FOR BADGEHOLDERS ONLY: LA Forum June 23, 1977

[Strider]

It's after midnight on the night of June 23, and I'm heading home from a screening of a restored print of Fellini's "La Dolce Vita".

Thirty-four years ago to the day, I was stuck in traffic in the parking lot of the LA Forum after Led Zeppelin's concert the night of June 23, 1977.

I know I said I would wait until next year to write about the 77 Forum shows, but since the concert of the 23rd was so special, I figured I could write a brief post to tide you over until next year.

Famously known as the Badgeholder show...For Badgeholders Only being the bootleg title...the concert of June 23 is also the night Keith Moon of the Who made his shambolic appearance during Moby Dick and the encore. Sadly, he would die the next year, so those of us at the concert that night saw Keith Moon's last appearance on a concert stage in the U.S.

As in 1975, the 77 tour came after a two-year break. The difference was that in 77 the break was caused by Plant's near-fatal accident. After the accident, us fans had to weather all sorts of rumours regarding the band and whether it would break up. For the first time, the Rock Gods were showing signs of mortality.

When the 77 US tour was finally announced, the sigh of relief and the rush of expectation was simultaneous. Tickets for the LA shows went on sale the last Monday in January 77, at 10am. My friends and I took turns camping out all week at the Forum parking lot. "Roots" was airing that week on TV, and it was an assignment in our social studies class to do a report on the mimi-series. I had a friend take notes for me and read the book while camping out. To this day, I have never seen Roots. This was also the week I saw Van Halen for the first time, and for the first time in the 70's saw that there was a new gunslinger in town that could challenge Jimmy Page.

By Sunday the line at the Forum was immense...thousands and thousands of people of all ages and sizes...maybe 5,000 in all. Monday morning couldn't come soon enough and thanks to us getting in line earlier in the week, we were pretty close to the front. After about 15-20 minutes I reached the window and got as many tickets I could afford for as many shows as I could; there were originally 3 shows scheduled to go on sale, but tix sold so fast and there were so many people in line they added a 4th show that day and later a 5th show. Finally a 6th and final Forum show went on sale weeks later.

Of course the 6 shows were originally scheduled for March. But with Plant's health issues, the shows kept getting pushed back and back until finally they were moved to June 21-23 and 25-27. All the delays were excrutiating so that by the time the concerts finally arrived in June, the audience was primed to explode.

The shows would be just Led Zeppelin...no opening act, as usual. After a blazing opening night on June 21, I was looking forward to more on June 23. And I wasn't disappointed...some parts of the show even seemed better than the 21st. The years had changed the band physically since 75. Jimmy especially was noticeably more gaunt and even his face looked different. The sunglasses and scarf during the opening numbers was an affectation I could've done without, but he still moved and skittered around the stage in that signature Jimmy Page-style. Some nights in 77 he wasn't as active, but on this night he was. Plant looked a little heavier, which was understandable given his accident, but he still exuded that Golden God aura...and he still had THAT hair. More importantly, his voice was noticeably much-improved over 1975...the best overall he'd sounded since 1972.

Bonzo looked like Bonzo...beard and all. 1977 also saw the debut of yet another Ludwig kit...this time his stainless steel kit. As usial, in Bonham's hands they sounded like cannons. John Paul Jones meanwhile was looking uncomfortably too much like Greg Lake, with his hair and propensity of wearing white. Then there was his decision to use Alembic basses on some of the songs, which gave a weird twang to the sound.

Overall though, the show was great...the return of the acoustic set after a 5 year absence was most welcome. No Quarter was stretched beyond belief, much like the Dazed and Confuses of earlier tours.

Over the Hills and Far Away was always a highlight of the night, Jimmy and Bonzo working the solo for all its worth. SIBLY and Kashmir also were their usual stellar selves...Jimmy's SIBLY solo on the 23rd might've been his best of the entire 77 tour. But what was really cool about the 77 tour was the chance to hear some Presence songs and the addition of more PG material.

Adding TYG, Black Country Woman, Nobody's Fault and Achilles to the setlist made a huge difference...and all 4 of these songs were performed powerfully on June 23rd. And we got Trampled Underfoot after Kashmir, which gave an extra boost to the final hour of the show, where the band's energy and the show's momentum flagged with the drum solo/guitar solo section. Yeah, visually Jimmy's laser pyramid looked awesome, but his solo section often seemed disjointed and unrehearsed and overlong...the bow segment never sounded as good as it did during Dazed and Confused and the Theremin didn't sound as cool as during Whole Lotta Love; it seemed lost without the groove laid down by Jones and Bonham.

I was tired of drum solos by 75, let alone 77...but at least on this night we got the entertaining drunken appearance of Keith Moon, shouting incoherently in the mic and joining Bonzo for some random bashing during the drum solo. It made for a goofy sight and a welcome bit of unscripted spontaneity.

After Jimmy's guitar-noise solo bit, it was up to Achilles Last Stand to recharge the concert. Fortunately they delivered one of the best Achilles ever! A fairly decent Stairway followed with the usual mirrorball light sparkles and flicked bics raised in tribute. And just like that, the main set was over and the band retreated offstage.

An encore was loudly demanded and once again, we were treated to the ramblings of an obviously blotto Keith Moon, while Plant fiddled with the drums. The band, Moon, and everybody were in demonstrably high-spirits and good-humour all night long, and it all coalesced during the encore, as the band launched into the standard 77 version of Whole Lotta Love/Rock and Roll. Jimmy now was wearing a leather jacket over his white dragon suit...and smoking yet another cigarette, one of many through the night and another sign of change from 75.

Barely 5 minutes and the encore was over and Robert was bidding us good night. The days of multiple encores were over. As it was, the show was well over 3 hours long as the clock struck the Cinderella hour.

People were buzzing over Moon's appearance and alternately puzzling and laughing over Plant's many "badgeholder" references. Hmmm, could Hotplant, MSG and Silver Rider been among the Badgeholders that night?

Considering what transpired in the remaining LA Forum shows and the few concerts played on the shortened third leg in July, I think it is safe to say that the June 23, 1977 concert was not only a highlight of the entire tour, but the last really great show of 1977...and an end of an era. The "classic" Led Zeppelin would no longer exist after 1977. Goodbye dragon suits. Goodbye bare-chested Robert Plant.

That's all for now folks...see ya next year for my 35th anniversary of 1977 extravaganza.

[johnlennon696]

Brilliant read mate, thankyou, i do happen to think Stairway is one of the best versions, just love Jimmys solo tbh, and almost weekly play from me this entire concert!!

[Silver Rider]

People were buzzing over Moon's appearance and alternately puzzling and laughing over Plant's many "badgeholder" references. Hmmm, could Hotplant, MSG and Silver Rider been among the Badgeholders that night?

No, I was not a badgeholder on that night. But just as he had made a remark about badgeholders, someone put a spotlight on a young blonde woman who apparently had some awareness of badges. She seemed rather embarrassed. God knows what that was about.

[Mattmc1973]

Great read, thanks man! That would've been so awesome. What a time to be a teenager. And to think, Star Wars had only been out a month, and lines were around the block over at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Summer vacation with Star Wars, Zep, and muscle cars. Ah, to have been there...

[MadScreamingGallery]

...

People were buzzing over Moon's appearance and alternately puzzling and laughing over Plant's many "badgeholder" references. Hmmm, could Hotplant, MSG and Silver Rider been among the Badgeholders that night?

...

No, I was not a badgeholder on that night. But just as he had made a remark about badgeholders, someone put a spotlight on a young blonde woman who apparently had some awareness of badges. She seemed rather embarrassed. God knows what that was about.

I wasn't a badgeholder then...by 1977 I was away at college in NY - no longer a Zep fan and, although still a teenager, "too old" to have been a badgeholder.

[ally]

by 1977 I was away at college in NY - no longer a Zep fan

Sorry for butchering your quote MSG but it made me think back to Seattle 77 and my initial reluctance to make the trip south to see the band. I'm not trying to turn this into a forum debate but the fact of the matter is, by 1977, I was no longer a big fan either .For me personally, the thrill had run it's course .

[MadScreamingGallery]

Sorry for butchering your quote MSG but it made me think back to Seattle 77 and my initial reluctance to make the trip south to see the band. I'm not trying to turn this into a forum debate but the fact of the matter is, by 1977, I was no longer a big fan either .For me personally, the thrill had run it's course .

No problem, Ally. I'm not up for a debate about it either although I understand and I agree that for many of us who had seen the band in their early years, by 1977 the thrill had run its course. Personally, for me, by 1975 the thrill was beginning to dissipate.

[badgeholder]

I was at this show also, of course (hence my moniker) and have posted a short review of my own in the timeline. So I'll just recap some of my lingering memories.

The look on my buddy's face (and mine as well) when Bonzo first tested his drums. Just this look of shock. I smile whenever I think about it. BOOM BOOM DADDAT!! Holy fucking crap! Louder than anything I'd ever heard in my life. This was gonna be EPIC!

Keth Moon running around behind the amps - BANGING HIS HEAD ON THE GONG! At first we didn't know who it was. We're thinking "Security!" Haha

On the ride home, my pal is giving his review, how Page and Plant aren't as good as they once were and how Jones and Bonham are carrying the show more than ever, blah, blah..I'm nodding, "Uh-huh", but really thinking "That was the greatest show I've ever seen". And I still feel that way, 34 years later. Still glad that I got lucky picking the 23rd, was only going to go to one show, so hoped it would be a good one. In fact, I remember going over it with Roger "Well, the first night they may still have to work out sound problems & opening-night jitters. But by the final shows they may be tired...So let's try the third one"

I still wonder where Mike Millard might have been sitting, I might have walked right by him, you know?

[chef free]

Ah... My LZ first bootleg! Must have been '78-'79, that one got out there quick. I've always used this boot to quiet those folks who would insist "Zep couldn't bring it live." It always shut them right up!

[SuperDave]

Thanks for a brief one Strider. One of the best shows from '77 and most certainly the wildest!

[PlanetPage]

...Strider, I think you have captured the true reality of '77, that video of Moon sort of explains "things", if I may say so....

...and along with MSG, Ally you all have seen/heard Zep in the early years, so I can understand; for me that was not possible, '75 and '76 I was Zep Fan in the making strongly with new cultural surroundings.......;

The Year '77, the white dragon suit I was officially converted life-long Pagette, this is the year that is most synonymous with me in high school;

[Strider]

Here's a brief glimpse of the Loonacy that night! Keith Moon shows up around the 6-minute mark.

The 1977 LA Forum shows occurred just as I finished my freshman year of high school. A few months later, as my sophomore year began, I met a guy who had a live tape of this show; a friend made it for him and he said if I gave him a blank he could have a copy made as well. So the next day I gave him a blank Maxell 90-minute tape, and a few days later, I had my first bootleg copy of this concert. The tape only had about half the show, and the songs weren't in order, but it sounded good.

The running order of my tape went as follows:

Side A: Sick Again, Nobody's Fault But Mine, Over the Hills and Far Away, Since I've Been Loving You, Ten Years Gone.

Side B: Battle of Evermore, Going to California, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Kashmir, Trampled Underfoot.

One of my teachers would play music in class and would let us pick the music periodically, so one day I brought my bootleg tape. Halfway through, they asked the teacher to take it off...they wanted Fleetwood Mac instead.

Around Christmas time of 1977, I was making the rounds of the local record stores, when I found the Holy Grail...the original Dragonfly albums that obviously were the source for my tape. I could tell, because Part One of "For Badgeholders Only" matched the running order of my cassette exactly.

Here are the original bootleg vinyl albums from the June 23, 1977 LA Forum show that were released on the Dragonfly label...and I still have the vinyl.

They were $20 each...each was a double album, so it was 8 total sides of wax.

Fast forward to today. I had always assumed that Mike Millard's tape was the source for these albums, but I just read somewhere that it is NOT Mike Millard's tape; that it is a DIFFERENT source that was used for the Dragonfly "For Badgeholders Only" albums. Is this true? If so, then it accounts for why every cd release of Mike Millard's tape of June 23 has never, IMO, sounded as good as the Dragonfly vinyl records.

[ZepRex]

cool review of that night Strider..I very personally love love love Plant's voice and looks in 77 and post-77..Knebworth, omg, .Then again I don't think Plant could do any wrong with me (although I don't like his latest stuff)..Looking forward to the full review next year..

[Walter]

I remember the Dragonfly LP being listed in the Guitar World magazine that Pagey was on the cover of ('86 I believe) in the discography section (as a bootleg of course). It had the record listing number for it and everything. I took it to my local "underground" record shop - but said, "we don't sell bootlegs"!

[PlanetPage]

I remember the Dragonfly LP being listed in the Guitar World magazine that Pagey was on the cover of ('86 I believe) in the discography section (as a bootleg of course). It had the record listing number for it and everything. I took it to my local "underground" record shop - but said, "we don't sell bootlegs"!

....July 1986, Cover JP Special (this is also in his Official Auto-Bio);

Page 92:

Jimmy Page - A Discography

Live At The La Forum 6/77

(Dragonfly LZ 1234)

AKA For BHO, this double-record set has good stereo, graphics, plastic lined inner sleeves--a quality bootleg! The sound is a bit phased, possibly because of overload levels and the amphitheater echo. Includes outstanding renditions of "OTHAFA,"...SIBLY, Kashmir, and all the old faves, but the killer comes with a version of "Trampled Underfoot," during which Page tortures his guitar with uncharacteristic abandon, and then a medley of "WLL/R&R" featuring guest drummer Keith Moon. Worth the Price;

[imPLANTed]

Another brief note on the looney show from ZeppFanForever:

I guess it is now time to tell another one of my adventures at a ZEPPELIN concert. The date: 23 June 1977, The place: The Forum in Los Angeles, California. When I think of The Forum show on 23 June 1977, not only will I remember some of ZEPPELIN'S blistering performance, I will also remember all of the D-R-A-M-A that was going on with me at The Forum.

I was fighting with my then girlfriend Donna and we decided that we were not going to The Forum show together. Our best friends, Tod and Stacy were fighting also and decided that they were not going to The Forum together either. Stupid me, I came up with a stupid idea and asked Donna's best friend Stacy to go with me and she accepted. Donna, on the other hand, decided to ask my best friend Tod to go with her to the Concert and he accepted. I can see that this outing was doomed from the start. Just imagine all of us driving from Sacramento, California to Los Angeles, it was like letting kids loose in a candy store. Stacy and I were driving in my 1971 Chevelle Malibu Chevrolet with four of my other friends which turned out to be pretty packed. Donna and Tod went in a separate car which is Donna's mom's brand new Lincoln Continental. One of my other best friends in my car, was carrying a pound of KGB skunk weed and wanted to sell a lot of it at The Forum. I swear, I was getting high breathing the fumes of the weed from the bong loads and it smoked up the whole car. Enough of that for now.

We made it to L.A. and arrived at the Forum in record time. My best friend who was playing drug dealer was selling weed left and right till he made a sale to an undercover cop. That son of bitch would chase all six of us the whole f*c*ing night. I was always wondering why that bastard was chasing us with no backup but I'll tell you at the end of the story. My drug dealer friend did not want to leave the bong in the car since he was worried that it might get stolen so we were going to try to sneak it in. Four of the guys said that they would go in first and to meet at a particular exit door. So here Stacy and I were, waiting at this exit door for the guys to open it and get the bong. But before that happened, the undercover prick caught Stacy and I outside the exit door and started running towards us. Stacy and I started running for our lives around The Forum and when we came around to the exit door, one of my friends was waiting at the door so I tossed the bong to him and Stacy and I kept running. Blame it on the weed, but Stacy and I had to stop running. When we did, we realized that the undercover cop was gone. After being in line for a while, Stacy and I got in and walked around the Forum for our seats. When Stacy and I came up to one particular mens bathroom, I knew that it was one of my best friends because smoke was coming out of the bathroom as the door opened like there was a fire. Stacy and I were the only ones out of the six of us, to find our seats and sit down with our beers. WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, my girlfriend Donna showed up with Stacy's boyfriend and my best friend Tod and sat down eleven rows from us. ITS A SMALL WORLD! It was a very awkward evening. The concert started and I was enjoying The Song Remains The Same, Sick Again and Nobody's Fault But Mine. It was around this time that Stacy mentioned to me that she had to pee. I told her to go ahead and be careful. After Stacy left, about one minute later, Donna would soon be following Stacy to the ladies room. I was enjoying the rest of the concert without realizing that Stacy had been gone for almost a half hour. Just as I got out of my seat and began to go out and look for her, Stacy approaches me crying with a bloody nose and a black eye. Then Donna walks past the both of us with a grin on her face. Stacy then told me that Donna opened the stall and hit her while she was hugging the porcelain. I was so mad that I wanted to choke Donna for what she did. I told Stacy to wait here because I was going to talk with Tod about this shit. I walked to Tod's and Donna's row and called Tod to tell him that I needed to speak with him. Tod and I started walking towards Stacy and Tod looked at Stacy and asked how she got that way. Tod then asked me if I hit her, I told him no. I told him that Donna did it. Tod then got pissed off at me and took it out on me by hitting me on the side of my head. I followed Tod to the mens room and he went into a stall to do something if you can imagine what it is. Rather than open his stall and hit Tod, I had five M-80's and I figured that the bang would scare the living shit out of him. So I did it, I wrapped three instead of five M-80's together and lit all three at the same time and threw them over the stall where Tod was at. You're probably asking yourself, how did I know which stall that Tod was in? Easy, Tod was the only one wearing shoes that said LED ZEPP on it. Anyway. after I lit the M-80's and threw them over the stall, I starting jetting out the bathroom door along with everyone else that was in the mens room and you would then hear this loud bang that sounded like gun shots. As I starting running the other way away from the mens bathroom, wouldn't you know it, that son of a bitch undercover cop was coming the opposite direction and starting running after me again. It took me about 15 minutes to get rid of that bastard. I know for fact that Tod got the shit scared out of him because he told me years later. Its a wonder that Tod survived that incident. Tod was making his way down the stairway aisle, messy and all, and when he got to where Donna was and told her what happened, she turned to me and pointed her finger at me in front of everyone and said: "YOU MOTHER F*C*ER!" At this point, everyone on our side of the whole section, stopped shouting and turned and looked right at me. I WAS SO EMBARRASSED! Stacy and I would FINALLY, see the rest of the concert. After it ended, people were looking at Stacy and I funny like "WHAT THE F*C* WERE YOU DOING?" Before Stacy and I along with the four of our other friends exited out the door, one had to go to the bathroom. Wouldn't you know it, AGAIN, that son of a bitch undercover cop was chasing after us. The bitch of it all was that he caught one of my friends that was in the mens room. So when the five of us saw the undercover cop and my best friend approaching us, we figured that we were doomed. I then told the cop: "PLEASE ARREST ME, I HAVE A BITCH FOR A GIRLFRIEND THAT IS ITCHING TO KICK MY ASS!" The undercover cop then said: "GUYS, I DO NOT WANT TO ARREST YOU, I JUST WANT TO BUY SOME MORE OF YOUR WEED!" ISN'T MY STORY A BITCH? The bitch of it all is that my then girlfriend Donna wrapped her mom's brand new Lincoln Continental around a telephone pole on the way back to Sacramento. To end the story on a good note, Donna and I along with Tod and Stacy made up and we even went together to the Oakland show a month later on 23 July 1977. Then again, we had to since we already bought the tickets and all four seats were together. I'm glad we made up. I would like to let you know that I had to shorten this story. Actually, a lot more happened but I'll save that for another day. MY BRAIN HURTS FROM REMEMBERING AND GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE! I hope you enjoyed it! ZeppFanForever out. ROCK ON!

[Walter]

That's the one. Nice find!

....July 1986, Cover JP Special (this is also in his Official Auto-Bio);

Page 92:

Jimmy Page - A Discography

Live At The La Forum 6/77

(Dragonfly LZ 1234)

AKA For BHO, this double-record set has good stereo, graphics, plastic lined inner sleeves--a quality bootleg! The sound is a bit phased, possibly because of overload levels and the amphitheater echo. Includes outstanding renditions of "OTHAFA,"...SIBLY, Kashmir, and all the old faves, but the killer comes with a version of "Trampled Underfoot," during which Page tortures his guitar with uncharacteristic abandon, and then a medley of "WLL/R&R" featuring guest drummer Keith Moon. Worth the Price;

[Strider]

Another brief note on the looney show from ZeppFanForever:

I guess it is now time to tell another one of my adventures at a ZEPPELIN concert. The date: 23 June 1977, The place: The Forum in Los Angeles, California. When I think of The Forum show on 23 June 1977, not only will I remember some of ZEPPELIN'S blistering performance, I will also remember all of the D-R-A-M-A that was going on with me at The Forum...

... I would like to let you know that I had to shorten this story. Actually, a lot more happened but I'll save that for another day. MY BRAIN HURTS FROM REMEMBERING AND GOING DOWN MEMORY LANE! I hope you enjoyed it! ZeppFanForever out. ROCK ON!

HOLY SHIT! That was an ADVENTURE all right! And it reminds me that usually the only drama I've encountered at a show is when I or a friend has brought a girlfriend along. Then, you rarely can just enjoy the show. You have to escort her to the bathroom every half-hour, or she doesn't like the band and wants to leave early, or she bumps into an enemy from school or an ex- and begins pouting the rest of the night.

In my experience, only Trudy and a few others could I bring to a concert and they would leave the drama behind and we could enjoy the show TOGETHER.

Is ZeppFanForever still around, imPLANTed? He should post more of his crazy adventures...they're wilder than mine. I would've been too scared to try and sell pot at a concert.

On a side note...AHA, YOU were one of those guys with the firecrackers and M-80's! I HATED those things when they went off near your ear! Zeppelin concerts were notorious for bringing out the firecracker gang. So, if you hadn't of used the M-80's to scare your friend Tod, when were you planning on lighting them at the concert?

Where were your seats? The 23rd is one of the few shows during that 1977 Forum stand where I had pretty good seats on the floor.

All in all, pretty hilarious...especially that "undercover cop"...lucky Donna survived her car crash.

And you are right...it does hurt your brain going down memory lane. It takes incredible amounts of focus and concentration.

[SuperDave]

Thanks for sharing your story Implanted. That was some wild night of an experience.

[imPLANTed]

The story I shared about the June 23, 1977 Forum show was actually from ZeppFanForever, SuperDave. He also saw LZ the following month and has an even MORE amazing tale to tell on that same thread (WHAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING THAT YOU EVER DID AT A LED ZEPPELIN CONCERT?) on the Master Forum section. I only wish I was his girlfriend back then. Trust me, it would have been all about the music and Robert if I had been there!

I was laughing at your comment, Strider, about your hesitancy to take girlfriends with you to concerts because of the drama. With me it's just the opposite. I purposely don't drink a lot at concerts because I DON'T want to have to go to the bathroom. Ha Ha! Also, I've taken a certain signficant other with me and he acted like a lump on a log, completely bored out of his mind. So disappointing.

I actually attend concerts by myself now if I don't have any friends that are interested in the acts I want to see. I saw the Rock of Ages musical and most recently Robin Trower by myself. I happened to be seated next to several men to see Robin Trower and trust me, I was in the minority as a female at a RT concert. The guy sitting next to me had friends who were actually a little put out that he befriended a "female." They asked him in front of me, "What's she doing here?" He explained to them that I was alright because I was one of the few females that he knows that was as excited about the guitar work as any man he knows.

I'm actually looking for my next "victim" uh, er, friend to attend a Paul McCartney concert with. But if I have to wait until I get to the concert to make friends...well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Ha Ha!

Also, going to see Lindsey Buckingham in September. Sooooooo excited to see him!!!!

[Strider]

I was laughing at your comment, Strider, about your hesitancy to take girlfriends with you to concerts because of the drama. With me it's just the opposite. I purposely don't drink a lot at concerts because I DON'T want to have to go to the bathroom. Ha Ha! Also, I've taken a certain signficant other with me and he acted like a lump on a log, completely bored out of his mind. So disappointing.

You sound like a trouper, imPLANTed! Definitely would have preferred taking you to concerts instead of some of my other GF's. There's a few others here that sound like they'd be fun to take to concerts: MissMelanie, planted, missytootsweet, Magic Fills the Air, MadScreamingGallery, Hotplant, Kiwi_Zep_Fan, Electrophile, Aquamarine, LakeofShadows...am I forgetting anyone?

And that sucks about your bump-on-a-log SO. What concert was it?

In my taping days, I definitely went to lots of shows solo, unless I knew for sure the girl could take care of herself and didn't get bent out of shape if I didn't pay attention to her every single minute.

And, to be clear, I wasn't referring to YOU when I made that crack about ZeppFanForever being one of those knuckleheads with the M-80's.

Can't wait to hear more of his wacky tales!

[Walter]

! Definitely would have preferred taking you to concerts instead of some of my other GF's. There's a few others here that sound like they'd be fun to take to concerts: MissMelanie, planted, missytootsweet, Magic Fills the Air, MadScreamingGallery, Hotplant, Kiwi_Zep_Fan, Electrophile, Aquamarine, LakeofShadows...am I forgetting anyone?

Knebby and Fool In The Rain 60 would also be very cool to take to a show!

[imPLANTed]

And that sucks about your bump-on-a-log SO. What concert was it?

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy

[Deborah J]

The story I shared about the June 23, 1977 Forum show was actually from ZeppFanForever, SuperDave. He also saw LZ the following month and has an even MORE amazing tale to tell on that same thread (WHAT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING THAT YOU EVER DID AT A LED ZEPPELIN CONCERT?) on the Master Forum section. I only wish I was his girlfriend back then. Trust me, it would have been all about the music and Robert if I had been there!

I was laughing at your comment, Strider, about your hesitancy to take girlfriends with you to concerts because of the drama. With me it's just the opposite. I purposely don't drink a lot at concerts because I DON'T want to have to go to the bathroom. Ha Ha! Also, I've taken a certain signficant other with me and he acted like a lump on a log, completely bored out of his mind. So disappointing.

I actually attend concerts by myself now if I don't have any friends that are interested in the acts I want to see. I saw the Rock of Ages musical and most recently Robin Trower by myself. I happened to be seated next to several men to see Robin Trower and trust me, I was in the minority as a female at a RT concert. The guy sitting next to me had friends who were actually a little put out that he befriended a "female." They asked him in front of me, "What's she doing here?" He explained to them that I was alright because I was one of the few females that he knows that was as excited about the guitar work as any man he knows.

I'm actually looking for my next "victim" uh, er, friend to attend a Paul McCartney concert with. But if I have to wait until I get to the concert to make friends...well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! Ha Ha!

Also, going to see Lindsey Buckingham in September. Sooooooo excited to see him!!!!

Hi imPLANTed!

That was a great thread! Great story!! Like you I have and still go to concerts by myself. I guess I would not be a good date as I will leave you in a heartbeat to get to the front row And like imPLANTED, I will not drink so I don't have to do the bathroom breaks, honestly you men do not have the long lines to wait in!!!

[Strider]

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy

:blink:

Really?!? That boggles the mind. I hope he has other good qualities that redeem him.

Okay...yes, it appears I left off a few on my list of worthy concert escorts: Deborah, Knebby, Fool in the Rain, Cammie, ZepRex and Lëah.