Led Zeppelin Reunion

[Kanada Kev]

A little bit of detail on the show from NME

http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/33075

'Good Times Bad Times'

"The set started with a clip from 'The Song Remains The Same' DVD with an American news clip telling of they broke The Beatles' attendance record for a gig in 1973 in California. Simple stage set, video screen behind the band."

'Ramble On'

"'Ramble On' done in extremely slow, bluesy manner, with shards of electric guitar from Jimmy Page."

'Black Dog'

"Page wearing dark shades, quite muddy sound. Crowd singing the 'ah-ah' bits back at Plant."

'In My Time Of Dying'

"Page is playing bottleneck guitar. Plant spoke for the first time before song, saying 'Good evening'."

'For Your Life'

"That's not something you get to hear often these days, Led Zeppelin giving a song its live debut."

'Trampled Under Foot'

"Before starting Plant told the crowd it was the band's attempt to sound like Robert Johnson's 'Terraplane Blues'."

'Nobody's Fault But Mine'

"There are huge screen's dominating the O2 Arena, they split into four sometimes, goes monochrome, colour etc...quite spectacular."

'No Quarter'

"Following the song Plant paid tribute to John Paul Jones, who played keyboards and bass on the track."

'Since I've Been Loving You'

"A bit of a style guide for you, all the band are dressed in black bar Page who is rocking a white shirt. As for the song they gone for the epic version....very bluesy."

'Dazed And Confused'

"Settle yourselves in, we're expecting a ten minute version of this classic... it was. At the end of it of the song Plant told the audience 'On guitar Jimmy Page, just as he did on 'The Song Remains The Same' DVD which was filmed in Madison Square Garden in the 70s."

'Stairway To Heaven'

"What do you think happened? Right! From the moment those opening notes rang out the whole audience went absolutely crazy. The atmosphere is electric. Afterwards Plant said "Ahmet, we did it!"

'The Song Remains The Same'

"A fairly straight version of the classic. The sound is still a bit muddy and quiet though."

'Misty Mountain Hop'

"Plant kicked this one off by praising the job drummer Jason Bonham has been doing, stepping into his late father's shoes tonight."

'Kashmir'

"Yet another epic, as this song cracks the ten minute mark. Plant introduced this one declaring 'We've got people from 50 countries here and this is the 51st'. Afterwards they left the stage to loud applause. Will they do an encore? What do you reckon..."

'Whole Lotta Love'

"... of course they come back to deafening applause. And it's an extended version of the old 'Top Of The Pops' theme. Then once more the band leave the stage with a visibly emotional Plant declaring:

'Thanks to everybody. Thanks Ahmet Ertegun, this one for is Ahmet Ertegun as we remember the days when Atlantic Records was the best label on the planet!'."

'Rock And Roll'

"Just time for one more, as after two hours the night reaches its climax, and what a stomper to go out on. And after the hype, the millions of people who entered the ticket ballot and the speculation, Led Zeppelin's reunion show is over. A one off? We dearly hope not."

[Kanada Kev]

[balogna pogna]

[color:red]Soundcheck from yesterday.

"Good Times Bad Times"

"Ramble On"

"In My Time Of Dying"

"No Quarter"

"Nobody's Fault But Mine"

"D'yer Mak'er"

"Communication Breakdown"

So if they played D'yer Mak'er & Communication Breakdown at the soundcheck but didn't play them tonight, they are obviously going out on the road.

[AD]

Phil Lesh on guitar? and a poodle singing?

[Esau.]

News Clip with some footage.

[Esau.]

So if they played D'yer Mak'er & Communication Breakdown at the soundcheck but didn't play them tonight, they are obviously going out on the road.

Perhaps. As I mentioned early, my brother was in London yesterday and heard rumor of two shows in Paris, but nothing was confirmed.

[boiler]

damn!!

I'm so happy right now. :content:

I think I listened to Led Zeppelin and the Who exclusively from 15-20. The Greatest Rock and Roll band in the world has returned!!

[Tenenbaum]

just got back

the show was awesome; setlist was great! No Quarter and Dazed were the shit!

but to be brutally honest, the sound was not the greatest; Plant's vocal's weren't crystal clear (there was annoying feedback at times that was going on even during the opening acts; the feedback totally ruined Plant's harmonica solo during Nobody's Fault) and I can't say there was one Page solo that blew my socks off (sonically nor audibly).

but overall, I was overjoyed to be there.

don't be surprised to find out if there's no tour.

merchandise was lame (saved my money, even though shirts sold out); t-shirts had all the opening acts listed (even though ROnnie Wood didn't perform (and what happened to Pete Townsend?!?!).

Anyway, it was all about the music (and apparently in tribute of the guy who founded Atlantic Records) and overall it was great!! But not blow your socks off, holy shit I just flew miles and miles and some dude next to me paid over $80k at an auction for a pair of ticks....

[Kanada Kev]

Supposedly the O2 arena is notoriously brutal for sound. The only gig there that has sounded decent was an Elton John show. Reportedly they had contacted their sound people to get some tips.

I'm sure things would be totally different if a show was ONLY them and they had the PA tuned only for Zep.

Glad you made it to the show. You are def one of the lucky FEW!

[bagochips]

Spokespeople for the legendary group, who will perform with Jason Bonham, the son of late drummer John Bonham, have batted down rumors of a full-blown world tour — and as recently as last month, Plant said it was not in the cards. But Page suggested in an recent Guitar World magazine article that playing just one show would be foolish. "It's a bit silly not to because there is such massive demand," Page told the magazine. "It's a bit selfish to do just one show. If that's it, we probably shouldn't have taken the genie out of the bottle."

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1574740/20071120/led_zeppelin.jhtml

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(even though ROnnie Wood didn't perform (and what happened to Pete Townsend?!?!).

was ronnie wood supposed to play?

and yeah, what's the story about Townsend? did he not show up or something? what are you referring to?

totally jealous that you were there, thanks for thinking to check in here afterwards, this board has tentacles everywhere.

[Tenenbaum]

on all the shirts it lists Ronnie Wood before Zep, but neither him nor Pete performed (and Foreigner only played one song... can u guess which one!?!?!?)

[AD]

weird

wonder what happened there

[hamilton]

I'm trying to figure out why this Led Zeppelin reunion is creepy.

I'm not saying it wasn't a good time, that I wouldn't want to have been there and experience it. But it just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe because I don't buy this hogwash that it's a one-off.

All my sources tell me there's going to be a tour. No one will CONFIRM a tour, but it's a well-known fact that they're going to go on the road. As for Ashley Capps and Bonnaroo...when he contacted me to correct that e-mail I printed, saying it was false, I replied that I would if he guaranteed in writing that Zeppelin absolutely wouldn't play Bonnaroo. I got no response.

Hell, the band's entitled to make a living. If they want to go on the road and people want to pay, I understand it. But it just doesn't feel good. It's kind of like going to the museum.

That's one of the reasons I didn't go see the Police. I remember first hearing "Walking On The Moon", decades ago. That experience is frozen in time. I'm not sure I want to relive it, certainly not with the people in attendance, those now decades older or those too young to be into it the first time around, maybe not even born.

As for Genesis... You wanted to shake the stink from your shoulders. Talk to anybody that went. Genesis used to mean something, even after Peter Gabriel left. I saw them at the Forum, they weren't just a hits act, they carried on the tradition. Now, Phil Collins is leading cheers, he's playing the role of rock star on stage.

Maybe that's the problem... Robert and Jimmy, John Paul Jones and Bonzo...THESE WERE THE GUYS! Who raped and pillaged, who we wanted to be, or fuck, or both. Now they're old men. I was next to a besuited Jimmy Page one evening and I didn't even bother to say hello, I didn't want to mess with my memories.

It's no crime to get old. It's more of badge of honor than o/d'ing at a young age. But to go out and play the role of a young man, that's what's truly weird.

We revere retired baseball players, but we don't want to see them take the field and play nine innings. We don't want our memories fucked with.

And it's not like there's any new music. And, even if there were, would anybody want to hear it?

I guess the show seems to be nostalgia, trying to bring us back to the way things used to be. But those days are through. But they live on in my memory. Inviolate, unchanged. Just like the records. That's one of the great things about music, every time I play the Zeppelin catalog, the songs remain the same.

If it's truly a one-off, then I take it all back. It's about honoring Ahmet. But, unlike Pink Floyd, I don't hear the band members protesting, saying that they're definitely not hitting the road again. I see them collecting e-mail addresses, saying we'll see. "We'll see" in rock and roll means it's gonna happen. Unless the band members get into an awful fight. Like Van Halen back in '96, at the VMAs. Still, the band eventually got together. And as much as I enjoyed it, the show was ultimately meaningless. It brought you back, but it didn't stand for anything. Hell, I don't even imagine there were groupies backstage. And, if there were, I bet David Lee Roth didn't want to fuck most of them.

But Van Halen was about fun. Led Zeppelin was something different. Led Zeppelin was about testing limits. Not playing by the rules. And if they go on the road now, they're just like every other classic rock band trying to make an extra buck.

I guess what I truly lament is the passing of the years, from the days when music was a dividing line, between us and them, to now, when those in charge, who were on the right side then, are now all about the bucks.

In the seventies you listened to the record to know which way the wind blew. Music was the ultimate art form. Hipper than movies, TV paled in comparison. And the profits on records were greater than those on films. Music built the Warner empire.

If Ahmet had known this, he would have waited a few years to sell Atlantic, he would have gotten more money for the company. And believe me, Ahmet liked money, just ask all those who were screwed on royalties. But Ahmet didn't know it was going to continue. He'd had Cream, never mind all the earlier R&B greats. What could come next?

Led Zeppelin. Decades of triumphant acts.

But Ahmet was primarily about the music. He took some money off the table and continued to play. Today's executives want to take ALL the money off the table, and they want the acts to be subservient to them.

You couldn't tell Led Zeppelin what to do. You can tell ANY ACT ON A MAJOR LABEL WHAT TO DO TODAY! So, when everybody in the business is in London tonight rejoicing, my head is spinning. Are these the same guys fucking the business up? Who feel they've got no option but to rape and pillage themselves?

It's only about the money now. Except if you're young. That's why the youngsters have glommed on to Zeppelin. They SENSE that this was something different, a band that played by its own rules, that wasn't afraid to test limits. I only hope that some of the band's fans will be inspired and create or steward equally challenging quality music to the public.

The people who are gonna change the world musically were not in London this evening. They can't afford the buy-in. They're not connected enough to get a ticket. Music has gone from being inclusive to exclusive. Instead of love your brother, we all belong, it's I'm richer than you, FUCK YOU! The best seats aren't even ever sold. And acts and promoters complain that scalpers are making all the money...the fan doesn't count. The fan will pony up the bucks, right?

Wrong.

Used to be the ONLY problem was getting a ticket. NOTHING was overpriced. You went to the gig constantly, it was a way of life, it was a religion. You listened to FM radio to know what to buy, you bought it and went to the show. FREQUENTLY! You had to buy the record before the band hit your town, you wanted to be familiar with the new material, which they were going to play! Don't see them this tour and you might NEVER hear it live, because they'll be on to NEW STUFF!

Now tours are the greatest hits, all the time. Give the public what it wants. But musicians used to LEAD the public, which doesn't really know what it wants. But labels are only interested in the easy sell. And acts are afraid of pissing off their fans. But Neil Young and Bob Dylan can still tour BECAUSE they piss off their fans, you don't know what you're going to get. Therefore, only fans go, and the fans respect them for following their muse.

I don't want to rain on the parade. Anybody who hears music and enjoys it gets a pat on the back from me. Even if I don't like the act to begin with. Music is the grease that makes life worth living.

But the reason I got into music was because of the notes, the performance, the music itself. The trappings came after. Now the trappings are primary.

I guess I do want a return to the old days. When music was religion.

I know it's a religion to some, but it used to be for everybody.

Except the man. The parents. The establishment. They just didn't get it. And that's why we didn't do endorsements, didn't do commercials, because we didn't want to be associated with THOSE PEOPLE! It was AGAINST OUR PRINCIPLES!

But now we've got no principles. Just a guiding light. And that light is money.

And what I smell in this O2 show is money. Not the amount raised for charity, but the vast quantity Zeppelin is going to make on the road. The cost for all the Americans who flew over there. Whereas it used to be you didn't even have to leave town to be a fan. Like that guy in Harry Chapin's "Taxi", you could be stoned in your automobile, grooving to the radio, feeling completely connected with the tunes that emanated from it.

But now you can't listen to terrestrial radio. You don't even know where to start musically. Like that old Stealer's Wheel song said, we've got clowns to the left of us and jokers to the right. Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

And I hope you are stuck here with me. You love the old tunes, but you want music that meaningful again. And it's got to be at least as good as the old stuff. Sure, Sarah McLachlan is tasty, but she's not even in the same LEAGUE as Joni Mitchell. We all love Dave Grohl, but if you mention Foo Fighters and Led Zeppelin in the same sentence, I'm laughing.

What was in the water then? Can those days return, or did we live through the Renaissance, no different from the one that took place in Italy centuries ago. Artists have painted since, but there was only one time when it all came together, when art ruled.

I don't want to watch Michelangelo paint. And if he came back, he'd be hundreds of years old, what he produced would probably be shit. Hell, his legend would inhibit him, he'd probably be UNABLE to paint.

If somehow we could return to the seventies, when each new album was eagerly anticipated and digested, when we were surprised by "Physical Graffiti" and the fact that "Presence" came so soon thereafter, that would be great.

But we can't.

To try to bring back alive that which is already gone... It's impossible. You can try something new, like Plant did with Alison Krauss, but you can't breathe new life into something dead. Led Zeppelin is dead. And one of the reasons it's so revered is that the band didn't carry on after Bonham died, which utterly stunned us. There's no time for carrying on now. Give it a rest. Sell the DVD. Allow those in attendance their badge of honor and their memories. Please don't tarnish the image, the legend. We've whored out rock and roll too much already. It's as if Jesus sold Cadillacs.

What would Jesus do? Well, he's NEVER come back. Maybe that's why people still revere him so!

Interesting. And, for the most part, I pretty much agree with a lot of what he said.

[ollie]

Great article.

[The Chameleon]

In many ways I agree with Lefsetz. I hope this Zeppelin is a one off show and no tour.

put it to bed.

I also think the reason we are seeing so many of these 60's/70's supergroups reuniting is that there are no almost no bands from the 80's, 90's or now that have that much influence or a deep enough catalogue of hits to untie people.

Blame the major record labels. They stopped doind real artist development in 1980 and started focusing on fabricated music and video image. The fallout is we are left 30yrs later still listening to Dark Side of the Moon and the like. We listen to it because nothing that iconic has come out since on that scale.

Sad really.

P.S. For the record the Police and Van Halen were mind blowing and the best big concerts I have seen lately. They were in fine form. I enjoyed seeing them as it was my only chance being too young to catch them first time around.

Edited December 11, 2007 by Guest

[bagochips]

You know, I skipped almost all the major reunion acts these last few years and it wasn't really about the exorbitant cost of the tickets. I mean, I was really taken aback by the price that Genesis and the Police and Roger Waters and Stevie Wonder and Neil Young all of a sudden seemed to think they were worth. It's like they all turned in to Barbara Streisand all of a sudden. But mostly I didn't go because, with the exception of Neil, none of those people have really done anything that interested me since the 1980's.

I did see the Roger Waters show this year, thanks to a friend who hooked me up with a pair of freebies, and I really enjoyed the show, but it was a pretty hollow event. There was nothing new being done. I was seeing a replica of a thing that used to be. A really good cover band.

I know I missed a beautiful night or three by skipping Neil but the $600 for tickets plus all the associated travel expenses will get me into a hell of a lot of bars where young bands with something to say or just the urge to rock the night away will be doing just that.

Rock and roll hasn't died. It's been co-opted to be sure but it's easy enough to skip all that and see the real thing without needing to take out a mortgage just to catch Phil Collins and company.

I had a point here, but it's late and I've lost track of my own rant. Don't mind me. Fuck Led Zeppelin and all the rest of them. On less they come to Bluesfest, or I get free tickets, or ...

[The Chameleon]

Well here is a totally different take on the show, in this review...

Led Zeppelin reunion: the review

The first opinion from NME.COM's critic at the O2 Arena

6 hours ago

You might think it couldn't possibly live up to expectation but, it transpires, the opposite is in fact true of Led Zeppelin's first public appearance in 19 years.

They seem buoyed by the deafening roars that greet their every twitch tonight - everyone present in the O2 Arena is willing their performance to the realms of greatness. It's almost impossible to be subjective, to not be sucked in.

It takes plant three songs before he offers a cursory "good evening". By the time they've blasted through an incendiary 'Good Times Bad Times', a dramatic 'Ramble On' and the stop start rhythms of Black Dog'. He needn't say anything.

Next They launch into 'Nobody's Fault But Mine' and Zep are smiling at each other, only occupying about six foot of the enormous stage. You wouldn't believe this is a band who haven't played together for so long.

They do No Quarter' and they're locked in as tight as if it were the 1970s. Only the close ups on the screen at the back give away their advanced years.

Launchomh into a version of 'Dazed And Confused' that seems to last forever but every last second is enthralling.

Jimmy Page is lit up by lasers and at the song's climax Robert Plant yells out "Jimmy Page on electric guitar!" in a moment the resonates right back to their first heyday.

'Stairway To Heaven' follows. Ridiculous in many ways yet it is a song that everyone present thought was fated to only be performed by dodgy pub covers bands and not again by its creators.

Jimmy has the double headed guitar, bassist John Paul Jones is sat at a keyboard and Plant - contrary to the pre-gig rumours is singing beautifully.

Playing this well known classic proves a shrewd move as it gently reminds everyone present just which, giant-sized rock band they're dealing with.

The final half an hour is comprised of songs so omnipresent it's hard to make any sort of tangible judgement.

'Kashmir' finishes the main set sounding incredible the band take a bow and they're gone.

Rapturous applause follows as you might expect but its nothing compared to the sheer mania that greets the first encore song 'Whole Lotta Love'. Not many bands have one of those, you see.

The middle section veers into space rock territory any young band would be proud of and when that riff returns its well you know how it goes.

Then Led Zep blast through a second encoure of 'Rock And Roll' - paying tribute to their old mentor and the reason this concert is taking place, Ahmet Ertegun, on the way - and, well again... you know how it goes.

If there were sceptics here tonight - there weren't but just for the sake of argument consider it - Led Zeppelin silenced them and banished any rotten memories of their shambolic Live Aid reunion.

More importantly though, what they have done here tonight is prove they can still perform to the level that originally earned them their legendary reputation.

We can only hope this isn't the last we see of them.

Hamish MacBain, NME Live Editor

Story link

Edited December 11, 2007 by Guest

[The Chameleon]

Hey I just found this clip of Black Dog too.

[ersh]

There's a few youtube clips showing up....

[MarcO]

Lefsetz has it bang on, and I mostly concur with jerboa's thoughts. I too received a freebie for the Roger Waters show and while it was certainly at a high level of entertainment value (easily the best SOUNDING arena show I've ever heard - at the freakin' Rogers Centre!) it was just another go round the old catalogue for the most part. Another chance for some people to say "hey I got to go see a legend". Whatever that's worth. And Roger Waters must love it. Look for him to go back on the road in 2008.

Lefsetz's points re the likes of Neil Young and Dylan are also spot on. When I caught the CSNY shows a year or so ago they were inspired, on fire, but why? Not because they got to do "For What It's Worth" for the nth time. Because Neil brought nine or so new songs to the table, most all from Living With War. It was NEW! It was current. Most of the audience didn't know about it, didn't want to know, but just like giving them Greendale back in 2003, Neil just took the ACC stage and did what HE wanted to do. Revved up the whole band around him in doing so. How can you not respect him for it?

The whole reunion thing is weird. You'd think it would be limited to the 60's/70's bands/artists, but check it again: Depeche Mode and Duran Duran do boffo business all around the world. Although they never broke up, Bon Jovi continues to pack arenas almost everywhere.

I am absolutely sure the LZ show was a blast, and they were inspired and on their games. But imagine if Zeppelin had taken the stage and opened with two or three NEW songs. The last thing those 20000 people would have expected, or expected to pay for. That would really grab my attention.

[Jaimoe]

I don't think reunion shows discriminate era-wise. What's left of The Drifters is still touring and do we need another Chubby Checker/Gary U.S. Bonds double-bill?

However, jazz and blues artists seem to be immune to the reunion bug, mabe because they don't retire or lose relevance... and their genres aren't youth based.

Edited December 11, 2007 by Guest

[bagochips]

That is it, Jaimoe. I saw Dave Brubeck with his band of swingin' octogenarians this summer and they were waaaay better than I had hoped. I'll go see John McLaughlin anytime too, for that matter. But rock and roll is a kid's game. Led Zeppelin were Gods of Youth, dripping sex and oozing power and energy. About 40 years ago. Now they are old and no matter how well they play it will never touch anything near what they once were.

Neil, on the other hand, is forever young.

Edited December 11, 2007 by Guest

[The Chameleon]

I don't think reunion shows discriminate era-wise. What's left of The Drifters is still touring and do we need another Chubby Checker/Gary U.S. Bonds double-bill?

However, jazz and blues artists seem to be immune to the reunion bug, mabe because they don't retire or lose relevance... and their genres aren't youth based.

That is exactly bang on. Jazz and blues artists never fall into trap as their craft only gets better and matures like a fine wine. Their craft was never based on image.

[Jaimoe]

And reunions of any era further prooves that history repeats itself. We of younger generations have been conditioned at a young age to accept that 50's and early 60's rock & roll acts did nostalgia tours, performing with a few original (re: surviving) band members and often pared with other geriatric artitsts on the multi-bill amphitheatre or casino concert circuit: The Dave Clark Five with The Hollies and special guest Gerry and the Pacemakers etc...

Why is it any different when one of our hero bands reunites? Sure, music and pop culture relevance of late 60's and 70's bands resonates far longer and stronger than 50's bands not named Elvis, but these artists are not immune to falling into the same trappings as rock's founding fathers.