Behind the scenes

Italian rock is often dismissed too casually, without taking into account the relevance – international too – that some homegrown bands managed to achieve in certain musical eras. One of these is certainly Premiata Forneria Marconi (Pfm), the most celebrated band of Italian progressive rock, capable of exporting it abroad, even to the United States. And its musicians were considered export-worthy too, like drummer and singer Franz Di Cioccio. Included among the hundred “prog icons” by Classic Rock and awarded “Best International Artist of the Year” at the 2018 Progressive Music Awards, Di Cioccio has spent half a century in music, carrying the Pfm name around the world. Among his most surprising memories is one that links him, if only for an instant, to one of the most legendary bands of all time: Led Zeppelin.

It all started with an article in a British newspaper. "I don't remember if it was Sound or New Musical Express... – Di Cioccio recounted as a guest on "Il mio giradischi", on Radio Parco della Musica – They spoke very highly of me and compared my style to John Bonham's. They said that in my posture, in the way I used the bass drum, I resembled him, but with a more Latin touch." Shortly afterwards came an unexpected phone call. Calling him from Los Angeles was Armando Gallo – a photographer and journalist who had followed Pfm on their first American tour in 1974 – with surprising news: Led Zeppelin had been asking about him.

No secret auditions, no close encounter with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. "I want to make this clear, because all sorts of fanciful versions of this story are going around. I never met Led Zeppelin. They probably just wanted to figure out how to track me down. I don't even remember if Bonham was already dead by then. Sure, it was hugely satisfying for me, but I had my own band and never thought about leaving Pfm for other projects."

After all, Pfm was an internationally recognized act in those years. On tour, the Milanese band, whose first embryonic form had taken shape in the 1960s at the height of the beat era, opened for Genesis, Deep Purple, Santana and ZZ Top; in Canada, their support act was none other than Rush. In the United States, they hung around Frank Zappa and Weather Report, with Patrick Djivas even getting the chance to study with Jaco Pastorius. There were also collaborations with the Allman Brothers and Johnny Winter: encounters that helped fuel the band's inspiration.

Looking back, Di Cioccio stresses that the key to Pfm's longevity has been their ability to evolve. "We've done a lot, for an Italian band, and today we're seeing the results. The drive to keep going comes from knowing how to constantly change: otherwise you risk ending up like so many bands that break up at a certain point, maybe only to reunite years later. We're different, we've always found the strength to renew ourselves. That's what got us included among the hundred most important names in prog rock, alongside giants like Brian Eno and David Gilmour."

Led Zeppelin's bond with "Bonzo" Bonham always remained rock-solid. So much so that, after the drummer's death, on December 4, 1980 the band issued a statement announcing their definitive breakup: "We wish it known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep respect we have for his family, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were."

Franz recounts that he was selected for an audition after Bonham's death, for one of the band's subsequent appearances. "I was asked to be heard... that is, like an audition... as a replacement, at a time when Led Zeppelin wanted to re-form the band, since there was a period of inactivity." But nothing ever came of it.

Among Led Zeppelin's later reunions was the one on July 13, 1985, when Page, Plant and Jones came together for Live Aid at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, playing a short set with drummers Tony Thompson and Phil Collins and bassist Paul Martinez; then the one on May 14, 1988, for Atlantic Records' 40th anniversary concert, with Bonham's son Jason; and finally the last one on December 10, 2007, when they played the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at the O2 Arena in London, again with Jason Bonham.

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13/02/2026