DavidZoso Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 This was the 8th show of the European tour in 1980. There is a live SB audio tape of this show and you can tell something isn't quite right with Bonzo-his timing is little off. When Jimmy speaks before Black Dog he says him and another member aren't feeling at all well- stomach trouble. Which we find out after Black Dog when Robert introduces the next song-In the Evening-nothing happens and he says "hold on and bear with us as we have a slight technical problem." I have heard a few things over the years- one is that Bonzo blacked out and fell off his stool and the other is he just felt so bad and was helped offstage and then the show was canceled after they had performed Train Kept a Rollin', Nobody's Fault but Mine and Black Dog. The I have also heard that the reason he was feeling so bad is that he consumed 27 bananas because he was low on potassium. Then in fan reviews on this site in the timeline section -one Back around 1989 a guy who was coming to check my alarm system saw my Led Zeppelin posters in my bedroom and commented that he had seen them in concert in Germany and it ended up being this show. I had to put these reviews from the timeline on this site-the first is by Moe. "I was at this LZ concert in Nurnberg back in 1980. First of all, the Messenhalle was way to small for the crowd and sound. It was two and a half songs of total distortion. Secondly, I doubt Bonham surrered from food poisoning...we could all tell he was drunk the minute he took stage. He knocked over the same cymbal twice and was all over the place." "After he fell over his drum set during Black Dog, the promoters told us to keep our tickets and the band would be back tomorrow... yea, right." "Pretty disappointing night. Never did get the opportunity to see them again. Still love the band." The second is a confirmation by a guy named Jerry T "I was also at this concert, in fact I was working for the local promoter (Mama Concerts). I was on a chair lift behind and about 20 feet above John Bonham running the spot light on Jimmy Paige. The band was wasted and I could not even recognize the songs they played. They had partyed at a disco in Roth before coming to the Messehalle (correct spelling). Still love the band but the fans my wife included never did see the concert they paid for." Train Kept a Rollin'/ Nobody's Fault but Mine Nobody's Fault but Mine Black Dog Black Dog Black Dog Black Dog Black Dog This is either the German promotor or Rex King-the tour manager(looks somewhat like him except the pics I have seen of him he has a beard)- telling the crowd that the show is being canceled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 I have also heard that the reason he was feeling so bad is that he consumed 27 bananas because he was low on potassium. Black Dog This is either the German promotor or Rex King-the tour manager(looks somewhat like him except the pics I have seen of him he has a beard)- telling the crowd that the show is being canceled. FWIW - Robert joked later about Bonham having eaten 27 bananas but the fact is he was actually hospitalized for the night which suggests alcohol poisoning. Bonham was returned to the Grand Hotel (address 1-3 Bahnhofstrasse) the following afternoon, an off day before the tour moved on to Zurich. The last time I was in Nurnberg I photographed the venue then unsuccessfully attempted to locate the local klinikum he was admitted to. Insofar as them all having been wasted I rather doubt it as after the show Jimmy spent four hours relaxing in the hotel lobby conversing with fans. I believe the gentleman pictured above is the German promoter who would have made an announcement in German (unconfirmed). He doesn't look like Rex King to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetleron Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 bonzos face is exactly the same in each pic........... trying to hold it together no doubt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidZoso Posted September 18, 2012 Author Share Posted September 18, 2012 Train Kept A Rollin' Nobody's Fault but Mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidZoso Posted March 4, 2013 Author Share Posted March 4, 2013 Nobody's Fault but Mine Black Dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ListenToThis Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 So is the final consensus that Bonham was too drunk to play? When listening to the tape you can hear Bonzo call out "No way" after Robert introduces ITE. Its interesting that a source has indicated they partied in Roth in the afternoon. Do we know what time the show was scheduled to start? Was the actual starting time much later (in typical Zep fashion) or did they simply come to the venue directly from the disco? I would tend to agree that Bonham being hospitalized overnight would indicate he drank quite a bit too much. Startling that he could attempt to play the drums and have enough wits about him to clearly remark "no way" in response to his surroundings, all in spite of consuming so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 wow,where is the tape to listen too So is the final consensus that Bonham was too drunk to play? When listening to the tape you can hear Bonzo call out "No way" after Robert introduces ITE. Its interesting that a source has indicated they partied in Roth in the afternoon. Do we know what time the show was scheduled to start? Was the actual starting time much later (in typical Zep fashion) or did they simply come to the venue directly from the disco? I would tend to agree that Bonham being hospitalized overnight would indicate he drank quite a bit too much. Startling that he could attempt to play the drums and have enough wits about him to clearly remark "no way" in response to his surroundings, all in spite of consuming so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Listened to a clip on you tube,Robert does not sound drunk when he is talking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CSH1127 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I would tend to agree that Bonham being hospitalized overnight would indicate he drank quite a bit too much. Startling that he could attempt to play the drums and have enough wits about him to clearly remark "no way" in response to his surroundings, all in spite of consuming so much. Years of "practice". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingzoso Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 wow,where is the tape to listen too Right here: By the way, from what I hear, Jimmy and Bonzo were both on fire during "Train Kept a Rollin". If what is said is true about Led Zeppelin partying at a club mere hours before this gig, I would think that enough Cocaine should have helped any drunkenness that Jimmy and/or Bonzo had that night. I am sure that the Blow had done wonders for all the members of Led Zeppelin (at one time or another) in the past when They were either too tired or too "Buzzed" to play a 2 to 3 1/2 hour gig. If smack might have been the culprit, that is another monster in its own right. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppMan93 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 I got to hand it to Bonzo, despite him being drunk as hell, he still managed to power through 2 1/2 songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BONZOLED942 Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 No one got a picture of Bonham collapsed behind the kit or walking/being helped off stage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 was this one of his last gigs? No one got a picture of Bonham collapsed behind the kit or walking/being helped off stage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clw Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 thx!!! Right here: By the way, from what I hear, Jimmy and Bonzo were both on fire during "Train Kept a Rollin". If what is said is true about Led Zeppelin partying at a club mere hours before this gig, I would think that enough Cocaine should have helped any drunkenness that Jimmy and/or Bonzo had that night. I am sure that the Blow had done wonders for all the members of Led Zeppelin (at one time or another) in the past when They were either too tired or too "Buzzed" to play a 2 to 3 1/2 hour gig. If smack might have been the culprit, that is another monster in its own right. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksalsby Posted June 19, 2015 Share Posted June 19, 2015 My father was stationed at Pinder Barracks, in Zirndorf Germany from 1979-1981. Zirndorf is a suburb of Nurnberg. At the time, I was a Jr. at Nurnberg American High School in Furth (also, a suburb of Nurnberg)... anyway, long story short.. we army brats lived on concerts and missed very few of them. The June 27th showing of Zep was no exception. The concert was indeed 2 1/2 songs long. And Bonham did knock over parts of his kit. It was apparent to all of us that he was pretty messed up. Someone else commented in this thread, that Zep had promised to play the next night... that's not how I remember it. We were told that anyone with a ticket to the June 27th Nurnberg concert, could show up at their Frankfurt concert 3 days later and get into the show at the Festhalle. Of course, that was the middle of the week... and it was in Frankfurt. Anyway, we were all pretty pissed off at that point... and didn't go. Little did we know that within a few months, Bonham would be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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