Jimmy Page says COVID-19 has sparked his desire to return to the stage

Jimmy Page has said that the COVID-19 lockdown has invigorated his desire to return to the stage.

In a new interview for GQ's December print issue [via NME], Page reveals, “When we first went into lockdown I thought, ‘Right, now’s the time to start thinking about coming back at some point and being able to perform.’ 

“I will never be one of those people who’ll record alone and send someone a file. I never went into music in the first place to do that – it was for playing together.”

Page reaffirms the importance of live shows and a sense of community in music, stating that without those two elements, “music means nothing”.

“Playing live is so important for young musicians,” the Led Zeppelin guitarist says. “When we were young, we all had these little gigs, hoping to play somewhere bigger and it’s such an important part of that communion of musicians playing together.”

Elsewhere in the interview, he also shares his thoughts on the impact of the pandemic not just on music and the arts, but on the world as a whole.

“It’s such a very sad and desperate time and what this virus has done internationally to families, to the arts, and everything we love and hold dear and the whole concert situation, it does worry me,” he says.

Page recently told Classic Rock that he had “reconnected with guitar” during lockdown. He went on to hint at possible new music, teasing, “I’ve always got ideas.”

The guitar hero is currently promoting his new Anthology photo book, and in a new interview with Total Guitar, he revealed the amp he really used to record Whole Lotta Love.