Bonzo Bash NAMM 2014

Bonzo Bash 2014 at the Observatory was a banner night of drummers and a multitude of specials guests and surprises, with master of ceremonies Brian Tichy at the helm to pull the throng of Bonham-infused musicians together, playing tribute with a set of extreme Zeppelin. Bonzo Bash is a annual (an more) event that is put together by Tichy, who hosted this event along with Joe Sutton and Mike Portnoy, and they kept the stage moving and the stories flowing throughout the long 5 hour plus evening. The drummers held court on a amber Natal Bonham-esque drumset, with one of Tichy’s bands the Moby Dicks backing (Chas West, Brent Woods, Michael Devin, Stephen LeBlanc) along with roving guests musicians and singers added to the mix.

The highlight of the night was a special appearance by Black Sabbath’s legendary drummer Bill Ward, who received the “Bonzo Bash Legends Award” and proceeded to have a seat on the drum riser alongside Tichy and Carmine Appice and talk to the crowd about John Bonham and tell stories and anecdotes from his experiences with him, bringing solid first hand look into the personality and life of the drummer hero from another legend and friend.

From the set list you can see the amazing list of drummers and guest involved with the night, and the energy level and fun was off the chart for the night well past the midnight hour.

There are plenty of YouTube video out there from the event to check out, and more links to photos and reviews on their page and on twitter. For more info on Bonzo Bash events check out their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/BonzoBash and follow on twitter at https://twitter.com/BonzoBash.

Set List:
Celebration Day (Brian Tichy)
The Rover (Stephen Perkins)
Houses Of The Holy (Michael Cartellone)
The Wanton Song (Chris Frazer)
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You (Athena w/ Jeff Young & Tracii Guns on guitar)
Wearing And Tearing (Gene Hoglan w/ Laura Christine on guitar & Shaun Williamson on vocals)
We’re Gonna Groove (Jason Sutter)
Heartbreaker (Van Romaine)
Communication Breakdown (Corky Laing)
Whole Lotta Love (Matt Starr)
Misty Mountain Hop (Jimmy D’Anda w/ Mick Sweda on guitar)
Four Sticks (Glen Sobel w/ Shaun Williamson on vocals)
When The Levee Breaks (John Hummel w/ Oni Logan on vocals)
Living Loving Maid (Seven Antonopolous)
I Can’t Quite You Baby (Khurt Maier)
Custard Pie (Simon Wright)
Dancing Days (Rikki Rockett w/ Robert DeLeo on guitar)
Since I’ve Been Loving You (Dave Lombardo w/ Gerry Nestler on guitar)
Nobody’s Fault But Mine (A.J. Pero w/ Mike Orlando on guitar & John Moyer on bass)
Kashmir (Brian Tichy w/ Tracii Guns on guitar)
Dazed And Confused (Charlie Benante)
Good Times Bad Times (Brian Tichy w/ Michael Devin on vocals & Robert DeLeo on bass)
The Song Remains The Same (Ray Luzier w/ Billy Sheehan on bass)
Achilles Last Stand (Brian Tichy w/ Robert DeLeo on bass)
For Your Life (Brandon Kachel)
Fool In The Rain (Wil Calhoun w/ Robert Mason on vocals)
Out On The Tiles (Joe Travers)
D’yer M’aker (Mark Schulman)
Immigrant Song (Thomas Lang)
Bonzo’s Montreaux/Night Flight (Mike Portnoy)
Stairway To Heaven (Cortney DAugustine)