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Led Zeppelin toured almost constantly, especially when they started. It was the best way to get their songs out in front of potential fans. Before writing songs that earned them $2 million paychecks, Led Zeppelin made their name with their live shows, but their worst concert ensured they never came close to returning to the country where it happened.

Led Zeppelin, whose worst concert kept them from returning to the country where it took place, perform at the 1970 Bath Festival.
Led Zeppelin perform in 1970 | Michael Putland/Getty Images

Led Zeppelin concerts became must-see events for 1970s rock fans

The best way for Led Zeppelin fans to experience the band was at one of their live shows. It was one of the only ways, too.

Led Zeppelin almost never performed on TV. They preferred to have fans buy albums and concert tickets since those were far more lucrative revenue streams. Zep graced TV screens a few times, but playing on the small-screen was a rarity, especially as the band’s stature grew.

Zep broke The Beatles’ record for most tickets sold for a single concert in 1973. In 1975, a raucous gig got Led Zeppelin banned in Boston, and several years after, their worst concert went so poorly that they never entered the country again.

The worst Led Zeppelin concert ended quickly when a riot between police and fans erupted

Zeppelin routinely played hours-long sets during their concerts. They didn’t perform on TV, but they put on a show for fans who bought concert tickets. Except for a July 1971 concert.

Led Zeppelin’s most forgettable concert lasted less than an hour. At a festival at the Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan on July 5, 1971, various factions — some political, others commonplace troublemakers — clashed with police. Tensions between fans and authorities ran hot all day and boiled over once Led Zeppelin took the stage. Police fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, one landed near the stage, and the band cut the show short after less than an hour. 

Led Zeppelin FAQ author George Case writes the show lasted 20 minutes. The band’s official website states the performance lasted 40 minutes. Either way, it goes down as perhaps the worst Led Zeppelin concert ever, and the band steered clear of Italy for the rest of their career.

The closest they came to returning was a show in Montreux, Switzerland, following the Milan debacle and a return to Switzerland in 1980. 

Zep had plenty of memorable concerts during their career

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The show in Milan might go down as the worst Led Zeppelin concert ever, but that was the exception to the rule. The group’s reputation for memorable live shows delivered was well-earned, and they delivered more than a few.

Zep played a series of shows in London in 1969 that proved to be exquisite torture on future rock star Brian May. Seeing Led Zeppelin in fine form showed him what he wanted his band to be several years before Queen challenged Zep for arena rock supremacy.

Though they rarely collaborated with other musicians, lucky fans at a 1975 show saw Rolling Stones’ guitarist Ronnie Wood crash the stage and join an encore. That show at the 1969 concert May attended went off without a hitch, a far cry from Led Zeppelin’s worst concert in Milan in 1971.

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