NEWSFLASHBACK: Raleigh News and Observer

[SteveAJones]

ZEPPELIN IS LATE, LOUD, GOOD

By Gerry Ligon

Raleigh News and Observer

April 9, 1970

Playing to an audience ranging from babes-in-arms to the "over thirty

generation", Led Zeppelin put wings on Dorton Arena and piloted the

audience on a musical tour from blues, to jazz, to boogie, to pure hard

rock.

The performance had a very slow start. After waiting more than 45 minutes

for the show to begin, the patient audience was rewarded with five minutes

of ear-splitting feed back.

In order to avoid the echo within the arena, which Jimi Hendrix encountered

recently, the performers had to present their music at their maximum volume.

Because of this, the audience had to adjust to the powerful beat of sound.

However, anyone who arrived for the performance with a negative point of

view had to be somewhat persuaded by the audience's acceptance of the

reverberating sound. As in most rock concerts, each performer gave his

solo.

Unlike most rock concerts, the audience spent a great portion of the show

saluting the solos in standing ovations.Undoubtedly, anyone who refuses to

listen to any music on his own phonograph above one-half volume, would not

have lasted 30 minutes in the arena; but those who know how to listen to

the rock and jazz of today were the ones who would not let the performers

quit.

If this show is an example of how the music of today will be accepted in Raleigh,

we can expect to see many more concerts of this type in the future. The reaction

of the audience at last night's performance said so.

[MRCROWLEY]

ZEPPELIN IS LATE, LOUD, GOOD

By Gerry Ligon

Raleigh News and Observer

April 9, 1970

Playing to an audience ranging from babes-in-arms to the "over thirty

generation", Led Zeppelin put wings on Dorton Arena and piloted the

audience on a musical tour from blues, to jazz, to boogie, to pure hard

rock.

The performance had a very slow start. After waiting more than 45 minutes

for the show to begin, the patient audience was rewarded with five minutes

of ear-splitting feed back.

In order to avoid the echo within the arena, which Jimi Hendrix encountered

recently, the performers had to present their music at their maximum volume.

Because of this, the audience had to adjust to the powerful beat of sound.

However, anyone who arrived for the performance with a negative point of

view had to be somewhat persuaded by the audience's acceptance of the

reverberating sound. As in most rock concerts, each performer gave his

solo.

Unlike most rock concerts, the audience spent a great portion of the show

saluting the solos in standing ovations.Undoubtedly, anyone who refuses to

listen to any music on his own phonograph above one-half volume, would not

have lasted 30 minutes in the arena; but those who know how to listen to

the rock and jazz of today were the ones who would not let the performers

quit.

If this show is an example of how the music of today will be accepted in Raleigh,

we can expect to see many more concerts of this type in the future. The reaction

of the audience at last night's performance said so.

That arena still exists. My first concert that I ever went to was there.It is on the State Fair grounds.It is a very odd shaped arena and maybe only holds 5000 or less if I remember correctly. That had to be a great show but I was only nine years old then. Thanks for the post !

[Jahfin]

I have an older brother that was in attendance at both this and the Jimi Hendrix Experience shows. Years later I saw Kiss there, also a triple bill of Derringer-Foghat-The Outlaws. Concerts are still held there, mainly during State Fair time. From what I understand the acoustics there are just as horrendous now as they were back in the day. As for it's odd shape, Dorton Arena is jokingly refered to as "the big potato chip".