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Houston 5/21/77


snapper

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That 'buckeye' site is cool, and it brings up another question - he talks about Bonzo's drum riser moving forward onstage for Moby Dick. Now, I saw Zep in '77 (6-23-77 LA) and I DO NOT remember this at all. And I stayed for Moby Dick, I'm a drummer, so I didn't wander off. Did they ALWAYS do this? Is my memory that bad? Was I THAT stoned, haha! Help! Sorry to derail the thread, but it was mentioned, so...

BTW, I got that photo from the "Portraits" book by Neal Preston.

Here's an image of Bonzo's riser close to the crowd:

preston2002.jpg

I thought this image from the Pontiac show was cool just due to the screen above the band:

pontiac2.jpg

Robert

www.behindthetoys.com

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I thought this image from the Pontiac show was cool just due to the screen above the band:

pontiac2.jpg

Robert

www.behindthetoys.com

It isn't a screen, it's a mirror.

As for the Houston thing, I'm not sure of anything but it has been common knowledge, at least in my circles that the concert was Pro-Shot, see, Maryland had luxury boxes & funnily enough some people used to bring VHS recorders to the venue to tape those shows.

Another thing is that the Houston soundboard just sounds like a video soundtrack.

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It isn't a screen, it's a mirror.

As for the Houston thing, I'm not sure of anything but it has been common knowledge, at least in my circles that the concert was Pro-Shot, see, Maryland had luxury boxes & funnily enough some people used to bring VHS recorders to the venue to tape those shows.

Another thing is that the Houston soundboard just sounds like a video soundtrack.

What was the reason, the purpose for that mirror? Who used it ? ?

It's all "smoke and mirrors" anyways....

J/k :lol:

As for someone secretly shooting their own video from somewhere in an arena....

Well.... that could be apossibility for each and every show that Zeppelin played.

So, that specualtion alone, doesn't validate that anything was done, just that.... it could have been done....

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It isn't a screen, it's a mirror.

As for the Houston thing, I'm not sure of anything but it has been common knowledge, at least in my circles that the concert was Pro-Shot, see, Maryland had luxury boxes & funnily enough some people used to bring VHS recorders to the venue to tape those shows.

Another thing is that the Houston soundboard just sounds like a video soundtrack.

I noticed that's a mirror, too. How stupidly dangerous to mount one high above a stage, Bonzo could've died before his time. :blink:

But, Sibh23, I'm going to have to say no, nay, nein, nyet, nofuckinway about VHS recorders (not to be confused as the same thing as a video camera by the way). In 1977, that was HIGHLY unlikely. People may smuggle video cameras into concerts nowadays, but not 30 years ago. VHS players for the home were expensive as hell even in 1980, but video cameras were only prototypes in 1977, few people outside the television and movie industry even knew they existed. Bob Crane, Hogan of Hogan's Heroes, was murdered in 1978 for video-taping himself having sex with other mens' wives and girlfriends. He was one of the few people who owned a video camera and (if you Google the crime scene photos you can see for yourself) that sucker was huge. You'd have to have a wheel barrow to cart one around in '77.

Had Grant seen somebody lugging one of those around at a concert, Crane wouldn't've been the only one murdered.

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I noticed that's a mirror, too. How stupidly dangerous to mount one high above a stage, Bonzo could've died before his time. :blink:

But, Sibh23, I'm going to have to say no, nay, nein, nyet, nofuckinway about VHS recorders (not to be confused as the same thing as a video camera by the way). In 1977, that was HIGHLY unlikely. People may smuggle video cameras into concerts nowadays, but not 30 years ago. VHS players for the home were expensive as hell even in 1980, but video cameras were only prototypes in 1977, few people outside the television and movie industry even knew they existed. Bob Crane, Hogan of Hogan's Heroes, was murdered in 1978 for video-taping himself having sex with other mens' wives and girlfriends. He was one of the few people who owned a video camera and (if you Google the crime scene photos you can see for yourself) that sucker was huge. You'd have to have a wheel barrow to cart one around in '77.

Had Grant seen somebody lugging one of those around at a concert, Crane wouldn't've been the only one murdered.

Well, I'm not to sure about tech in the 70's, but it could've been an U-Matic or a Betamax (whichever seems more reasonable), and if you where sitting in the Luxury Boxes, I'd guess you'd have to be richer than at least the average Joe, besides, Pro-Shot tapes from some Maryland concerts exists (from other bands) as they where taped this way, I heard they usually came wrapped as gifts "for the band", and they managed to tape Pro-Shots of a few bands that way. And no, I never mentioned they brought TV cameras to venues.

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Well, I'm not to sure about tech in the 70's, but it could've been an U-Matic or a Betamax (whichever seems more reasonable), and if you where sitting in the Luxury Boxes, I'd guess you'd have to be richer than at least the average Joe, besides, Pro-Shot tapes from some Maryland concerts exists (from other bands) as they where taped this way, I heard they usually came wrapped as gifts "for the band", and they managed to tape Pro-Shots of a few bands that way. And no, I never mentioned they brought TV cameras to venues.

Trust me, Sibh, video players in 1980 cost around $1000; I priced them then. Very few teenaged dope-smoking Zeppelin fans could afford that kind of cash outlay, neither would their priorities be likely to lie in that direction either. You didn't say TV cameras in your post before this one either, you said VHS recorders. Those are not cameras by any stretch, VHS recorders can tape TV shows and other VHS tapes, same for Beta, they weren't cameras. A video camera is another species altogether and were NOT available to the public in 1977. Prototype video cameras then were only slightly smaller than a Volkswagen. Maybe you were thinking of Super8, but those only had minutes worth of tape and seldom had audio capability.

People may shoot video from the Luxury Boxes now, they didn't in 1977.

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Trust me, Sibh, video players in 1980 cost around $1000; I priced them then. Very few teenaged dope-smoking Zeppelin fans could afford that kind of cash outlay, neither would their priorities be likely to lie in that direction either. You didn't say TV cameras in your post before this one either, you said VHS recorders. Those are not cameras by any stretch, VHS recorders can tape TV shows and other VHS tapes, same for Beta, they weren't cameras. A video camera is another species altogether and were NOT available to the public in 1977. Prototype video cameras then were only slightly smaller than a Volkswagen. Maybe you were thinking of Super8, but those only had minutes worth of tape and seldom had audio capability.

People may shoot video from the Luxury Boxes now, they didn't in 1977.

Good Reply Dirigible.....

I had a friend that got into the VHS thing back in the late 70's..... the thing weighed a ton and cost $$$. VHS cameras originally only shot with full VHS tapes. Very large beasts.

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Good Reply Dirigible.....

I had a friend that got into the VHS thing back in the late 70's..... the thing weighed a ton and cost $$$. VHS cameras originally only shot with full VHS tapes. Very large beasts.

I was being facetious saying the prototype video cameras were as big as a car but they were probably the size of half a dozen toasters bundled together. Enormous.

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According to the 'Concert File' book by Dave Lewis these shows from 1977 were all 'videotaped via the venue closed circuit TV system and shown on screen'.

Pontiac, Michigan - Pontiac Silverdome, April 30 1977

Houston, Texas - The Summit, May 21 1977

Landover, Maryland - Capital Center, May 30 1977

Seattle Washington - Kingdome, July 17 1977

If the Houston show wasn't filmed then we still have the Pontiac and Landover footage that may surface some time.

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According to the 'Concert File' book by Dave Lewis these shows from 1977 were all 'videotaped via the venue closed circuit TV system and shown on screen'.

Pontiac, Michigan - Pontiac Silverdome, April 30 1977

Houston, Texas - The Summit, May 21 1977

Landover, Maryland - Capital Center, May 30 1977

Seattle Washington - Kingdome, July 17 1977

If the Houston show wasn't filmed then we still have the Pontiac and Landover footage that may surface some time.

Where's the proof of the Houston taping Dave ???

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We have people here who were at the Houston gig who say it was not taped, and no pictures to prove otherwise, so safe to say it was not.

We *do* have photographic proof that Pontiac and Landover were, though...

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We have people here who were at the Houston gig who say it was not taped, and no pictures to prove otherwise, so safe to say it was not.

We *do* have photographic proof that Pontiac and Landover were, though...

Zep played at least 3 shows at Landover, is it possible they were all videotaped?

I'm getting a little carried away here, aren't I?

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Zep played at least 3 shows at Landover, is it possible they were all videotaped?

I'm getting a little carried away here, aren't I?

There where 4, and yes, that's a possibility.

Besides that, I've never seen any pictures of cameramen on the Landover shows....

(no, I'm not denying it)

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I think this shows that it was still a new thing, I mean why not Tampa also, or Cincinatti. These are big places that could've used video screens. This is why I'm so incredulous of the video-screens-at-Bath-1970 reports. If it's true, then WOW, pretty high-tech for 1970, I'd say.

So no photos of the Landover screens anywhere?

And also - even if proof emerges that there were screens, it doesn't necessarily mean it was recorded

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^I highly doubt Bath '70 had video screens...if it was indeed even taped it was most likely for broadcast purposes but who knows if that's even true...

I wonder if all 4 Landover shows were taped, or even if 1 was...we do know for sure from photographic evidence that Pontiac was, though...

Surprised the first 3 nights at Earls Court haven't surfaced on video...

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A Silverdome show would be awesome. I have The Who's record-breaking (until LZ 2 years later) show from the Silverdome in 1975 on video and it's super cool...

Heh....I just realized you posted this on the 32nd anniversary of the show.

Bonham's riser did pull out. I know that because it was the only time during the show that I saw him.

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^I highly doubt Bath '70 had video screens...if it was indeed even taped it was most likely for broadcast purposes but who knows if that's even true...

It was a documentary project, I too have heard about there being "video screen" but I think that's false, they where shooting on TV cameras though, and possibly 16mm too. This was supposed to be the final show to be recorded as part of the 1970 Led Zeppelin project of which only RAH has seen the light of day.

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Where's the proof of the Houston taping Dave ???

I'm pretty sure I saw this color video when I was too young to ID it properly. I viewed it in the home of Bill Burns in 1988. He was a collector who made a living selling cassette bootlegs on the street. Bostonians may remember him from the same areas frequented by Mr. Butch such as Kenmore Sq in front of the Ratt and Auditorium station one block from Berkeley Coll of music. Bill OD'd in 1990. He had two girl friends, a white chick with brown braids, Leese, and a full blood Eskimo woman whose name escapes me now. I think these would have been the women to wrap up his apt, as his family was already deceased. Both of these ladies remained in Boston for years. I saw the Eskimo lady as late as 2004. As I've said before, it's a cold trail, but I saw a vid. The vid was from Texas, it was in color. My recollection is that the point of view remained the same, and didn't toggle like a video screen cam would have. Bill Burns. Someone remembers this guy besides me, right?

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I was too young to have known him personally or have ever met him but I do recall hearing the name (I'm from southern NH and spent a lot of time in Boston, still do)...

That'd be something if it did exist, but who knows?

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I'm pretty sure I saw this color video when I was too young to ID it properly. I viewed it in the home of Bill Burns in 1988. He was a collector who made a living selling cassette bootlegs on the street. Bostonians may remember him from the same areas frequented by Mr. Butch such as Kenmore Sq in front of the Ratt and Auditorium station one block from Berkeley Coll of music. Bill OD'd in 1990. He had two girl friends, a white chick with brown braids, Leese, and a full blood Eskimo woman whose name escapes me now. I think these would have been the women to wrap up his apt, as his family was already deceased. Both of these ladies remained in Boston for years. I saw the Eskimo lady as late as 2004. As I've said before, it's a cold trail, but I saw a vid. The vid was from Texas, it was in color. My recollection is that the point of view remained the same, and didn't toggle like a video screen cam would have. Bill Burns. Someone remembers this guy besides me, right?

Sounds like it could have been from the luxury boxes like was suggested earlier in the thread.

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^I highly doubt Bath '70 had video screens...if it was indeed even taped it was most likely for broadcast purposes but who knows if that's even true...

Bath had screens to the side of the stage.

click

You can see a big white screen to the left of the stage in this pic:

bath-lyons-1.jpg

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Bath had screens to the side of the stage.

click

You can see a big white screen to the left of the stage in this pic:

bath-lyons-1.jpg

Definitively interesting, I have my doubts but oh well.... a really nice possibility.

The band also used screens on many venues in 69, but more for a psychedelic background:

1547.jpg

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