Jimmy Page Regrets Hiring Phil Collins For 1985 Live Aid Show

In a recent interview from Jimmy Page with The Times and The Sunday Times, the iconic guitarist revealed that he regrets hiring drummer Phil Collins during the disastrous 1985 reunion of Led Zeppelin at Live Aid.

The well-anticipated 3-song set performance happened with Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones back together on stage. As for the drummers, Collins and Tony Thompson both played the part as it was the first time since Led Zeppelin performed once more following the death of their original drummer, John Bonham, in 1980.

Speaking on the said event, Page mentioned that it “was not clever” to build the band back from pieces again. “The drummer couldn’t get the beginning of ‘Rock and Roll’,” Page admitted. “So we were in real trouble with that.”

The 77-year-old musician also mentioned how Led Zeppelin only got a 2-hour rehearsal window for their 3-song set (“Rock and Roll,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Stairway to Heaven”) which did not prepare the members for the numerous mistakes to be observed.

Moreover, Phil Collins also expressed his opinion regarding the terrible Live Aid performance in an interview, saying: “If I could have walked off, I would have done, ’cause I wasn’t needed and I felt like a spare part.”