Many factors at play. One was song popularity, of course. They didn't completely dismiss what the audience was expecting in favor of their own preferences. WLL wasn't in the set until late 69, after it hit as a single. They certainly knew they had something big in STH, even before LZ IV was released. But it wasn't placed in a featured spot in the set (Japan 72) until it became obvious it was becoming a monster. Even then, audiences were still screaming for WLL well into 72. Once they started recording LZ III, they started adding preferred tracks to the set once they were ready regardless of when the resulting album might be released. Recall they held back performing LZ II material (for the most part) through the Summer tour. Then consideration was given to what the band thought certain audiences were receptive to at given times. Examples, I think they dropped the acoustic set in 72 because they were a bit fed up with audience impatience. The medley largely went away in 73 because they felt the oldies had largely run their course with the American audience imo. Plus, their own material was filling up more and more of the set (pretty much all of it). As for song order, the start was designed to bash the audience over the head with a 2 or 3 song hammer. Then there was Jimmy's concept of light and shade, shifts in mood during a show. This could be accomplished via song order and within a longer number. Extended solos were spaced to give other band members a bit of a break. Also, in the later years there were keyboard numbers strung together to accommodate JPJ. By 73, the stage presentation became elaborate enough that the set list had to become a bit "static." The crew - stage, sound, lights, effects - had to know what was coming in order to choreograph the show. It's amazing it all came together so seamlessly. None of those Spinal Tap "follies" came from a Zeppelin show.

Dave Lewis questioned a Professor Chibnall 3 years ago about the status of the Whitehead film. "There’s 20 to 30 minutes and a lot of it is backstage. I’ve only seen the footage, I haven’t seen it with sound...when Led Zeppelin played, they played in the dark and there was insufficient stage lighting for (Whitehead's) cameras. So he reckoned that the footage, the live footage, was not usable. It is usable because, I mean, it can be, it can be restored now. So you can raise those lighting levels, you can see more digitally...I think it would be a really good project for 2020." Gotcha!

I think it comes down to the market. Will there ever be a market for recorded music as there was through the 80s and into part of the 90s? Hard to imagine there will be. Tastes in entertainment changed. Video games replaced music for lots of high school-to-college-age people, for example. To the degree there's still been an audience for contemporary music over the last 20+ years, it's too easy to get it for free. You can also make an argument that there's a limit to the number of combinations of notes and melodies music can take. Popular music may have reached its saturation point of originality. At least to the degree required to capture the imagination of a mass audience to rival the height of the 60s to the 80s. I mean, come on, even our heroes were "inspired" by much of the music they heard as teens and budding musicians. They were able to mold it into something their own that was unique and fantastic. But there's probably a limit on how long music can be reinterpreted and marketed on a widespread basis. There's a reason the M in MTV has stood for something else - who knows what - since the 90s. Talk radio has replaced music content to a great degree. Music isn't as important to kids as it was to kids of prior generations. And it's the kids who have the disposable income that's made music a profitable endeavor. There's still a market for live performance, and people who aspire to be musicians can make a good living in that area. But there's not the broadcast outlets to help promote artists that there used to be. Without a lucrative enough market, there's less incentive to create music. Unless something radically changes in our cultural tastes, there's lots of things about rock music that will never be the same or even approached.

What a difference; they were back playing the large venues!

The European tour awaits. Plan on taking in every show! Wew!!

Let's not forget that Professor whats-his-name stated three years ago that 2020 would be the year we'd see the Bath 1970 film. Let's hold him to it.

Robert was gettin a bit salty in late 69. "Turn over baby and try it from the other side." 😮 Tampa 1970. The "Gun" scream Robert's larynx literally switches gears. Frightening!

Robert was quite the diplomat that night in Texas. He TRASHED Texas in Toronto only a few weeks earlier! But getting back to outdoor shows, I've been interested in comparing the sound of outdoor soundboard recordings vs. indoor, but it's curious how there are so few outdoor soundboards. The mystery soundcheck has had many theories as to its location. Start of the 73 N.A. tour? Dunno if I'm believing it's outdoors.

The second night in Glasgow. Not the easiest on the ears! Glasgow may have been the first audience to do the Black Dog call-and-response with Robert.

Just goes to show there may be another Zeppelin tape lurking around the corner.

Miss hearing Walter's Walk once this tour started and not even a Crunge this night. They were in a rush to catch a train! Very nice audience tape, though. This completes listening to every available show covering three years 10/10/69-10/10/72. Plus, all studio outtakes in their proper place in the timeline. What a trip!

Awesome indeed! I just listened to Detroit 72 and Robert referred to it as the "Grandee" (spelt Grande). The crowd seemed to respond like they knew what he meant. Must be the May show. Seems a hot night!

Wew this is a particularly good audience recording.

Wow so much changed between Tucson and this night. Robert's voice would never be the same. R&R and IS/HB essentially changed places as opener vs encore(s). The acoustic set became an acoustic interlude (this actually started in Tucson). STH was finally moved back in the set list. The diverse medleys now largely followed a pattern. On the other hand MMH, TSRTS and RS were added to the set. The show was bit more streamlined; an occasional 2.5 hrs but no more 3-3.5 (until they returned to America). Every band must move on and Zeppelin were maturing. Even the audience was starkly different from a year prior in Japan and throughout the rest of 72. Perhaps owing to Robert no longer having the voice that could provoke the crowd into hysteria. Plus, they were playing more music that hadn't yet been heard; 5 tracks from HOTH including instrumental Crunge. A new era and new reasons that still made the band great.

RIP Erik. And condolences, Gary.

I'll just add that when HOTH was released the band still wasn't getting the peak publicity they deserved. That wouldn't come until the Spring/Summer Tour which is when the album hit its chart peak. Had the publicity machine been in place earlier, or had the album been released closer to the N.A. Tour, it probably would have had a longer run at the top.

Cruising right thru 72.

Appetizer for the Big One!

A necessary evil if you wanna listen to all of 72. It does get a bit better as you go along.