Letz Zep @ The Gov, Adelaide 22/5/2026

While Letz Zep gives us of a certain age a chance to reminisce about the music of Led Zeppelin, they are also introducing the music of Zeppelin to new generations of fans who were not even born when the band split. The Gov was almost split in two, the older generation taking the seats at the back of the venue while the younger fans took to the floor.

Surprisingly, soft rock music flowed through the speakers before the show commenced. America’s Horse with no Name and Procol Harum’s Whiter Shade of Pale lulled us into a false sense of security before the onslaught that was to come.

Andy Gray (guitar), Toby Sadler (bass/keys) and Jake Blackwell (drums walked on stage to a rapturous applause and launched straight into Communication Breakdown from Led Zeppelin’s debut album. More applause followed as vocalist Billy Kulke walked on stage with a huge smile on his face. Without pause, the band moved into into Heartbreaker, with Billy jokingly commenting, “We are going to do a song from the second album that we wrote” before the song exploded and ended with a masterful guitar solo from Andy Gray. Naturally the band then moved on to the third album for a soulful rendition of Since I’ve Been Loving You.

As Toby Sadler moved from bass to the keyboard, Billy told us Toby had played in Hot Chocolate, even singing a few lines of So You Win Again and also has played with John Bonham’s band. The haunting strains of No Quarter kicked in, then the drums, and finally from the dark corner of the stage, a guitar riff that still send shivers down one’s spine. Halfway through the song the band members left Toby alone on stage for an extended keyboard solo.

Billy shared that the first time he ever played in Australia was in 2008, at The Gov with Rob Pippen and The Zep Boys. “No matter where we play, Adelaide is my favourite place” he said. The Dazed and Confused intro hit hard but again the members of the band left the stage for Andy Gray’s guitar solo, yes, complete with violin bow. Thankfully it was just a ten-minute version, rather than Zeppelin’s infamous half hour rendition.

Archilles Last Stand and an intense Babe I’m Gonna Leave closed out set one.

Any thought of lost momentum caused by the break, disappeared instantly as a full throttle Kashmir opened set two. This was Zeppelin at it’s finest and to be honest, Letz Zep at their finest as well. Billy’s searing vocals filled the room.

The 1970’s live music scene has a lot to answer when it comes to drum solos. I know – I was there and sat through many of them. Jake Blackwell however, had nothing to prove as he was sensational all night. His dad Chris Blackwell played drums and co-wrote with Robert Plant on his Now and Zen, Fate of Nations and Manic Nirvana era, so the music gene had clearly passed down to Jake. Still, we did get Moby Dick, and yes, Jake was excellent and again thankfully, just the ten-minute version.

A sincere “Thanks to The Gov for keeping music alive” from Billy led to Stairway to Heaven, Andy strapping on a twin neck guitar for the classic song, as the audience instinctively reached for their phones. It was a heartfelt recreation of the iconic Zeppelin song.

Black Dog and Whole Lotta Love were pure glorious noise. The band was firing on all cylinders.

The band took a bow and the obligatory photo from the drum riser but they never left the stage. “You want one more?” Billy asked and of course we did. Rock and Roll and the magnificent Immigrant Song kept the energy soaring.

Giving credit to Rob Pippen for the formation of Letz Zep, Billy welcomed him to the stage, where he took Andy’s guitar for a Zeppelin jam. Sure, it was loose, but this is exactly what live rock music is all about — the thrill of hearing something unique that no other audience on the tour would experience.

“Adelaide, thank you” sang out Billy to a wild applause. “No, Thank You” he continues as the Thank You riff sounded out. This was possibly the bands finest performance for the evening capturing both the light and heavy dynamics of the song. With a “We hope to see you next year” the band exited the stage and we spilled out of the venue into the cool night after an evening of blistering hot Zeppelin music.

The band had a lot to live up to, with reportedly Jimmy Page once telling them “That was ambitious but you pulled it off”, Kerrang! magazine describing them as “better than a Led Zeppelin reunion” and hailed by Warner Music as “Europe’s best tribute to Led Zeppelin”.

Judging by the floor, filled with fans who were probably born this century, Letz Zep captured the raw power, soul, swagger, and spirit of Zeppelin without ever feeling like an exercise in nostalgia.

Live Review By Geoff Jenke