Led Zeppelin Tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany, Summer 1970
Encyclopedia
Led Zeppelin
's Summer 1970 tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany was a concert tour by the English
rock
band
. The tour commenced on June 22 and concluded on July 19, 1970.
to headline the Bath Festival, in Shepton Mallet
, at a fee of ₤20,000. This was the second time Led Zeppelin performed at this festival, having also appeared at the Bath Festival of Blues
during their U.K. tour in summer 1969
.
The band's performance at Bath in 1970 in front of an audience of 150,000 people is widely considered by music critics, and members of Led Zeppelin itself, as representing a turning point in terms of the amount of recognition they received in Britain
. Until that point their on-stage success and popularity had largely been borne out on numerous United States
concert tours
. This concert helped foster an improved relationship with the U.K. press, which gave them consistently good reviews for their performance at the festival. Tantalisingly, however, the only known audio documents of the festival exist in very poor quality as Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
.
This tour is also notable for the band's visit to Iceland
for their opening show at Laugardalshöll
. It was this visit which inspired singer Robert Plant
to write the lyrics to "Immigrant Song
", which was subsequently featured on their forthcoming album Led Zeppelin III
. This song premiered at the Bath Festival, just six days after their show in Iceland. A short segment of footage of Jimmy Page
playing bowed guitar
during "Dazed and Confused" during Led Zeppelin's performance at Laugardalshöll was included on the menu clips of the Led Zeppelin DVD (2003).
The July 17th performance at the Grugahalle
in Essen
was cut short by rowdy fans. The performance had sold out, and a large group of disgruntled fans who had been unable to purchase tickets gathered outside, insisting to be let in. The local Polizei decided to let them in as a way of heading off any potential trouble, but that decision backfired as some started to throw beer bottles at the band.
for the tour was:
Encore:
There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
's Summer 1970 tour of Iceland, Bath and Germany was a concert tour by the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. The tour commenced on June 22 and concluded on July 19, 1970.
Overview
Led Zeppelin's sole performance in England during this tour was one of the most important of the band's career. They accepted an offer from promoter Freddy BannisterFreddy Bannister
Freddy Bannister was a leading UK concert promoter during the 1960s and 1970s, and was the founder of the Bath Festival of Blues 1969, the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970 and the Knebworth festivals.Bannister started promoting music acts through his father-in-law in 1959,...
to headline the Bath Festival, in Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet
Shepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
, at a fee of ₤20,000. This was the second time Led Zeppelin performed at this festival, having also appeared at the Bath Festival of Blues
Bath Festival of Blues 1969
The Bath Festival of Blues was a music festival held at the Bath Pavilion Recreational Ground in Bath, Somerset, England, on Saturday 28th June 1969. It featured a lineup of British blues bands, including Fleetwood Mac , John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Ten Years After, Led Zeppelin, The Nice, Chicken...
during their U.K. tour in summer 1969
Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour Summer 1969
Led Zeppelin's Summer 1969 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 8 June and concluded on 29 June 1969. It included a single show in Paris, France, performed for French television...
.
The band's performance at Bath in 1970 in front of an audience of 150,000 people is widely considered by music critics, and members of Led Zeppelin itself, as representing a turning point in terms of the amount of recognition they received in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Until that point their on-stage success and popularity had largely been borne out on numerous United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
concert tours
Led Zeppelin concerts
From September 1968 through the summer of 1980, English rock group Led Zeppelin were one of the world's most popular live music attractions, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world.-History:...
. This concert helped foster an improved relationship with the U.K. press, which gave them consistently good reviews for their performance at the festival. Tantalisingly, however, the only known audio documents of the festival exist in very poor quality as Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings
The Led Zeppelin bootleg recordings are a collection of audio and video recordings of musical performances by English rock band Led Zeppelin which were never officially released by the band, or under other legal authority. The recordings consist of both live concert performances and outtakes from...
.
This tour is also notable for the band's visit to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
for their opening show at Laugardalshöll
Laugardalshöll
Laugardalshöll is an indoor sporting arena located in Reykjavík, Iceland. The capacity of the arena is 5,500 people.It hosts various sporting events, such as team handball....
. It was this visit which inspired singer Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
to write the lyrics to "Immigrant Song
Immigrant Song
"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a single from their third album, Led Zeppelin III, in 1970.-Overview:...
", which was subsequently featured on their forthcoming album Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III
Led Zeppelin III is the third studio album by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was recorded between January and July 1970 and released on 5 October 1970 by Atlantic Records. Composed largely at a remote cottage in Wales known as Bron-Yr-Aur, this work represented a maturing of the band's...
. This song premiered at the Bath Festival, just six days after their show in Iceland. A short segment of footage of Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
playing bowed guitar
Bowed guitar
Bowed guitar is a method of playing a guitar, acoustic or electric, in which the guitarist uses a bow to play the instrument, similar to playing a cello or a viola da gamba. Unlike other bowed instruments, the guitar has a flat bridge, making it difficult to bow individual notes on the middle strings...
during "Dazed and Confused" during Led Zeppelin's performance at Laugardalshöll was included on the menu clips of the Led Zeppelin DVD (2003).
The July 17th performance at the Grugahalle
Grugahalle
Grugahalle is an indoor sports arena, located in Essen, Germany. Opened in 1958, the seating capacity of the arena is 5,309 people, for sporting events and 7,800, for concerts.It is currently home to the TUSEM Essen handball team....
in Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
was cut short by rowdy fans. The performance had sold out, and a large group of disgruntled fans who had been unable to purchase tickets gathered outside, insisting to be let in. The local Polizei decided to let them in as a way of heading off any potential trouble, but that decision backfired as some started to throw beer bottles at the band.
Tour set list
The fairly typical set listSet list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
for the tour was:
- "Immigrant SongImmigrant Song"Immigrant Song" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. It was released as a single from their third album, Led Zeppelin III, in 1970.-Overview:...
" (PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
, PlantRobert PlantRobert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
) - "HeartbreakerHeartbreaker (Led Zeppelin song)"Heartbreaker" is a song from English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1969 album, Led Zeppelin II. It was credited to all four members of the band, having been recorded at A&R Studios, New York, during the band's second concert tour of the United States, and was engineered by Eddie Kramer."Heartbreaker"...
" (BonhamJohn BonhamJohn Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
, Page, Plant) - "Dazed and Confused" (Page)
- "Bring It On Home" (Page, Plant, DixonWillie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
) - "Since I've Been Loving YouSince I've Been Loving You"Since I've Been Loving You" is a blues-rock song in C minor by English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on the 1970 album Led Zeppelin III.-Overview:...
" (Page, Plant, JonesJohn Paul Jones (musician)John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
) - "Organ Solo"/"Thank YouThank You (Led Zeppelin song)"Thank You" is a song written by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page that was released by English rock band Led Zeppelin on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II.-Overview:...
" (Page, Plant) - "That's the Way" (Page, Plant)
- "What Is and What Should Never BeWhat Is and What Should Never Be"What Is and What Should Never Be" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin on their 1969 album Led Zeppelin II. It was written by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....
" (Page, Plant) - "Moby Dick" (Page, Jones, Bonham)
- "How Many More TimesHow Many More Times"How Many More Times" is the ninth and final track on English rock band Led Zeppelin's 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin. The song is credited in the album liner to Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham, but is listed by ASCAP as written by all four members of the band.-Album version:At eight...
" (Plant, Jones, Bonham, Plant)
Encore:
- "Whole Lotta LoveWhole Lotta Love"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...
" (DixonWillie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
, Page, Plant, Jones, Bonham) - "Communication BreakdownCommunication Breakdown"Communication Breakdown" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, from their 1969 debut album Led Zeppelin.- Structure :The pounding guitar riff was played by Page through a small, miked Supro amplifier throughout; and ran his Fender Telecaster through a fully closed Vox wah pedal to...
" (Page, Jones, Bonham)
There were some set list substitutions, variations, and order switches during the tour.
Tour dates
- 22/06/1970 LaugardalshöllLaugardalshöllLaugardalshöll is an indoor sporting arena located in Reykjavík, Iceland. The capacity of the arena is 5,500 people.It hosts various sporting events, such as team handball....
- ReykjavikReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population... - 28/06/1970 Bath FestivalBath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music 1970The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a music festival held at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England on 27–28 June 1970.-Overview:...
- Shepton MalletShepton MalletShepton Mallet is a small rural town and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset in South West England. Situated approximately south of Bristol and east of Wells, the town is estimated to have a population of 9,700. It contains the administrative headquarters of Mendip District Council...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... - 16/07/1970 Sporthalle - CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... - 17/07/1970 GrugahalleGrugahalleGrugahalle is an indoor sports arena, located in Essen, Germany. Opened in 1958, the seating capacity of the arena is 5,309 people, for sporting events and 7,800, for concerts.It is currently home to the TUSEM Essen handball team....
- EssenEssen- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Germany - 18/07/1970 FesthalleFesthalle FrankfurtThe Festhalle Frankfurt in Frankfurt, Germany in Frankfurt is a representative Built in 1907 and 1908 multi-purpose hall at the Frankfurt Exhibition Centre. The interior of about 40 metres high dome provides an area of 5646 square metres up to 4880 seats...
- FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany - 19/07/1970 DeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalleDeutschlandhalle is an arena in the Westend neighbourhood of Berlin, Germany. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1935 by Adolf Hitler. The building has been granted landmark status in 1995....
- BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Sources
- Lewis, Dave and Pallett, Simon (1997) Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-5307-4.
- Grugahalle account is first hand observation by author - I was there.