Led Zeppelin concerts
Encyclopedia
Led Zeppelin Scandinavian Tour 1968
Led Zeppelin's 1968 tour of Scandinavia was a concert tour of Denmark and Sweden by the English rock band. The tour commenced on September 7 and concluded on September 17, 1968. It was Led Zeppelin's first concert tour...
through the summer of 1980
Tour Over Europe 1980
Tour Over Europe 1980 was the last concert tour by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The tour commenced on June 17 and concluded on July 7, 1980...
, 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 group Led Zeppelin
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...
were one of the world's most popular live music attractions, performing hundreds of sold-out concerts around the world.
History
Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, Led Zeppelin made numerous concert tours of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the United Kingdom
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...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
in particular. They performed over 600 concerts, initially playing small clubs and ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
s and then, as their popularity increased, larger venues and arenas as well.
In the early years of their existence, Led Zeppelin made a concerted effort to establish themselves as a compelling live music act. As was recalled by bass player John Paul Jones
John 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...
:
However, though the band made several early tours of the UK, by far the bulk of Led Zeppelin's live concerts were performed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which was settled on as the primary foundation for their fame and accomplishment. In 1969, for example, all but thirty-three of the band's 139 shows were performed in the US, and between the years 1968 and 1971 they made no fewer than nine tours of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. "It felt like a vacuum and we'd arrived to fill it," guitarist 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...
once told journalist Cameron Crowe
Cameron Crowe
Cameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
. "It was like a tornado, and it went rolling across the country." After touring almost incessantly during its early years, Led Zeppelin later limited its tour appearances to alternating years - 1973, 1975, 1977 and 1979.
From the early 1970s, the commercial and popular drawing power of Led Zeppelin was such that the band began to embark on major stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
tours which attracted even vaster crowds than they had previously. During their 1973 tour of the United States
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1973
Led Zeppelin's 1973 North American Tour was the ninth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on May 4 and concluding on July 29, 1973...
, they played to 56,800 fans at Tampa Stadium
Houlihan's Stadium
Tampa Stadium was a sports venue located at 4201 North Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida, USA...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, breaking the record set by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in 1965. Similar crowds were drawn on the Led Zeppelin's subsequent US tours, and they continued to break attendance records (on April 30, 1977 they played to 76,229 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, a world record attendance for a solo indoor attraction). It is for these reasons that Led Zeppelin, as much as any other band or artist in this era, is widely credited for helping to establish what has come be known as stadium rock
Arena rock
Arena rock is a term used to describe rock music that utilised large arena venues, particularly sports venues, for concerts or series of concerts linked in tours...
. Many critics attribute the band's rapid rise as much to their tremendous appeal as a live act as they do to the quality of their studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
albums.
Led Zeppelin also performed at several music festivals over the years, including the Atlanta International
Atlanta International Pop Festival (1969)
The first Atlanta International Pop Festival was a music festival held at the Atlanta International Raceway on the July Fourth and weekend, 1969, more than a month before Woodstock. It was organized by Alex Cooley, who later went on to organize the Texas International Pop Festival. The crowd...
and the Texas International
Texas International Pop Festival
The Texas International Pop Festival was a music festival held at Lewisville, Texas, on Labor Day weekend, August 30-September 1, 1969. It occurred two weeks after Woodstock...
Pop Festivals in 1969, 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...
in 1969 and the next one in 1970, the "Days on the Green
Days on the Green
Day On The Green was the name of a concert series in Oakland, California, presented by promoter Bill Graham and his company Bill Graham Presents. Held at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium, these events began in 1973 and continued into the early 1990s. The last Day On The Green overseen by Graham took...
" in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
in 1977, and the Knebworth Music Festival
Knebworth Festival 1979
The Knebworth Festival 1979 consisted of two concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin and other artists at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1979.-History:...
in 1979.
Characteristics
Led Zeppelin's reputation as a compelling live act is often attributed to the tight understanding and musical chemistry achieved between all four group members, combined with a shared willingness to try new things on-stage, which resulted in dynamic, unpredictable performances.As is noted by Led Zeppelin experts Dave Lewis and Simon Pallett:
Led Zeppelin have been described as the kind of group that actually rehearsed on stage, experimenting with the reaction of the audiences to new material and letting the pieces mature through the live experience. Several tracks from their albums were debuted on stage well before their official release on vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
. Jimmy Page himself has said that most of the band's songs were designed for live performance.
In an interview he gave to Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
magazine in 2005, Page elaborated:
Led Zeppelin concerts typically included expanded, live versions of their song repertoire, often incorporating elements of James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Stax
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
and Motown-influenced soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
(favourites of Jones and drummer John Bonham
John Bonham
John 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...
). The quartet also loved American rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, being inspired by the exuberant styles of Fats Domino
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino, Jr. is an American R&B and rock and roll pianist and singer-songwriter. He was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Creole was his first language....
and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
. Led Zeppelin would additionally perform rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
songs originally made famous by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran
Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly songs, such as "C'mon Everybody", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues", captured teenage frustration and desire in the...
. As described by Cameron Crowe, "[Led] Zeppelin live was a direct descendant from Elvis' early shows. Raw, direct, a reminder of when rock was young."
With such shared enthusiasm for playing a diverse range of musical styles coupled with their emphasis on extended improvisation, Led Zeppelin's concerts frequently extended for several hours. Recalled Jones:
After their 1977 tour of the United States (which turned out to be their last major tour), the band chose to abandon much of the "mystical" image that surrounded them up to that point, the members would wear ordinary street clothes during their concerts and the setlist was toned down by excluding long, elaborate solo numbers like John Bonham's Moby Dick and Jimmy Page's trademark bowed guitar solo accompanied by a laser show. Note that the latter was included in their four 1979 concerts but omitted from the 1980 tour.
Recordings and live concert footage
Many of the band's shows have been preserved as Led Zeppelin bootleg recordingsLed 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...
, which continue to be prized by collectors and fans. In addition, footage of Led Zeppelin concerts has been released officially on the band's 1973 concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
The Song Remains the Same
The Song Remains the Same (film)
The Song Remains the Same is a concert film by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The recording of the film took place during three nights of concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City, during the band's 1973 concert tour of the United States. The film premiered on 20 October 1976, at...
, and on the Led Zeppelin DVD (2003). However, unlike other artists of the era such as The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, comparatively little official concert footage exists of Led Zeppelin. This is largely because of the successful efforts of manager Peter Grant to limit the exposure of the band to television appearances, in order to encourage fans who wanted to see the band to attend Led Zeppelin concerts. Of the few professionally shot concerts the band did, (excluding their July 1973 concert at Madison Square Garden on The Song Remains The Same) six are today available to fans through bootlegs. These concerts includes the two last nights of their five-concert run at Earl's Court in London in May 1975, their show in Seattle's Kingdome
Kingdome
The Kingdome was a multi-purpose stadium located in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood. Owned and operated by King County, the Kingdome opened in 1976 and was best known as the home stadium of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League , the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball , and the...
in 1977 and their two shows at Knebworth in August 1979. In addition to these, their Royal Albert Hall performance from January 1970 is also available. Despite the fact it is a rare opportunity to see the band's earlier days (one can compare the expanding and improvisation of songs from that period to how the songs grew and developed even more later), its value has been superseded after the near-complete performance was released officially on 2003's DVD.
Concert tour chronology
|
Led Zeppelin European Tour 1971 Led Zeppelin's 1971 European Tour was a concert tour of Europe by the English rock band. The tour commenced on May 3 and concluded on July 5, 1971. It included one concert at Liverpool, England, which was a rescheduled date from their preceding tour of the United Kingdom... Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1971 Led Zeppelin's 1971 North American Tour was the seventh concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour commenced on August 7 and concluded on September 17, 1971. It included two warm-up shows in Montreux, Switzerland.... Led Zeppelin Japanese Tour 1971 Led Zeppelin's 1971 Japanese Tour was the first concert tour of Japan by the English rock band. The tour commenced on September 23 and concluded on September 29, 1971. It was one of the first tours of Japan by a western rock band.... Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour Winter 1971 Led Zeppelin's Winter 1971 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 11 November and concluded on 15 December 1971.... Led Zeppelin Australasian Tour 1972 Led Zeppelin's 1972 Australasian Tour was the only concert tour of Australia and New Zealand by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 16 February and concluded on 29 February 1972... Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1972 Led Zeppelin's 1972 North American Tour was the eighth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on May 27 and concluding on June 28, 1972. It included two warm-up shows in Europe.... Led Zeppelin Japanese Tour 1972 Led Zeppelin's 1972 Japanese Tour was the second and final concert tour of Japan by the English rock band. The tour commenced on October 2 and concluded on October 10, 1972.... Led Zeppelin United Kingdom Tour 1972/1973 Led Zeppelin's 1972-1973 United Kingdom Tour was a concert tour of the United Kingdom by the English rock band. The tour commenced on 28 October 1972 and concluded on 30 January 1973.-History:... Led Zeppelin European Tour 1973 Led Zeppelin's 1973 European Tour was a concert tour of Europe by the English rock band. The tour commenced on March 2 and concluded on April 2, 1973.This tour began just four weeks after Led Zeppelin's previous tour of the United Kingdom... Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1973 Led Zeppelin's 1973 North American Tour was the ninth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on May 4 and concluding on July 29, 1973... Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1975 Led Zeppelin's 1975 North American Tour was the tenth concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into two legs, with performances commencing on January 18 and concluding on March 27, 1975... Earls Court 1975 Earls Court 1975 were five concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin at Earls Court Arena in London in May 1975.-Overview:The concerts were initially booked for three nights on May 23, 24 and 25, but due to unprecedented public demand , two further dates were added for May 17 and 18,... Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1977 Led Zeppelin's 1977 North American Tour was the eleventh and final concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into three legs, with performances commencing on 1 April and concluding on 24 July 1977... Knebworth Festival 1979 The Knebworth Festival 1979 consisted of two concerts performed by the English rock band Led Zeppelin and other artists at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, England, in August 1979.-History:... Tour Over Europe 1980 Tour Over Europe 1980 was the last concert tour by the English rock band Led Zeppelin. The tour commenced on June 17 and concluded on July 7, 1980... |
Reunion concerts
Since Led Zeppelin disbanded following the death of drummer John BonhamJohn Bonham
John 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...
in 1980, the three surviving members of the band have reunited publicly on-stage on just a few occasions.
- On July 13, 1985 they performed at the Live AidLive AidLive Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
concert at JFK StadiumJohn F. Kennedy StadiumJohn F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
, PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, for a short set featuring drummers Tony ThompsonTony ThompsonAnthony T. "Tony" Thompson was a session drummer best known as a member of Chic. He was raised in the middle-class community of Springfield Gardens, in Queens, NY.-Chic:...
and Phil CollinsPhil CollinsPhilip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
.
- In May 1988, at the Atlantic Records 40th AnniversaryAtlantic Records 40th AnniversaryOn 14 May 1988 the Atlantic Records label held its 40th Anniversary Celebration by staging a non-stop concert lasting almost 13 hours at Madison Square Garden, New York. The event was dubbed "It's Only Rock And Roll"....
concert, with Bonham's son, Jason BonhamJason BonhamJason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
, on drums.
- On January 12, 1995, at Led Zeppelin's induction into the United States Rock and Roll Hall of FameRock and Roll Hall of FameThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. For this latter event, the members played a brief set with AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
's vocalist, Steven TylerSteven TylerSteven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
and guitarist Joe PerryJoe Perry (musician)Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
, along with Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and Michael BellMichael BellMichael Patrick Bell is an American actor and voice actor. He is most commonly credited in video games, animated movies, and television series.-1970s and 1980s voice work:Bell is a mainstay of 1970s and 1980s animation...
.
- On December 10, 2007, at the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute ConcertAhmet Ertegün Tribute ConcertThe Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert was a benefit concert held in memory of music executive Ahmet Ertegün at The O2 in London on December 10, 2007. The headline act was the English rock band, Led Zeppelin, who performed their first full-length concert since the death of drummer John Bonham in 1980,...
at The O2The O2 arena (London)The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London, with Jason BonhamJason BonhamJason John Bonham is an English drummer. Jason's parents are Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and his wife Pat Phillips. After his father's death in 1980, he has played with Led Zeppelin on different occasions, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in...
again filling in on drums. While Robert 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...
made his position regarding a subsequent reunion tour known to the Sunday Times ("The whole idea of being on a cavalcade of merciless repetition is not what it's all about"), he also mentioned that he could be in favour of more one-off shows in the near future: "It wouldn't be such a bad idea to play together from time to time."
External links
- Comprehensive archive of known concert appearances by Led Zeppelin (official website)
- LedZepConcerts.com
- Led Zeppelin concert setlists
- Studio Koncet, Danish TV- 18 May 1969. 32 min. long
Sources
- Lewis, Dave and Pallett, Simon (1997) Led Zeppelin: The Concert File, London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-5307-4.