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  • 2 years later...

You know, this is the first time I have gone through the photos on this thread and it has just struck me what a terrible venue Earls Court must have been to see a concert. Especially after seeing for the first time those black-and-white photos showing the stage and video camera set-up, with what looks like a cement wall behind them...the acoustics must have been shite. Notice how you don't even see the audience? It looks like even if you had front row seats at Earls Court, you were still miles from the stage...at least 30 feet or more, judging by how big the video camera pit appears and that strange sloping wall.

Now, the cold, distant vibe of the Earls Court soundboards makes sense.

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You know, this is the first time I have gone through the photos on this thread and it has just struck me what a terrible venue Earls Court must have been to see a concert. Especially after seeing for the first time those black-and-white photos showing the stage and video camera set-up, with what looks like a cement wall behind them...the acoustics must have been shite. Notice how you don't even see the audience? It looks like even if you had front row seats at Earls Court, you were still miles from the stage...at least 30 feet or more, judging by how big the video camera pit appears and that strange sloping wall.

Now, the cold, distant vibe of the Earls Court soundboards makes sense.

There was nowhere else in The UK at the time which held so many people. As you know it was principally an exhibition center and the seats were drafted in. They tried Ally Pally in 72 ( too cold and shit sound) to Wembley in 71, so they were left with no choice. In hindsight they were best off doing a festival in 1975, showcasing the light and concert sound show. But having said that quite where they would have done that is open to question. Knebworth maybe?

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Terrible, terrible place attended so many exhibitions there with work.

Painted block walls with terrible sound and zero charisma.

Having said that Grant wanted to bring all the fans by "zep express"

to one central venue, without EC the UK might never have seen the

full American tour rig and a series of iconic gigs. Zeppelin magic indeed!

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Terrible, terrible place attended so many exhibitions there with work.

Painted block walls with terrible sound and zero charisma.

Having said that Grant wanted to bring all the fans by "zep express"

to one central venue, without EC the UK might never have seen the

full American tour rig and a series of iconic gigs. Zeppelin magic indeed!

Agreed. I am sure this was the reason the band never toured here after January 1973. There were no plans to tour the UK in 1975 or 1977. Always seemed a shame

to me that the band concentrated so much in the US. But money talks I suppose

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^^^

If what you say is true, CP, then it wasn't about the money, it was the lack of acoustically suitable venues that made Led Zeppelin unwilling to tour the UK more often. I have read that they often had sound and PA problems because many of the venues they played couldn't handle their voltage power. It's a shame Wembley Arena and Ally Pally had shitty sound. Obviously, by 1971 Led Zeppelin had outgrown Royal Albert Hall and the Hammersmith Odeon....they would have had to play those places for a month solid to handle the demand.

Curious thing about you mentioning Knebworth...didn't they try to get Led Zeppelin for Knebworth in 1975 or 76?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I forget where i got these, But i know that a lot of them, I have not seen before! And as you well know, there are a lot of pics from earls court out there. Well i hope you find some here that you have not seen before! I suspect that they are not all from the same date, but taken from all 5 nights at the court of king james :) Earls Court! I LOVE THESE SHOWS!!!!!! ENJOY!!!!!

ec-jp-01.jpg

swansong74.jpg

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ec75-dz.jpg

ec75-bow2.jpg

ec75-back.jpg

earls75stairway.jpgearls75stairway.jpg

earlscourt75.jpg

EC75-A.jpg

earlsc75.jpg

earls75-jp.jpg

Earlsc.jpg

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What song(s) did he use the Strat for? Also, Earls Court, in light of some of the pictures, looks like a real dreary place, almost like some HS gym. Anyone ever been there? What is the place like?

Great pics!!!

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Over the Hills and No Quarter (first 2 shows)

He used it for OtHaFA on the third night as well

That's strange. Did he use it before or after for OtHaFA ever again? He did use that guitar a lot while recording Presence, I believe.

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Jimmy Page acquired the 1964 Fender 'Lake Placid' Stratocaster ca. April 1975 and used it at the first dates of the 1975 Earls Court shows for No Quarter and Over The Hills And Far Away. It was also used in 1979 and 1980 for In The Evening.

In the studio, Page used the Fender Stratocaster in the Presence sessions, on For Your Life and Hots On For Nowhere.

Page continued to employ the Strat into the 1980s, in his solo Firm dates.

http://www.led-zeppelin.org/studio-and-live-gear/1010

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I have the boot of the last two dates along with the amazing video In the Court of King James but unfortunately he did not use the Strat during those shows. I am curious as to how the Strat sounded on those songs vs. the Les Paul. Huge difference in tone plus the Strat is a single coil pick up vs. the double coil Humbuckers on the LP. Especially for NQ where the riff is so freaking heavy, I would think the Strat would do a disservice however I can see the advantage for OTHaFA.

Any opinions on the sound of the NQ & OTHaFA Strat vs. LP live?

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