Based on the videos I've seen, they were somewhere between OK to awful those nights.
Posted on 05/29/2021 7:41:08 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Issue 26 of Rock Candy magazine sees renowned LED ZEPPELIN expert Dave Lewis piecing together the most comprehensive forensic examination ever of the last two shows the original lineup played in the U.K., with the band's close confidant and tour manager Richard Cole confirming in a new interview that "Knebworth was never planned as some sort of grand farewell." Sadly, the death of drummer John Bonham on September 25, 1980 meant that ZEPPELIN split in December of that year.
On August 4 and August 11, 1979, LED ZEPPELIN appeared in the grounds of the English stately home Knebworth House. The band hadn't performed in the U.K. since 1975, or anywhere else since 1977. Punk rock had happened in the meantime, but ZEPPELIN's bullish manager Peter Grant was determined to put on a show to prove his group was still the biggest commercial juggernaut around. The fee Grant was able to negotiate for the band — £1 million for one show — was reputed to be the biggest ever paid to a single act at the time, and proved beyond doubt that ZEPPELIN were still the kings of rock.
The two events — with artists including Todd Rundgren, Southside Johnny and FAIRPORT CONVENTION in support — were huge successes. But Grant and promoter Freddy Bannister disagreed over attendance figures, leading to much bad blood between the two men. Grant even sent aerial photographs of the event to be analyzed in a lab in an attempt to prove that Bannister was lying over the numbers. Grant's intimidating manner led Bannister to claim that the dispute made him "scared for the safety of my family." The whole Knebworth project left Bannister with such debts that he was forced to liquidate his company.
Running at over 7,000 words and 12 pages, and featuring both rare memorabilia and personal photos of the event, Dave Lewis and Rock Candy magazine have produced the kind of article you rarely see these days, compiled with love and deep knowledge by people who know their rock inside out and back to front.
Rock Candy magazine is available in print format with a free digital download version for anyone who buys the mag online at www.rockcandymag.com.
Based on the videos I've seen, they were somewhere between OK to awful those nights.
I’ve been meaning to post this cover of the Immigrant Song. Seems like an opportunity
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0PiVI0E2Cqc
I just never really got into it. Some of the people I knew back then got into it. But, for some reason it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
I was a big fan, bought their albums, saw them in concert... then I saw The Song Remains the Same movie and concluded that they were all about as boring as it gets. Never had any interest in them after watching that.
I hear you. I thought they were o k but nothing more.
Zeppelin and Sabbath had similar trajectories ..one of them being both bands shone live for the first few years and then struggled to recreate the recordings by around the same time:1972. Another freeper above mentioned their distaste with the Song Remains the Same film...I agree it’s awful especially vocally. Neither Ozzy or Plant could sing high live by then any longer. Must have been frustrating for them to reach that high and miss.
Zep. Great studio albums, but couldn’t even come close to The Who in their live shows.
Even Grand Funk Railroad blew them off the stage, which is why Peter Grant threatened GFR’s manager, if they didn’t leave the tour.
Saw their second to last concert in Nuremberg Germany, Bonham passed out going into the 4th song, concert got rescheduled but he died a month or two later
Was there on the fourth. Opening chords of Stairway were my last memory...
I liked their first album enough to go to a show in Long Beach around 1970.
Jethro Tull was the warmup band, believe it or not.
I was underwhelmed by the Zep performance.
Yeah, they did the album stuff, but seemed to be missing energy.
The Who never failed to deliver.
Eerie, just posted about the same thoughts. The Who exceeded their recorded stuff by an insane amount.
I liked LZ studio albums but I always thought their live stuff sucked.
That is until I saw the 2012 O2 concert “Celebration Day”.
Amazing!
I loved GFR.
Never really cared much for LZ, Black Sabbath or the Stones to some extent.
I much prefer Steve Winwood and Eric Clapton.
Bullshit. Led Zeppelin was all-time amazing. Had the fortune of catching Plant and Page at Kemper Arena in Kansas City in the 90s. Wow. Robert Plant had the best vocals, in his prime, ever!
The finest drummer in the history of rock, in his finest performance.
Legendary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWOuzYvksRw
I went to the No Quarter concerts in Portland, Tacoma and the Gorge. The BEST concerts in my life!
My number one band. All through high school 1989s. Hands down
Pink Floyd. And lynyrd skynyrd. We’re 2-3
I’ve seen them twice.
They sucked both times. Absolutely sucked.
But I’ve seen videos of some decent performances.
I just posted one.
Jimmy Page is on fire in that video as well, despite being a 90 lb heroin waif lighter than his Les Paul. Plant mails it in, as usual, so boring in LZ concerts since 1972 or so.
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