Staring in the upcoming Led Zeppelin tribute, Whole Lotta Love, Melbournite Jimmy Couples is no stranger to the Aussie rock scene. His soaring vocals are often compared to the great Robert Plant, making him a fitting inclusion to this tribute show. We caught up with Jimmy to find out a bit more about the show.
Hi Jimmy, thanks so much for taking the time to chat to Forte! Where are you and what are you up to at the moment?
Great to hear from you –busy, busy, busy working in the studio.
As a regular on the rock scene, its safe to say you’re a fan of Zeppelin?
From the minute I heard Led Zeppelin at the age of seventeen, I was mesmerised. The sheer power and mix of blues, folk, Celtic and Egyptian scales was like nothing I’d ever heard before.
What is it you love about the band? Do you have a favourite Led Zeppelin album?
I like the fact that the band could make you love a song so much without having to follow the normal song writer’s formula. For instance, you hardly ever heard a chorus in a Led Zeppelin song, yet the song always got stuck in your head. As for favourite albums, it’s between Houses of the Holy and Physical Graffiti.
It must be pretty great knowing you’re a part of such a well-respecting and long-running national show?
I’m greatly honoured to be part of this show and love the opportunity to perform at such a high level in some of Australia’s greatest theatres with the amazing Joseph Calderazzo and the amazing musicians and vocalists he puts together for the shows –I consider myself very lucky to be one of them.
Are you nervous at all to be paying homage to one of the most influential bands in the world?
Quite simply; yes. Reasons why –it’s very, very challenging to sing Led Zeppelin’s songs. Robert Plant isone-in-a-million.
Are you happy with the songs you’ll be performing and was there much competition for songs between the other singers?
Very happy to be singing those that I’m singing in the show and it’s always good to hear people sing songs that you’ve sang previously –part of the challenge is to learn songs that you haven’t performed before. It makes it a lot of fun.
The show does go for three hours, do you have a favourite part at all?
I love it when all of the singers come together to sing the classic “Whole Lotta Love”.
Do you think you’ll be doing more shows like this in the future?
Fingers crossed I will be considered always after every show to be a part of this great show again.
And why should people come along and see the show?
I believe out of all of the Led Zeppelin tribute shows, this is certainly one of the biggest, one of the classiest and one that goes into great depth to pay homage to Led Zeppelin with the different vocalists and musicians chosen by Joseph Calderazzo.
WIN! Win 2 x tickets to Whole Lotta Love at GPAC on Friday March 20. Email your name and phone number to [email protected]
When & Where: GPAC- March 20, tickets through: www.gpac.org.au or (03) 5225 1200, Palais Theatre Melbourne- Saturday March 21 tickets through ticketmaster.com.au or 136 100