Having caused meltdown at the O2 box office, Led Zeppelin will know that a reunion tour would be completely sold out. The question is, do they want to go back on the road?
by Gez Kahan
24/09/2007

The surviving members of Led Zeppelin – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones – will be joined by John Bonham’s son Jason for a one-off appearance at London’s O2 Arena on 26 November in a tribute to Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records. The last time the four appeared on stage together was in 1988 for Atlantic’s 40th birthday party.

Led Zeppelin had disbanded after the death of John Bonham in 1980 (exactly 27 years ago tomorrow), vowing never to tour again, and only appearing in concert at Live Aid in 1985 (with Tony Thompson and Phil Collins on drums) and the Atlantic Records gig three years later. The chances of the band ever reforming were also hit by a rift with Jones, who was reportedly upset not to have been consulted before Page & Plant began touring again. Their reunion for the O2 gig is a measure of the band’s affection and respect for Ertegun.

Industry speculation suggests that Led Zeppelin might consider a full tour if the O2 gig is a success. The possibility was admitted by a close friend of Plant’s at a Music Week-sponsored conference iGuitar attended last week, where a forthcoming tour – but no new recording – was discussed as if it were a done deal. No official confirmation has been forthcoming, however, and no dates or venues have been mentioned.

Meanwhile promoter Harvey Goldsmith has warned fans not to buy tickets for the O2 event through unofficial sources such as eBay. The tickets, priced at £125, are being made available by public ballot to try to prevent touts from profiteering from what is actually a charity concert – profits being donated to scholarships in Ertegun’s name. Demand has been fierce, with over 20 million applications for just 20,000 tickets.

“We just hope and pray that those people who get a ticket in a ballot are just going to act accordingly,” said Goldsmith, adding that tickets offered through internet auction and other unauthorized sources would be cancelled. “They might have paid the money but they ain't going to get the ticket,” he said.