The arrival into existence of an official Led Zeppelin doc is, of course, sweet music to any of their lifelong fans. A peek behind the (probably velvet, most often flared) curtain, if you will, and a gawp at a band best known for being more than a bit bolshy evasive.
Thus, you may suspect that conjuring up such a thing may have involved more than a little sweet-talking and careful negotiation. And you’d be right.
And the makers of upcoming (and eagerly awaited) doco Becoming Led Zeppelin have, in a new, perhaps unintentionally hilarious interview, just described the hoops they had to go through in order to blow smoke in the band’s… direction.
Speaking to The Guardian, film-maker Bernard MacMahon and partner Allison McGourty describe not only the process of making the movie – featuring acres of rare, unseen footage and the band’s reminiscences via a mass of memorabilia – but also the process of getting the alive, well and not-speaking-to-each-other protagonists to allow anything to happen at all.
In fact, after self-financing their research and the project taking shape under their own steam, “it was incredibly likely that once I put in a phone call, the group might say they were not interested. There was every chance we would not even get a meeting,” MacMahon explains.
Nevertheless, MacMahon was able to summon Page into being, arranging a meeting at a London hotel where “He arrived carrying a Waitrose bag. I thought he’d brought sandwiches with him,” MacMahon explains, but “he had brought his old diaries, dating back to the 60s”.
At the meeting MacMahon showed Page the storyboard so far – “pictures but no words,” he explained – and began talking Page through it. Alighting upon the point where Page first meets Plant, the guitarist asked which band he was in at that point. “Hobbstweedle,” replied MacMahon. “Very good,” said Page. “Carry on.” And after seven hours “with a break for afternoon tea”, Page was in: “But you have to get the others on board.”
Teasing in bass and keyboard player John Paul Jones also required some work and the conquering of a plain and simple “not interested in a documentary” impasse. However, MacMahon and McGourty were able to win him over with a copy of their American Epic movie, (narrated by Robert Redford, no less) a documentary about the rise and results of blues, country and cajun back in the 1920s.
“Watch 15 minutes. If you don’t want to talk to us after that, you won’t hear from us again and that will be the end of the film,” gambled MacMahon. Jones rang back. He was in.
American Epic also played a key part in getting Plant on board. He was a fan of American Epic and said as much to MacMahon and McGourty when they met him at a concert in Scotland. After two more meetings, he agreed to talk.
As for John Bonham, given that the drummer’s untimely death in 1980 ended the band’s existence, the quest for new content was impossible. Nevertheless, via the discovery and preservation of archive interview tapes Bonham plays a key part in the new movie. “Bonham acts as a narrator,” MacMahon explains. “His interviews were recorded just after things had happened. Jimmy said in some ways he’s the star of the film because he’s in the moment.”
Elsewhere in the interview, MacMahon explains the depth he and McGourty went to, finding archive footage and speaking to key side characters around the band's story. And, in what will be a fan-pleasing move, their decision to – unlike in most music documentaries – play many of the band’s performances in full “because they are meant to be heard that way”.
And – typically – while the band won’t be doing interviews to promote the movie’s release, Page and Plant have, at least, issued statements confirming their approval. “The energy of the story and power of the music is phenomenal,” says Page while Plant confirms that “American Epic inspired me to contribute to a remarkable journey into the heart of the whirlwind.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin opens in Imax theatres on 5 February, and in cinemas on 7 February.
