The Firm
Purdue University - Elliott Hall of Music
West Lafayette, Indiana
April 29, 1986
Hey. That's the Hall of Music.
And I was at that show, seventh row center (more or less).
GREAT SHOW. FANTASTIC SHOW.
Ideal venue for The Firm. Acoustically warm and an enormous stage (90 ft proscenium) for prowling rock stars. Very intimate, even with 6,000 seats. The place was designed by the same folks that designed Radio City Music Hall. Very similar in many ways.
I was living in sin (and I mean SIN) with my (now) wife. She wasn't interested in Zeppelin/Jimmy, but she humored me on my various excursions to concerts, ha! She was on the Dean's List, I went to class.....sometimes.
BIG night for the local Jimmy Page-Led Zeppelin Appreciation Society. We had dinner and drinks (LOTS of drinks, boy could we sink 'em back then) and off to the show.
My recollection (somewhat unreliable, I will easily admit) was that it did eventually sell out, or very nearly so. Selling out ANY show at Purdue is unusual, even today.
They flew a private jet into the Purdue Airport (less than five minz from the venue by car) where they were met by the varsity cheerleaders, which got a sincere "THANKS FOR THE GREAT WELCOME" from Paul during the show. WOOT!
Chris Slade did a KILLER drum solo and stood up at the end with a Purdue football jersey on. Yay!
Tony Franklin obviously was the young, hip, unknown dude - who happened to drive the older gents in the band all night.
Paul Rodgers was.....well, Paul Rodgers. What an amazing, effortless voice.
And Jimmy was AMAZING. I dunno if he would say that it was a "magic" night for him, but it was for us. He worked the stage so fucking hard. Thrilling to see/hear him in that venue.
There is a bootleg of that show, BTW. I know someone that did have a copy, don't know if they still do. I'll look into that.
I "knew people" and we were offstage when the band finished the last encore. To me they acted like real friends, they were having a lot of fun. They teased each other, made fun of each other, laughed about mistakes, etc. VERY British. We didn't get close to them at all, just distant observers.
Jimmy was clearly inebriated, and was chain smoking Marlboro Reds. Never without one it seemed. He kept the company of a ... girl, his "date" we decided, but also his coach and nurse. She toweled him down and allowed him hits off an oxygen (??) tank-like thing. That was surreal.
He was drinking...something I didn't recognize (Absinthe, we speculated later) and brother, he could put it away. Holy cow. His girl would tell him how great he was, how fantastic he sounded, etc. "Thanks luv, thanks. Yer sweet".
He didn't seem to know where he was when off stage, but on stage he was clearly focused and knew EXACTLY what he was doing.
His playing was otherworldly, that's what I kept thinking, that's what comes to mind now. He had TONE, and his sound just cut right thru everything without overpowering the band. I've seen him play several times since, but never in the same kind of environment (the Hall of Music is NOT and arena, Jimmy should play more of these places., If he ever plays anywhere ever again, dammit).
Anyway, killer show.
I have long meant to post something about it, but never had. Steve's picture pushed me over the edge. I dropped my caffeine-free soda (my Absinthe days are long done) when I saw it with the clippings from the Exponent, as I sat in my chair at the mixing board, here.....at the Hall of Music, Purdue University.
Cheers