Led Zeppelin: one of the most famous and influential rock and roll bands of all time. The key word in there is influential. How many rock bands in 2013 do you suppose cite Zeppelin as a major influence on their sound? I'd say just about all of them, either directly or indirectly through their influences' being influenced by Zeppelin themselves.
But just as iconic as Zeppelin's sound is its brand. The band's legacy is all tangled up in its fantastical lyricism, its obscure album art and its mysterious symbols. Even the name is so iconic that it has inspired a legion of imitators, from similarly named tribute bands to active recording entities unto themselves who just like the way a certain pun on the name "Led Zeppelin" sounded.
Here are five of these other Zeppelins you may or may not have heard of before.
5. Red Zeppelin What started as a tribute to the Led variety of Zeppelin -- based around some guys who really enjoyed playing Zep songs and one member's red afro -- has since taken on a life of its own with their alter-ego project, Blue Horizon. These days the local Atlanta band records originals alongside their Led Zeppelin covers, becoming, like Pinocchio, a real band of their own.
Incidentally, in the stead of Blue Horizon, a new Red Zeppelin has emerged in Argentina. This one, however, sticks purely to Zeppelin covers.
4. Ded Zeppelin Ded Zeppelin seems like a pretty obvious pun, yet you might be surprised to find that its only use thus far has been by this Japanese instrumental-rock band. Very little information on the band exists on the Internet, and this YouTube clip serves as the lone documentation of DZ's existence.
That's actually a shame, because DZ's music is quite interesting, reviving good old-fashioned psychedelia in the sweetest way -- bright keyboard solos, heavily distorted guitars and all.
3. Lez Zeppelin Lez Zeppelin is a fairly well known and popular Led Zeppelin tribute band, so named because it's an all-female lineup. Aside from being participants in a wave of rock tribute bands with a similar all-female gimmick, the band itself is actually pretty talented.
Perhaps that's why they have been surprisingly and amazingly successful for a tribute act, taking the stage at Download Festival, Rock am Ring and Voodoo Fest just a hop, skip and a jump away from Houston over in New Orleans. They even performed at Bonnaroo one year, tricking many into thinking Led Zeppelin had reunited for the popular festival.