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Led Zeppelin opens record run at Forum (review)


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Led Zeppelin opens record run at Forum (review)

Press - Telegram Long Beach, CA 6-23-1977

By Denise Kusel

Staff Writer

Led Zeppelin painted a mural of musical abstractions for 18,000 screaming fans who buried the first five minutes of the show in continuous applause. Zeppelin, acknowledged as the world's hottest rock

group, finally made it to the Inglewood Forum Tuesday night in the most touted Southland concert since the Rolling Stones. They opened a six-concert stand and will play to 108,000 people — a Forum record.

THE BRITISH quartet liberally dipped an artistic paint brush into a tasty serving of music which spanned the group's 10-year history. The sight of lead singer Robert Plant, his body absorbing the driving tempo of John Bonham's drum rhythms, brought the crowd to its feet. Plant clearly has made it back after a near-fatal automobile accident which almost ended his career and forced the group into a two-year layoff.

He strutted around the stage, blond mane shaking in crazy tempos, hand on hip and bristling with energy. They opened with "The Song Remains the Same." the title cut from their latest album lor Swan Song.

At one point Plant threw back his head, thrust the microphone against his mouth and yelled. "We

finally made it. Last time we were here (the Forum) we played with Bad Company. Tonight — no beating around the bush, we're gonna play 'cause that's what we're here for "

And that's exactly what they did for a marathon three-hour set. Lead guitarist Jimmy Pace sizzled.

He moved as if he were a puppet on a string, egging the audience on as he wound around the stage like a rubber snake held up by strings.

The versitile Page was bathed in laser lights choking out a biting rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner" a la Jimi Hendrix, but with the staccato phrasing that typifies the Zeppelin style. Earlier, Page displayed his musical flexibility by playing mandolin in an accoustical portion of the show which Jones, opening on bass, was cool and unassuming, but got down to fast action ior a portion of his keyboard solo.

Which brings me to the big criticism of the night — the solo work. Although garishly adorned with showy audience pleasing gimmicks (laser lights, puffs of dry ice smoke and flash powders), the solos were too long.

A 20-minute drum solo by Bonham saw him crowned by a frenzied light show of pulsating pastels.

He concluded with the drum stand, resembling a launching pad for a lunar rover, being rotated onto center stage in a July 4th light spectacle. It also drove a good portion of the audience into hallways and beer lines. A 25-minute stint by Page, although interesting at first, became a mockery of his talent as he twisted dials on a bank of speakers and sawed a bow to shreds playing on his guitar.

Two hours after the concert, the tympanic membranes in my ears were still buzzing. Jones wandered back and forth from jazz rhythms to Dixieland in his keyboard solo. It was Plant who provided the cohesiveness for the group.

His offering in "Kashmir" was clearly a high point of the concert. Plant can be delicate — "Stairway to Heaven"— one minute and gutty - "Ten Years Gone" - the next.

Their 1977 American tour is setting all kinds of records with the largest single artist performance in

history when 76,229 people filled the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich. It took a mere 40 minutes to sell out the tickets for five nights at the Forum. Another night was added later. It too sold out within minutes.

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Cat, thanks so much for all these historic articles! Great research and fun to read.

Here's one for you to find: Led Zep's Tampa concert that was cut short due to a thunder and lightning storm at 3 songs into the show. Riot erupted and people were hurt and arrested.

What else can you provide us?

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Cat, thanks so much for all these historic articles! Great research and fun to read.

Here's one for you to find: Led Zep's Tampa concert that was cut short due to a thunder and lightning storm at 3 songs into the show. Riot erupted and people were hurt and arrested.

I am aware of these but I only have the New York news articles on file in my archive:

Tampa Tribune Jun 4 1977

Captioned photo of Led Zeppelin's limo being led away from riot

Captioned photo of a concert-goer being dragged away by police

"Wet and Bewildered, Rock Fans Disappointed"

New York Daily News Jun 4 1977

"Rain Grounds Led Zeppelin and Stirs Tampa Rumpus" (UPI)

Report on last night's cancellation by Tampa City officials of a rescheduled date following rioting at first performance

Dallas Morning News Jun 5 1977

"Concert Off After Riot" (UPI)

Report on last night's cancellation by Tampa City officials of a rescheduled date following rioting at first performance

New York Times Jun 5 1977

"Tampa Riots Over Tickets"

Seattle Times Jun 5 1977

"Thunderstorm, Stormy Fans End Concert"

Tampa Tribune Jun 5 1977

"Sports Authority May Ban Zep Show"

Miami News Jun 6 1977

"Led Zeppelin Promoters Apologize to Group and Fans"

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