British rockers Led Zeppelin reunite on Monday to headline a tribute concert to late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun in what has been billed as one of the biggest gigs in years.
The three surviving members of the hugely successful 1970s group that created Stairway to Heaven and Whole Lotta Love have rarely performed together since splitting in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham following a drinking binge.
By their own admission, each reunion has been a flop, so anticipation is high that the 90-minute set at London’s O2 Arena late on Monday will get somewhere close to the heyday when they were considered by many to be the world’s biggest rock band.
Singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones will be joined by Bonham’s son Jason on the drums for the one-off comeback, although there has been fevered speculation that the gig may be followed by a full-scale tour.
”Let’s just do the O2 and we’ll see what happens from there,” Page (63) said in a recent interview. ”I haven’t got a crystal ball here and nor have you.”
Led Zeppelin sold an estimated 300-million albums and were legendary for their rock’n’roll excess, but their popularity is also attributed to the influence the music had on later acts.
When organisers announced the concert, also featuring The Who’s Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, among others, the website selling tickets crashed as more than a million people rushed for about 20 000 seats.
One man from Scotland entered a charity auction last month and paid $170 000 for a pair of tickets to the show.
Fans descend
Fans from around the world selected by lottery began arriving in London several days ago to collect their tickets.
”We turned up on Saturday, but we were told to come back the next day as we would still be at the front of the queue,” said David Beesmer (42), a businessman from New York who spent more than $7 000 on his ticket and trip. ”I didn’t want to take any risks,” he told the Daily Mail.
Net profits from the concert will go to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which provides scholarships for gifted children. The Turkish-born music promoter and record-label founder died last year aged 83 after slipping backstage at a concert by the Rolling Stones and going into a coma.
As well as Led Zeppelin and the Stones, Ertegun and his Atlantic Records helped launched the careers of acts ranging from Ray Charles to Aretha Franklin.
He was born in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1923. His father, a lawyer, served as Turkish ambassador in Switzerland, France, England and the United States. With older brother Nesuhi, he explored black neighbourhoods in Washington and they amassed more than 20 000 78-rpm records.
Realising he knew more about music than most label owners, he co-founded Atlantic in 1947 with blues expert Herb Abramson and a $10 000 loan from a Turkish dentist. Its first smash hit was a 1948 rerecording by bluesman Stick McGhee of the novelty ditty Drinking Wine, Spo-Dee-o-Dee. — Reuters
Key facts about Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were formed in September 1968, comprising lead singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bass guitarist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham.
In December that year, the band made their United States concert debut in Denver, Colorado, where they were third on the bill behind Vanilla Fudge and Spirit. The US was to become crucial to their huge success.
Led Zeppelin released their first, eponymous, album in 1969, and shortly afterwards Led Zeppelin II. Together these are widely recognised as laying the foundations for hard rock.
By the early 1970s, Led Zeppelin were arguably the world’s biggest band. Their fourth album, released in 1971, included their most famous track, Stairway to Heaven. During this period Zeppelin earned a reputation for rock’n’roll excess on tour. The band have sold an estimated 300-million albums worldwide.
The surviving members decided to break up shortly after Bonham died in September 1980, reportedly following a bout of heavy drinking. He was 32.
Page and Plant collaborated after the band broke up, but a reported rift with Jones prevented a reunion by all the surviving members.
As well as the concert, the band have made their music catalogue available on the internet for the first time, and have signed a deal for ring tones and downloads with a US mobile phone carrier. Led Zeppelin also released a hits CD and a remixed version of the soundtrack from the band’s three-night stint at Madison Square Garden in 1973.
Sources: Reuters, Warner Music, Led-zeppelin.com