Bonzo with double bass drums - photo date?? !!

[porgie66]

 

Can anyone identify the date and or location of the few photos of Bonzo playing behind two bass drums?  I have only seen maybe three pics , which all seem to be from the same gig /venue. 

 

 

 

 

[zeplz71]

That seems like Anaheim. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/august-9-1969

He used double-bass on a few shows during this summer '69 tour.

You can see more at the Albuquerque concert. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/august-2-1969

Salt Lake City http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/july-30-1969

 

[porgie66]

5 hours ago, zeplz71 said:

That seems like Anaheim. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/august-9-1969

He used double-bass on a few shows during this summer '69 tour.

You can see more at the Albuquerque concert. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/august-2-1969

Salt Lake City http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/july-30-1969

 

Yes! You nailed it, thank you! I always assumed it was earlier in the year , maybe during the winter 69 tour. I have to go back and listen all the shows I have from summer 69 and try to identify the sound of two bass drums. Maybe the Rockpile shows....there could be a few moments when I thought it sounded like two. 

[Mook]

I'd love to hear a recording of one of the double bass drum gigs.

[LedElvis75]

This is it! My Holy Grail of Holy Grails... a recording of Bonzo employing the double bass drum.  Man, what I wouldn't give to hear him playing the double bass drum...

[LedElvis75]

1 hour ago, porgie66 said:

Yes! You nailed it, thank you! I always assumed it was earlier in the year , maybe during the winter 69 tour. I have to go back and listen all the shows I have from summer 69 and try to identify the sound of two bass drums. Maybe the Rockpile shows....there could be a few moments when I thought it sounded like two. 

I've tried listening carefully to the 8/8/69 San Bernardino show to see if I could make out 2 bass drums.  The recording is so poor, however, it makes for a difficult listening experience.  But this is the time period... early August 69.

[sam_webmaster]

I've added another Albuquerque pic:

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/august-2-1969

 

Also, here's one of Vanilla Fudge, who shared the bill that night.... they appear to have shared the same drum kit:

 

[Strider]

24 minutes ago, sam_webmaster said:

I've added another Albuquerque pic:

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/august-2-1969

 

Also, here's one of Vanilla Fudge, who shared the bill that night.... they appear to have shared the same drum kit:

 

Ok. Wait a minute. Is that Bonham behind the kit for Vanilla Fudge? It looks like the same tank top that Bonzo is wearing in the other photo. Was Carmine Appice sick that night and Bonham filled in? Is that Appice's kit? Did Bonham's kit get lost and Carmine offered to let Bonham use his kit? So many questions.

[EaglesOfOneNest]

27 minutes ago, Strider said:

Ok. Wait a minute. Is that Bonham behind the kit for Vanilla Fudge? It looks like the same tank top that Bonzo is wearing in the other photo. Was Carmine Appice sick that night and Bonham filled in? Is that Appice's kit? Did Bonham's kit get lost and Carmine offered to let Bonham use his kit? So many questions.

Excellent questions; I am staying tuned for the answers!

[sam_webmaster]

It's Carmine Appice on drums for Vanilla Fudge, wearing a similar tank top....

[badgeholder]

Well, we know that after they saw Vanilla Fudge, Bonzo wanted an identical kit to Carmine's. So maybe these are two different, but very similar, kits, rather than them sharing one...But maybe not! hmm. Great photos BTW 

[Mook]

Very unusual to see Bonham on a drum riser prior to '75 also.

The only other time I can think of is the Danish TV performance in March 1969.

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

1 hour ago, Mook said:

Very unusual to see Bonham on a drum riser prior to '75 also.

The only other time I can think off is the Danish TV performance in March 1969.

And the Communication Breakdown Japanese promo vid.

They must of realised he didn't need a second bass drum early on and did away with it for making it easier to travel with the drum kit.

[Mook]

2 hours ago, TheStairwayRemainsTheSame said:

And the Communication Breakdown Japanese promo vid.

They must of realised he didn't need a second bass drum early on and did away with it for making it easier to travel with the drum kit.

According to what I've read, the rest of the band complained that two bass drums was too much & had Bonham remove the second one after the handful of gigs in '69. They would've travelled with two anyway as he'd have needed a spare.

[TheStairwayRemainsTheSame]

9 minutes ago, Mook said:

According to what I've read, the rest of the band complained that two bass drums was too much & had Bonham remove the second one after the handful of gigs in '69. They would've travelled with two anyway as he'd have needed a spare.

Would of saved them carrying 3/4 then!

[LedElvis75]

22 hours ago, TheStairwayRemainsTheSame said:

Would of saved them carrying 3/4 then!

HA!

[porgie66]

I would love to see more pics of Vanilla Fudge's show from this night, with clearer pics of the drums. My gut feeling is they were not the same set, although nearly identical. I really want to see the bass drums more clearly. Carmine says he had 26x14 bass drums and that Bonzo got the same from Ludwig per his hook up, but Bonzo's often look deeper, like 16s. Even in these pics too, although it could be an optical illusion , based on the different set -up and angle of the drums. 

[76229]

6 hours ago, porgie66 said:

I would love to see more pics of Vanilla Fudge's show from this night, with clearer pics of the drums. My gut feeling is they were not the same set, although nearly identical. I really want to see the bass drums more clearly. Carmine says he had 26x14 bass drums and that Bonzo got the same from Ludwig per his hook up, but Bonzo's often look deeper, like 16s. Even in these pics too, although it could be an optical illusion , based on the different set -up and angle of the drums. 

Hi George, I know it's off topic for this thread, but I've been enjoying your YT uploads at Bonzology.

[porgie66]

17 minutes ago, 76229 said:

Hi George, I know it's off topic for this thread, but I've been enjoying your YT uploads at Bonzology.

Thanks mate, appreciate that! 

[Mook]

16 hours ago, porgie66 said:

I would love to see more pics of Vanilla Fudge's show from this night, with clearer pics of the drums. My gut feeling is they were not the same set, although nearly identical. I really want to see the bass drums more clearly. Carmine says he had 26x14 bass drums and that Bonzo got the same from Ludwig per his hook up, but Bonzo's often look deeper, like 16s. Even in these pics too, although it could be an optical illusion , based on the different set -up and angle of the drums. 

Hard to say isn't it? On Appice's set up it looks like there's a big gap between the two bass drums, which doesn't seem to be there on Bonham's kit but it could just be the angle.

I'm sure I've read reports of them both playing on a song at the same time on that tour (an encore maybe?), I'm not sure from memory if they were both on the same kit or not. It's hard to imagine in this day & age that people weren't taking photographs of everything, especially these huge moments in the history of rock music.

[Mook]

Here's another couple of pictures of Appice with his double bass drum kit in '69...

 

 

[porgie66]

4 hours ago, Mook said:

Hard to say isn't it? On Appice's set up it looks like there's a big gap between the two bass drums, which doesn't seem to be there on Bonham's kit but it could just be the angle.

I'm sure I've read reports of them both playing on a song at the same time on that tour (an encore maybe?), I'm not sure from memory if they were both on the same kit or not. It's hard to imagine in this day & age that people weren't taking photographs of everything, especially these huge moments in the history of rock music.

I'm sure the gap is because of difference in set up preference. Who knows if they shared the drum set but I doubt it. Carmine's TomTom looks like it's maxing out the snare stand and I read he had a 15 , whereas Bonzos appears to be a 14. Also, Carmine's has a Ludwig mount on it , Bonzo's has the Rogers mount. Could be the shared the same kit though for these few shows in early August 69. It's very possible that the only recording of this setup is San Bernardino but wouldn't you know, it's possibly the worst recording of Bonzo's drums. It's impossible to hear the drums for most of the tape because the guitar obliterates everything else. It's the worst fucking shite recording. Portland is another wretched awful tape. 

[Mook]

I've no doubt the live release later this year will be a multi track from San Bernardino '69, then we can all die happy.

Just as an aside, I'm glad the rest of the band told Bonham to ditch the double bass kit. There's something a lot more iconic about a 4 piece kit, especially John Bonham's & he never need any more bottom to his playing anyway.

[the chase]

1 hour ago, Mook said:

I've no doubt the live release later this year will be a multi track from San Bernardino '69, then we can all die happy.

Just as an aside, I'm glad the rest of the band told Bonham to ditch the double bass kit. There's something a lot more iconic about a 4 piece kit, especially John Bonham's & he never need any more bottom to his playing anyway.

I might be in the minority, but I’d loved to have heard what John Bonham could have done with 2 Bass Drums. Not all the time, but a song or 2, absolutely. He had some of the strongest feet in the business.  His left foot was amazing. It’s a little weird that they would tell him not to do something, seeing Page and Jones played pretty much every instrument under the sun. Maybe it was a mess. Who knows. Bill Ward has said Bonham loved getting on his kit and said JB would say to him that “those bastards won’t let me have any drums”

I remember reading how when LZ and VF toured together, someone said how they’d take down one kit and put up pretty much the exact same kit. Pretty sure Carmine Appice said this. 

[Mook]

4 hours ago, the chase said:

I might be in the minority, but I’d loved to have heard what John Bonham could have done with 2 Bass Drums. Not all the time, but a song or 2, absolutely. He had some of the strongest feet in the business.  His left foot was amazing. It’s a little weird that they would tell him not to do something, seeing Page and Jones played pretty much every instrument under the sun. Maybe it was a mess. Who knows. Bill Ward has said Bonham loved getting on his kit and said JB would say to him that “those bastards won’t let me have any drums”

I remember reading how when LZ and VF toured together, someone said how they’d take down one kit and put up pretty much the exact same kit. Pretty sure Carmine Appice said this. 

I doubt you're in the minority, I totally agree & would love to hear Bonham with 2 bass drums on the odd song/gig, just not all the time. He didn't need them.