Bonham Comes to Redditch… Kind Of

A truly unique experience is landing in Redditch in March celebrating the town’s connection to the iconic John Bonham.

John ‘Bonzo’ Bonham called Redditch in Worcestershire his home, and this has been honoured with the bronze statue of the drummer in Mercian Square in the Town Centre – installed on his 70th birthday.

Now a cutting-edge immersive tribute is coming to his home town.

Designed by a collaboration between Rediscover North East Worcestershire (ReNEW), Birmingham Music Archive, and Birmingham Open Media, the experience will be unveiled to the public on the 14th of March 2025.

Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture, Cllr. Juliet Barker Smith, said: “John Bonham is revered by some of the greatest drummers across history. Phil Collins, Stewart Copeland, Taylor Hawkins amongst many others, have all cited him as a primary influence and even Dave Grohl has said "No one gets close to him". So, his connection to Redditch is a matter of great pride. To see his statue ‘come alive’ via this new immersive and cutting-edge project is a really exciting prospect. Residents will be able to get involved and immerse themselves in the history of Bonham in Redditch, showcasing our town to music lovers everywhere. I can't wait!”

Residents and visitors will be able scan the project QR code, watch the statue come to life, and explore the sights and stories that shaped Bonham’s life.

Using motion capture technology Redditch based drummer and producer of The Genius of John Bonham show Matt Green, was filmed performing three of John Bonham’s iconic drum sequences from legendary Led Zeppelin tracks: Rock and Roll, Good Times, Bad Times, and Immigrant Song which was then synched with a digital avatar of John in his signature 70s pose which was then animated. To experience the performance, visitors simply use their phones to scan the QR code at the John Bonham Memorial Statue in Redditch to bring the performance to life / and watch John perform in real time!

The statue is thought to be the only statue of a drummer in the world – making it iconic in its own right – and there will be the opportunity to watch Palace Drum Clinic’s Matt Green perform his acclaimed show, The Genius of John Bonham over the launch weekend of the 15th and 16th of March, at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm at Redditch Library.

Leader of the Council, Cllr. Joe Baker, said: “This is a fresh project for the town. Building on the previous successes of the ReNEW project to bring you their latest collaborative cutting edge experience. The Rhythm of Redditch is a great chance to showcase the town to people from far and wide and everything it has to offer.”

John Bonham is celebrated as one of the greatest and most influential rock drummers of all time. As the drummer for Led Zeppelin, Bonham’s contributions to pushing forward rock music remain peerless to this day. Noted for his speed, power, fast single-footed kick drumming, distinctive sound, and feel for groove, his performances - both live and on record - continue to influence and inspire each new generation.

To find out more about the project and how you can get involved visit https://rediscovernew.co.uk/john-bonham or contact the team on renew@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk.