led zeppelin tour dates 1975

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40 Years Ago: Led Zeppelin Kick Off Their 1975 North American Tour

By January 1975, Led Zeppelin had firmly established themselves as the biggest rock band on the planet. Though they hadn’t garnered as much critical acclaim as their contemporaries in the Rolling Stones , their commercial success could not be denied. With the release of their sprawling double-LP ‘ Physical Graffiti ’ just around the corner, the time was ripe for Zeppelin to take things up a notch with a truly massive tour of North America.

In something of a break from the past, the group was determined this time around to turn their concerts into a grand spectacle. Whereas before the music demanded all of the attention, Zeppelin commissioned an elaborate light show replete with lasers to add a stunning visual component. In an even more jarring turn, they'd also invited a cadre of national media reporters to follow their movements and lob a few questions their way in the down hours, the goal being to rehabilitate their image as debauched marauding barbarians.

The 38-date tour formally kicked off on Jan. 18 at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington, MN. Things didn’t exactly get off to the best start. Just before the leaving for the States, Jimmy Page  broke his left ring finger when it got caught in a train door, leaving him without the use of the crucial digit. The first show, while much shorter than many anticipated, was well-received, but shortly thereafter disaster struck when Robert Plant came down with a savage flu. As soon as the singer began to shake off the effects of his illness, John Bonham was hit with a stomach problem.

The band soldiered on and managed to get through that first month or so of the tour, albeit with a string of less-than-stellar performances to their name. By the time March came around however, things clicked in. Plant and Bonham were healthy once again, and Page was finally able to utilize the full force of his left hand. Many consider the band’s collection of shows on the West Coast of this tour, especially up north in Vancouver and Seattle, to be amongst the best they ever played.

They wrapped up the North American leg on March 27 at the Forum in Inglewood, CA, at which time Plant wistfully discussed the tumultuous two-and-a-half months to Cameron Crowe in Rolling Stone . “Looking back on it, this tour’s been a flash," he said. “Really fast. Very poetic, too. Lots of battles and conquests, backdropped by the din of the hordes. Aside from that fact that it’s been our most successful tour on every level. I just found myself having a great time all the way through.”

Afterwards, the band had their entire tour set-up shipped to London for an iconic five-night stand at Earl’s Court. Once those gigs had finished, the plan was to head back to America for a second leg. Unfortunately, Plant was seriously injured in a car accident on the Greek island of Rhodes which put to bed any thoughts of more touring. It would be another two years in fact until the band took the stage together for a full show.

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Remembering Led Zeppelin's Legendary 1975 Earls Court Live Shows

Posted on 25th May 2017 by Kevin Holmes

Robert Plant & Jimmy Page performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City in June 1977. Photographer © Bob Gruen

As live experiences go, Led Zeppelin are renowned for putting on a rock and roll performance for the ages. And no more so were they on the top of their live game then at their legendary five night residency which took place at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in May 1975. At the time the band were undoubtedly the biggest band on the planet. In 1973 on a US tour they beat attendance records set by the Beatles a decade previously. And a more recent 1975 tour of the US, which took place two months before the Earls Court dates, became one of the most profitable tours ever. 1975 also saw Led Zeppelin release their sixth studio album Physical Graffiti which debuted at No.1 in the UK (and US) charts. It also saw all six of their earlier albums re-enter the Top 200 UK charts.

Jimmy Page in action at a concert in Copenhagen in February 1970. Photographer © Jorgen Angel

So, yeah, they were riding high at this point in their career, so how can you top that? Well you play a sellout set of dates that go on to be remembered as the best live shows you ever did.

Initially the band were only going to play the 23 to 25 May, but two further dates had to be added, 17 and 18 May, due to popular demand. In fact Mel Bush who was the promoter behind the Earls Court gigs said that they added these dates because there was a “demand unprecedented in the history of rock music.”  

The band shipped over their 40-ton stage that had toured the US earlier in the year for the shows, along with putting up a huge projection screen so people could watch the performance. Something that’s pretty standard these days but back then it was one of the first times it had been done. It also had a cutting edge sound equipment by Showco.

Jimmy Page rocking on at the legendary Earls Court Arena gigs in London, May 1975. Photographer © Jill Furmanovsky

Each night the band were introduced by DJs, including Bob Harris, Johnnie Walker, Kid Jensen, Nicky Horne, and Alan Freeman. The performances themselves saw Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham all on fine form.

Bonham’s nightly performance of “Moby Dick” went on for as long as 30 minutes sometimes. In his memoir 31 Songs writer Nick Hornby recalls being at one of the Earls Court shows. And during one of these epic Bonham solos he dashed off to a local pub, had a pint, came back and Bonham was still going. Other songs on the set list included opener "Rock and Roll", “The Song Remains the Same", "Tangerine", "Dazed and Confused", "Stairway to Heaven", "Whole Lotta Love", "Black Dog” and more.

A posing Robert Plant captured during the second night of Led Zeppelin's classic five night stint at the Earls Court Arena in 1975. Photographer © Mick Gold

Robert Plant and Jimmy Page on stage at Earls Court in May 1975. Photographer © Mick Gold

And the last gig, on 25 May, is considered to be the best of the bunch. While each night was around three hours, this swansong show went on for nearly four. “I thought they were the best shows that we ever put on in England.” Bonham has said about them.

While music journalist Chris Welch wrote about the shows. “The band played with tremendous fire, possessed by an almost demonic power, amidst clouds of smoke pierced by green laser beams. Jimmy Page flailed his violin bow against the guitar strings, producing eerie, echoing gothic howls. At the time, I wrote in a review that ‘Robert Plant maintains an essentially human, chatty approach to audiences, almost like a guide taking us through the story of the band, a jester at the wheel of some fearsome juggernaut, offering sly asides and poetic ruminations between moments of terrible power.’ The band enjoyed the Physical Graffiti material far more than the old war horses, and the best moments from the previous albums came in the shape of ballads and acoustic songs.”

Jill Furmanovsky recalls about the 1975 Earls Court gigs where this photo is from, "In his velvet embroidered suits, striking guitar poses, Jimmy Page and the equally dynamic Robert Plant were a photographers dream." Photographer © Jill Furmanovsky

It was four years until the band played a live show again in the UK, which was at Knebworth in August 1979. For the many people who weren’t there, fans finally got to experience a little bit of what it was like when the Earls Court shows were eventually released—although not in their entirety—on DVD in 2003.

Led Zeppelin, backstage with manager Peter Grant at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1979. Photographer © Jill Furmanovsky

Rockarchive is delighted to be able to offer all these images, along with many other photos of Led Zeppelin, as limited edition photographic prints which you can buy here .

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Robert Plant onstage the second night of Led Zeppelin's classic five night stint at the Earl's Court Arena in 1975

Jimmy Page onstage at Led Zeppelin's legendary Earls Court Arena concerts in 1975

Led Zeppelin performing onstage at their legendary Earl's Court Arena concerts in May 1975

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Led Zeppelin

• January 21, 1975 Setlist

Led Zeppelin Setlist at Chicago Stadium, Chicago, IL, USA

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Tour: North American Tour 1975 Tour statistics Add setlist

• Rock and Roll Play Video
• Sick Again Play Video
• Over the Hills and Far Away Play Video
• When the Levee Breaks ( Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy  cover) Play Video
• The Song Remains the Same Play Video
• The Rain Song Play Video
• Kashmir Play Video
• The Wanton Song Play Video
• No Quarter Play Video
• In My Time of Dying ( Blind Willie Johnson  cover) Play Video
• Trampled Under Foot Play Video
• Moby Dick Play Video
• How Many More Times Play Video
• Stairway to Heaven Play Video
• Whole Lotta Love Play Video
• Black Dog Play Video
• Communication Breakdown Play Video

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8 activities (last edit by GFSKillJoy , 16 Feb 2020, 16:58 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• Over the Hills and Far Away
• The Rain Song
• The Song Remains the Same
• The Wanton Song
• Trampled Under Foot
• Rock and Roll
• Stairway to Heaven
• Communication Breakdown
• How Many More Times
• Whole Lotta Love
• In My Time of Dying by Blind Willie Johnson
• When the Levee Breaks by Memphis Minnie & Kansas Joe McCoy

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Led zeppelin gig timeline.

• Jan 18 1975 Metropolitan Sports Center Bloomington, MN, USA Add time Add time
• Jan 20 1975 Chicago Stadium Chicago, IL, USA Add time Add time
• Jan 21 1975 Chicago Stadium This Setlist Chicago, IL, USA Add time Add time
• Jan 22 1975 Chicago Stadium Chicago, IL, USA Add time Add time
• Jan 24 1975 Richfield Coliseum Richfield, OH, USA Add time Add time

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“The Gods of Rock. Period. End of Story”: Watch Led Zeppelin’s Genre-Defining Earls Court 1975 Performance

Chris Piner

Updated: 

Releasing their debut album back in 1969, Led Zeppelin wasted no time showcasing their raw talent in rock and roll. Producing songs like “Good Times Bad Times” and “Dazed and Confused”, the rock band gained international fame. And while helming a North American tour in 1975, the band wanted to take a trip to London. But it wasn’t for some vacation as the band would produce one of the most memorable performances at the Earls Court Arena.

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Looking to play at the Earls Court Arena, Led Zeppelin booked three nights in May. But those dates quickly changed after the demand from fans. When the tickets were first made available, the shows sold out within four hours. The promoters jumped in with two more additional dates as ticket sales climbed over 85,000.

@planet.rogerocks 🔥LED ZEPPELIN🔥1975🔥 #planetrogerocks #ledzeppelin #jimmypage #robertplant #jimmypage #johnpauljones #johnbonham #theyardbirds #rockmusic #guitar #bass #drums #guitarist #guitarhero #guitarwizard #70srocknroll #70srockband #rockicon #rockicons #iloverocknroll #theyardbirds #guitaroftheday #guitarjunkie #ledzeppelinfans #yardbirds #electricguitar #guitaraddict #rockmusic #guitarjunkie #guitarwizard #myguitar #bandofjoy ♬ original sound – Planet Rogerocks

With each concert going over three hours, Led Zeppelin offered fans more than enough hit songs, including “Heartbreaker.” While it has been decades since the famed performance, fans still consider it one of the best concerts in rock and roll history. “Don’t get any better than this folks. Led Zeppelin was the kings of rock ‘n’ roll.” Another person continued, “Absolutely the gods of rock. For sure.” And leaving no room for debate, one fan insisted, “To all those people debating about Beatles vs Stones, the correct answer is Led Zeppelin!” 

Safe to say, Zeppelin cemented their legacy with this one. As one fan put it perfectly, “The Gods of Rock. Period. End of story.”

[RELATED: On This Day: Original Led Zeppelin Lineup Unknowingly Played Their Last U.K. Show]

Robert Plant Shares Thoughts On Led Zeppelin Reunion

At the time of the concert, the band needed to go to great lengths to put on the show. Having to move the stage overseas, the 40-ton structure ended up being airlifted from the United States. Once built, Led Zeppelin took an additional three days to rehearse and find that perfect sound. 

With the performance a top moment in music history, singer Robert Plant appeared at peace with what the band produced over the years. In a recent interview, the rockstar entertained the idea of a reunion. He said , “Others may want it [a Zeppelin reunion], but I’m doing this now. I’m playing with a fantastic band, exploring all this magnificent music, both antique and modern, and we can play great little venues and really get a vibe going. Zep in their prime, I’m so proud of that, but let’s have a little decorum about it now.”

(Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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• Led Zeppelin Live

The cancelled World Tour August 1975

By joeboy October 16, 2016 in Led Zeppelin Live

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On August 4, 1975,   Robert Plant   rode in the passenger seat with his wife Maureen at the wheel when the car veered off the road and slammed into a tree. Plant shattered his right leg in addition to breaking his right elbow and ankle, while everyone else also suffered serious injuries. Doctors told him he’d have six months before he could walk without aid, according to   LZ-’75: The Lost Chronicles of Led Zeppelin’s 1975 North American Tour .

Jimmy Page said in an interview with the U.K. music magazine   Sounds:   “There’s a lot of urgency about it…There’s a lot of attack to the music.”

Plant told   Rolling Stone   in 1976 he continued to work through his injury because he didn’t have much of a choice:

“My only alternative was to turn around and stand against the storm with my teeth gritted and fists clenches and make an album. All the energy that had been smoldering inside us getting ready for a lot of gigs came out in the writing and later in the studio. What we have is an album that is so Zeppelin. It sounds like the hammer of the gods.”

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SteveAJones

Robert said he celebrated New Year's Day in Paris by taking his first step since the auto accident in August 1975.

10 hours ago, joeboy said: Plant told   Rolling Stone   in 1976 he continued to work through his injury because he didn’t have much of a choice: “My only alternative was to turn around and stand against the storm with my teeth gritted and fists clenches and make an album. All the energy that had been smoldering inside us getting ready for a lot of gigs came out in the writing and later in the studio. What we have is an album that is so Zeppelin. It sounds like the hammer of the gods.”

I may or may not be correct in this statement, but I believe this was said with an interview with Lisa Robinson.  I know she wrote for Creem magazine (and also Hit Parader).  I don't know if she ever wrote pieces for "Rolling Stone" magazine. 

After Robert's "injury", the whole band convened in Los Angeles to begin writing new songs for the next album.  When that did not seem to work out to well (every member out doing their "own" thing), the band re-convened in Malibu, Califorinia.  From Malibu, Led Zeppelin flew to Munich, Germany to record what would become Presence , in the basement of the Arabella Hotel. 

"Achilles Last Stand" was first rehearsed in Malibu with Robert Plant still in a wheelchair and Benji pushing Robert from here to there. 

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sam_webmaster

Official press release... I should dig up a scan of it:

-------------------------------------------------

Plant Car Accident, Tour Postponed (Press Release)

Swan Song Inc. Official Press Release: AUGUST 8, 1975

LED ZEPPELIN AUGUST-SEPTEMBER TOUR POSTPONED FOLLOWING AUTO ACCIDENT OF LEAD SINGER ROBERT PLANT AND HIS FAMILY ON GREEK ISLAND.

The August-September tour of English supergroup, Led Zeppelin, has been postponed following an auto accident on the small Greek island of Rhodos in which Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant and members of his family were injured.

The accident took place on Monday afternoon, August 4th. Due to the nature and extent of the injuries sustained by Plant and his family, and the inadequate medical facilities in Rhodos, a member of the London staff of Swan Song, Led Zeppelin's record company, flew to Rhodos in a chartered jet equipped with stretchers, blood plasma, and two doctors from Harley St., England's finest medical center.

Plant and his family are currently under intensive care in a London hospital. Earlier today, physicians there diagnosed his injuries as multiple fractures of ankle, bones supporting the foot, and elbow. Following this diagnosis, it was announced by Led Zeppelin manager, Peter Grant, and Zeppelin attorney, Steve Weiss, that the August-September American tour was postponed, as was the October tour that had been scheduled for the Far East. Additionally, there is the possibility that the scheduled November tour of Europe and December tour of Japan may also have to be postponed.

Within the next couple of weeks, doctors expect to have a better idea of when Plant will be recovered and able to perform again.

Plant's wife, Maureen, also in the car, suffered a lengthy period of concussions, and has broken her leg in several places. She has four fractures of the pelvis and facial lacerations. Plant's son, Karac, 4, suffered a fractured leg and multiple cuts and bruises. His daughter, Carmen 7, has a broken wrist, cuts and bruises.

The band was due to begin rehearsals for their forthcoming U.S. tour, in Paris on August 14. 110,000 tickets to two shows at the Oakland Stadium were completely sold out at $10 apiece. Among the other concerts which were postponed were those in Los Angeles at the Rose Bowl, Kansas City, Louisville, New Orleans, Tempe, Arizona, Denver, and Atlanta. 

Danny Goldberg, Vice-President of Swan Song in the U.S.A., said that any fans or well wishers who wish to write to Plant or his family can write care of Swan Song, 484 Kings Road, London S.W.10 OLF, England.

Led Zeppelin has been called the biggest group in rock and roll. They hold the record for the largest attendance ever drawn by a single act: 56,800 who paid to see them at Tampa Stadium in Florida on May 5, 1973, toppling a seven year old Beatles record. Their six albums have sold in excess of 15 million copies world-wide, and their most recent tour of America last winter broke records all over the country. Besides Plant, the group consists of Jimmy Page, Lead guitar, John Paul Jones, bass and keyboards, and John Bonham, drummer. Their manager is Peter Grant who is also president of Swan Song.

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/event/august-8-1975

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I had a ticket to the Rose Bowl show and was very much looking forward to it

Here's my take.......

Jimmy was rehearsing new versions of the old songs and was finally going to show the world the peak of his creativity starting August 23rd 1975.    He practiced all summer after Earl's Court like a man possessed pushing himself beyond normal human limits.  When word came about Robert's accident it was like a rug was pulled out from under him.  He couldn't understand how at the pinnacle of success life could deliver a death blow.  It was a downward spiral from then on and only his work on Presence and the Song Remains the Same kept him from totally losing it. 

On 10/17/2016 at 3:06 PM, kingzoso said: I may or may not be correct in this statement, but I believe this was said with an interview with Lisa Robinson.  I know she wrote for Creem magazine (and also Hit Parader).  I don't know if she ever wrote pieces for "Rolling Stone" magazine.  After Robert's "injury", the whole band convened in Los Angeles to begin writing new songs for the next album.  When that did not seem to work out to well (every member out doing their "own" thing), the band re-convened in Malibu, Califorinia.  From Malibu, Led Zeppelin flew to Munich, Germany to record what would become Presence , in the basement of the Arabella Hotel.  "Achilles Last Stand" was first rehearsed in Malibu with Robert Plant still in a wheelchair and Benji pushing Robert from here to there. 

Jimmy & Robert got to Malibu first (in August) and rented homes in Malibu Colony. They were joined in September by Bonham and Jones for three weeks of on and off rehearsal sessions for the new album at Studio Instrument Rental (SIR) in Hollywood. I believe I have heard that Robert found the commute from Malibu to be taking too long so he started staying at a hotel on the Sunset Strip. 

8 hours ago, joeboy said: Here's my take....... Jimmy was rehearsing new versions of the old songs and was finally going to show the world the peak of his creativity starting August 23rd 1975.    He practiced all summer after Earl's Court like a man possessed pushing himself beyond normal human limits.  When word came about Robert's accident it was like a rug was pulled out from under him.  He couldn't understand how at the pinnacle of success life could deliver a death blow.  It was a downward spiral from then on and only his work on Presence and the Song Remains the Same kept him from totally losing it. 

The reality is he and Robert traveled thru Morocco in June before joining the others in tax exile at Claude Nobs' home in Montreux. The day before the accident Jimmy had flown to Sicily to view a farmhouse once owned by Aleister Crowley. It is for this reason that Scarlet was with the Plant's the day of the accident.

On 10/17/2016 at 7:06 PM, sam_webmaster said: Following this diagnosis, it was announced by Led Zeppelin manager, Peter Grant, and Zeppelin attorney, Steve Weiss, that the August-September American tour was postponed, as was the October tour that had been scheduled for the Far East. Additionally, there is the possibility that the scheduled November tour of Europe and December tour of Japan may also have to be postponed.

Far East tour in October...Japanese tour in December...I show nothing on this, perhaps it was tentative at the time.

European tour in November...the only confirmed date I'm aware of is Helsinki on 11/5.

• 1 year later...

Reading shit like this makes me so sad

36 minutes ago, paplbojo said: Reading shit like this makes me so sad

Look on the bright side...at least nobody was killed in the accident.

14 hours ago, Strider said: Look on the bright side...at least nobody was killed in the accident.

Great point

I think Satan was the source of the trouble.

He was jealous of something ... But no sympathy for him .

Recording and filming may have been planned for the end of Summer dates.

Some one did not want the absolute greatness of Led Zeppelin in 1975 to be documented for the world to see and have that standard of excellence to live under...

Ads/press for some of these cancelled 1975 shows:

Those Atlanta ads are very cool.

Not sure if you can find it, Sam, but there was a further postponement announcement in the L.A. Times for the Rose Bowl show, when the rescheduled January 24, 1976 date was rescheduled yet again. Maybe around March or so. Can't recall the exact date, but they definitely teased us one more time before definitively cancelling the tour.

10 hours ago, Strider said: Not sure if you can find it, Sam, but there was a further postponement announcement in the L.A. Times for the Rose Bowl show, when the rescheduled January 24, 1976 date was rescheduled yet again. Maybe around March or so. Can't recall the exact date, but they definitely teased us one more time before definitively cancelling the tour.

Yes, moved again to March 13.

Here's an interview with RP from late January '76 (published in Feb.) , just before heading back home (Feb. 4) :

William Austin

This cancelled tour has been a subject of my interest lately. I have fully realized just how different the band’s history would have been if the car accident had never happened.

Just last night I was reading about the era between the 1975 and 1977 tours in When Giants Walked The Earth . It really is a wonder the band didn’t break up in 1976. 

I guess all of the planned tour dates have never been confirmed. I haven’t been able to find a full list yet. And it appears not many tickets had been sold yet by the time the tour was cancelled. 

But based on the dates that are known, I think the tour would have looked something like this:

August 23/24 - Oakland

August 27 - Tempe

August 29 - Kansas City

August 31 - Atlanta

September 1 - Tampa

September 2 - Louisville 

September 4 - New Orleans

September 6 - Pasadena

September 8 - Denver

September 9 - Oklahoma City

Has anything actually been written about what Jimmy was planning with the set? Since there were no rehearsal, I’d guess that most of it is speculation. 

I think it would have been similar to the EC shows with a few switches. Some additional PG songs like Ten Years Gone, Night Flight or Wanton Song. 

Since I’ve Been Loving You probably would have been added back and Dazed discarded. The EC performances of the song were average. It seems every member of the band not named Jimmy were pretty tired of it. The 1975 renditions of HMMT were really good and could have gotten better over time if kept around. This would have been a fresh and welcome addition to the set. 

I think this could have been a great tour if only. 

On 11/14/2019 at 9:05 AM, William Austin said: But based on the dates that are known, I think the tour would have looked something like this: August 23/24 - Oakland  August 27 - Tempe August 29 - Kansas City August 31 - Atlanta September 1 - Tampa September 2 - Louisville  September 4 - New Orleans September 6 - Pasadena September 8 - Denver September 9 - Oklahoma City

A total of 33 dates were cancelled but many remain unconfirmed. Everything above has already been confirmed with additions/corrections below.

August 10-20   Roughly ten days of tour rehearsals planned to be held in France on August 10th onwards were cancelled.

September 9 was Norman, Oklahoma

Pittsburgh (date unconfirmed)

This accident was a real death blow:

1.  Robert done for 1 1/2 years.

2.  Jimmy plans gone up in smoke.

3.  World tour cancelled.  

4. In 1975 the band was at the top of the world.  By 1977 KISS had overtaken the band in popularity.  The shine had worn off.

5.  Sinking into drug and alcohol spiral by some members.

PeaceFrogYum

19 minutes ago, joeboy said: This accident was a real death blow:   4. In 1975 the band was at the top of the world.  By 1977 KISS had overtaken the band in popularity .  The shine had worn off.  

I don't think so. I was around back then and remember quite well. Yes, Kiss had become very popular, but if anyone was challenging LZ it was The Who as every poll I remember from that time had the Who & Zep neck & neck with The Who usually on top. Stones were still going strong but they were lagging by this point however would reclaim the top spot in 81' with Tattoo You and the massive stadium tour which followed.

Plus, by this time KISS live was a real hit or miss with much more miss than hit due to Peter Chris's antics (stopping in the middle of songs, not starting songs, not ending songs, etc.) all because he was pissed off at Gene & Paul. I understand being upset with those two jerk-off's but to take it out on the audience??? I saw them in 79' (KISS) in Chicago and they sucked. Man did they suck. Everyone in the place was less than thrilled. One guy next to me said he would have rather gone to the Village People show!

1 hour ago, joeboy said: This accident was a real death blow: 1.  Robert done for 1 1/2 years. 2.  Jimmy plans gone up in smoke. 3.  World tour cancelled.   4. In 1975 the band was at the top of the world.  By 1977 KISS had overtaken the band in popularity.  The shine had worn off. 5.  Sinking into drug and alcohol spiral by some members.

Lots of good points here, but you always need to consider that the '77 tour might not have been nearly as good as it was without that year and a half break. Robert's voice came back much more powerful, I can't imagine the increased damage it would've sustained in late '75. 

On 11/14/2019 at 1:05 PM, William Austin said: This cancelled tour has been a subject of my interest lately. I have fully realized just how different the band’s history would have been if the car accident had never happened. Just last night I was reading about the era between the 1975 and 1977 tours in When Giants Walked The Earth . It really is a wonder the band didn’t break up in 1976.  I guess all of the planned tour dates have never been confirmed. I haven’t been able to find a full list yet. And it appears not many tickets had been sold yet by the time the tour was cancelled.  But based on the dates that are known, I think the tour would have looked something like this: August 23/24 - Oakland August 27 - Tempe August 29 - Kansas City August 31 - Atlanta September 1 - Tampa September 2 - Louisville  September 4 - New Orleans September 6 - Pasadena September 8 - Denver September 9 - Oklahoma City   Has anything actually been written about what Jimmy was planning with the set? Since there were no rehearsal, I’d guess that most of it is speculation.  I think it would have been similar to the EC shows with a few switches. Some additional PG songs like Ten Years Gone, Night Flight or Wanton Song.  Since I’ve Been Loving You probably would have been added back and Dazed discarded. The EC performances of the song were average. It seems every member of the band not named Jimmy were pretty tired of it. The 1975 renditions of HMMT were really good and could have gotten better over time if kept around. This would have been a fresh and welcome addition to the set.  I think this could have been a great tour if only. 

I think the setlist might've been something like this

1. Rock And Roll

2. Sick Again

3. Over The Hills And Far Away

4. In My Time Of Dying

5. Since I've Been Loving You

6. The Song Remains The Same

7. The Rain Song

8. The Wanton Song

10. No Quarter

11. Ten Years Gone

12. Trampled Under Foot

13. Moby Dick

14. Dazed And Confused (w/ Woodstock/San Francisco)

15. Stairway To Heaven

16. Whole Lotta Love

17. Black Dog

Going To California maybe could've been added for the Oakland/Pasadena shows. Then they would've probably performed Heartbreaker or Communication Breakdown on certain ocassions. Also, it's said that there were supposed to be 33 dates for the intenairy. I think they'd put in some dates for Toronto/Detroit area, maybe some more in the Ohio area, the South maybe. It would've been a really succesful tour in terms of financial gross and attendance.

For the Far East Tour, they inteniary would've been similar to the 1972 Australian shows.... Deep Purple had announced shows in Jakarta for December 1975, so LZ may have opted for shows in Singapore/Indonesia area. 

European Winter Tour - A date in Helsinki probably means dates in Scandinavia and probably Germany. They'd already performed in the Netherlands and Belgium as warm-up gigs for the tour, so they'd probably leave those cities til' last.

Japanese Tour - Probably just big cities like Tokyo and Osaka. 

I've heard that they were also planning on doing a British tour in 1976, along with shows in South America. The British Tour probably would've been in around January, and it wouldn't have been too big. Probably just concert halls in Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Cardiff... maybe some other big cities. But I mean, they'd just played Earls Court so....

For South American shows though, not very many bands had come to the region. The Rolling Stones were supposed to perform in Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, but those were cancelled. If this did go as planned, there would've been many riots. So probably not the safest decision to perform in the region.

After they'd complete the tour, they would've worked on Presence and The Song Remains The Same. Screw that tree. 

On 11/15/2019 at 1:46 PM, SteveAJones said: A total of 33 dates were cancelled but many remain unconfirmed. Everything above has already been confirmed with additions/corrections below. August 10-20   Roughly ten days of tour rehearsals planned to be held in France on August 10th onwards were cancelled. September 9 was Norman, Oklahoma Pittsburgh (date unconfirmed)  

Not so sure about Pittsburgh.... They'd already performed 2 nights there at the Civic Arena. 

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Who Will Reunite Next? We Place Odds on 17 Groups, From Led Zeppelin to One Direction

News of the Oasis reunion has sent shockwaves throughout the music world, especially since Noel Gallagher has spent the past 15 years swearing such a thing would never happen. But should anyone really be all that surprised? Liam and Noel Gallagher may not like each other very much, but they could make somewhere in the ballpark of $300 to $500 million from a reunion tour. That’ll come in very handy for Noel in the aftermath of his costly divorce from wife Sara MacDonald.

They’re also far from the first rock band to reunite despite years of bad blood. The Eagles even called their 1994 reunion tour Hell Freezes Over. And since that time, hell has frozen over for Guns N’ Roses, Fleetwood Mac, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Smashing Pumpkins, Pavement, Pixies, the Fugees, Bauhaus Rage Against The Machine, and many other groups that seemingly like money more than they hate each other. Some of these reunions flamed out within months, and some are still going strong today.

More from Rolling Stone

David Gilmour on His New LP 'Luck and Strange,' and Plans for Upcoming Tour

Kelly Rowland, Nicole Scherzinger, Liam Payne, and AJ McLean to Find the Next Great Group on 'Building the Band'

The Police's 'Synchronicity' Box Set Gets Inside the Dysfunction That Fueled an Eighties Classic

But there are still several big name acts that remain stubbornly inactive. Here’s a look at 17 of them and our 100% unscientific odds that they’ll reunite someday.

Why They Split: Band relations hit a real low on the band’s 1980–81 Wall tour, but after Roger Waters left in the early 1980s, the remaining trio of David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason got along quite well and turned into a functioning unit. They also played many enormous stadium gigs, but by the end of 1994’s massive Division Bell tour, David Gilmour had had enough. They quietly went on an indefinite hiatus when the tour wrapped after a long run of shows at London’s Earls Court in October 1994.

Last Performance: The classic line-up of Gilmour, Wright, Mason, and Waters did a four-song set at Live 8 in the summer of 2005. Three years later, Richard Wright died of cancer — forever ruling out a complete reunion. In May 2011, David Gilmour performed “Comfortably Numb” with Roger Waters at London’s 02 Arena, and Mason (playing tambourine) came out with Gilmour for “Outside the Wall.” David Gilmour and Nick Mason linked up in the studio in 2014 to complete some unfinished Richard Wright tracks on the largely instrumental album The Endless River, but they didn’t support it with any live work

Odds of a Reunion: The Pink Floyd detente that culminated with a handful of mini-reunions between 2005 and 2011 is long over. They had a band meeting a few years back to try and sort everything out, but it resulted in nothing more than even more bitterness and public acrimony. Even simple matters like an Animals box set devolved into a year-long civil war between Waters and Gilmour. And things went nuclear in 2023 when Polly Samson, David Gilmour’s wife and Floyd’s longtime lyricist, blasted Waters on Twitter. “Roger Waters you are antisemitic to your rotten core,” she wrote. “Also a Putin apologist and a lying, thieving, hypocritical, tax-avoiding, lip-synching, misogynistic, sick-with-envy, megalomaniac. Enough of your nonsense.” David Gilmour shared the Tweet, adding, “Every word demonstrably true.” If Pink Floyd weren’t dead before that Tweet, they were sure afterward. We put the odds of a reunion at 1% .

Genesis With Peter Gabriel

Why They Split: There’s a certain type of artist that simply cannot handle life in a band where creative decisions are shared even somewhat equally among the members, especially after they achieve some degree of success. It’s a situation that can result in the group becoming a dictatorship (Pink Floyd, Talking Heads) or a band-in-name-only where most of the members are jettisoned (pre-reunion Guns N’ Roses, pre-reunion Smashing Pumpkins). There’s also the Genesis route, where the leader steps aside for a solo career and allows the group to continue in their absence. This took place in 1975 after the band’s Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour. In an almost unique outcome in the history of rock, both Genesis and Peter Gabriel fared far better commercially in the aftermath.

Last Performance: On Oct. 2, 1982, Genesis reunited with Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett for the Six of the Best concert at Milton Keynes Bowl in England. It was hastily put together to help Gabriel pay off the enormous bills he accumulated in the aftermath of the inaugural WOMAD Festival that year. In the years that followed, Gabriel became a superstar thanks to hits like “In Your Eyes” and “Sledgehammer,” and he no longer needed his old bandmates to bail him out of financial jams.

Odds of a Reunion: The Phil Collins incarnation of Genesis was more successful than the Gabriel one by an enormous magnitude. They reformed for one last tour in 2021/22, but Phil was unable to play drums due to severe nerve damage he’s suffered over the years. His son Nicholas played in his place. It’s a situation that would make it impossible for Phil to perform in any meaningful way on a reunion tour with Gabriel, but one that would allow Nicholas to take over for him. Could a tour happen in a couple of years with Gabriel, Nicholas Collins, Steve Hackett, Michael Rutherford, and Tony Banks? It’s far from impossible, but we’re still saying just a 25% chance .

Talking Heads

Why They Split: To simplify a rather complex story, the other members of the band got sick of the public seeing them as David Byrne’s backing band. At the same time, Byrne grew increasingly uneasy about having to share creative responsibilities. The result was a very dysfunctional band. They didn’t officially split until 1991, but their last time on the road was the legendary Speaking in Tongues tour of 1983–84.

Last Performance: The group shocked many when they agreed to perform at their induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. “It had been a long time since we’d had much of a conversation,” Chris Frantz said in 2009. “We’d bump into David at Lou Reed’s house or something like that. But that was the first time we’d sat down and talked.” Unlike with many sloppy Rock Hall reunions, the four members put aside their differences and carefully rehearsed a killer three-song set of “Psycho Killer,” “Life During Wartime,” and “Burning Down the House.”

Odds of a Reunion: Up until very recently, they seemed remarkably slim. David Byrne had been almost completely estranged from his bandmates since the Hall of Fame induction in 2002, and Frantz and Weymouth rarely held back their anger towards him when speaking to the press. But earlier this year, the foursome came back together to promote a 40th-anniversary edition of Stop Making Sense since the rights reverted back to them. A one-off Q&A at the Toronto Film Festival turned into a long promotional tour that took them to talk shows and large theaters all across the country. It gave them a chance to repair the friendship, but they never played a note of music together. Any sort of tour still seems like a far-off possibility, but we’ll move it up to 20% .

Why They Split: If the Everly Brothers invented sibling rivalry in rock & roll, the Kinks perfected it. Ray and Dave Davies were at each other’s throats from nearly the moment the band burst onto the rock scene with “You Really Got Me” in 1964. Somehow or another, they stuck together until 1996, when they split in the face of lagging record sales and declining attendance at their concerts. Much like the Ramones, who split up the exact same year, they’d been around so long that people began to take them for granted.

Last Performance: Ray and Dave Davies (along with various former Kinks) have appeared in public at numerous award shows and functions during the past two decades, but the group hasn’t done a concert since 1996. Ray and Dave Davies performed “You Really Got Me” at a Dave solo concert in 2015.

Odds of a Reunion: The brothers have already reunited in the studio during the past few years. Nobody has heard what they’ve done, but Ray and Dave say they hope to get some sort of Kinks release out in the near future. (We’ll believe it when we hear it, though.) A tour is another question. Ray hasn’t even gone on a solo tour in nine years. It’s possible they’ve just waited too long and gotten too old, but a single concert or a limited run in the next couple of years feels at least somewhat possible. We’re putting it at 50%.

Led Zeppelin

Why They Split: Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died in 1980, causing the band to split. The remaining trio re-formed at Live Aid in 1985, an Atlantic Records anniversary concert in 1988, and their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Despite pleas from his bandmates and fans, Robert Plant has refused all offers of a reunion tour.

Last Performance: In December of 2007 Led Zeppelin performed their first full concert since Bonham died in 1980 at London’s 02 Arena in honor of the late Ahmet Ertegun. They spent months rehearsing a stellar two-hour show, but nothing more came of it. Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were so frustrated with the situation that they auditioned a bunch of singers in 2008 and even looked seriously into a tour without Plant, but wisely canceled the whole thing before it got off the ground.

Odds of a Reunion: Robert Plant has been extremely clear that he has absolutely no interest in ever fronting Led Zeppelin again , and that he viewed the 02 Arena show as a perfect way to end the band. They could play every stadium in the world and make a billion dollars, but Robert Plant is rich enough, and this is almost certainly never going to happen. 10% .

Why They Split: Sometimes a band just runs its course. R.E.M. had an incredible 30-year run, but in 2011 they mutually decided it was time to move on. “There is sadness because I will never play on the same stage as Peter and Michael again,” Mike Mills told Rolling Stone that year. “We’re doing this for good reasons, and we end up looking back at all the fun, the joy and the incredible opportunities we had. … We needed to prove, not only to our fans and critics but to ourselves, that we could still make great records. And we made two. We thought, ‘We’ve done it. Now let’s do something no other band has done: Shake hands and walk away as friends.'”

Last Performance: The band wrapped up their 2008 world tour in Mexico City on November 18th, 2008. The following March, they played “E-Bow the Letter” with Patti Smith at their own tribute concert at Carnegie Hall. There have been a handful of partial reunions since then at special events, but the full lineup didn’t play together until June 13, 2024, when they shocked the crowd at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony by playing “Losing My Religion.”

Odds of a Reunion: The band says it’s never going to happen, but nobody saw the Songwriters Hall of Fame moment coming. Of course, there’s a huge difference between one song at an awards ceremony and a tour. We’re going to say 30% .

Fleetwood Mac With Lindsey Buckingham

Why They Split: The dissolution of Fleetwood Mac took place in two stages. The first came in 2018 when they parted ways with Lindsey Buckingham because Stevie Nicks felt she could no longer work with him. There was a lawsuit. It got messy. In the meantime, they recruited Neil Fill of Crowded House and Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers to take his place. They toured in 2018 and 2019. But the second stage came in November 2022 when Christine McVie died. It marked the end of Fleetwood Mac.

Last Performance: The Rumours lineup last played on January 26, 2018, when they were honored by the Grammy’s at a MusiCares event in New York City. That was the night Stevie decided she was done with Lindsey forever due to backstage tension. The Lindsey-free band last played together on November 20, 2019, at Oracle Park in San Francisco. It was a benefit show for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals.

Odds of a Reunion: Earlier this year, Nicks ruled out the chance of another tour. “Without Christine [McVie], no can do,” she said. “There is no chance of putting Fleetwood Mac back together in any way. Without her, it just couldn’t work.” It could theoretically work if Buckingham came back, but she put the kibosh on that, too. “Even if I thought I could work with Lindsey again, he’s had some health problems,” Nick said. “It’s not for me to say, but I’m not sure if Lindsey could do the kind of touring that Fleetwood Mac does, where you go out for a year and a half. It’s so demanding.” All of this seems pretty grim, but we can still imagine some sort of scenario where Mick Fleetwood, John McVie (health-allowing), Stevie Nicks, and Lindsey Buckingham find some sort of way to end the band on a proper note. It’s just not very likely. We’ll say 20% .

The White Stripes

Why They Split: The White Stripes toured in 2007 behind their new album Icky Thump, but the final dates were called off due to drummer Meg White’s “acute anxiety problem.” They announced their split in February 2011. “The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue,” they said. “Nor any health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health. It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way. Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn’t met with sorrow by their fans but that it is seen as a positive move done out of respect for the music that the band has created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who’ve shared in those creations, with their feelings considered greatly.”

Last Performance: On February 20th, 2009, the White Stripes performed their 2002 song “We’re Going to Be Friends” on Conan O’Brien’s final Late Night show before his disastrous takeover of The Tonight Show.

Odds of a Reunion: They’re young enough that it seems likely their paths will cross again at some point down the road. Maybe they’ll headline Coachella in 2030. We’re going to put the odds of an eventual reunion at 60% .

Why They Split: In 2002, Justin Timberlake realized that the boy-band craze was quickly coming to an end. He called for a group hiatus and began to focus on his solo career. The others thought about carrying on as a four-piece, but wisely decided against it. Meanwhile, Justin went on to a huge solo career and never looked back.

Last Performance:  They briefly reunited in 2013 when Justin Timberlake was given the Video Vanguard award at the MTV VMAs and again on March 13, 2024, at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles. It was a mere four-song set, some not even complete, designed to promote Timberlake’s new LP, Everything I Thought I Was.

Odds of a Reunion:  This one feels pretty likely, considering the guys remain good friends and are just in their 40s and early 50s. They have plenty of time to make this happen. Timberlake has also had a few pretty rough years PR-wise, and he’s facing criminal charges over a DUI arrest. A reunion tour would spread a lot of goodwill and remind everyone why they loved him in the first place. We’re playing the odds of this one at 85%.

Why They Split: The Smiths accomplished a lot during their five-year run, but when guitarist Johnny Marr quit the band in the summer of 1987, they simply couldn’t continue — despite a very brief attempt to soldier on with guitarist Ivor Perry.

Last Performance: The Smiths’ final show to date was at London’s Brixton Academy on December 12th, 1986. They finished the set with “Hand in Glove,” which was their first single just four years earlier.

Odds of a Reunion: Relations within the Smiths have been extremely poor for quite some time, especially after drummer Mike Joyce sued Morrissey over unpaid royalties. Morrissey hates even being asked about the possibility of a reunion, famously saying that he’d rather “eat his own testicles” than perform with the band. Amazingly, Johnny Marr revealed in his 2016 memoir that he met with Morrissey in 2008 and talked about re-forming the band minus Joyce. Unsurprisingly, it never went anywhere. And after the death of bassist Andy Rourke in 2023, the odds of future Smith activity seem more remote than ever. They’re hovering at 5% now.

Sonic Youth

Why They Split: This one is simple: Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon ended their marriage in 2011, and that was it for the band.

Last performance: Sonic Youth last played live on November 12th, 2011, at the Parque Brasil 500, Paulínia, Brazil. The final song they did was their 1988 classic “Teen Age Riot.”

Odds of a Reunion : Sonny and Cher still managed to do their variety show years after they legally divorced. They probably didn’t love the idea, but money makes people do strange things. Moore and Gordon stand to make a ton should they ever decide to make the band happen again. We’ll say 25% .

Black Sabbath

Why They Split: The band re-formed with Ozzy Osbourne in 2012 for a reunion tour minus drummer Bill Ward. That led to the new LP 13 in 2013 and another tour. The only other move in the veteran-band playbook after that was a farewell tour.

Last Performance: They called it quits after a hometown show in Birmingham, England, on February 4th, 2017.

Odds of a Reunion : Ozzy Osbourne has gone through a series of horrific health issues in recent years that have made it impossible for him to perform. Despite this, he continues to fantasize about the possibility of somehow doing one last show with the complete OG Sabbath lineup. But Bill Ward has health issues of his own that would further complicate this. Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi both say they are down. We can perhaps imagine one final “Paranoid” at a special event to end the group on a positive note, but it doesn’t feel supremely likely. Let’s say 35% .

Simon and Garfunkel

Why They Split: Simon and Garfunkel somehow managed to get over their hatred of each other from 2003 to 2010, touring all over the world in that time and pulling in millions. But when Garfunkel’s vocal issues caused them to cancel a series of dates in 2010, old tensions flared up and they again went their separate ways.

Last Performance: They played “Mrs. Robinson” at the AFI Tribute to Mike Nichols on June 10th, 2010. It was the song that made them true pop superstars, and Nichols made that happen, so it’s somewhat appropriate if that is indeed the last time they perform.

Odds of a Reunion: Paul Simon wrapped up his Homeward Bound farewell tour last year with a hometown show in Queens. He grew up with his buddy Artie not far from the concert grounds, but Garfunkel wasn’t onstage that night. We asked Simon about a possible reunion in 2016 and he gave a very blunt answer. “No, out of the question,” he said. “We don’t even talk.” As long as they are both alive, it is possible they’ll be a “How Terribly Strange to Be 80” tour at some point, but we’re putting the odds at 15% .

One Direction

Why They Split: One Direction started as five random contestants on the U.K. X Factor in 2010, but they quickly became one of the biggest acts in the world. They released five albums and played just about every stadium on the planet, but Zayn Malik quit the band in 2015, citing a desire to be a “normal 22-year-old.” Much like the defections of Ginger Spice and Jordan Knight before him, his exit marked the beginning of the end of the group.

Last Performance: They wrapped up their On the Road tour on October 31st, 2015, at Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield, England. But in the weeks that followed, they played a handful of awards shows and Christmas concerts. The last performance took place in Times Square on December 31st, 2015, as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve special. The final song was “History,” and they were history once it was over.

Odds of a Reunion: Harry Styles has pulled a Justin Timberlake by transforming himself into a solo star who also takes the time to appear in an occasional movie. He’s even part of the Marvel Universe now. To put it another way, he’s doing quite fine on his own. That said, he’s just 27, and gravity will eventually hit his career. It might take another couple of decades, but we think it’s quite likely that the five-man lineup of One Direction will tour again someday. This one is an 85% .

Sex Pistols

Why They Split : The original Sex Pistols was a highly combustible unit even before they found any success, and manager Malcolm McLaren seemed to take an almost perverse delight in driving them apart. Founding bassist Glen Matlock was sacked in 1977, even though he was a gifted musician and a key songwriting voice. He was replaced by Sid Vicious, who looked the part but couldn’t play a note on the bass and was helplessly addicted to heroin. The band imploded shortly after their inaugural U.S. tour in early 1978.

Last Performance: Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Paul Cook, and Glen Matlock reunited in 1996 for the Filthy Lucre tour, where they became the first band in history to admit that the motivation behind their reformation was 100% financial. They still put on incredible shows, and they continued with more live activity in 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2008. The last run was a series of European festivals. Steve Jones described the time period in his memoir Lonely Boy as an endless nightmare marked by fights with Rotten, and paydays that were way less than they expected due to the global recession. “I was in hell,” he wrote. The last show took place on September 5th, 2008, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.

Odds of a Reunion: Relations between Johnny Rotten and his fellow Sex Pistols have been pretty poor during the past few years, but they reached an all-time low when production began on the Danny Boyle limited FX series Pistol . It’s based on Steve Jones’ memoir, and Rotten is so livid about the whole thing that he took the band to court to stop it. He lost the battle, and he’s beyond pissed. “I am the lead singer and songwriter, frontman, image, the lot, you name it,” he said after the defeat. “I put it there. How is that not relevant?” Realizing a full reunion was a lost cause, the other three recruited UK punk singer Frank Carter for a series of Sex Pistols shows in England this year. But it’s not really the Pistols without Mr. Rotten. And the odds of him coming back are no higher than 15% .

Why They Split: The original 1984 breakup happened because the three members of the Police were sick of fighting with each other, and Sting was itching to go solo. They split again after their 2007–08 reunion tour since they played 151 shows, grossed $362 million, and realized the enthusiasm behind their return would diminish if they kept at it much longer. Besides, Sting was only willing to live in the past for so long and wanted to return to his solo career.

Last Performance: They wrapped things up on August 7th, 2009, at Madison Square Garden with an epic concert that opened with a cover of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” and culminated with Sting shaving off his long beard onstage and belting out “Next to You” to end the night. They walked offstage to the Looney Tunes music and Porky Pig announcing, “That’s all folks.”

Odds of a Reunion : The last reunion worked because they hadn’t toured in 23 years and there was a huge demand to see them live again. At this point, all their OG fans have had to chance to pony up big bucks to relive their youth. The have the T-shirt, the live album, the concert film, and very good memories. “The First Tour Since 2008!” wouldn’t have the same kick as “The First Tour Since Synchronicity !” Sting remains a very large draw on the road and plays a Police-heavy set. He did the reunion thing and has no desire to go there again. Besides, Andy Summers is nearly 82. This one is at 15% .

Why They Split: The French electronic-music duo of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter are so mysterious that they’ve spent much of their career hiding behind enormous helmets, rarely speaking to the press. The gambit has worked since they only grew more popular with each album and tour. Their 2006–07 Alive tour saw them playing on a giant pyramid-like stage, and the reviews were ecstatic all across the globe. They burst through to true mainstream success with their 2013 LP Random Access Memories and the hit “Get Lucky,” but in 2021, they quietly announced their split via a YouTube video they simply called “Epilogue.” It showed one robot blowing up and another walking away.

Last Performance: They could have taken Random Access Memories on the road in 2013 and played just about every stadium on the planet. For reasons they never explained, no such tour happened. But they did occasionally show up at the Grammys to play a song or two. The last time took place on February 12th, 2017, when they did “Starboy” and “I Feel It Coming” with the Weeknd. Nobody knew it at the time, but they were witnessing the end of an era. It was their final public appearance.

Odds of a Reunion: If Daft Punk were motivated mainly by money, we would have gotten a lot more live shows out of them over the past 15 years. The cash they left on the table by not doing that is hard to calculate, but it’s a very hefty sum. Despite that, their sheer unpredictability makes it very hard to look into their future. The guys are only in their mid-forties, and who can say what they might decide to do in 2030 or even 2040? We’re going to put the reunion odds at 33% .

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Led Zeppelin

• Discography
• London 12.10.07
• Merchandise
• The Forum - March 24, 1975

Rock and Roll, Sick Again, Over the Hills and Far Away, In My Time of Dying, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Trampled Underfoot, Moby Dick, Dazed and Confused (incl. Woodstock), Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love (incl. The Crunge), Black Dog, Heartbreaker.

Press Review : THE FORUM, L.A. - At the opening night performance of a three-day engagement at the 18,000 seat Forum, an engagement that marked the last shows of their current U.S. tour. Led Zeppelin proved that, so long as there is Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, all is safe for rock and roll. As Plant announced early in the set,  the band wished to make the final appearances very special. for their audiences and in a two-hour set that featured the best works from their collective six-year existence they did just that.

Robert Plant is the perfect model for a rock group's lead singer - Lean, slender and supple in his movements, attired in an open chemise, he brings a special presence and dynamism to the Zep's music, that of lyric, always an integral part of what the band has stood for. Particularly effective these days is the rapport Plant has developed with his audience, much improved from years past. Whereas it is easy for a superstar of this caliber to rest easily on his laurels and remain egocentric, Plant makes a real attempt at unifying the crowd and involving them in his performance, via handclapping and verbal exchange. When Zeppelin does "Stairway To Heaven." perhaps their most widely-loved tune, the crowd remains transfixed to Jimmy Page’s eloquent guitar intro, then erupts with excitement at the raucous lead section of the song.

Ask any musician what he considers to be the primary example of the archetypal lead guitarist and most certainly Jimmy Page's name will be among the first he mentions. Page carries with him a dazzling assortment of axes on tour, a lovely vintage Les Paul Custom and a double-necked S.G. Gibson among them. But it is certainly not merely the instrument alone that accounts for Page's effectiveness on stage. He has an improvisational genius unparalleled in rock and roll, his compositions ranking high on the list of some of the greatest rock songs ever penned. " Dazed And Confused," "Communication Breakdown" and " Immigrant Song" are just a few examples of this man's classic style.

On stage, Page is bedecked in a gold-trimmed black suit  and slinks around the stage for maximum effect during his solos. While standing still, his movement with his instrument lends a sense of tension to every lick or bent note he plays, often going up and down the neck for some mind-splitting arpeggios.

While it is clearly Page and Plant who are the foremost stars of the Zeppelin, mention must be made of the superb bass and keyboard work of John Paul Jones, who has of late taken more seriously his role as mellotron and piano man for the group. His function in that seat, often playing a Rhodes piano bass keyboard, lends a full, orchestrated sound that despite Plant's reference to it as "a cheap way of avoiding taking an orchestra on tour" is highly effective.

On drums is John Bonham, whose solo work employing drum synthesizers  was superb. Often, drum solos are tedious and filled with a desperate sense of showmanship, but Bonham is a technician of the highest order  and has full grasp of how to use drums as a lyric instrument, something which he personally has pioneered during his development in Zeppelin.

As for staging, the Zeppelin show made superb use of high powered fog machines and overhead lighting, filling the stage with an eerie, luminous array of colors.

Also of particular note was the use of half a dozen or so lasers emitting variously colored light beams throughout the fog, giving the impression of elongated, pulsating beams stretching the entire length of the arena. Fascinating to watch, the beams were of colors unimaginable to describe, often intersecting the fog and Robert Plant as well. The wisdom of Mr. Plant stepping into the path of these beams is something he should have consulted his crew about. however. They can be dangerous, so we're told!

A splendid show all around, true to the superb character of their recent LP "Physical Graffiti." We look forward to seeing how Zeppelin metamorphisizes in the days to come. Certainly they will remain one of rockdom's premiere groups, and their shows should be progressively more enthralling as they grow. [CB / 3-75 / p.a]

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News Report: Led Zeppelin at The Forum in Inglewood

Led Zeppelin is by far the number one hard rock band in the world. Their recent American tour ended at the Forum last week. They broke their own record for selling out halls in record time. The Rolling Stones have never matched Zeppelin for speed in selling out concerts or for audiences or for gross income.

We went to the Monday gig at the Forum and Zeppelin was incredible. We have caught their act many times down through the years but nothing we've seen them do compared to last week's gig. The four were led by the excellent vocals of Robert Plant on a strong combination of material from the band's six LPs. They did many tunes from their new smash double album "Physical Graffiti." It was number one on the charts after only being out two weeks and was shipped to the record stores as a platinum record which means it had already sold over a million copies.

The band played almost three hours and 25 minutes and not one song sounded like another. The sound was superb as the foursome wailed toward the end of the show on "Whole Lotta Love" and "Stairway To Heaven."

Going into last Thursday's concert, Led's drummer, 26-year-old John Bonham, said "Our best gig where everything clicked was last Tuesday night at the Forum. The people were so great that attended the show they made us play harder."

The band filled the stage with smoke at times and had gimmicks like light beams that began on stage and went to the back of Forum.

The rest of Zeppelin is made up of guitarist and producer Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones on keyboard and bass. John Paul is one of the main reasons this hand is so versatile. Page played different guitars and sounded different on each one. Plant's vocals gave the band a versatile sound.

"I work hard on my vocals so they don't always sound alike," Plant said. "I think myself and the other three guys have improved with each album and each tour."

"After our first two albums we broke loose and have been on top of things ever since. One of our pet peeves is although we are selling a lot of albums and tickets to our concerts sell out soon as they go on sale, a lot of people are not listening to our new material to hear how much we have strengthened ourselves. "We have a lot of fans but I think we would have a lot more if people who heard us a long time ago would listen to us again."

"Our past tour went very well but we love playing the San Francisco Day Area a lot. We really miss not playing there this year. We know we have a lot of fans there and can't wait to play there again." (Daily Review, April 4, 1975)

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