Hoary old monsters of rock Led Zeppelin have confirmed they will be reuniting once again for a full tour without tousle-haired beauty Robert Plant.

Bassist John Paul Jones told the BBC: "It's got to be right. There's no point in just finding another Robert. You could get that out of a tribute band, but we don't want to be our own tribute band. There would be a record and a tour, but everyone has to be on board." He added that they were hoping to write new material.

The band is reportedly trying out “a couple” of alternative singers for the shows, after The Quietus’ admittedly half-arsed campaign to draft her from Lez Zep in as a replacement apparently fell on deaf ears. Earlier this month it was reported that singer Myles Kennedy was rehearsing with the band, although it is not yet known whether he will finally assume the mantle of Fake Plant.

The announcement follows a show at London's O2 Arena last December - initially planned as a one-off - in which Plant joined the rest of the band in performing.