Robert Plant has been forced to withdraw from this year’s Meltdown Festival.
Plant, along with Jimmy Page, is fighting a court case surrounding the origins of Led Zeppelin‘s classic rock track ‘Stairway To Heaven‘, a case originally set to appear before a US jury in Los Angeles earlier this month.
However, with the hearing now moved to June 14th, it will clash with Plant’s prior arranged commitments at the Guy Garvey-curated event, sparking the following statement:
“It’s with great disappointment that Robert Plant must cancel his appearance at this year’s Meltdown Festival.”
“Robert is a defendant in a court case in LA which was due to take place May 10th. Through court rearrangements, the hearing has been moved to June 14th.”
“Robert has been proud to contribute towards the British Red Cross/Refugee awareness campaign through his participation on the Long Rd EP.”
“The Elbow song ‘Blanket Of Night’ is a spellbinding and remarkable succinct piece of music. ”
“Robert has been enthusiastic to help in any way to the increased awareness and support of so many powerless and distraught peoples. Therefore the opportunity afforded at Guy Garvey’s Meltdown was an event that Robert was passionately drawn to.”
Plant and Page are contesting a lawsuit brought by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for the late Randy Wolfe who was a part of the sixties band Spirit. He wrote an instrumental entitled ‘Taurus‘ in 1967, and the track’s opening chords are alleged to have been stolen by Led Zep on ‘Stairway To Heaven’.
That is such bullshit I played guitar for over 35 years I just listend to tourist by spirit not even close to stairway what pisses me off is o had to listen to a shit band that’s just trying to cash in on a bullshit law suit Spirit sucked so they try to sue the greatest rock band there ever was