Background Information
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band before 1972. They had already recorded three albums, Their fourth album that was recorded in 1972 was administered under Atlantic Records and went on to become their greatest and legendary record. Just before the same year, the same band had performed three concerts in the US at the Los Angeles forum. This was in the early months of the same year 1972.
Relevant Data
Led Zeppelin did not perform in Los Angeles in 1972. After their Los Angeles concerts and album releases, they went on for their European tour. The tour began in Denmark in May of 1972. Later in that same year, the quartet also performed shows in Britain and they had one show at a relocation show in Munich.
Professional Perspectives
The tour manager for Led Zeppelin, Richard Cole, wrote in the book “Stairway to Heaven”, that the group intended to return for a US arena tour, imminently after the European Tour. Unluckily, because of various misfortunes from bad luck to bad judgements, it ended up turning out to be an unsuccessful venture so the plan was dropped.
Analysis Of the Situation
Around the same time, Led Zeppelin’s album performances and singles boosted to the music charts all around the world. The band which till now was reasonably known became an overnight sensation. But with the craze, fan mania also grew. The European tour was much of a success. Everywhere the band went, there were hordes of adoring and screaming fans present. At the same time, the band requested for more and more luxury care and thereby putting together the tour became a tedious task.
Role Of The Media
In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Led Zeppelin’s manager Peter Grant’s spoke about the media’s role in the ensuing pandemonium. Grant spoke about how there were both good and bad effects of the media reaction to the band’s success. The media publicity and hype may have created a lot of noise around the band but Grant felt that this led to the band settling for supporting members who were not talented or professional enough for the task. This consequently put a strain on the overall performance and ultimate success of the tour.
Impact on Led Zeppelin’s History
The failed US tours of 1972 weren’t the only time Led Zeppelin’s performances ran into trouble, since they also had to cancel late concerts due to eager fans. Still, their music was unmatched by any and while they weren’t the first band to get huge, they started a musical revolution and their success lived on after. After 1972, they quickly became the biggest band in the world and their legacy is still alive today.
The Financial Impact
The financial impact of a cancelled US tour was huge to Led Zeppelin. National promoters were not willing to give the kind of money the band demanded, and their manager could not find local promoters either, as the kind of money they wanted was very high. This loss on the ledger was tremendous, as the promoter had to receive the advanced money spent for the cancelled shows, plus had to pay back penalties due to cancellations.
Financial Implications For Led Zeppelin’s Rivals
The failed US tour caused some ripples in the music industry. Since the band would have been able to make so much money had they played in the US, their rivals were watching the situation closely. The cancelled shows could have meant huge profits for them if they had been given the chance to play in the same venues. But this didn’t happen and instead, Led Zeppelin’s rivals had to wait until a later date but with much lower profits.
