Jason Bonham

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Monday, December 10, 2007

First report from the Led Zeppelin fans in London

Simon W., a fan from the U.K., won a passcode in the original drawing for the Ahmet Ertegün tribute concert. He wrote me from London, where he and his wife received their tickets and wristbands on Sunday to attend today's concert. They spent about two-and-a-half in line for those and then another two hours in line to buy some merchandise. The whole time, they were able to talk with other likeminded fans.

The O2 arena must just be full of Led Zeppelin fans. Some devoted people, upon receiving their tickets and wristbands, were preparing to spend the night in line. Being the first to arrive, they would be the ones with the best view at the front near the stage. The first to show up had been there since 2 p.m. on Saturday. This is the bearded guy in the photo on the left. Wearing the wool cap is a student seeking a Ph.D. in classical music from Lincoln University in Nebraska. (Update: His name's Mike, and I've actually known him through my newsletter for a few years!) The fan along with him is from Colorado, and they arrived in line on Sunday at 6 a.m. Members of the press spoke the the fans who were earliest to arrive, and the promoter also arranged for these fans to receive all-access passes dated 12.09.07 so they could enter for Led Zeppelin's soundcheck.

(Photos all courtesy of Simon, as well as the details above.)

The soundcheck consisted of five songs. More on that very soon...

About the author

Steve "The Lemon" Sauer is a writer and musician based in Boca Raton, Fla., who has dedicated a portion of his life researching the history of rock group Led Zeppelin and monitoring the ongoing careers of the band's surviving members. Although he was barely a year old when Led Zeppelin broke up and it took him until his teen years to appreciate the music, it didn't take long to make up for it.

Steve is currently a contributing writer and consultant for Get the Led Out, a weekly syndicated radio program hosted by Carol Miller and syndicated in 100 U.S. markets including New York and Los Angeles. He also provides content for a Web site associated with the radio show, www.LedZepOnline.com.

In 2007, Steve launched Lemon Squeezings: Led Zeppelin News to cover the lead-up to the band's reunion concert at the end of that year. Since then, he has closely examined every rumor of a followup tour since then, often dispelling or clarifying misinformation perpetrated by the mainstream media. Using his journalistic training, Steve has also uncovered some facts and accounts previously unreported elsewhere.

At age 18, he began publishing On This Day In Led Zeppelin History, a daily newsletter detailing the interactions of members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, and their manager, Peter Grant. The newsletter is located at www.OnThisDayInLedZeppelinHistory.com.

He enjoys uncovering stories and has employed various methods to communicate those stories to Led Zeppelin's vast fan base, utilizing terrestrial radio and the many facets of the Internet: from Usenet newsgroups to plain e-mail and now Facebook and Twitter. Steve also connects with live audiences when performing as a backup vocalist and keyboard player with various bands, including past onstage appearances with three cover or tribute acts performing the music of Led Zeppelin.

Do you have a news tip to share with Steve? Do you have something you would like him to write about? Would you like to book him for a speaking engagement? He can be contacted by e-mail at Steve at LedZeppelinNews.com.

Other Led Zeppelin information from Lemon Squeezings

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