Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones joined Seasick Steve on stage Saturday at the Isle Of Wight Festival.
Jones played on Steve’s new album, “You Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Tricks,” and joined him for a couple of songs last month on Later With Jools Holland.
At the Isle Of Wight, Jones sat in for “Thunderbird,” while his Them Crooked Vultures bandmate (and head Foo Fighter) Dave Grohl could be seen bopping his head to the tune side stage.
In a new interview with The Arts Desk, Steve was asked about his collaboration with Jones and if he’d ever seen the mighty Zeppelin live.
“I saw them play in 1969,” said the bluesman. “I was playing at a pizza parlour and this guy came in and asked if I wanted to see an English blues band. We went over to this amphitheatre and saw them play. Man, they was good. I didn't think of them like a blues band but I thought I ain't ever seen [imitates Robert Plant swinging microphone by its lead]... and the hair, plus they was so much better than everybody else. I'll never forget that show. I went backstage and saw that Robert Plant was smoking English cigarettes. I'd never seen an English cigarette before in my life so I bummed one off him. That was my big claim. I now know Robert Plant quite well and I told him but he don't remember. It tasted like s**t. I was smoking Lucky Strikes at the time and that cigarette tasted poor, poor, poor. I felt sorry for him - "Man, you call that a cigarette?"
More than 40 yars later, Steve is playing with the Zeppelin bassist; no word on whether or not he’s still bumming smokes.
Steve plays the GoldCoast Oceanfest in the UK this coming weekend.
Seasick Steve Seasick Steve – Thunderbird
With guest John Paul Jones
Isle Of Wight festival – June 11, 2011
See also:
VIDEO: Jimmy Page rocks London with Donovan
Jimmy Page updates plans for 2011
Robert Plant leads Americana Awards nominations
VIDEO: John Paul Jones joins Seasick Steve on Jools Holland
