Whole lotta rush for Zep tickets
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Rock fans have rushed to register to see Led Zeppelin's comeback gig after the legendary group announced plans for their first live performance in more than two decades.
Robert Plant playing in London, 2006, with his band the Strange Sensation.
Around 20 million people have already applied online to buy tickets for the November 26 concert at London's O2 Arena with the Web site crashing as it struggled to cope with 80,000 visitors a minute, promoters said.
Registration closes on Monday, following which the £125 ($250) tickets will be allocated by lottery.
"The message is to be patient. The Web site will be open until midday Monday September 17 for anyone wanting to register," a spokesman for organizers told the UK's Press Association.
"It is not 'first come, first served' and all successful applicants will be entered into the ballot for tickets to be drawn at random."
The eagerly-awaited reunion will bring together the British band's three surviving members -- singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bass player John Paul Jones -- as part of a tribute concert honoring Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died last year.
Jason Bonham, the son of the band's original drummer John Bonham, will also join the band on stage. Bonham died in 1980 after a drinking binge and the group split shortly afterwards, bringing to an end a decade-long reign as one of the biggest -- and most notorious -- bands in the world.
Famous for songs including "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Kashmir", for their epic live performances and infamous partying, the band have sold more than 200 million records, including more than 100 million in the U.S.
The remaining band members have played together several times since their split, including at Live Aid in 1985. The latest reunion also coincides with a new greatest hits album, "Mothership," due to be released in November.
Described by Plant as a "a close friend and conspirator," Ertegun launched Led Zeppelin's career when he signed them to his Atlantic label, previously known for soul and R&B music, in 1968.
The Who's Pete Townshend, Bill Wyman, Foreigner and young Scottish singer Paolo Nutini -- the last British act Ertegun signed -- will also play at the concert, described as a "tribute from UK artists that Ertegun worked with in a 60-year career," according to a press release.
Money raised from ticket sales will go to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which provides students with annual scholarships to universities in the U.S., UK and Ertegun's native Turkey. E-mail to a friend
