[ Led Zeppelin's first ever gig in the United Kingdom was performed at the Mayfair Ballroom on October 4, 1968.] Rocking times at the Mayfair: Legendary nightclub still a miss Evening Chronicle [Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK)] 28 May 2013: IT was around this time in 1999 that the region's rock fraternity heard the first rumours. Could it be true? Was Newcastle's hallowed Mayfair ballroom set to fall victim to the bulldozers? Was the iconic venue - a dance hall for generations and a famed rock venue - about to be buried beneath a 21st-century leisure complex? Sadly, for many, the answer was yes, and in early June, the Chronicle reported that Land Securities - the UK's biggest property developer - "had assembled a prime 2.5-acre site to construct a leisure complex and build a 12-screen multiplex". The club would open for the last time on August 21, the demolition would begin and work would commence on The Gate. Music fans were dismayed. One Mayfair DJ said: "Now more than 3,000 rock fans will have nowhere to go. There are no other clubs in the region catering for this type of music." A stellar list of stars had appeared at the famed venue over the years. Pink Floyd, The Who, T Rex, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and AC/DC were just some of the rock legends who took to the stage. Later on, the likes of Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams and Nirvana would bring the house down. The Mayfair is still mourned 14 years on. Jess Cox, who found success with Whitley Bay heavy metallers, The Tygers of Pan Tang in the early 80s, remembers: "When I was a kid, the music scene just seemed magical. I remember seeing Vinegar Joe at the Mayfair with Elkie Brooks, then Ten Years After with the great guitarist Alvin Lee. It was a brilliant venue - and it was great to play there myself years later." Chronicle readers have also been looking back. Pauline, from Alnwick, said: "I worked there and I made a pot of tea for Ozzy Osbourne - he was so grateful and a nice guy." Michael Wilson remembers: "We used to go there every Friday night in the '60s and '70s. One of my best memories was Mott The Hoople, who would not get off the stage. Management had to cut the electricity. We finally got out of there at two in the morning. It was a great night." Meanwhile, Jude Murphy recalled his favourite nights: "Where to start? Gil Scott Heron, Elvis Costello, Prefab Sprout, Metallica, Everything but the Girl, the best air guitar at the Saturday rock nights and, for total contrast, some great big band stuff too. It was a brilliant venue." Rockers have tried to recreate the magic of the Mayfair at different venues since its demise. In 2009, for example, a 10th anniversary Mayfair reunion was held at the O2 Academy in Newcastle. A success, but nowhere could quite recreate the unique atmosphere of the Mayfair.

I'm glad my voice is too sad for ads: Patty Griffin tells Martin Chilton why she is happy to sound mournful, and about working - and living - with Robert Plant Chilton, Martin. The Daily Telegraph [London (UK)] 30 May 2013 Patty Griffin has a vivid memory of a hope she had as a waitress in her twenties in Boston, before she had made the leap to become a full-time musician. The 49-year-old singer-songwriter says: "When I was wiping down the tables, I always dreamed about travel. I would get to the end of a night shift and wonder what it was like in wonderful places around the world. I have been to a lot of them now and that has been great. But I'm just happy that I can sustain a living doing something I love. Music doesn't have to be fancy. I work hard and enjoy the fact that people want to come to my shows. That's simple, but I'm pretty blue-collar about it." In 2010, her album Downtown Church won the Grammy for Best Traditional Gospel Album. Willie Nelson described the former Americana Music Association Artist of the Year as having "one of the best voices around", and Griffin's compositions have been recorded by Bette Midler, the Dixie Chicks, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Solomon Burke, among others. Her new album, American Kid, is dedicated to her father Lawrence Joseph Griffin, who died in 2009. Was it a difficult album to make? "It was very clear that my father was leaving the world," Griffin says, "and I was very anxious about that. What I do in that situation is to write songs, because writing music makes me feel better, and singing makes me feel better, so I sat to write the way I felt and it ended up that a lot of the album was about him." The track Irish Boy is celebratory and mournful, as she writes about a high-school physics teacher she describes as "such a scrappy guy". She explains: "He had the Irish fighter thing in him, although a lot of people knew him as this gentle, generous and very kind person, which he was. He grew up in Boston at a time when the Irish were considered lowerclass citizens, and I think that really had an effect on him." Griffin is the youngest of seven children (all born within seven years) and although her mother, of French-Canadian descent, had her hands full, she loved music. Griffin remembers a voice so amazing that on one occasion, she wasn't sure if she was hearing her mother singing or the tones of a Peggy Lee record. Her own voice is remarkably rich and expressive. And it is achingly sad. Is it true that she was rejected for advertisements because her voice was judged to be too mournful? Griffin laughs as she admits: "Yes, I was rejected for couple of adverts for sounding too sad. One was for Diet Coke, but it's a good thing it didn't happen because it probably would have been a big blight on my soul. It also happened with a fabric softener called Downy, and I guess the way I sang 'Only Downy' made people weep. They said: 'We don't want people to cry about fabric softeners.' "I don't fight my ability to sing sad songs: it's what I am good at, so I must be built for that." The oldest song on the album is Not a Bad Man, which is about a traumatised young soldier. What prompted her to write a song about a soldier? "There was a marine who had returned home from Iraq to Austin, Texas, where I live," she says. "A lot of kids got lured in by the marketing campaign and joined up and they weren't really sure who they were fighting. It was after 9/11 and the Twin Towers had come down and these boys were going to go to fight. "I read a story in a paper about a family who were trying to get a young family member out of the military and get him some mental health care. That didn't prove possible and he ended up dead and it wasn't clear whether it was a suicide. So I wrote the song to get inside that kid, if I could." Despite her success as a lead singer, Griffin says she enjoys duet work. "I always wanted to be a back-up singer and my whole life I have been impressed by them. When I was a child, I loved watching the back-up singers to see how they were moving. "I learned a lot from hanging out with Emmylou Harris. One of the biggest pointers she gave me was that if you don't know the words, drop the consonants: that way you'll hide the sound." At the moment her singing partner is Robert Plant, 64, the former Led Zeppelin singer she met when she joined his Band of Joy in 2010 after the Grammy success of her gospel album. Griffin believes they have a simple reason for gelling musically, as she puts it: "It's like two lead singers who sing from the same emotional place. I recognise something in the way Robert goes for things that I feel myself. Two leads can be a very beautiful thing and on Ohio, for example, if you took my part out you would have another song. He's very insecure about duetting and says he doesn't know what he is doing - which is why it is great, of course." The pair gelled romantically, too, and live together in Texas. I wonder whether Plant, a fervent Wolverhampton Wanderers fan, has tried to get her interested in football? "Yes, I have been to a bunch of games - I have been to Blackburn and I have even tried Bovril!" Griffin will be playing UK concerts in July and will then concentrate on some solo touring in the autumn. Her creativity doesn't seem tied to personal happiness. During her thirties - a period she describes as a "delayed adolescence" after working from the age of 18 and marrying and divorcing young - she wrote some heartbreakingly intense songs. Now, nearly 50 and happy in her personal life, she is still writing memorable songs. Griffin says: "Having a sense of what is close to the bone can develop empathy and compassion in you and they are really important tools to have. Somehow, I don't think I would have any of that without having grown up the way I grew up and done things like waiting on tables. These are important things to me, and in some of my work I am trying to say that you don't get to have this forever, and just remember that this is a short period of time we're here so you have to get it right." 'American Kid' is released on New West Records. Patty Griffin will be touring the UK from July 19 to 26 "Robert's got me interested in football - Fve been to Blackburn and have even tried Bovril!

The life and times of Led Zep driving force Bonzo: He was dubbed the "godfather" of rock drumming and he would have been 65 today. To mark the date, the Mail looks at the colourful life of Led Zeppelin legend John Bonham - through the eyes of his kid brother Mick. Birmingham Mail [birmingham (UK)] 31 May 2013: THE young John Bonham had the face of an angel - but could already make a noise capable of waking the dead. He came into the world on May 31, 1948, weighing 10lbs 4oz and his passion for drumming was soon in evidence. His brother Mick, whose family lived in Redditch, wrote: "John was two years older than me, and this angelic-looking little lad would take me on some great nights - and get me into some hard fights. "As the first few years passed, I noticed that John had a passion for hitting things - biscuit tins, sweet boxes and anything else that made a sound. "What made this a particularly fretful period for me was the discovery that I, too, was included in John's make-believe drum kit. "But here it was, the start of the drumming career of John 'Bonzo' Bonham." Fast forward to the 1960s and John, desperate to make a career in music, knew he needed to be part of the wave of bands creating the sound of Birmingham. He performed with an act called The Senators, who contributed to a 1964 album titled Brum Beat, made up of local talent. And John's ventures into the big city led him to an aspiring singer called Robert Plant. Mick, who still shared a bedroom with John, recalled: "Most nights he'd tell me stories about Birmingham from behind blurry eyes. "The aim of most bands playing in Brum was to get on the 'circuit', the name given to venues owned by the Reagan family. "These included The Cavern, Old Hall Plaza, Handsworth Plaza and The Ritz in Kings Heath." Mick wrote how he would never forget meeting Plant for the first time - because he mistook him for Jesus. "Robert was a blues man with an unusual but powerful voice, that impressed John," he remembered. "Though their first get-together didn't last very long, I did get to meet Robert, although it scared the s**t out of me. "I'd been fast asleep late one night when John brought Robert back to our house. "My bedroom door was open when Robert came upstairs to use the toilet and, by mistake, came into my bedroom. "I awoke to see a silhouette of what I thought was Jesus. "With the long curly hair he looked just like the pictures I'd seen at Sunday school and immediately thought He had come for me." John's big break was a while coming - he even planned to sell his drum kit at one stage - but his love life was blossoming and he married Pat Phillips on February 19, 1966. The couple lived at her family's home on Dudley's Priory Estate and then his parents' house in Redditch - even moving into a caravan in the gar-den when their son Jason arrived. John's life changed forever in 1968 when Jimmy Page recruited Plant to help form the New Yardbirds and he recommended his mate from the Midlands. With John Paul Jones also in tow, the quartet went on tour - and ended up under the name Led Zepellin. Mick wrote: "John was like a kid with a new toy. "He was so excited about the band, the tour and the fact that maybe, just maybe, his dream of making it might be coming true." And come true it did, with a succession of huge releases and tours breaking box office records as they went. Mick wrote of his memories in a book marking the life of his brother, who died on September 25, 1980, aged just 32, signalling the end of the band. An inquest heard John inhaled his own vomit after drinking 40 measures of vodka in just 12 hours. Tragically, Mick himself died suddenly, aged just 49, in January 2000, after completing the first re-write of the title, John Bonham The Powerhouse Behind Led Zeppelin. The anguish of John's loss was clear as he recalled how Plant broke the news. "I don't know how to explain the impact his words had on me in that split-second and how I felt afterwards," Mick wrote. "The only thing I knew was that the brother I loved so much, my lifelong hero, was gone. "What more is there to say? Only that we try to deal with the devastation of his death on a day-to-day basis." Mick's book is published by Southbank Publishing.

this photo was posted on Neal Schon's Facebook page

April, I don't know what you will receive from the Subscribe Zeppelin option, but if you look at the main page there is a 'go to the archives' option. If you click there, it will take you to the daily postings - they are current postings made daily by members who also belong here. There is also a search facility on the Archives page, so you can research any topic.

I know Dr Larry was a qualified medic, but in this photo (thanks for sharing, btw) he looks like a door to door salesman selling double glazing,

April, The web address is http://www.oldbuckeye.com/badgeholders. Nech is a member of this site. His membership name is 'Nech' (not surprisingly). He doesn't appear to have visited this site since 2012, but maybe you could drop him a line at FBO and see if he can identify the girl (assuming he is the guy in the background of the photo). I suspect she is someone Jimmy knew already, perhaps from the music industry, or even the ABC Trust.

Hi April, No - it's not the same girl. The girl in the Tumblr photo is Brazilian and definitely looks Hispanic. This other female does not. I had a look at Getty Images, and I think the other photo may be taken at the Celebration Day Premiere party in New York in that JImmy is wearing a similar suit and tie. As I said above, I think the guy in the background looks like Nech Tytla who would possibly be invited to the party because he runs an LZ site. Here's a photo below from that event for comparison.

I haven't read Bebe's book. I found the comment referred to on the internet, but I can't remember the site, but I do remember what she spoke about. Some time ago, I posted a thread on here which you will find in Led Zep Trivia forum called 'Bebe Buell Talks About Jimmy'. She talks about their relationship. No, it wasn't a recent interview.

Found this on Tumblr - it seems to have been taken about four years ago. "...Guitarist of legendary rock group Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page (65) was infatuated with the singer Daniela Maia (20) in his recent visit to Brazil. In Rio to participate in charity auction on behalf of Casa Jimmy, an institution that welcomes children and adolescents of the street, the artist enjoyed a night of Lapa venue. He has engaged in conversation with Daniela mood for romance, one of the attractions of the River Rock & Blues Club. The meeting was after the show the singer, who won acclaim for his portrayal of Jimmy’s classic bossa nova. At night, a guitar autographed by members of the band Iron Maiden has sold for 5400 dollars. Jimmy contributed signing two shirts and a poster, which sold, brought up to about 8000 the actual amount collected for the NGO Task Brazil."

Anxss, Where did you find it? I may be completely wrong, but the guy in the background on the right looks a bit like Nech Tytla who runs 'For Badgeholders Only'.

Thanks April and Melanie. We'll maybe find out in a day or so where they were photographed.

This photo was posted on Twitter by Andrew Magee, a trainee journalist, who met Jimmy today. Unfortunately, Andrew doesn't say where they were. .

He probably has read the book, or at the very least is familiar with the reference to having a picture in the attic, because when he met up with Bebe Buell after many years had passed, he said to her that she must have a picture in the attic.

Robert recently in Wales photographed with a fan. Courtesy of LEDZEPNEWS.

I fully acknowledge the appalling tragedy which befell Robert but, I also wonder if he has suffered from the effects of the sun on his skin? He does seem to have done extensive travelling in very hot parts of the world, and we are told by all the 'skincare gurus' that exposure to sunlight has a detrimental effect. I doubt if, after the loss of his beautiful son, he could care less what he looks like. An event like that must surely change your life priorities.

SAJ, I am quoting post 3557 here for Melanie just to make it straightforward for her to access. There is only one thing, you seem to have credited the article to the Sunday Times in 1976. The article is in fact from the Sunday Express (UK).

Nice, thanks for posting. Is this the front entrance? I seem to recall Mark saying that he had been a guest there - I assume you too.

]I just remembered about Google Search images after reading Anxss' post above. This shot seems to be from one of the 'IMGL' press conferences. Not very good quality, but I hadn't seen it before.

Anxss Where did you find the bottom photo - it looks quite recent?

This isn't a 'hot' picture of Jimmy. It's a caricature from 1998. I can't say that I like it, but I'll post it here anyway. It is copyright of Ron Coddington/MCT

Ally, How is your back these days? It's a while now since you had surgery. I recall you and Rick were having back problems about the same time.

Amie, Thanks for that. It's very reasonable compared with some of the tourist trips we have here in Edinburgh. I wouid find good use for the bar.

Amie, I was just about to ask you about the boat trip. Are there a number of operators covering that area? How much is it roughly per person? I have been to Windsor before, and was charmed by the whole area, but didn't go down the Thames.