Watch John Paul Jones and Thurston Moore Play Together at Benefit Show
Led Zeppelin icon John Paul Jones joined Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and improv drummer Steve Noble to perform at a benefit concert in London, U.K., on March 28.
The appearance at the small 100 Club was in aid of local radio station Resonance FM, a non-profit created by the London Musicians’ Collective. Their set consisted of two improvised pieces followed by an encore.
You can watch clips from the performance below:
Announcing the event last month, Resonance described it as “unique musical meeting of three of the most inventive performers of our time – for perhaps the only time.” They pointed out Jones’ reputation as “composer, arranger, and producer across genres ranging from pop to opera to electronica and avant-garde” and added that Moore and Noble were “like minds.”
Jones has made sporadic stage appearances since his last major collaboration, Them Crooked Vultures, which featured Dave Grohl and Josh Homme. They toured and released an album during 2009 and 2010 before going on hiatus. Afterwards Jones was occasionally seen performing alongside blues artist Seasick Steve, Sonic Youth, the Foo Fighters and others.
Last year he said he wasn’t interested in recording another solo album, and was focusing instead on a new opera. “When asked if he would make another solo album, Jones replied “No, no, no, I can’t be arsed,” he told Mojo (via LedZepNews), adding that he hadn’t enjoyed the experience of promoting 1999’s Zooma. “We toured the world, sold out shows, then promoters started insisting I get a bloody singer. It was instrumental music, but I’m not Jeff Beck. I remember a promoter saying ‘We can’t grow it.’ Oh well, fuck you all.”