Needless to say, us dirtbags needed more. On to Led Zep 4. Then 1. Then 3. The official release order wasn’t important – discovery was. It was all too much, and we couldn’t get enough. It’s like this, you know that feeling as an adult, where you discover something you thought you’d never like or never heard of – like sushi, wine, or Family Guy? Now that you had your first taste, you’re pissed, because of all this time you could have been listening to “Tangerine”, “When the Levee Breaks”, or “Communication Breakdown” – you were buying Beatles and Sly and the Family Stone 45s. Nothing against those bands, but I had just discovered 2 drugs. If I could have smoked Led Zep, I would have.

“Houses of the Holy” and “Physical Graffiti” both came out when I was in Junior High. Right place - right time. I’m a New York teen, and I just got a quick intro to the world’s greatest band, and now just a couple of years apart there’s new Led Zep. The requisite Led Zeppelin poster on my bedroom wall, a few t-shirts. If I told you my Junior High School yearbook quote was “Zeppelin’s The Greatest” you might not believe me, but I still have the proof in a box in my basement. “Houses of the Holy” – I had it on 8 track.  

To this day my friends insist we went to the Madison Square Garden shows, which later became the movie “Song Remains the Same”. We weren’t there. We weren’t so high that I’d forget it. I’m fairly certain our parents figured out the whole drug thing, and connected it to the Zeppelin noise wafting out of each of our bedrooms. Instead our first concert was Jethro Tull. The parents thought “he” was a “performer”, and since “he” had a flute, how evil could he really be? “A Passion Play” kind of sounds like an opera. But I remember the whole thing going down at the Garden. With the amount of times Zep played New York City, I had my chances, but changing musical tastes and changing friends, you know what happens. It’s how I ended up seeing way too many Grateful Dead shows instead.

Over the years my passion for music brought me other heroes: Grateful Dead, Tom Waits, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis. It brought me other styles: after The Dead it was Punk, then Jazz, then Roots and Americana. But honestly, after sitting in radio stations for 25 years, the Zeppelin stuff – it doesn’t get old. It doesn’t get tired. And I’m probably like you – I’ve had my fill of “Dyer Maker”, “The Ocean”, “Going to California” and we can all end the “Stairway to Heaven” jokes now. Fact: It’s the greatest Rock song ever, period. Every Rock Radio station, including my own, Seattle’s legendary KISW, will tell you, with research to back it up, that “Stairway to Heaven” is THE number 1 song year after year. It’s just that damned good. It is literally perfect. I just can’t listen to it anymore. Sorry.

And for my money, Led Zeppelin ended with “Physical Graffiti”. “Presence” was over everyone’s head. “Achilles Last Stand” was a good song, but at this point my dear Led Zep had transformed into a self-indulgent guitar attack. Robert Plant had been in a car accident and Jimmy Page discovered heroin. This did not make for a great album.

 

Coda? Forget it.

“In Through the Out Door”? By now I’m in college and have discovered The Clash. This milquetoast, blasé, synthesizer driven garbage is not the band I loved. It was Plant and Jones album. Page and Bonham had other things going on at the time. To make it worse, a Zeppelin song is now climbing The Top 40 charts. Hey, I’m a college student, I’ve discovered Punk Rock, my favorite band has turned itself over to top 40… I’m done.

Then John Bonham died. I’m too self absorbed to get it at the time. Too distanced to realize the greatest rock band, ever - EVER - will never play again. And they didn’t (I don’t count the Page/Plant “project’), but now they are.

First it’s a rumor, then it’s announced. I have to go, do I have a choice? I feel like I’m 17, and me and my motley crew of the usual dirtbags have decided to pack up our cars with food, drugs and Grateful Dead tickets and hit every stop of their Northeast tour. We’re going and nothing is going to stop us, plain and simple. I am determined to make a journey for a lost weekend in London to see Led Zeppelin.

A couple of things are going to be vital for this trip. The first 6 Zep albums on my iPod – check. The new “Song Remains the Same” on DVD - check. I guess I’ll need money. Tickets to the show – check. I’m fortunate to know people in the music business. While I pass at most everything, this I did take advantage of. Full disclosure: I paid the full price of $500.00 for a pair of tickets like everyone else, and the seats were mid arena, 2 sections up. I’m obviously not complaining. I know I was lucky.

If your reading this, you fall somewhere between the casual Led Zep fan, and hardcore Zep head. You’ve heard the music anywhere from quite a bit, to way too much. For us, the hardcore, there is no “too much”. So when I tell you that a good pair of headphones, combined with 6 albums worth of music you know so well, is an overwhelmingly religious experience, you have to trust me. Again, I’ve worked in rock radio for 25 years, and hear Led Zeppelin every day of my life. I’ve heard enough Zeppelin to satisfy a nation of fans. Still when you listen to “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You”, “The Rain Song”, “Down by the Seaside” and “Thank You” through different ears, a la headphones, and really focus on the raw energy and delicate layering of Led Zeppelin, you’re hearing the music for the first time.

Since I’m frantically obsessing over ever detail of this journey I have questions. Firstly how much Foreigner and Paolo Nutini must we be subjected to? No disrespect, but who is Paolo and how did he end up on this show, and really, is anyone in this 18,000 seat venue going to care? Next, Foreigner. Is that necessary? Aren’t there enough casino boats for these guys to play on. Bill Wyman is leading the house band and that means there could be some surprises. Paul Rodgers – fine.

Pete Townsend is also playing. That’s about the size of this thing. Pete Townsend is the opening act. I love The Who. To get fired up for this show with a few Who songs – I can deal. Let’s face the brutal truth, this gathering is centered on the life of the great Ahment Ertugen, founder and brains of Atlantic Records. He was a great man, a passionate visionary and, most importantly he who discovered Led Zeppelin. However, as much as this show is a tribute to this great man, for me and I’m sure many others this show has one single solitary purpose, and I think we all know what that is.

I have other questions. First of all, you. Yes, you, Ian Astbury. Even if there is going to be a Zeppelin tour, did I have to hear it from you? You’ve tried to be Jim Morrison and you lost your cred. If Zeppelin is going to tour, the announcement has to be proper. In an official press conference, like the news that shook the world. Not from you blurting it out in a club in Cincinnati. You officially owe the members of Led Zeppelin an apology, and while you’re at it, please leave the remaining members of the Doors alone. There’s enough infighting in that band already, they don’t need your help. Thanks.

Next, how is this going to play out? I mean will there be teleprompters? That’s fine. Will there be taped vocals and drum fills, and can the young Jason Bonham get this right? Dude, you have 1 shot. There are dozens of drummers, starting with Dave Grohl, who deserve and would be honored to have this gig. You have 1 shot to be a hero… or not.

Word is Van Halen borrowed a couple of pages from Ashley Simpson’s tour book. Will Zep do the same? I can’t imagine, but who knows. Will John Paul Jones handle the keyboards, or not? Can Plant’s vocals still hit the high notes? “Communication Breakdown”? “Immigrant Song”? We’ll see. Mostly I have questions about the guitars. My headphone experience has me hearing some pretty terrific production on the Zep albums. Not that that’s a bad thing, but there are layers. Layers of guitars in a live setting? We’ll see.

Lastly, the songs. I have a list. And not that anyone cares, especially the members of the band, but I do have a list (doesn’t everyone?). “The Rain Song”, “When the Levee Breaks”, “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You”, “Misty Mountain Hop”, “No Quarter”, “In The Light” and “Ten Years Gone”. This is my list, and I want to hear these songs. I know. No one cares.

I’m assuming they will play the hits; “Kashmir”, “The Ocean”, “Heartbreaker”, “Stairway”, “Rock and Roll”, “All my Love”. I’m sure 18,000 strong are waiting to flip out when Jimmy takes out the violin bow for “Dazed and Confused”. Certainly there will be “Black Dog”, and “Whole Lotta Love”. But it’s really anyone’s guess. Outside of a few one-offs, this is the first true Led Zeppelin show in 27 years. They can do whatever they want. And unlike their contemporaries The Stones, they have stuck to their guns. When John Bonham died so did the band.

Now, it must be said, Jimmy, we forgive The Firm and Coverdale - Page. Robert, we forgive “Now and Zen”, The Honeydrippers. And both of you, The Page / Plant thing – how come John Paul Jones couldn’t come out and play? I bet if you asked, he would have. I’m sure he didn’t have another Heart album to produce. A true Led Zeppelin reunion will make up for everything. Everything… except the Allison Krauss thing. But all artists are allowed their diversions.

From the moment we arrived in London, you could feel it. The 6am line at customs Sunday morning told the story. Many people had Zeppelin t-shirts on, sharing stories of their path to this event. Customs agents weren’t sure what to make of it, but they were smiling the entire time.

England makes a much bigger deal of music royalty than we do. As we track each pathetic (mis)step of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, The Led Zeppelin reunion, is the cover of each newspaper, and one of the first three stories on each BBC channel. This is real news.

The day before the concert we pick up our tickets. There is a 2pm cutoff time and we make it with 15 minutes to spare. Sigh of relief. It’s one thing to know you scored impossible tickets for a concert across the world, yet another to have them in your hand. I clutch them like Charlie clutched the golden ticket in Willy Wonka. It’s then that we find out that there’s a soundcheck party. 300 people went. We did not, however, a music business friend did. The band (not including Plant, who was saving his voice) ran through “Whole Lotta Love”, “In My Time of Dying”, “Ramble On” and “No Quarter”. Guess those are going to be sure things.

England is cold, like Seattle cold. Damp, dreary and grey but not on Monday December 10^th. On December 10^th it’s sunny. A sign? We take the tube to the 02. It is massive. A big concert/sports arena surrounded by a mall. Including upscale restaurants, bars, kiosks and a few shops.

In truth, and in the moment, we plan on attending the whole thing – the full concert, Foreigner included. What the hell, we’re here. Walk in the venue at 6:30. Door opened at 6:00, and the show was to start at 7:00. First stop, T-shirts. Gone. Sold out. None to be had. Next stop food and drink. We had a pretty steady diet of English beer so far – why stop now. We had a few pints, and some fried and grilled things. Then more beer. Then tequila. It’s happy time.

Outside the arena, there are no bootleg t-shirts, 1 or 2 street musicians playing wretched versions of Zep classics, and a whole lot of TV cameras, and microphones. You also hear dozens of different languages and dialects, people of every size, shape, race, creed and color.

The O2 is like a community of Zep heads that have come together from 50 countries. The average age is about 45. Everyone has a smile, a great vibe, and a great story. Everyone is decked out in full regalia. There are men who look a little like Robert Plant and Women like they played the part of Penny Lane in “Almost Famous” in 1977. I did hear some say “It’s all Happening”.

Then there were the Zeppelin shirts. Plenty of the commemorative shirts sold at the arena. A lot of “Song Remains the Same”, a few Zep 1 and 2 shirts. Lots of versions of the “Swan Song” logo. Literally half the people there were wearing some sort of Zeppelin garb.

In the pub we talked to some guys from England. They had general admission. They were happy to just be going to the show at all. Another couple, from Vancouver, won their tickets in the lottery after Jimmy broke his finger and postponed the show. The returned tickets were offered up a 2^nd time, and what are the chances of grabbing a pair of those tickets?

Plans to see opening festivities are now gone. The beer, vibe and camaraderie of the extended Zep family are way too strong. We’re all on the same page. I’m here to see Led Zeppelin.

Check out the cover of the latest Rolling Stone magazine. That’s what they look like today. All 4 members are dressed in a combination of dark denim and black except for Jimmy Page’s white shirt, which would take us a few songs to see. Jason Bonham, the child of the band (at 41) looks faintly like his dad. He’s thick like many drummers, and looks pretty strong. He’s been the touring drummer for Foreigner. Poor bastard. But tonight he will go on to prove tonight that he’s so much more valuable than that. John Paul Jones looks like an English gentleman, and very good for his age. Jimmy Page has white hair. His face still has those bizarre contortions when he plays, and most of the night he rocked the yellow sunburst Gibson Les Paul. Robert Plant has the same hair he has in the 70’s, but now he kinda looks like a lion.

Depending on which preview you read, the venue holds 14 to 20,000. No matter how many, the electricity was intense, and the sound was pretty good for an arena. I try to imagine the collective number of concert experiences in this venue – hundreds of thousands? Maybe a million? This was, no doubt, the most anticipated.

They open up with “Good Times, Bad Times”. I read somewhere that the drum parts to this song are pretty tough. Right away we can tell Jason has it handled. John Paul Jones has the look on his face “Yeah, I can’t believe it either”. Next up was “Ramble On”, then “Black Dog”. You start to realize, like the Beatles, there’s nothing they can play that the crowd wouldn’t go crazy for. You also realize, they are going to have to draw the line at some point, as reports have this as a 2 hour set.

Robert says hi to the crowd, and not much more. Jimmy page plays the first few notes of “In my Time of Dying”. Now I’m 15 years old all over again, listening to “Physical Graffiti” in my bedroom. Page’s slide guitar was sinister, and true to the original. The video screen was different for each song, but while only accenting the performance and performers, it never stole the spotlight. And it was some of the better concert video production I’ve ever seen.

As reported, the band introduced, and played for the first time ever “For Your Life”, originally from “Presence”. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. Since it was the least known song of the night, I guess it was the low point – if there was one.

They proceeded to tear through a great version of “Trampled Underfoot”, where John Paul Jones manned the keyboards, and “Nobody’s Fault but Mine”, featuring Robert Plant on harmonica.

Then the lights drop, and the backdrop turns blue. Jones starts playing the keyboard part to “No Quarter”. It seemed like the whole arena sparks up at the same time, or at least it smells that way. Dark stage, fog machines start. “Close the Doors, Turn out the Lights”. Plant walks off the stage when the vocal parts are done to allow John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham to duel for a few minutes. Then Page joins for what seems like a musical braid of drums, guitars and keyboards. It’s intense. Plant returns to finish “No Quarter”. This is the high point for me so far. So far.

Plant moves to the side of the stage to give Jimmy Page all the room to play “Since I’ve Been Loving You”. Good thing too. Jimmy kicks our asses. He really does. Without mercy he tears the O2 Arena apart with that song. New high point.

After Robert Plant tells the audience “certain songs have to be done” they go into “Dazed and Confused”, complete with Jimmy Page violin bow guitar solo. I assume that has to be done too. It’s followed by “Stairway to Heaven” – knew that was coming but I didn’t expect the Jimmy Page doubleneck guitar. Nice touch.

Tempo change: “Song Remains the Same”, “Misty Mountain Hop” and they close with “Kashmir”. I was never a big fan of “Kashmir”, but I have to say this one moment was possibly the most powerful one of the night. It’s like they worked all the songs just to get to “Kashmir”, to pull out the stops. The song was really strong. Powerful. “Hammer of the Gods” strong. There’s a part of the song I remember from my youth, where I think Plant holds a note for 18 seconds long. Well he held the same note this time, but better than that was the smile on Jimmy Page’s face, as if to say “Whoa. Dude. You totally did it. Nice work mate”.

These 3 songs had everyone dancing. This also gives you a chance to see the difference between the guys who haven’t gone to a show in forever – like sweater guy in front of us, and the guy who still lives for the rock – like T-shirt guy nearby. T-shirt guy wins for sheer enthusiasm alone. It’s like your High school History Teacher vs. Jack Black – no contest. Everyone is in the Jack Black frame of mind.

After the 4 take a bow, and give young Jason due props, they walk off as no one in the O2 leaves. We all try and figure out what’s next.

The riff starts, then JPJ’s bass lines melds into the guitar. Robert Plant walks into center stage with mic in hand, and the few simple words start. “You Need Coolin, Baby, I’m not Foolin’, I’m Gonna Send You, Back to Schoolin’.” I’m officially back to the first time I heard Led Zep. The middle of the song, psychedelic, guitar / drum thing is there as well. And then Page’s “ice pick to the skull” guitar solo. Totally nailed it. Awesome. I can’t even describe it.

They leave the stage again, only to return for one more encore of “Rock and Roll” complete with vintage Zep video (and no Cadillac commercials). By the way, the show was the work of 4 men. No tape, no side players, no teleprompters. This was pure.

The show ends, the band waves goodbye, thanks Ahmet Ertugen, thanks Atlantic Records, and thanks us. Why are you thanking us. You just spent 2 hours beating our collective brains in with the greatest rock music of all time. No one sat for even a split second. We should be worshipping you.

And as we leave the O2, and shuffle into the London Undergrounds, we all do. We worship the 4 men who stood proud and humble and performed the show we though we’d never see. They did it with grace and poise. It was truly a thrill and an honor to see this amazing show. I hope they tour, because every rock fan should see this.  

Comments: Dave@kisw.com

Click here to check out the video from the show!