| Tour by Led Zeppelin | |
 Poster for Led Zeppelin's concert at Stockholm, Sweden, used to help promote its 1970 European tour | |
| Location | Europe |
|---|---|
| Associated album | Led Zeppelin II |
| Start date | 23 February 1970 |
| End date | 12 March 1970 |
| No. of shows | 16 |
| Led Zeppelin concert chronology | |
Led Zeppelin's 1970 European Tour was a concert tour of Europe by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 23 February and concluded on 12 March 1970.
During this tour, the cover for the band's debut album met with controversy. At a 28 February 1970 performance in Copenhagen, the band was billed as "The Nobs" as the result of a threat of legal action from aristocrat Frau Eva von Zeppelin, descendant of Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin creator of the Zeppelin aircraft, over use of the 'Zeppelin' name. [1] Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page commented to the music newspaper Melody Maker that Frau Eva von Zeppelin initially took issue during an early Led Zeppelin concert performance in Copenhagen in October 1969, when she tried (unsuccessfully) to stop a television appearance. The aristocrat angrily described the group as "shrieking monkeys". [2]
As a gesture of good will, the band invited her to meet with them at a television studio. The meeting was apparently a cordial one. [2] However, upon leaving the studio, her anger reignited when she saw the cover of the group's first album – the exploding Hindenburg aircraft. As Page recalled:
When she saw the cover she just exploded! I had to run and hide. She just blew her top. [2]
Frau von Zeppelin felt the band's use of Zeppelin was insulting and dishonoured her family name. As a result, hostility toward the rock group continued on their next tour of the country in early 1970 by threat of a lawsuit, unless they agreed to change their name while working there. While Peter Grant (the band's manager) was not normally passive when faced with a confrontation, it was decided to appease the aristocrat by temporarily changing the group's name.
One name speculated in the national press was "Ned Zeppelin", which Jimmy Page found humorous. After some discussion, Grant and Page settled on the tongue-in-cheek name The Nobs, a playful pun on the name of their European promoter, Claude Nobs. [3]
The controversy in Copenhagen was considered advantageous to Led Zeppelin early in their career, as the incident gained them worldwide publicity. The band's choice of names was widely seen as an expression of the band's likability and wit.
One concert from this tour, at Frankfurt on 10 March, was cancelled at a week's notice as a result of riots having previously occurred at the venue following a concert by Jethro Tull. [3] It was replaced by a gig at Hamburg.
The fairly typical set list for the tour was:
Encores (variations of the following list):
There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour.
| Date | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 February 1970 | Helsinki | Finland | Kulttuuritalo |
| 25 February 1970 | Gothenburg | Sweden | Konserthuset |
| 26 February 1970 | Stockholm | Konserthuset | |
| 27 February 1970 | Amsterdam | Netherlands | Concertgebouw |
| 28 February 1970 | Copenhagen | Denmark | K.B. Hallen |
| 2 March 1970 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National |
| 3 March 1970 | Cologne | West Germany | |
| 4 March 1970 | Hanover | ||
| 5 March 1970 | Frankfurt | ||
| 6 March 1970 | Nuremberg | ||
| 7 March 1970 | Montreux | Switzerland | Montreux Casino |
| 8 March 1970 | Munich | West Germany | Circus Krone Building |
| 9 March 1970 | Vienna | Austria | Wiener Konzerthaus |
| 10 March 1970 | West Germany | ||
| 10 March 1970 | Hamburg | Musikhalle | |
| 11 March 1970 | |||
| 12 March 1970 | Düsseldorf | Rheinhalle |
Tour Over Europe 1980 was the last concert tour by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The tour ran from 17 June to 7 July 1980. Nine of the tour's shows were performed in cities throughout West Germany, as well as one show each in Brussels, Rotterdam, Vienna, Zürich, and West Berlin.
Earls Court 1975 were five concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin at Earls Court Arena in London in May 1975.
Led Zeppelin's 1975 North American Tour was the tenth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on 18 January and concluding on 27 March 1975. It was preceded with two European warm-up shows, performed at Rotterdam and Brussels respectively.
Led Zeppelin's 1973 North American Tour was the ninth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on 4 May and concluding on 29 July 1973. Rehearsals took place at Old Street Film Studios in London.
Led Zeppelin's 1973 European Tour was a concert tour of Europe by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 2 March and concluded on 2 April 1973.
Led Zeppelin's 1972 Japanese Tour was the second and final concert tour of Japan by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 2 October and concluded on 10 October 1972.
Led Zeppelin's 1972 North American Tour was the eighth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on 27 May and concluding on 28 June 1972. It included two warm-up shows in Europe.
Winter 1971 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by Led Zeppelin. The tour ran from 11 November to 21 December 1971, and "confirmed their supremacy in the UK rock marketplace". Taking place immediately after the release of the band's fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV, all tickets sold out despite going on sale less than a week before the commencement of the tour. Second shows at Wembley and at Manchester were added after fans queued for up to eighteen hours in order to secure a ticket.
Led Zeppelin's 1971 Japanese Tour was the first in Japan by the English rock band. Commenced on 23 September and concluding on 29 September 1971, it was one of the first tours of Japan by a western rock band.
Led Zeppelin's 1971 North American Tour was the seventh concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on August 7 and concluded on 17 September 1971. It included two warm-up shows in Montreux, Switzerland.
Led Zeppelin's 1971 European Tour was a concert tour of Europe by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 3 May and concluded on 5 July 1971. It included one concert at Liverpool, England, which was a rescheduled date from their preceding tour of the United Kingdom. It is possible that other unverified dates in Europe were also performed during this period.
Led Zeppelin's Spring 1971 United Kingdom & Ireland Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom & Ireland by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 5 March and concluded on 1 April 1971.
Led Zeppelin's Summer 1970 North American Tour was the sixth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 10 August and concluded on 19 September 1970.
Led Zeppelin's Summer 1970 tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany was a concert tour by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 22 June and concluded on 19 July 1970.
Led Zeppelin's Spring 1970 North American Tour was the fifth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 21 March and concluded on 18 April 1970. It took place a little over a week after the conclusion of their recent European concert tour.
Led Zeppelin's 1970 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 7 January and concluded on 17 February 1970.
Led Zeppelin's Summer 1969 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 8 June and concluded on 29 June 1969. It included a single show in Paris, France, performed for French television. This was the band's final ever television appearance, portions of which were later released on the Led Zeppelin DVD.
Led Zeppelin's Spring 1969 North American Tour was the second concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 18 April and concluded on 31 May 1969.
Led Zeppelin's 1968/1969 tour of North America was the first concert tour of the United States and Canada by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 26 December 1968 and concluded on 16 February 1969. It was important for the band, as their popularity grew substantially because of the concerts and helped them reach significant commercial success in the US, which translated to sales elsewhere.
Led Zeppelin's 1968 tour of the United Kingdom was the first concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. It commenced on 4 October and concluded on 20 December 1968.
