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Oakland Incident?


Swan_Song

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I'm not exactly sure as this is shrouded in rumors, but I beleive Jason Bonham was trying to get an autograph from somebody when a security gaurd hit him and sent him away, so Bonzo and Peter Grant apparently beat the sh*t out of him.

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hi, what hapenned 23 july 1977???

Bonham, Cole and Gee was arrested the monday 25 of July...

Does someone know that it happened this evening? :rolleyes:

many thanks !

according to Hammer of the Gods, the feud between Peter Grant and legendary promoter and Fillmore owner, Bill Graham started many years before this incident. It was bound to come to blows sooner or later and according to sources, the shit hit the fan when one of Grahams employees tried to stop Warren Grant (Peter's eleven year old son) from tearing a Led Zeppelin banner off one of the trailers used as a dressing room. Bonzo saw the man being rather rough with the lad, so he went over, shouted and then kicked him before returning to the stage. Later when Grant heard about it, he grabbed security chief John Bindon and Richard Cole and got the man in the trailer. Again, according to sources, Cole stood outside to keep Grahams force from entering while Grant and Bindon beat the guy to a pulp, awashing the trailer with blood. After the incident, Grant made Graham sign a paper vowing not to press charges, but that was nil and void, since it wasn't Grahams right to sign for the victim. So, before Led Zeppelin could leave town, Bonham, Grant, Cole and Bindon were arrested and charged. The whole thing upset the rest of the group and Page played the next night sitting on a chair.

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according to Hammer of the Gods, the feud between Peter Grant and legendary promoter and Fillmore owner, Bill Graham started many years before this incident. It was bound to come to blows sooner or later and according to sources, the shit hit the fan when one of Grahams employees tried to stop Warren Grant (Peter's eleven year old son) from tearing a Led Zeppelin banner off one of the trailers used as a dressing room. Bonzo saw the man being rather rough with the lad, so he went over, shouted and then kicked him before returning to the stage. Later when Grant heard about it, he grabbed security chief John Bindon and Richard Cole and got the man in the trailer. Again, according to sources, Cole stood outside to keep Grahams force from entering while Grant and Bindon beat the guy to a pulp, awashing the trailer with blood. After the incident, Grant made Graham sign a paper vowing not to press charges, but that was nil and void, since it wasn't Grahams right to sign for the victim. So, before Led Zeppelin could leave town, Bonham, Grant, Cole and Bindon were arrested and charged. The whole thing upset the rest of the group and Page played the next night sitting on a chair.

How's it going "danelectro59?" That's exactly what happen! I saw the 23 July 1977 show in Oakland. By the time I got back home to Sacramento and woke up the next day on 24 July 1977, the shit had already hit the fan. And just think, the worse was yet to come. ROCK ON!

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How's it going "danelectro59?" That's exactly what happen! I saw the 23 July 1977 show in Oakland. By the time I got back home to Sacramento and woke up the next day on 24 July 1977, the shit had already hit the fan. And just think, the worse was yet to come. ROCK ON!

Graham soon saw those reputations played out. When one of Graham's crew made what Grant took as a remark about his weight, Bindon approached the man and knocked him out. After the show, another of Graham's staff, Jim Matzorkis, saw a boy removing a sign with the band's name on it from a trailer door. Matzorkis took the plaque back, explaining that they needed it for the next day's show. The boy was Grant's son. Bonham saw the incident and reported it to Grant, who went looking for Matzorkis. Graham tried to intervene, but when Grant and Bindon found Matzorkis taking shelter in a trailer, they threw Graham out, shut the door and began to work the staffer over seriously. Graham tried to get back into the room to stop the beating, but Cole guarded the door, wielding a pipe. Matzorkis later said that when Bindon tried to gouge his eye out, he summoned his strength and escaped the trailer, bleeding. Graham had him rushed to the hospital.

The next day, before Led Zeppelin took the stage, one of the band's lawyers required that Graham sign a letter of indemnification, releasing the group and its organization of any responsibility for the beating. Graham signed. He didn't want to risk the chance of a riot if the band wouldn't play. He also knew that the letter didn't bind any of Matzorkis' legal options. Plant tried to reach some sort of conciliation, but Graham wouldn't speak to him. Disheartened and angry about the whole matter, Page played guitar sitting down for much of the show.

The next morning, an Oakland SWAT team surrounded Led Zeppelin's hotel, and police officers arrested Grant, Cole, Bindon and Bonham. They were all charged with assault, and Matzorkis filed a $2 million civil suit.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/110..._zeppelin/print

Edited by eternal light
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How's it going "danelectro59?" That's exactly what happen! I saw the 23 July 1977 show in Oakland. By the time I got back home to Sacramento and woke up the next day on 24 July 1977, the shit had already hit the fan. And just think, the worse was yet to come. ROCK ON!

hey ZeppFan... you talk about you was Day On The Green in 1977???

somebody was there???

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How's it going "danelectro59?" That's exactly what happen! I saw the 23 July 1977 show in Oakland. By the time I got back home to Sacramento and woke up the next day on 24 July 1977, the shit had already hit the fan. And just think, the worse was yet to come. ROCK ON!

Pretty good, ZFF.

You're right about the worst was yet to come. Tragically, when Plant, Bonham and Cole got to New Orleans, their next stop, Robert found out about his son.

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Tragically, when Plant, Bonham and Cole got to New Orleans, their next stop, Robert found out about his son.

Richard Cole said that Robert went to the room of the hotel to check her, received a telephonic call, she was Maureen; two hours later it went down to the lobby saying this one to Cole, my son died

tragical ! :(

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How could this story possibly even be talked about now....drama for nothing.

ya, i think that these days were the most sadly remembered for Led Zeppelin, me too i miss really really the smile of Robert Plant, since these day he simply was not the same

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Many thanks for your information SteveAJones; you right... what Happened with Pagey in these days? i mean 25-27 of July... :o

In his autobiography, promoter Bill Graham relates he was asked to deliver a $25,000 cash advance to their suites at the San Francisco Hilton on Friday night. Graham was dismayed to see it immediately turned over to a known drug dealer in the room.

I have never seen any evidence to suggest Jimmy made the trip to New Orleans on

Tuesday, July 26th. Given they were not scheduled to play the Superdome until Sat,

July 30th, it's possible he elected to spend additional time in California, particularly

once Peter Grant announced the cancellation of several upcoming tours date on the morning of Wed, July 27th.

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I have never seen any evidence to suggest Jimmy made the trip to New Orleans on

Tuesday, July 26th. Given they were not scheduled to play the Superdome until Sat,

July 30th, it's possible he elected to spend additional time in California, particularly

once Peter Grant announced the cancellation of several upcoming tours date on the morning of Wed, July 27th.

I KNOW THAT JONESY STEP THE REST OF THE WEEK IN CALIFORNIA WHIT HER FAMILY

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How could this story possibly even be talked about now....drama for nothing.

It makes it easier to understand Robert Plant's reluctance to go back to what Led Zeppelin had become at that point in time.

In Mojo, Nick Kent related a memory Bryan Ferry had of a night in Bonham's company in Los Angeles: "Ferry recalled Bonham bursting into tears and pleading to go home, back to his family in the Midlands, so terrified had he become of his own insatiable appetites while on the road."

On September 24th, 1980, Led Zeppelin met to begin rehearsals for the upcoming American tour. Bonham had overcome a heroin problem and was taking a drug to help with anxiety and depression—but he had also been drinking vodka the whole day, and the alcohol only renewed his depression. Plant remembered Bonham as tired and disconsolate: "He was saying, 'I don't want to do this. You play the drums and I'll sing.' "

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/110..._zeppelin/print

Edited by eternal light
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John Paul Jones recounting the incident for journalist Chris Welch, later claims the band were already packed and ready to leave the San Francisco Hilton Hotel on the morning of Monday the 25th. They assumed (wrongly) that Bill Graham would honour a letter of indemnity he signed on the 24th, and that there would be no police action during the rest of the tour. The police entered the lobby and security man Greg Bettler then stopped the police and asked them what was going on. He managed to persuade them from entering their rooms and called G, to get himself, Cole, Bindon and Bonham to come down to the lobby instead. Jones and his family were ushered out the back while the talking was going on. Their motorhome was parked across the street and they drove off to Oregon for a brief stay while the events unfolded. Page and Plant with Peter's son Warren followed the police entourage to Oakland in a Mercedes limousine, via the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Bail was secured for all four in Oakland. They then returned to the hotel, with Grant and Page spending the rest of the day sorting out the legal mess with solicitors. Bonzo, Cole, and Plant had already collected their belongings and caught a flight to New Orleans via San Francisco International Airport, booking into the Royal Orleans Hotel, where the rest of the band were expected to meet up.

Jones has said that Bill Graham was not a likable man, always screaming at people, since the band's first encounter with him way back in the Fillmore days.

Peter Grant: "It was just a very regrettable incident. But we were up against Bill Graham's security guys with their gloves filled with sand. We didn't want to get into that. There were wives with us and we had brought our kids with us for that part of the tour."

Jimmy Page: "All those horrific stories about what's supposed to have happened there, I don't think it was as bad as what it was built up to be, to be truthful with you. I'm not saying that something didn't happen. But you know what it's like over there. If you sneeze on someone, they'll sue you. It got blown out of proportion."

Meg

In his autobiography, promoter Bill Graham relates he was asked to deliver a $25,000 cash advance to their suites at the San Francisco Hilton on Friday night. Graham was dismayed to see it immediately turned over to a known drug dealer in the room.

I have never seen any evidence to suggest Jimmy made the trip to New Orleans on

Tuesday, July 26th. Given they were not scheduled to play the Superdome until Sat,

July 30th, it's possible he elected to spend additional time in California, particularly

once Peter Grant announced the cancellation of several upcoming tours date on the morning of Wed, July 27th.

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John Paul Jones recounting the incident for journalist Chris Welch, later claims the band were already packed and ready to leave the San Francisco Hilton Hotel on the morning of Monday the 25th. They assumed (wrongly) that Bill Graham would honour a letter of indemnity he signed on the 24th, and that there would be no police action during the rest of the tour. The police entered the lobby and security man Greg Bettler then stopped the police and asked them what was going on. He managed to persuade them from entering their rooms and called G, to get himself, Cole, Bindon and Bonham to come down to the lobby instead. Jones and his family were ushered out the back while the talking was going on. Their motorhome was parked across the street and they drove off to Oregon for a brief stay while the events unfolded. Page and Plant with Peter's son Warren followed the police entourage to Oakland in a Mercedes limousine, via the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Bail was secured for all four in Oakland. They then returned to the hotel, with Grant and Page spending the rest of the day sorting out the legal mess with solicitors. Bonzo, Cole, and Plant had already collected their belongings and caught a flight to New Orleans via San Francisco International Airport, booking into the Royal Orleans Hotel, where the rest of the band were expected to meet up.

Jones has said that Bill Graham was not a likable man, always screaming at people, since the band's first encounter with him way back in the Fillmore days.

Peter Grant: "It was just a very regrettable incident. But we were up against Bill Graham's security guys with their gloves filled with sand. We didn't want to get into that. There were wives with us and we had brought our kids with us for that part of the tour."

Jimmy Page: "All those horrific stories about what's supposed to have happened there, I don't think it was as bad as what it was built up to be, to be truthful with you. I'm not saying that something didn't happen. But you know what it's like over there. If you sneeze on someone, they'll sue you. It got blown out of proportion."

Meg

Thanks Meg! I've never read this quote from Jones.
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I was also at the first Oakland show, not that that gives me any insight into what happened. But I will say, from growing up in the Bay Area and going to Bill Graham produced concerts as a kid through the 70's, I don't believe his staff would have acted heavy handed, or that they would have provoked any artist's crew. Graham himself may have been a hard nosed business guy, but the staff was always a very calm & smooth operation. They always dealt with the public very professionally, and never as police. Back then, drugs were the norm at these shows, and their aim was always to make sure everyone was safe, never to bust anyone or give anyone a hard time. Comparing this type of staff to Grant, Cole & Bindon, it's a no-brainer to me to see who provoked who in this incident. Graham's account of it in his autobiography is very compelling, and worth reading, as is his whole story. And the fact that Grant regretted it in his later life says a lot.

I also think the statements that Page sat down through most of the second day are an exaggeration. Remember, the '77 show included a fairly lengthy acoustic set as well as White Summer/Black Mountain Side, which he would be seated for. I've never seen any photos from that day of Page sitting down playing the Les Paul or the Doubleneck.

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Bill Graham spoke to my boyfriend about drugs at one of the Bay area concerts during the sixties. He was most concerned about maintaining an environment where musicians could play, and he worked hard not to jeopardize his ability to hold events. He wanted to avoid scandals, drug-related or otherwise. He made diligent efforts to steer clear of any situations that could stop the shows from happening.

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I also think the statements that Page sat down through most of the second day are an exaggeration. Remember, the '77 show included a fairly lengthy acoustic set as well as White Summer/Black Mountain Side, which he would be seated for. I've never seen any photos from that day of Page sitting down playing the Les Paul or the Doubleneck.

Exactly right, Steve. Standard '77 shows in the traditional way for both Oakland dates, although they did start 45 minutes late on Sunday (the second show).

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Exactly right, Steve. Standard '77 shows in the traditional way for both Oakland dates, although they did start 45 minutes late on Sunday (the second show).

I was there at the second show, and from my memory, it seemed much longer than a 45 minute wait. The crowd was really getting restless, and Bill Graham came out and was pissed at the crowds reaction. People were starting to throw things, and boo. The concert was also short. They were good, but not what I expected as far as long guitar solos ect. The concert was less than 2 hours if i remember right. There may have only been one small encore, or none. Again, my memory is not what it used to be!

I also went to all the day on the greens and concerts in the Bay Area. For some reason, we hated Bill Graham! I can't remember for the life of me why, other than maybe we thought he was driving ticket prices up or something. But we did not have a good impression of the man.

As for his employees, most were fine, and yes, drugs and alcohol were allowed, but some of the guys were a little rough. Once concert at Cow Palace, I was in the front with my friends. We were 16 and from the heat and smoke I started to pass out. One of the employees that stood between the barrier and the stage, started to lift me over the barrier. I came to, and said, I'm fine, let me go back over. He drug me to the end of the barrier and pushed me out into the crowd!

Cow Palace as always a rough crowd, and not a good place to be a young female alone. So there I was alone in this huge crowd, and no cell phones back then. I was scared and pissed off! So some employees were not nice. ;-) By the way, I did manage to work my way back up to the front and find my friends, and let him know what an ass he was. :rolleyes:

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