Are The Bonnaroo Organizers Trying To Fake Out Led Zeppelin Fans?

noah | February 6, 2008 12:00 pm
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We all got some late-night roffles when multiple news outlets ran with the fake news that Led Zeppelin would be playing Bonnaroo this year, even though the official lineup announcement said that all-lesbian lady Led Zep tribute band Lez Zeppelin would be playing. But what if the announcement of the not-real thing was a way to throw Led Zeppelin diehards off, and make sure that true Bonnaroo fans get their tickets first? One of our commenters, A Roach, thinks this might be the case! He explains: “For argument’s sake, lets say [Led Zeppelin] really ARE headling. No way could Superfly announce it before tickets go on sale–the thing would sell out instantly with people who don’t usually go to Bonnaroo. The “real” Roo fans would largely be shut out (or at least left to the luck of the draw). This would be a disaster for Superfly: the loyalty/brand would be damaged, and the fans who have gone every year would crucify them. But Superfly knows this.”

More conspiracizing after the jump!

So instead, they wait until tickets are already on sale to announce Zeppelin– but they also float the idea out there informally, as a “wink wink, nudge nudge” to the fans that follow live music closely. Even better, they book LEZ Zeppelin so that they can point to a specific point that’s causing all the confusion.

I also think that if this is the case, it was genius to announce the lineup at midnight. The drama/confusion plays out overnight, rather than during the day when everyone is at work checking the internet. By the morning, they knew all this would be cleared up– and tickets will go on sale with a normal health demand.

Bonnaroo tickets will sell out regardless, like they have the past few years. They don’t need to announce Zeppelin on day 1.

I know it’s a long shot, I know it’s a crazy complicated conspiracy theory. But it’s also EXACTLY the way to work the situation if it’s true.

Hmm. Hmmmm! It sounds crazy enough to be sorta… plausible?

Earlier: A Roach’s comment [Photo: AP]