Jump to content

Louisville, KY - Freedom Hall - Kentucky Fair & Expo Center-April 25, 1977


DavidZoso

Recommended Posts

Really nice to see some pics from this show as I have only seen a few before these and they were mainly from the news paper review. So thanks for posting these Sam.

Setlist:

The Song Remains The Same

Sick Again

Nobody's Fault But Mine

In My Time of Dying

Since I've Been Loving You

No Quarter

Ten Years Gone

The Battle of Evermore,

Going to California

Black Country Woman

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

White Summer ~ Black Mountainside

Kashmir

(Out On the Tiles intro) Moby Dick

Guitar solo-Theremin and Violin Bow

Achilles Last Stand

Stairway to Heaven

Encore:

Rock and Roll

The Song Remains the Same

ky77h.jpg

The Song Remains the Same

ky77d.jpg

The Song Remains the Same

ky77c.jpg

The Song Remains the Same

ky77i.jpg

The Song Remains the Same

ky77e.jpg

ky77b.jpg

Nobody's Fault but Mine of Achilles Last Stand

ky77g.jpg

ky77j.jpg

Kashmir

kyk.jpg

Violin Bow solo

ky77a.jpg

Most likely Achilles Last Stand

ky77f.jpg

Stairway to Heaven

ky77.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool pix...although Louisville isn't a very good performance; people talk about Tempe being the 'worst '77 show' but Louisville sadly gives Tempe a run for its money in places IMO. Based on the audience tape and eyewitness accounts it seemed like a pretty rowdy crowd, and judging from the amount of mistakes made in the playing I get the idea the band was a little bit distracted by it all (of course, Zeppelin could have partaken in a tour of the local Jack Daniel's distillery before the show, who knows!) Add to that some idiot lobbed a bottle at the stage after "Ten Years Gone" which obviously hit something (you can hear Page yelling, "Fuck off!").

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello one and all.

I just registered, seeing as Sam was kind enough to invite me to share my Louisville '77 photos, and thought I'd add a few comments here and there, to answer questions, and to say thanks for the appreciative comments.

To: David Zoso,

Nice of you to caption the photos with the song titles. There are actually very astutely named; indeed, your choices are very accurately timed to the performance of the show, as I far as I can recall.

The un-named Page photo, in color, is from the encore, "Rock and Roll", and the un-named color picture of Plant, with the PA cable partially marring the composition, is from "Stairway to Heaven".

To: beetleron,

It would have been very unlikely to see these photos before, unless you happened to live in Louisville during that period of time, since only a small number of 8x10's were printed for friends and acquaintances there (and a handful more in California). None were ever published before, at least to my knowledge (or consent).

To: Nutrocker,

Yes, by all accounts, it was a very rowdy crowd, and I can confirm that. While it might not rank up there as being a stellar performance, I would say that as a member of the audience, the power of the band's performance was still jaw-dropping. Your comment about the band perhaps being distracted is a good guess, because, indeed, Page & Plant were both upset with the fact that the bottle was thrown and glanced off of Page's guitar.....There was a short lecture, of sorts, by Plant, to implore the audience to behave, and back off from crushing people at the front.

The possibility of the situation getting out of hand was no joke. I had actually decided to take my position in the crowd, to the left-side of the stage (where JPJ was cornered, and where Plant would often wander), simply because I could see that the right-side, from where I took the band shots at the beginning of the performance, was basically out-of-control, and I wanted no part of that with my brand new camera equipment.

In the end, with all things considered: camera equipment purchased that day; my first concert to photograph; the unruly crowd; no stage pass, etc., the results are pretty satisfying.

PS: I'll be sending a few more along to Sam, soon, to round out what there is (so far) from this show on the tour.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To: Nutrocker,

Yes, by all accounts, it was a very rowdy crowd, and I can confirm that. While it might not rank up there as being a stellar performance, I would say that as a member of the audience, the power of the band's performance was still jaw-dropping. Your comment about the band perhaps being distracted is a good guess, because, indeed, Page & Plant were both upset with the fact that the bottle was thrown and glanced off of Page's guitar.....There was a short lecture, of sorts, by Plant, to implore the audience to behave, and back off from crushing people at the front.

The possibility of the situation getting out of hand was no joke. I had actually decided to take my position in the crowd, to the left-side of the stage (where JPJ was cornered, and where Plant would often wander), simply because I could see that the right-side, from where I took the band shots at the beginning of the performance, was basically out-of-control, and I wanted no part of that with my brand new camera equipment.

In the end, with all things considered: camera equipment purchased that day; my first concert to photograph; the unruly crowd; no stage pass, etc., the results are pretty satisfying.

Hi Michael, thank you, first for sharing yer pix, and second, for actually confirming my suspicions at what went down at the show. I always like hearing from people who were actually THERE (I was nine in 1977)...and I think the part of yer comment I bolded nails it. I mean, it's easy for me to crank up the recording of the Louisville show at home, thirty five years later, and think, "Wow, that's a really sloppy version of 'In My Time Of Dying'..." I'm sure you guys and gals in the audience watching it all go down live and in person weren't thinking that -even if you did happen to notice the mistakes- the bottom line was, Led Zeppelin, one of the greatest rock bands in history, was performing right in front of you, who cares about a bum note or two? After all, a rock concert is an EVENT, a communal place where everyone can let their hair down for a couple of hours and have a good time! You want a recital, go to a classical performance. IMO the essence of rock music is in the moment.

Still, yer description of the craziness at the show certainly jibes with the vibe captured on the recording, people getting squished, etc (the key phrase being 'out of control')...interesting that Plant gave the audience shit over the bottle incident (which isn't on the recording BTW)...from what I understand, there was a long break in the show at that point, and Page was tempted to say to hell with it and call it a night right then and there. Fortunately he decided to continue with the rest of the show. I can imagine the riot if he didn't...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

........ I'm sure you guys and gals in the audience watching it all go down live and in person weren't thinking that -even if you did happen to notice the mistakes- the bottom line was, Led Zeppelin, one of the greatest rock bands in history, was performing right in front of you, who cares about a bum note or two?.........

Still, yer description of the craziness at the show certainly jibes with the vibe captured on the recording, people getting squished, etc (the key phrase being 'out of control')...interesting that Plant gave the audience shit over the bottle incident (which isn't on the recording BTW)...from what I understand, there was a long break in the show at that point, and Page was tempted to say to hell with it and call it a night right then and there. Fortunately he decided to continue with the rest of the show. I can imagine the riot if he didn't...

Hello nutrocker,

Glad I could partially set the record straight on the show and its reputation.

The first quoted portion from your response just about sums it up perfectly. From the opening notes of "The Song Remains the Same", to the first kick drum thumps just behind the notes, it was like a moth to the flame in an effort to get up closer - and as immediately as possible! I didn't notice too many bum notes, at the time, and the concert still leaves me with good memories, in spite of the rowdier elements in the crowd.

My original seat was in the upper concourse section, at the very back of the hall, but by the time they were finishing "Since I've Been Loving You", I had managed to begin my way up front, on the left side, one 'excuse me' after another [with my camera as a visual aid for my 'mission'], until I was about 5 people from the barrier....but it wasn't easy to stand still for long, as the crowd was constantly surging. Luckily, that side was decidedly more behaved [fewer drunks or those who had combined 'ludes with alcohol], and at times, depending on the song, it was actually quite alright.

Yes, at the point that the bottle was thrown, there was quite a bit of confusion as to what was happening/going to happen, since there was the comment made, that if things got any more out of hand, the show would be stopped [but it probably *would* have resulted in a bad way, since crowds at some shows during that period could get occasionally ugly....usually because of the aforementioned alcohol and drug combinations that were popular, at the time...].

It took some time for the crowd to calm down, and due to the jostling that occurred throughout the peformance, I could never get a good angle to photograph the acoustic portion of the show, much to my disappointment! As you can see from the color "Stairway" picture of Plant, it was hard just to get an unobstructed shot at most points during the show [cables, hands, heads.....].

Okay, time to get back to working on the next set of photos to share. Good talking with you, and glad you enjoy the info and images, both!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've decided to post an otherwise not very good photo to this thread, since it will help illustrate the trouble caused by a guy throwing a bottle in the direction of Jimmy Page....it apparently bounced off of his guitar [rather than his head], which justifiably pissed him off.

You can see him in a verbal exchange with the people in the general vicinity of where the bottle came from, while Robert Plant makes his way to the microphone, to say a few words to the crowd about the rowdiness, and to urge the crowd to calm down and back up, so people at the front could have some breathing room....

Again, a poor photo, but as the crowd was in constant motion throughout the show.....it wasn't easy.

post-20314-0-20774900-1335601409.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Michael- thanks for clearing up what the 2 photos that I didn't caption were and also that you moved from the one side of the stage to the other so now I know that the pic I said was Nobody's Fault but Mine or Achilles Last Stand is actually Nobody's Fault but Mine because of the angle and the one I said was most likely Achilles Last Stand is actually Nobody's Fault but Mine as well. I also apologize as I just now noticed that I said Nobody's Fault but Mine of Achilles Last Stand haha instead of or- I was in a hurry.

Nobody's Fault but Mine

ky77g.jpg

Nobody's Fault but Mine

ky77f.jpg

Stairway to Heaven

ky77j.jpg

Rock and Roll

ky77b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've decided to post an otherwise not very good photo to this thread, since it will help illustrate the trouble caused by a guy throwing a bottle in the direction of Jimmy Page....it apparently bounced off of his guitar [rather than his head], which justifiably pissed him off.

You can see him in a verbal exchange with the people in the general vicinity of where the bottle came from, while Robert Plant makes his way to the microphone, to say a few words to the crowd about the rowdiness, and to urge the crowd to calm down and back up, so people at the front could have some breathing room....

Again, a poor photo, but as the crowd was in constant motion throughout the show.....it wasn't easy.

A bit blurry or not, Plant and Page look pissed off indeed! Not that you can blame them...no wonder when the show continued Plant practically spat out the words to "Battle Of Evermore" and they just sort of zipped through the rest of the performance, wanting to get the hell out of there.

Did the lectures/warnings given to the audience have any effect? Did they stop moving around and settle down after the bottle incident?

The crowd surging you describe sounds scary as hell. When you consider an incident like the Pearl Jam festival show where the kids got crushed (Roskilde? Back in the nineties, I remember that) it's amazing incidents like that didn't happen back in the seventies (The Who's infamous 'Cincinatti Incident' took place at the venue entrance). I've been to a couple of concerts where the crowd on the floor was in constant motion like that (AC/DC back in '91 for example) but it just goes to show how much concert security has changed over the years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bit blurry or not, Plant and Page look pissed off indeed! Not that you can blame them...no wonder when the show continued Plant practically spat out the words to "Battle Of Evermore" and they just sort of zipped through the rest of the performance, wanting to get the hell out of there.

Yes, a bit of momentum was definitely lost when that happened, and without checking first, I think we lost a song or two, from the normal set list, as a result. Who can blame them for wanting to 'get gone'?!

Did the lectures/warnings given to the audience have any effect? Did they stop moving around and settle down after the bottle incident?

There was a short period where things calmed down, but I think it had more to do with them performing the acoustic set, than anything else. But the jostling to get closer, by some from the back would continue to cause small surges and irritation for people...

The crowd surging you describe sounds scary as hell. When you consider an incident like the Pearl Jam festival show where the kids got crushed (Roskilde? Back in the nineties, I remember that) it's amazing incidents like that didn't happen back in the seventies (The Who's infamous 'Cincinatti Incident' took place at the venue entrance). I've been to a couple of concerts where the crowd on the floor was in constant motion like that (AC/DC back in '91 for example) but it just goes to show how much concert security has changed over the years.

Yes, having lived in that area [near Ohio], I would often travel to different cities to see people perform, and after the incident at that Who show, I would often think long and hard about attending general admission shows at such big venues. I was never a fan of that change: going from reserved seats, which were on the floor - to the wide open "pit" of the general admission arrangement.

I always preferred the set-up where there was a "limited capacity" general admission area, at the lip of the stage, with a reserved seating area for the remainder of the floor area.

It justs makes for a safer experience for those who just want to enjoy the performance with decent sight-lines & a little breathing room; and for those who are fanatic enough [and have the money], the area just below the stage is for them.

I can remember attempting to take photos, once again from the audience, at a stadium show at Cleveland Municipal Stadium....The Stones were headlining.

My original position on the football field [this was the Cleveland Browns' home, at that time], was at about the 50 yard-line, where the sound was more or less listenable...

From the time band hit the stage, and had finished the opening song, I began to move up to get a better angle to take photos from, and the surge from the rest of the crowd pushed us forward so fast, that at one point, I nearly had my camera smashed against the security wall, at the lip of the stage.

Elbows flying, people pushing from behind and me trying to get a stable position to focus from, just didn't allow pictures to be taken on that occasion - not if you valued your personal health, anyway.

The eight hour drive resulted in something like 10 frames taken on that date - and my camera remaining in one piece, since I decided to haul my behind back to mid-field for the rest of the show.

After that, I rarely attended festivals or indoor festival "seating" shows any longer. Instead, I tried going to more club shows, and seeing new bands as they made their fame and fortune, in a smaller setting B)

We've all got stories to tell from different shows like this, I'm sure: funny, weird, or frightening......

And, yes, concert security has changed quite a lot, but the "bottom line" for the promoters has remained the same: squeeze as many people in, as possible, and rake in the cash, in the process.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^^

Hello, Michael,

Nope, they didn't skimp on songs in Louisville, except Zeppelin only did the one encore -"Rock and Roll"- whereas they usually did "Trampled Under Foot" as a second encore (though under the circumstances that might have been seen as a tad inappropriate).

If that Cleveland Stones show yer describing was in 1975, indeed, from all accounts it was pretty crazy; they had to stop playing more than once to stop fights or calm down the crowd; I guess after Altamont The Stones weren't just going to stand there preaching hippy dippy babble about who's fighting and what for LOL...on the recording of the '75 Cleveland show you can actually hear Ronnie Wood yelling at people who were fighting, "And that better be the fuckin' end of it, right?!"

The last concert I went to was back in 2008- Neil Young. I was surprised at the lack of security; they pretty much just let everybody loose inside, you could do just about anything you wanted once inside. I've seen tighter security at hockey games...mind ya, as intense as the performance was (Neil and his band were nice and loud) it was a mellow kind of vibe, nothing like these Zeppelin and Stones shows we're talking about back in the day...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've decided to post an otherwise not very good photo to this thread, since it will help illustrate the trouble caused by a guy throwing a bottle in the direction of Jimmy Page....it apparently bounced off of his guitar [rather than his head], which justifiably pissed him off.

You can see him in a verbal exchange with the people in the general vicinity of where the bottle came from, while Robert Plant makes his way to the microphone, to say a few words to the crowd about the rowdiness, and to urge the crowd to calm down and back up, so people at the front could have some breathing room....

Again, a poor photo, but as the crowd was in constant motion throughout the show.....it wasn't easy.

,,..thank you for your beautiful contribution for my youthful year of 1977, I truly enjoyed all of this commentary...I love this photo, I never heard Jimmy speak in the year of 1977, saw him only in pictures noteably in this White Dragon/Poppy Suit (of my dreams!!) that you shared with us along with your beautiful memories...now that I know how soft spoken he is, I wonder about how he was able to raise his voice at the audience...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^^

Hello, Michael,

Nope, they didn't skimp on songs in Louisville, except Zeppelin only did the one encore -"Rock and Roll"- whereas they usually did "Trampled Under Foot" as a second encore (though under the circumstances that might have been seen as a tad inappropriate).

If that Cleveland Stones show yer describing was in 1975, indeed, from all accounts it was pretty crazy; they had to stop playing more than once to stop fights or calm down the crowd; I guess after Altamont The Stones weren't just going to stand there preaching hippy dippy babble about who's fighting and what for LOL...on the recording of the '75 Cleveland show you can actually hear Ronnie Wood yelling at people who were fighting, "And that better be the fuckin' end of it, right?!"

The last concert I went to was back in 2008- Neil Young. I was surprised at the lack of security; they pretty much just let everybody loose inside, you could do just about anything you wanted once inside. I've seen tighter security at hockey games...mind ya, as intense as the performance was (Neil and his band were nice and loud) it was a mellow kind of vibe, nothing like these Zeppelin and Stones shows we're talking about back in the day...

Well, then, if they only held back on performing "Trampled Under Foot", then that is okay by me, as it is my least favorite song in their official catalog....and, yes, it might seem a bit inappropriate to do, in light of the circumstances ;)

The Stones in Cleveland that I mentioned, was the following tour, in 1978. I had a better experience at the Lexington, Ky performance on the same tour, but that show was 'run of the mill', as they were quite ragged on that night....Now, their two performances in Kentucky, on the '81 tour were much better [and not in 60-70,000 capacity venues!]. They also played at Freedom Hall, and at Rupp Arena, both of which were between 18-19,000 capacity -- and seated!

Neil Young seems to attract a much mellower crowd, in general, so there are fewer problems of the sort we've mentioned here, at those shows [in my experience]. Never got the chance to photograph he and Crazy Horse, unfortunately....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

,,..thank you for your beautiful contribution for my youthful year of 1977, I truly enjoyed all of this commentary...I love this photo, I never heard Jimmy speak in the year of 1977, saw him only in pictures noteably in this White Dragon/Poppy Suit (of my dreams!!) that you shared with us along with your beautiful memories...now that I know how soft spoken he is, I wonder about how he was able to raise his voice at the audience...

I'm very happy that you enjoy the photos, and the shared memories.

Mr. Page may be a quiet one, but I think when anyone attempts to cause harm to your person, or your precious tools [his guitars], it is only natural to vent some spleen at the guilty party, when deemed necessary.

Yes, those years hold some very precious memories, from the days of my/your youth :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Michael - THANK YOU for sharing your photos!

Do you have any of the laser pyramid during the bow solo?

Hello LZ77,

I'm sorry to say that I was too close to the stage at that point to be able to frame a good shot with the lasers above Page....I was shooting from the audience, and because of the general rowdiness, I couldn't switch between my zoom lense, and the 52mm lense, without the possibility of damage or loss of equipment.

The one shot from the above series, with the bow, is from that sequence, and because of the strange lighting and the humidity in the air [not to mention the wafting 'sweet smoke'], and the film speed, all combined to give that soft glow to the images that I *did* manage to get at that point.

Thanks for writing, and I'm glad you like the pictures!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, then, if they only held back on performing "Trampled Under Foot", then that is okay by me, as it is my least favorite song in their official catalog....and, yes, it might seem a bit inappropriate to do, in light of the circumstances ;)

The Stones in Cleveland that I mentioned, was the following tour, in 1978. I had a better experience at the Lexington, Ky performance on the same tour, but that show was 'run of the mill', as they were quite ragged on that night....Now, their two performances in Kentucky, on the '81 tour were much better [and not in 60-70,000 capacity venues!]. They also played at Freedom Hall, and at Rupp Arena, both of which were between 18-19,000 capacity -- and seated!

Neil Young seems to attract a much mellower crowd, in general, so there are fewer problems of the sort we've mentioned here, at those shows [in my experience]. Never got the chance to photograph he and Crazy Horse, unfortunately....

That's too bad. I think it's one of their best songs. I love the jam they did on it in 1975.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's too bad. I think it's one of their best songs. I love the jam they did on it in 1975.

Hello JimmyPageZoSo56,

Well, after all, what we like is quite subjective. I know the band quite likes the James Brown rhythm thing, which is what the song is primarily based on, but since I was never a "dancer", as it were, it doesn't connect with me, in the first place; secondly, guessing from your moniker, you're just one year older than me, so you might recall that in '76 - '77, you and I weren't legally able to get into bars and drink, were you now?

As a result, I also have an associative problem with the song, as I was forced, time and again, to ride by bars in Louisville, blasting this song out into the streets, while I could only wistfully long for the experience of going in, and enjoying myself, legally......

Which is to say: I was never a fan of "dance music", per se, and so, in the midst of the disco era, this song came along, and while different, it wasn't so much different -- for me!

The jams the band enjoyed are a different thing altogether; but it still remains one of my least favorite songs, to this day [on record, anyway].

I can think of half a dozen songs I would much rather hear them pump along to, given the choice, then and now ;)

It's been nice chatting, and thanks for stopping by on this thread!

mc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm very happy that you enjoy the photos, and the shared memories.

Mr. Page may be a quiet one, but I think when anyone attempts to cause harm to your person, or your precious tools [his guitars], it is only natural to vent some spleen at the guilty party, when deemed necessary.

Yes, those years hold some very precious memories, from the days of my/your youth :)

Thank you Michael for your pictures, especially those of Jimmy. I love them too. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While watching the concert itself, did you happen to notice Jonesy's little misstep during No Quarter (where he starts to play the main theme too soon after Nutrocker)?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...