Letz Zep

The man is  insane. Same lion’s mane as Robert Plant, the ramp sow of Led Zeppelin. And Billy Kulke has also internalized the habitus of his famous idol like no other. Big gestures, a casual hip twitch, a spontaneous headbanging. Necklaces, bracelets, rings – just like the original. A lot of eros – sometimes androgynous, sometimes full of testosterone. He pouts like a mixture of Lindenberg and Jagger, he lures the fans, he flirts, he holds his microphone like his most valuable possession – he almost kisses it. Like a magician, he dominates the stage.

“Stairway to heaven” is probably led Zeppelin’s best-known song.And it was a staircase to heaven for the 750 fans in Neuruppin to listen to probably the best tribute band. Letz Zep thrilled with perfect performance and the stunning songs of the originals.

Every gesture fits perfectly, every blink of an eye. And sometimes he drops the diva tank and a wide, blissful smile sweeps across his face. The man is up in his role. And he can sing, no question. His voice is made for the songs of the legendary band Led Zeppelin, rockers in front of the gentlemen, icons of hard and blues rock and the then burgeoning heavy metal.

Around 750 fans came to the Neuruppin Kulturhaus Stadtgarten on Friday evening to listen to Letz Zep. Three years ago, the best cover band was already there – the advance laurels are based on a judgement. Robert Plant himself once said of a Letz Zep show: “I walked in and saw me” – I came in and saw myself. Letz Zep has no trouble getting the fans going. To good music comes a good show.

Letz Zep lives up to its reputation as a super cover band. Guitarist Andy Gray not only goes close to the model with vibrating, crystal-clear guitar riffs and super solos: he also has a mane like his alter ego Jimmy Page and his penchant for extremely imaginative stage clothing, which makes the girls in the hall wet eyes. Drummer Pete Tulloch wears a headband like his role model John Bonham, after whose death Led Zeppelin dissolved. And he drums his soul out of his body in a similarly ecstatic way. And Jack Lonergan, bassist and keyboardist, is also putting a lot of pressure on the cauldron – like his role model John Paul Jones. Lonergan’s crystal-clinking piano solo in one of the songs is the very first cream.

No wonder the fans are at Letz Zep’s feet from the first song. Good times, bad Times and also Since I’ve been loving you are among the more well-known pieces of the band. Letz Zep is constantly striving to expand the repertoire by one or the other pearl. So it is not surprising that many of the songs played are less well known. “Three years ago they played one well-known hit after another – today I don’t know most of them,” says one fan.

Nevertheless – the typical sound of Led Zeppelin can be felt in every note – whether rock or bluesy. And it’s fun – even for non-die-hard fans. At some point towards the end, the mood boils a lot higher – then come the big perennial favorites: Kashmir, Stairway to heaven, Whole lotta love. Splendid. The fans sing in the choir wherever they can. And Kulke is still heating up the fire. It is literally the stairs to heaven. The applause at the end speaks a clear language.