Rave reviews for Led Zep reunion

By Mike Collett-White

LONDON (Reuters) - Led Zeppelin had a lot to live up to after the hype surrounding their reunion gig on Monday night, but the rockers pulled it off so successfully that critics and fans are begging for a world tour.

Reviewers were virtually unanimous in their praise of the band, which has played together only a handful of times since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980 after a drinking binge.

"Simply blown away by the world's greatest band", the Telegraph's critic David Cheal wrote.

"Bizarre, beguiling and better than ever," was Guardian music writer Alexis Petridis' headline above a five-star review.

There was praise for all three original members, whose average age is 61, and for Bonham's son Jason who acted as drummer for the night.

At 59, Robert Plant may have strained for some of the higher notes, but his performance through a 16-song set lasting just over two hours was better than some had dared to expect.

"Older equipment may take a while to get going, but once the requisite valves heat up, the quality is unmistakable," wrote Pete Paphides in the Times.

Jimmy Page, 63, drew some of the biggest cheers for his power chords and improvisation, including a trademark turn with a violin bow across his guitar strings, while John Paul Jones, 61, won plaudits for providing a rhythmic bedrock on bass.