As we said last week amid all the speculation of a Led Zeppelin reunion – it ain’t over with Zep until someone releases an official statement.

And now someone has released an official statement: stand up Mr Robert Plant. Via his website, Plant has released an official statement saying that he’s not planning to tour for at least the next two years, and that he will certainly not be touring with Led Zeppelin.

In a post-script to all this, he managed to insult fans and Zep-watchers by claiming that the speculation was “frustrating and ridiculous”.

This leaves folk like us confused about what’s going on with Led Zeppelin. Wasn’t there speculation that Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham were working together with an unnamed singer?

Only time will tell if this is true or not. If the remaining Zeppelin members did decide to tour, would they have the right to call it “Led Zeppelin” if Plant’s still alive? We’re sure that issue is a legal and logistical minefield. Probably better to call it something else and disassociate Led Zep. The fans will lap it up anyway.

But is Plant a spoilsport? Is he disregarding the wishes of the loyal legions of fans who’ve followed him and Zeppelin over the decades?

It’s hard to judge. Plant has had a long and distinguished career, first as lead singer of Zep, then as a solo artist. He’s now managed to completely reinvent himself and start a new phase of a career with Alison Krauss in the bluegrass genre. How many musicians are that lucky in their lifetimes?

And Zep fans, especially those who’ve taken the time to read and learn about Robert and Jimmy, will understand Robert’s need to thrive and record new music and explore different genres. It would be easy for him to coast by on past glories and spend his later years rehashing Zeppelin tracks while people complain “he can’t hit the high notes like he used to”.

Interestingly, Plant has taken the high road, while we – the fans – seem to be living in the past. Let’s celebrate his career, buy a copy of Raising Sand and stop day dreaming about reunions that will never happen.