Greedy Zep?

[greenman]

No they don't but that wasn't what I was trying to say. Taxation is a necessary thing but it ought to be set at a fair equitable level. Politicans ought to know or be told by those who elect them how and what to spend that tax revenue on.

Wealth shouldn't buy influence. Wealth shouldn't be taken away for the "greater good" either. There needs to be a balance.

Right now, there's no balance that I can see.

Why not if the greater good is real?

Right now I see the balance tipped vastly in favour of the rich though decades of behind the scenes and public manipulation for lower upper bracket tax rates and lax finanical regulation. In the end thats the root cause of the finanical collapse, vastly uneven wealth distribution was covered up though years or the remaining 90% of the population living on private and public credit thats been called in.

[dazedcat]

By "greater good" I mean endless welfare entitlement programs. I don't disagree that the wealth has gone to the top only, I don't have issue one with an entire overhaul of the American capitalist system because it's NOT a level playing field. Unfair "free trade" agreements and corporate influence on American politics by way of endless lobbyist money has contributed to the middle class literally on thier collective knees financially. What's going on today isn't capitalism, it's corporatism bordering on facism.

The problem is robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's been happening in America for 50 years now and it doesn't work. Taking the money out of politics would be a start and so would integrity being put back into it. I just don't want someone else's money, I'd rather work and gather my own like I always have.

[mckjuana]

its not greed at all.

when you earn small you buy small, when you earn big you buy big. Its about the lifestyle that you can afford.

Take things like a house purchase, Its a bizarre thought thats never occured to me but if any members of Led Zeppelin had any kind of mortgage (JPJ strikes me as the sort!) with agreed repayments, these would suddenly be actually unaffordable as their income would reduce by a significant percentage.

People would establish themselves based on their income. The rich would buy expensive houses and set up their cashflow accordingly, an 83% (or 98%) taxation would actually mean defaults and bancruptcy in a lot of cases. I think that LZ and the stones would have been only two of the high profile exiles during this time. Many many people would have done the same.

If I was earning big, and alive at the time, I would have said adios to the UK and headed overseas for a bit.

I'm curious though, did they know it was only for a year when they began it or were the tax laws amended after a year?

[Anjin-san]

How is Sir Paul McCartney doing?

Next.

[SteveAJones]

I know all that, Steve.

But there was nothing in May 75 that prevented them from giving better coverage of the UK. As it was, everyone had to make the hike from all over the UK (and Europe) to London. Sure, there weren't really any mega-arenas elsewhere in the UK back then, but they could have delayed the tour until early summer and played some open-air shows.

As for 77, I don't even know that they had plans for any UK appearances...?

There were few if any suitable indoor venues in the UK outside of London within which to present their full stage show in May '75...by early summer '75 they were out of the country living as tax exiles, traveling to Morocco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Rhodes etc.

As for 77, following Karac's death in July you may recall there was uncertainty if they would perform together ever again. In fact, Led Zeppelin's hiatus from live performances lasted nearly two years.

[greenman]

Re 75, they could have hired any of the bigger football stadiums. They even have a couple in Scotland. And yes, they were out of the country by early summer 75, but if they had made different plans earlier on in 75, they could have played more UK dates, whether in addition to or instead of the EC shows. Bear in mind too that both EC and any putative summer shows wold have fallen within the same tax year. I believe you used to be able to spend about 2 months in the UK back then without jeopardising your non-resident status.

Re 77, yes I know that, and obviously they get a pass after Karac's tragic death. What I meant was I've never seen reference anywhere to plans they might have made before Karac's death to play any more shows later that year (or possibly the next) in the UK, Europe or elsewhere. Do you know whether they'd pencilled anything in beyond the US tour??

To be fair the use of football grounds for concerts was only just taking off and the band did put alot of effort into putting on a speical rail service for the EC shows. From that point onwards as has been said events took things very much out of their hands with the 79/80 comeback being focused on europe rather than the US.

I don't think you can blame the band for focusing on the US in 69 given that the public/press reaction over there was much more favourable than it was here. When their popularioty started to mount in the UK though we saw regular tours take place from 70-73.

[SteveAJones]

Re 75, they could have hired any of the bigger football stadiums. They even have a couple in Scotland. And yes, they were out of the country by early summer 75, but if they had made different plans earlier on in 75, they could have played more UK dates, whether in addition to or instead of the EC shows. Bear in mind too that both EC and any putative summer shows wold have fallen within the same tax year. I believe you used to be able to spend about 2 months in the UK back then without jeopardising your non-resident status.

Re 77, yes I know that, and obviously they get a pass after Karac's tragic death. What I meant was I've never seen reference anywhere to plans they might have made before Karac's death to play any more shows later that year (or possibly the next) in the UK, Europe or elsewhere. Do you know whether they'd pencilled anything in beyond the US tour??

The Earls Court performances were promoted by Mel Bush. In an interview he gave several years after the event, Bush explained:

"By that time they were a huge attraction and I knew Peter wanted to present them in the biggest and best setting that particular year. I was the first concert promoter to use Earl's Court a couple of years before with David Bowie and Slade. So when Peter was considering venues to use he got in touch. Once it was all up and running we came to a good agreement about the ticket prices which Peter was always keen to keep at a reasonable level."

Re 77, the tentative plan was to embark on a South American tour following the Summer/early Autumn North American dates. I don't think there were any other tour plans under consideration besides that at the time of Karac's death.