Lahndan Calling

Judging by the signals sent out at Beijing, the 2012 Olympics will be all about verve, individuality and attitude. In contrast to the massed spectacles of the Chinese events, we saw the Brits arrive in a transformer bus, throwing hip hop shapes, digging the pop art schtick and having a right laugh.

The punk rocker is presented as a national icon and so too is Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin guitarist, sometime fan of Aleister Crowley and riffmaster of 'Whole Lotta Love'. The song was described by several commentators as the definitive British anthem. Which may not go down so well with fans of the American bluesman Willie Dixon, who wrote 'You Need Love', and saw it recorded to perfection by Muddy Waters.