’s shitty about big-time stadium rock. We were surrounded by a circus of people that would have had our souls on the fire. I’m not part of a jukebox!”
Continuing, Plant snidely commented on his contemporaries who had reformed when much older. “Good luck to them,” he sneered. “I hope they’re having a real riveting and wonderful late middle age. Somehow, I don’t think they are.”
Plant was only getting warmed up, and his main exhibit came at the conclusion of the interview as he had stood up to leave. Remembering that he had missed something vital, he quickly turned around and mentioned the Eagles and explained exactly what he thought of their big-money tours. He said: “Do you know why the Eagles said they’d reunite when ‘hell freezes over,’ but they did it anyway and keep touring? It’s not because they were paid a fortune. It’s not about the money. It’s because they’re bored. I’m not bored.”
Plant might not be bored and have continued to creatively evolve after Led Zeppelin, but Eagles member Don Henley had some strong words for him. Not only did he maintain that the Californian group continued touring because they enjoyed it, but he also slyly questioned whether Plant was reticent to reform the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ group if he couldn’t hit the notes he used to.
Henley told the New Zealand Herald: “I am never bored. The truth is, we enjoy doing it.” Of course, it’s hard work for men of their age, but it’s a fantastic job and an excellent way of making a living, he asserted, before adding that it means they can travel the world and take their families with them.
While he explicitly vocalised his desire to see what he deems one of the greatest bands of all time to get back together once more, Henley’s final remark was a stinger. He said: “I think maybe Robert is worried about hitting those notes. He may not be able to unbutton his shirt any more.”
