UK/FILE: Led Zeppelin set for reunion gig in London
- 00:00:15
- ITN Source
UK/FILE: Led Zeppelin set for reunion gig in London
Led Zeppelin plan to reform and play a special one off concert in London in memory of the man who signed the band in America, the late co- founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun. Rock legends Led Zeppelin announced a one-off comeback concert on Wednesday (September 12) nearly three decades after disbanding. The group split in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham and have performed only a handful of reunion gigs, last taking the stage 12 years ago at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The show will be held November 26 in London. Tickets will cost 125 pounds (254.00 U.S. dollars), available by ballot only with winners names chosen at random. Fans can register at www.ahmettribute.com for a chance to buy tickets. Explaining the decision to offer tickets for the concert via ballot, event promoter Harvey Goldsmith told Reuters, "We think the fairest way is to do it by this ballot system where people will be picked from random. The program will root out all multiple entries so if they have the same houses, same street, whatever, you're not going to get a ticket. Once people have been picked out and told they have a ticket, what people do with them, is out of our control. But if we find them on eBay or their seat and row number, we will cancel their tickets. That's the end of it." The official tickets Web site crashed shortly after the announcement as fans swarmed it for a chance to see the band, known to many of its fans simply as Zep. The concert organiser, Harvey Goldsmith, said he thought it would be a one-off show, not a full-fledged reunion tour, but said the band seemed to be bonding well together again. Bonham's son Jason will wield the drum sticks for Led Zeppelin, joining its founding members: singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones. The show will be a tribute to the late founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, who signed Led Zeppelin in 1968. "This performance stands alone as our tribute to the work and the life of our long-standing friend," Plant said in a statement. Plant and Page have joined forces over the years, notably on an album in 1994, but Jones has been more distant. When Bonham passed away after a long battle with alcoholism, his bandmates said Led Zeppelin had died with him. Goldsmith said the band was approaching the gig seriously. "They thought about it very carefully, and even decided to actually rehearse for a few days to see if they could play together again," he told Reuters Television in an interview. "I only asked them to do 30 minutes and they came back after a week's rehearsals and said they wanted to do a full show. "So they obviously started to bond back together again. As far as I'm concerned, this is a one-off show, if something materialises after that, I'll be thrilled," Goldmsith added. The band is scheduled to release a greatest hits collection, titled "Mothership", on November 13, and bookmaker Ladbrokes has made it odds-on favourite to top album charts. "Reunion gigs are all the rage at the moment and we reckon Led Zeppelin will make the most of their comeback," Ladbrokes spokesman Nick Weinberg said. "We fully expect to see their older fans, and a new generation of rock lovers, getting behind the group." The concert is slated for London's 02 Arena, which has a capacity of about 22,000. The Who's Pete Townshend, and Rolling Stone Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings and others will also play on the night.
ITN Source | September 20, 2007
