Last Friday, November 3, Jimmy Page made an unexpected cameo at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Page performed a musical tribute to the late guitarist Link Wray at the Brooklyn venue, Barclays Center. The guitarist opened the show with a prerecorded statement, reminiscing about his teenage years spent listening to Wray’s “Rumble.” Page remembered this instrumental track from the time and how it affected him: How come this is? There were a lot of guitar instrumentals back then, but even though I was only 14 years old and could hardly play the instrument, I was nonetheless affected by their vitality, strength, and power. You also need to know that it was bold. It was simply amazing. The epitome of style. Following the message, Jimmy Page performed live for the first time in eight years, using his Gibson double-neck guitar to play the aforementioned song. The last time Page performed live was at a fundraiser concert held at Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum in November 2015.
During the occasion, he shared the stage alongside musicians from a variety of bands, such as Alice In Chains and Guns N’ Roses. The guitarist had shown interest in going on tour once more in an earlier interview with The Week, but he had not yet assembled a band for this purpose: People want to hear me play, I know that. I also want to be heard playing. I’m actually beginning to energize and prepare myself for assembling anything. That seems like the ideal state of affairs to me. I wish to take folks by surprise. Page revealed that the Covid lockout in 2020 reflected his enthusiasm in live performances, although some reports claiming that the guitarist’s advancing years also contributed to his absence from the stage. However, he reiterated to GQ magazine his desire for a group setting.
