Jason Bonham

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Tickets on sale Friday for L.A. premiere of 'It Might Get Loud'; Australian debut set for June 3

Music and movie buffs around the world are preparing for some more early screenings of "It Might Get Loud" beginning next week.

The guitar documentary starring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge is destined for theatrical distribution in North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Distributor Sony Pictures Classic indicates the film will open in New York and Los Angeles beginning Aug. 14 with other cities to follow shortly thereafter.

For now, Hollywood types will be gearing up to witness the flick's early showings at the Los Angeles Film Festival in mid June.

  • The L.A. premiere is to take place on Friday, June 19, at 7 p.m., at the Mann Festival Theatre.
  • An additional L.A. screening is scheduled for Monday, June 22, at 2 p.m., at the Landmark 8.
  • Tickets for these two Los Angeles Film Festival showings go on sale this Friday, May 29.
  • Ticket queries can be e-mailed here, or call toll-free: (866) 345-6337.
  • Festival passes are already on sale; click here for pricing.
  • "It Might Get Loud" is eligible to receive an audience award for Best Documentary Feature. It will compete against 10 other entrants in the Summer Showcase section for the honor.
By then, "It Might Get Loud" will have already made its Australian debut courtesy of the Sydney Film Festival.
  • Tickets to June 3 and 6 presentations of the guitar documentary with Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge are already on sale.
  • The first showing down under is slated for next Wednesday, June 3, at 8 p.m. at Sydney's Greater Union George Street.
  • A second showing at the same location is to follow on Saturday, June 6, also at 8 p.m.
Past screenings of this film since last year have taken place in Toronto and Berlin as well as at Sundance. All three guitarists featured in the movie attended the world premiere in Toronto last September, answering press questions.

The film's segments profiling each guitarist center on his unique approach to the guitar throughout his career. In the case of Jimmy Page, the film presents his first-ever TV appearance, at age 14, and some new music as it is created out of thin air. Two new pieces written and performed by Page -- "Embryo No. 1" and "Embryo No. 2" were created as the filming unfolded.

"Jimmy played us previews of two new tracks he was writing -- both of which actually ended up in the movie," director Davis Guggenheim says on the film's official Web site.

The "Embryo" tracks turn out to be the first new music offered commercially by Page in longer than a decade, despite studio recording sessions that took place 10 years ago this month that he could not persuade Robert Plant to take part in. (Listen to the May 29 episode of "Get the Led Out" for more on these abandoned recording sessions of May 1999, involving Page and the late Michael Lee.)

Another of Guggenheim's favorite "It Might Get Loud" moments involves Page:
We were filming in Jimmy Page’s home outside of London -- which he has never allowed before -- and he starts pulling out his favorite albums and playing them for us. These are the records that he listened to and learned from as a young musician. Just watching him listen to the records was incredible -- and then he started playing air guitar!
In writing for the Toronto Film Festival, Thom Powers also mentioned this moment:
Contrary to the stereotype that rock 'n' rollers are sullen and guarded, these three display an infectious joy when discussing their craft. Anyone who has ever played air guitar along with a Zeppelin song will be thrilled watching Page mimic the licks of one of his own favourites, Link Wray's "Rumble."
A member of Internet discussion group Royal Orleans, ajoso, wrote the following upon seeing the film in Toronto:
The film had a lot of humor and made me laugh with delight on more than one occasion. ... When Jimmy shows the riff to "Whole Lotta Love" to Jack & the Edge, the latter two are grinning like: "I can't believe I'm two feet away from Jimmy Page playing 'Whole Lotta Love'!"

About the author

Steve "The Lemon" Sauer is a writer and musician based in Boca Raton, Fla., who has dedicated a portion of his life researching the history of rock group Led Zeppelin and monitoring the ongoing careers of the band's surviving members. Although he was barely a year old when Led Zeppelin broke up and it took him until his teen years to appreciate the music, it didn't take long to make up for it.

Steve is currently a contributing writer and consultant for Get the Led Out, a weekly syndicated radio program hosted by Carol Miller and syndicated in 100 U.S. markets including New York and Los Angeles. He also provides content for a Web site associated with the radio show, www.LedZepOnline.com.

In 2007, Steve launched Lemon Squeezings: Led Zeppelin News to cover the lead-up to the band's reunion concert at the end of that year. Since then, he has closely examined every rumor of a followup tour since then, often dispelling or clarifying misinformation perpetrated by the mainstream media. Using his journalistic training, Steve has also uncovered some facts and accounts previously unreported elsewhere.

At age 18, he began publishing On This Day In Led Zeppelin History, a daily newsletter detailing the interactions of members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and their manager, Peter Grant. The newsletter is located at www.OnThisDayInLedZeppelinHistory.com.

He enjoys uncovering stories and has employed various methods to communicate those stories to Led Zeppelin's vast fan base, utilizing terrestrial radio and the many facets of the Internet: from Usenet newsgroups to plain e-mail and now Facebook and Twitter. Steve also connects with live audiences when performing as a backup vocalist and keyboard player with various bands, including past onstage appearances with three cover or tribute acts performing the music of Led Zeppelin.

Do you have a news tip to share with Steve? Do you have something you would like him to write about? Would you like to book him for a speaking engagement? He can be contacted by e-mail at Steve at LedZeppelinNews.com.

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