In what looks to be one of the most successfully entertaining and pettiest rivalries in rock history, British pop star Robbie Williams is reportedly playing pranks on his elderly neighbor, Led Zeppelin guitarist and founder Jimmy Page over a spat caused by Williams' desire to expand his home, which Page fears will damage his 1875 London mansion.
The BBC reports the Take That crooner has allegedly been blasting Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Pink Floyd, rivals of Zeppelin in the 1970s, and dressing as Page's former bandmate Robert Plant (but adding a stuffed belly piece to the ensemble to mock the aging rock star's physique). While Page has publically appealed to the local council in the past, it's not known who submitted the most recent letter of complaint to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Page's house is notable for many reason, namely its status as Grade I mansion, of which there are few left and the guitarist has worked to preserve meticulously since purchasing the residence in 1972. Williams' next door abode is Grade II, and he submitted plans to expand the basement to include a gym and a pool five years ago.
While representatives of Williams call the claims a "complete fabrication," it's clear that something is going on between the two and has been for quite some time, Williams' builders were fined £4,670 for breaching noise regulations after Page filed a complaint back in 2017, the same year Williams apologized for likening some of Page's behavior to someone with a mental illness. Page's PR rep Mark Borkowski hopes to plan a meeting between the two to settle their disagreements by the end of the month.
