Led Zeppelin Lights Up the London Night

The band plays on.

Photo courtesy: bp1.blogger.com

(LONDON) - It has been twenty-two years since Led Zeppelin have played a full set together on stage, and for 18,000 lucky pairs of fans, the wait is up. The floor of the O2 arena in London is packed today, as Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Jon Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham command the stage.

Former Bad Company front-man Paul Rodgers is also set to perform, as well as former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman.

Initially priced at $250, and selling upwards of $2000, an estimated 20 million fans from all over the world vied for tickets for a one-time-only show that many describe as the greatest, most powerful rock band of all time.

With so few available tickets in proportion to this legendary band's following, many fans are hoping for a world tour, though the band says they're not interested in the world holding it's breath.

"The whole idea of being on a cavalcade of merciless repetition is not what it's all about," Page told the Sunday Times.

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Although there has been no talk of an official tour, Robert Plant has stated, "It wouldn't be such a bad idea to play together from time to time."

The show is dedicated to the late founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, with proceeds being donated to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, providing scholarships to students in the United States, Britain and Turkey.

The familiar lines of "Good times, bad times" opened the set tonight, showering down on fans who have mainly listened to studio recorded Led Zep tracks over the last two decades.

The show was previously scheduled for November 26th, but Guitarist Page injured his little finger in a gardening accident. Luckily for the fans, he's pulled through.