It has been announced that former Led Zeppelin member, Robert Plant has extended his tour with a new wave of North American dates, as listed below. Following the release of his 2017 solo album, “Carry Fire”, the vocalist has been touring alongside with his band Sensational Space Shifters for over nine months, with tour dates extending until late October.
The announcement of new tour dates
“Carry Fire”, his eleventh solo album and second featuring the Sensational Space Shifters, has proved a great success for Plant, reaching number three on the UK charts and receiving a four out of five rating from The Independent.
Although a joyous announcement for American fans, the decision to extend the tour into September may prove disastrous for Led Zeppelin fans. The hiatus of the tour from the start of August until late October led to many hopeful fans suspecting a brief reformation of the monumental band to commemorate the upcoming 50th Anniversary.
With the announcement of an official illustrated book to celebrate half a century since the band’s formation, rumours quickly infiltrated amongst fans - the most prominent of which is a reunion from the three surviving members. All working together for the first time in over a decade, the collaboration came as a shock to many, with devoted fans knowing all too well how the impact of tragedy had spelt out the death of the band.
Following the passing of drummer, John Bonham in 1980, the band, who played their biggest show to an audience of over 210,000 people and sold over 300 million albums, retreated from the spotlight. Playing just four shows since Bonham’s tragic death, Led Zeppelin had shown no real enthusiasm for a long-term reunion - meaning the 50th anniversary of the band appeared to fans as the last glimmer of hope to justify one final performance.
The future of Led Zeppelin
With the hiatus of the “Carry Fire” tour falling coincidentally in the same time frame as the release of the upcoming book, one couldn't be blamed for suspecting something more to commemorate the band. Although the tour brings the vocalist back to the UK in time for the book’s release, the announcement of the upcoming North American dates show any further announcements from the band seem slim to none.
When paired alongside the singer’s open preference for his solo career it now appears that any hope of a reunion has become shattered. This was expressed plainly by Plant in an interview with Ultimate Classic Rock, in which the singer stated: “don’t imagine that big is beautiful, […] I’ve been there”.
With that being said, there appear to be no signs of the singer turning a blind eye to his Music career. The extension of the “Carry Fire” tour exemplifies how there are no signs of the vocalist taking a step back from the spotlight. This was seen in March where Plant discussed in an interview with Esquire - stating that he has no intention of retiring: “I've still got a foot in that door […]and I want to use that to play with words and sounds and to find exciting new ways to make music”.
Despite the chances of a new project from Led Zeppelin remaining nothing more than hopeful, only time can tell if all hope is lost or whether the revolutionary band has not yet taken their final bow.
Robert Plant U.S. Tour 2018
9/09 – St. Louis, MO @ LouFest
9/10 – Kansas City, MO @ Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
9/13 – Santa Fe, NM @ Santa Fe Opera
9/15 – Telluride, CO @ Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
9/16 – Del Mar, CA @ KAABOO
9/19 – Tucson, AZ @ Centennial Hall
9/21 – Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater
9/23 – Louisville, KY @ Bourbon & Beyond Festival
9/25 – Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at The Toyota Music Factory
9/27 – Lubbock, TX @ Lubbock Municipal Auditorium
9/29 – Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater
Tickets for the Carry Fire tour are available to purchase now. The official illustrated book, Led Zeppelin, is available for pre-order now.
