Led Zep: Don’t tour

The other night in London, classic rock act Led Zeppelin played its first show since it was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. 

In the ensuing hours, teenagers in 50 countries had their minds opened to an unbelievable new sound -- their imagination and their senses challenged in ways no schoolteacher had attempted.

They’re starting bands this very moment. Some have already developed a new genre, a genre that is exciting and developing so fast, we're just going to call it post-genre. 

OK, so that didn't happen. In fact, in the 24 or so hours since Led Zeppelin left the stage in London, the world is pretty much the same as it was on Dec. 9, 2007. A bunch of aging classic rockers got together to play a bunch of hits, and a bunch of VIPs and rich folk cheered along. Yay.

And soon, undoubtedly, will come the announcement that Led Zeppelin will stage some sort of world tour. It’s inevitable. The band has been rehearsing since May, and reviews have been overwhelmingly positive.

In fact, it’ll be bigger news if they don’t tour. Plus, it's a tour that the music world would be a better place without. 

And that is absolutely not a slight toward Led Zeppelin and anything the band accomplished. It’s an illustrious career that includes everything but a Grammy Award, and the band has certainly earned the right for a victory lap, if it so desires one. Nor would I ever criticize someone for feeling the need to pay whatever it costs to see his/her favorite band -- after all, I just plopped down about $200 (face) to see Wilco's five night February residency in my hometown.

But understand, if Led Zeppelin does tour in the near future, it's a tour that's going to do nothing but cater to the elite. It will further drive up the cost of concert tickets, and continue to feed a business overrun with scalpers and complete disrespect toward fans.

Quite frankly, it isn't worth it. 

Perhaps Led Zeppelin will do things right. Minus ticket fees -- cheap seats for Bruce Springsteen and the Police run in the $65-$85 range -- which is relatively reasonable. A decent seat quickly gets into the $100 and higher field, and an average Celine Dion ticket is pushing $125.

Add in service fees, a ticket for your date and parking costs, and you’re looking at at least a $300 night out, minimum. This, mind you, is taking into account that you bought tickets within 1.2 seconds of them going on sale -- or else you’re going to be off to Craigslist, and shelling out four figures.

If it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime event, perhaps it’s worth it, especially for diehards. But the majority of Led Zeppelin fans are likely not rich, and likely have to debate between things such as concert tickets and, say, beer.

To be sure, the market will demand that Led Zeppelin tickets be higher than any of the aforementioned artists, and it will surely be sold as a rare, never-to-happen-again tour (where haven’t we heard that before? Eagles? Fleetwood Mac?).

The media coverage will be insane, as it’s easier to cover an event than it is culture. And thus, seemingly normal, decent people will gladly run up their credit card debt in the name of nostalgia. 

Led Zeppelin’s London show was for a charitable organization in the name of the late Altantic co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, and tickets were withheld from scalpers via a painstakingly long procedure that reportedly left some fans waiting three or more hours in the rain to secure tickets. And nevertheless, tickets that originally sold for about $250 were reported to be going for about $2,500.

So two things: If the band is pushing the three-figure mark for ticket prices, and parading itself around the world to entertain the rich, hopefully Led Zeppelin’s charitable ambitions will extend beyond one night. The only real need for exorbitant ticket prices is to load the pockets of promoters, and surely there are better causes for which to sing a bunch of songs we all know every word to. 

Yet Led Zeppelin certainly deserves praise for doing everything in its power to prevent scalpers from getting hold of seats -- personal information for those picking up the tickets had to match the credit card that was used. Great. Every major band should be doing that, but it’s one thing when a show is one-night only, and a whole different entity when it’s a 50-date tour.

So will such time- and cost-consuming measures be put into place at every stop along a Led Zeppelin tour? Don’t bet on it. There's no incentive to do so. With all the money to be made from a Led Zeppelin trek, there's no need to waste money to put in more safeguards, as demand will far outweigh availability.

Check the Miley Cyrus fiasco, in which tickets often sold out in seconds and were instantly found on scalping sites for as much as $2,000. The concert system is so broken that tickets were being sold on sites such as StubHub within seconds of them being placed on sale to the public.

So if that’s the kind of respect the music business has for 10-year-old girls, don’t expect anyone to jump through hoops to protect the interests of baby boomers with money to burn.

(Photo courtesy Associated Press)

Comments

[Grant]

Led Zeppelin touring would not be a bad thing. It would be by far the best and most anticipated tour of the century so far, and if music continues on the path it's headed now, the best tour of the century regardless.

[gregory]

I agree with your sentiments regarding scalping, but your focus is misconstrued, it is neithier Led Zeppelin respondsability nor their job to control prices for their concerts other than to set the initial price.

Beyond that it's what the free market can make or not make that controls ticket prices.

This is true for all bands, regardless of who they are.

If the market is willing to pay 2 grand than that's the price they are willing to pay. If the market is not willing to pay 2 grand, then the market will bring ticket prices downward.

Zeppelin does not fuel the prices upward or downward, scalpers and the money people are willing to pay do.

personally I much preferred when fans were allowed to sleep in the street or at the ticket box office and if you got there early you got good seats, if you loved a band that much as to sleep outside the box office for days or overnight then dam, you deserve good seats.

So to me it is not the Group, who ever they are, that needs to control the prices... it is the distribution outlets everywhere that needs to redefine how tickets are districuted to lessen scalpers and put tickets in the hands of who deserves them -- the fans.

[Seneca]

What an idiotic position to take. The marketplace has always dictated the value of consumer items,including ticket price to various performances like $85 for the right to hear the latest misogynistic and illiterate ramblings from some thug. As for Led Zeppelin, if the mighty Led Zeppelin were to tour, it would affect only diehard LZ fans who are willing to shell out the money. Do you really think that just because a boomer LZ fan like is wiling to pay thousands of dollars at the gate means that the next Maximo Park concert will command $2k??? Get a grip. There is Led Zeppelin and then there is the rest of the crap out there Billy Ray Cyrus skank kid and who was it that you said??? Vilco, Wilko? Bilko? Whatever they call themselves. Tell you what my friend: when Wilco commands thousands of dollars for a ticket then THAT will be the lead story on the NYT.

[zetan]

You obviously have lost the point. It's not any classic rock band- It's led zeppelin!

[Truth Police]

Just want to correct one statement - that hot tickets go on sale on marketplaces like StubHub and eBay within seconds of the public onsale.

The truth is that often tickets are listed for resale BEFORE the public on sale. How can this be? Easy. Presales. Little Miley gives half her tickets to the fan club. Most artists do. These tickets are long gone before the general public gets their chance. Every band has their insiders - fan clubs, promoters, the venue, radio stations, corporate sponsors, etc. Who hasn't received a presale notice from a fan club, the venue, their radio station, or even their credit card company?

The truth is Ticketmaster just sells the leftovers. (Live Nation doesn't even need them anymore). Couple that with huge demand and no wonder what's left sells in minutes. Miley has 20 million viewers (who need to go with their moms) and is playing only a 650k seat tour.

Despite the hysteria and blame game around brokers reselling, the truth is that many resellers are regular people who got the tickets early and legitimately. If the going rate willing buyers will pay is huge, I'd sell my tickets, too.

If Led Zep tours they will want a huge guarantee from the promoter. The promoter will sign a huge company to be sponsor to get the cash. In return for shelling out the cash the company will want lots of marketing rights and you guessed it... tickets, for their biggest customers and partners and execs who will get them long before the public onsale. The circle of life, ticket-style.

Before the internet marketplaces, shows just used to be sold out and customers had no choices but expensive brokers or sleazy street scalpers. These sites are growing very fast. eBay just paid $300 million to buy StubHub. There is obviously demand, so I don't understand the populist rants.

[Derek]

I think you have your two subjects confused. Raging against concert promoters and the lack of respectable guidelines regarding ticket sales is one thing, but to drag a band down with them, who have no similar history shows lack of thought. Perhaps you should have mentioned bands who have tried to circumvent corporate giants, such as Pearl Jam. Or, perhaps you should have championed Led Zeppelin's possible tour in the hope that their stature could try to lead to noticeable change in the way people do business. Instead, you come across as angry and disillusioned, failing to make a reasonable point about either.

[Sue]

Why are you assuming so much about ticket prices for a tour that hasn't even happened? What a waste of time for an article. If you dont like high ticket prices, dont slam Zep when they haven't even announced a tour-slam all of the artists and labels that drive up the prices, not a band that only just did a great charity benefit.

[DJ]

Hey dummy...no one waited in the rain to collect their tickets. get your facts straight.

[Chris]

Do you have any idea what you are talking about? Do you think anyone cares about Miley Cyrus? We'll see if she is still playing 40 years from now, and just as good as before. Don't you think its possible, that if there are more shows, than the price goes down? Have you even listened to Led Zeppelin?

[Steve]

So, to sum up this article: Zeppelin deserve it, but shouldn't be allowed to tour because the average fan won't be able to afford a ticket.

Thanks for limiting our choices for our own good (Dad) - or else we would be able to afford...beer, did you say(?).

Sounds like You are the elitist.

People should be allowed to spend their money any way they please. Not any way You please...

[M. Cunningham]

My my aren't we the cynical one. If Zeppelin were in this for a money grab they certainly wouldn't have waited until near Medicare eligibility age to stage a tour. They probably wouldn't have broken up in the first place. They'll do it because they enjoy each others company and they enjoy playing the music. Thelr fans will find a way and Zep will find a way. No band has ever engendered such affection from its audience and reciprocated that love in the houses of the holy. This isn't the f**king Eagles. Their likes will not be seen again on this planet. If they want it the tour will happen. And I'll be there with bells on. Cheer up a bit my man. Watch Fox News or something. Merry Christmas if you believe in that sort of thing.

[George]

Hard to disagree with what you write. I want to see Zep again, but I haven't tried to see the Stones the last 5 times they've toured because of ticket prices. I dunno - having been a Zep fan from (almost) day 1 it is hard not to say I would definitely buy tickets regardless of the cost.

[tylermorrell]

dude shut ur gob led zepp ROCK harder than any 1 else they rock.ur stuff makes hardley no sense head line led zepp dont tour then u say u dont know SHUT THE HELL UP DUDE XXXXXX

[bobby]

"The majority of Led Zeppelin fans have to choose between things like concert tickets and beer" ??? I think you just insulted the largest and most varied fan base in the world. The only band that even approaches Zeppelin's popularity are the Beatles, and I wonder if you would make such an ignorant statement about the 'majority' of their fans. Come on, a blanket statement like that referring to so many millions of loyal fans is out of line.

[James]

This is the biggest piece of crap I've read. Led Zeppelin wouldn't have charged this extravagant amount of money if it was their concert tour. But as this was a charity event and all the money had to go to educational fund, so the ORGANIZERS thought that auctioning a small percentage of tickets would be a better thing. we should keep in mind that most of the tickets were given out by ballot system which was totally fair and inexpensive. So, just quit making an issue about it and atleast STOP comparing them with Celine Dion and Police.

[steve]

In the absence of greatness, pettiness prevails. This phase sums up the alleged talent (i.e. Brittany Spears, Justine Timberlake) and a slew of other wannabe talents (most specifically, the rappers) whose only reason for their success is simply that bands such as Zeppelin stopped touring. Hence, in the absence of a great band and great musical talent, music producers are forced to produce people like Spears and Timberlake in order to make a buck. Anyone who honestly thinks that, in 27 years, there will be a worldwide demand to see Spears, Timberlake, or any of these other comparatively low talent individuals from people in over 50 nations is simply missing what it takes to "make it." Try to understand that the reason that people are "willing" to pay what might seem like large amounts of money to see Zeppelin is simply because those with the "real" money are the former kids of the 70's who now work in professional fields and are highly compensated. Compare that to the typical hip-hop, ghetto dwelling crowd - crack heads that live on food stamps and welfare. Anyone who thinks that a Zeppelin tour is nothing more than a bunch of "old time" rockers getting together to stroll down memory lane is simply not in tune with what it takes to have worldwide, and long-term appeal. Instead, it’s a call to today’s younger generation to show them that it takes much more than a synthesized voice, and a few choreographed dance steps in order to be successful. Sadly, there is no true talent today. That is exactly why Zeppelin needs to tour. Today’s kids need to see for themselves that a musical group does not need to include violence, foul language, or discrimination against women in order to be truly successful.

[victor farias]

Todd,
Are you a serious writer?
are you writing about the state of ticket pricing/marketing only for the rich/nostalgic blah blah!
Or are you covering the red-headed stepchild of music.(NO not the music Business) ZEP=MUSIC

[George Kaplan]

"And soon, undoubtedly, will come the announcement that Led Zeppelin will stage some sort of world tour. It’s inevitable..."

Seeing the ages of the three surviving members of the group, a huge sponsorship deal with Metamucil will be signed, where the product will call itself "the *other* Hammer of the Gods".

[gabrielapeterson]

I saw them in 1971 in MSG in NY. A triumph. Great.
But, those of us, not only buying the tickets, but airfare, hotel stay, etc. even at the cheapest...shelling out $4-$10,000 to see a concert, I don't know...and to hear 40 year-old songs???
This left alot to be said in heart. And I had a ticket to go...

[james]

C'mon guy, this is crap.
I hope they tour and Im a middle agad man who doesn't make a 6 figure income.
And yes, I would pay 150 dollars a seat to see these guys after all these years.

[TomSank]

Sir,
As your frame of reference is Hannah Montana and Wilco, you can be forgiven for being far too juvenile to understand the interest that instrumental virtuosity can generate. Zeppelin is not concept dreamed up as a commodity by strategy teams of multinational entertainment corporations. Had they gone the route of other "Final Tour" reunions and milked it 10-15 times, they would have lost a lot of credibility, but a mega band from the heyday of the rockstar era that hasn't toured in close to 30 years will find a public of several generations beating down the doors to get a ticket. If you don't want to go, give your comp tickets to someone who does and save your money for the Britney Spears tour.

[Zepfan]

Dude, when were you born? Your scribblings aren't worthy of the LA Times, go back to writer's school. If there are fans that are willing to pay huge fees to see someone entertain them, then why not? Ticket prices should be high, survival of the fittest. Besides, what's left? A bunch of pimps and pop stars? Who would bother paying to see them anyway?

[Rich]

it would be a good thing, your clueless

[zep fan]

Zep won't tour for the reason that they can't do it.Maybe the non musicians can't hear it but Zep doesn't play well anymore(they were pretty ragged in 77 for that matter).This show was to promote the repackaging of their greatest hits for the Christmas sales season.So send 'em the money and enjoy the cd's they are still great... and $200 for Wilco? really?

[dublinoh]

Bring it on