'Led Zep will return.. and they'll play Glasto'

Glastonbury boss Michael Eavis has claimed that Led Zeppelin will play again one day – and when they do, they'll headline his festival.

The move seems unlikely, with the band having refused reunion offers from all directions since 2007’s Celebration Day appearance – including an approach from former US president Bill Clinton.

And frontman Robert Plant appeared to have been joking when last year he hinted: “I’m not the bad guy. You need to see the Capricorns… I’ve got nothing to do in 2014.”

Plant will appear as a solo act at this year’s Glastonbury – but Eavis is determined that the singer, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham’s son Jason will hit the stage together again.

He tells Ireland AM: “That will happen one day. I’m sure of it. They will do it.

Eavis was inspired to launch the first festival at his Worthy Farm estate after seeing Led Zep perform at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music in 1970. He started work on the inaugural event – then called the Pilton Festival, the following morning.

He says: “I was on the phone the next day. I was saying, ‘How do you get the bands?’ I wanted the Kinks because they were at number one – and they said, ‘We’ll do it.’”

In the end the Kinks were replaced by T Rex, but Glastonbury remains one of the largest greenfield festivals in the world. The 2014 edition is also set to feature Wilko Johnson, Blondie, Manic Street Preachers, Jack White and the Pixies, with many more to be announced.

Led Zep recently confirmed the release dates of the first of their extended remasters series.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.