Going, going... gong!

UK newspaper the Birmingham Mail has reported that a brass gong once owned and used by John Bonham is expected to bring in up to £76,000 (approximately $121,000) at an auction in America.

The gong, which features two painted Chinese characters, has been put up for sale by Bonham's younger sister, Deborah, 46, and will be auctioned at, funnily enough, Bonhams in Los Angeles on June 14.

Bonham famously used gongs for dramatic effect during performances by having them set alight.

Fellow Zeppelin star and bassist John Paul Jones said: "He did that more or less every night. His roadie Mick Hinton had to set it alight. I think he used lighter fuel and it was quite dangerous."

Now £76,000 is a hefty sum. Maybe if we all club together we could afford it? We'll have it Monday to Friday, you can have it on weekends...

Chris Barnes

I'm MusicRadar's eCommerce Editor. It's my job to manage the buyer's guides on MusicRadar and help musicians find the right gear and the best prices. I'm a guitarist and a drummer and I've worked in the music gear industry for 18 years, including 7 years as Editor of the UK's best-selling drum magazine Rhythm, and 5 years as a freelance writer working with many of the world's biggest musical instrument brands including the likes of Roland, Boss, MusicRadar and Natal.