FICTION! Led Zeppelin's 2009-10 World Tour

[Nathan]

FICTION

Thanks, Deborah! It was daunting, though...

Anyways, I'll go ahead and start with my review of the Smith's gig... it's long... I'm not finished with it and already it's 5 pages! So I'm gonna post it in parts. Here's part 1:

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I got there about two hours early with my date. We sat downstairs and had dinner before the show. We were talking when, after half an hour, Jimmy Page walked in! First he walked to the bar to order a burger, then he spotted us (he remembered us from the night before) and walked over to our booth and joined us! We talked about the show and I asked him if he might give us an idea of what to expect this night. He said "a few surprises, some new numbers,and no Stairway to Heaven." We were kinda sad at that, and, as you can see from the set list, Page ended up being wrong. Try as we might, though, that was all we could get out of him. Page sat with us and talked for a half hour while eating his burger. Then John Paul Jones came over to say hi and grab him for their sound check. Page said we could follow them in and watch the sound check if we wanted. Of course we said yes, but the ticket-taker at the entrance of the upstairs room didn't want to let us in even when we showed him our tickets! So Page pretty much said we were with the band and to let us in (oh hell yeah!) and the guy did.

They played a blues medley, "Down to the River to Pray",Elvis's "A Mess of Blues", and Jet's "Are You Gonna be My Girl". The blues medley was Led Zeppelin's sound check. "Down to the River to Pray" was,obviously, Alison's sound check, and Page, Jones, Bonham, Grohl, and Homme provided an exceedingly cool, very new-agey instrumental to back-up Alison, and Plant, Grohl, and Homme provided excellent-sounding back-up vocals. "A Mess of the Blues" and "Are You Gonna be My Girl" were primarily for Them Crooked Vultures to do their sound check with Zeppelin and Alison. Plant, Homme, and Alison shared vocals on "A Mess of the Blues," and Grohl did the vocals for "Are You Gonna be My Girl" (Page apparently loved playing this on the acoustic… and it sounded way cool).

Oh… before I forget…

Jason's drum kit was small… it was, essentially, a bass drum, a snare drum,three toms, a hi-hat, a ride, a crash, bells on the ride, and a tambourine. There was also an extra set of percussion up there: 2 congas, a small kick drum, and a small cymbal.

Anyways, after the sound check, Page came out with Homme and a couple extra guitars, gave one to me, Homme took the other one, and we just jammed until people started showing up.

Fans started showing up, and even with the few tickets sold and all the tables set up, some people were still forced to stand. Even after the tables filled up, people were still coming in. There was not much room for any taping equipment, and those who brought tripods for their video cameras were unable to use them.

The stage itself was set up with the drums, percussion instruments, a keyboard, a few small amps (all acoustic amps), a couple basic pedal boards, and 5 chairs (not counting the one behind the drums… the person playing percussion would be standing up… oh… and there was no chair behind the keyboard). Oh yeah… and the mics (everyone had a mic,even Jimmy!) and three monitors (two in front of the stage and one behind the drums).

Once everyone arrived, and another 10 minutes after that,the show finally started!

The opening MC (a Smith's employee… I don't remember his name) didn't seem to want to believe that Led Zeppelin was at Smith's Olde Bar. There was definitely an air of disbelief and wonder on his face and in his words. His intro was short and sweet:

"Since this is a laid-back event, the intent here is simply to enjoy the music. As there's no room to dance, we don't expect much dancing. Also, even though taping has been allowed, please refrain from flash photography as this is a small room and it's not just the band you'll end up blinding. And about the band… well… I'm still not entirely sure I'm not dreaming, here. Anyways… ladies and gentlemen, you're not gonna believe this, but… Led Zeppelin!"

We cheered. You could tell that most wanted to get up and start hollering, as the cheering was extremely restrained… we wanted to do more than cheer.

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[Stargroves Tangie]

FICTION

from the Associated Press:

British supergroup Led Zeppelin- currently on the first leg of their 2009-2010 Mothership: The Only Way To Fly world tour- announced today that their new album will be released worldwide on November 24.

The album, still untitled at the time of this announcement, will be their first album of new material since 1979's In Through The Out Door. It will also be a double album, following in the footsteps of their 1975 release Physical Graffiti, and will be available in cd as well as vinyl.

There will be a special edition of the album released as well, that features a bonus DVD about the making of the album complete with interviews and exclusive home & in-studio footage.

Online retailer Amazon (www.amazon.com) will be accepting pre-orders for the new Zeppelin release starting October 5.

[ledzepfvr]

FICTION

349 miles to Sante Fe. Skys clear and temp around 70. Perfect weather for putting the top down on the Alpine and letting the wind whip through my hair. Got to the GEORGIA OKEEFE Museum for late lunch and time to browse around. She is my all time favorite artist. When I look an her colorful flower series I feel as though I am a butterfly perched upon the petal drinking in the nectar. Stayed in a teepee hotel for the night. It was different having the walls close in around you to the peak above but at the same time very cozy. Early start again if we wanted to make it to Arlington for the Cowboy Staduim show. Got there and was not a ticket to be found in the city. Not even from the self employeed individuals that hang out in front of the venues. As luck would have it at Jerry World, there are large screens outside of the stadium that broadcast the concert. We got out our camp chairs out and watched from there. The show was great. The stage was in the middle of the field and rotated so that everyone could have a great view. But the massive screens above the field made sure that everyone had the best possible viewing. Never got to meet up with The Rover but was sure he was smack dab in front of one of those screens enjoyed the hell out of the show. Hopefully he can furthur report on the show as his vantage was better than mine. Billy Gibbons introduced the band and even joined them on a couple of songs. Again, what an awesome night to remember. Didn't get much sleep but today is a short trip north to Oklahoma City.

Fact

In case anyone is interested:

http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/her-art.aspx

[Nathan]

FICTION

Part 2:

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As per the usual for Zep (starting right away with the music), they immediately opened with "Hey Hey what can I Do?" and followed that immediately with "Tangerine". JPJ then got onto his keyboard while Plant said hello and introduced the next song,"Your Time is Gonna Come", which got a lot of applause.

Plant then spent a minute to talk a little bit about why they were doing this show and that it was gonna go about an hour. He also talked about having some special guests on, and a little about their new upcoming album. They then did "Thank You", which was so moving… made me wonder why Zeppelin never experimenting with doing this one acoustic back in the day. Page's solo was brilliant, too.

As Jones was moving off his piano and picking up his bass(an acoustic bass, BTW), Plant then said "this next song is one we played for the first time last night. And we may or may not play it again on this tour." And they immediately went in to "Hots on for Nowhere". Now this was a lot of fun, and it was cool to hear this great song in an acoustic setting. Like the night before, Plant didn't bother censoring the line "I've got friends who give me fuck all", although, this time, he didn't emphasize it, either. A couple people in the crowd whooped when he said the line, though, making him laugh and almost lose his place… but he didn't.

He introduced the next one as a song off the new album, called"Space is Empty". This was a very beautiful song questioning our love with the skies when we haven't even explored the entirety of our own planet, yet. Page played a very simple, yet very poignant solo here on his acoustic,with slight chorus and distortion effects that made it very powerful.

Plant didn't bother introducing the next tune… they just went straight in to it. "Dazed and Confused." We were rather dumb-founded when we first heard the intro, and it took a second to register in our heads what it was. But when we realized, we cheered loudly. And it was brilliant. Plant didn't bother singing the exact lyrics on Led Zeppelin I… instead, he stole a verse from Jake Holme's original, averse from the Yardbirds' version, a verse from the studio recording on Zeppelin I, and the "cocaine" verse from Royal Albert Hall 1970. Page and Jones both used distortion on their instruments for this one. Josh Homme even joined them for this one on his own acoustic (coming out and setting himself up during the intro… they obviously expected him to come out and Plant waited for him to be ready before he started singing). Despite being acoustic, it was rather heavy. There was no bow solo for this one, but the guitar solo was… well, all I can say is that Jimmy Page most definitely still has it! He shredded! I'm not fuckin' kidding! He shredded on his acoustic guitar! It was fuckin' amazing! And, even cooler, he and Homme traded off a number of licks during the solo. Homme is an amazing guitar-player himself. The whole solo section lasted almost 5 minutes! "Dazed and Confused" really did jam, clocking in at just under 10 minutes (the outro was not so extended)!

Plant then introduced Homme as he went back off-stage, saying "Them Crooked Vultures will be joining us on stage shortly. Homme had practically begged us to do 'Dazed and Confused' for this, so we obliged, and Jimmy invited him to play it with us. It was a lot of fun. I almost like it better acoustic. Now Jimmy just has to work on playing that bow solo on the acoustic guitar." Page laughed at that, remarking that he has tried and it never worked. Plant then introduced the next song, "All of my Love", though he refrained from telling us what the song was about.

I was a tad worried here because I know that Page hated this song and would never really put any feeling behind his solo live, but it turned out I had absolutely nothing to worry about. Jones got himself back on his keyboard, and they played "All of my Love". Page wore a genuine smile throughout the whole song, and his solo was exquisite. A girl sitting in front of me swooned when Page played the solo…

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[Ronen]

So, is there a tour or not?

[Deborah J]

FICTION

The last information I had, were the followiing remaining dates:

10/5/09 -Nashville - joined by TCV

10/7/09 -Columbus

10/08/09 -Detroit- joined by TCV

10/10/09 -Toronto

10/11/09 -Boston - joined by TCV

10/13/09 -Philadelphia

10/17/09 -Birmingham UK

10/18/09 -London UK

10/24/09 -France Eiffel Tower

10/28/09 -The Giza Pyramids

10/30/09 -Mecca, Saudi Arabia

11/4/09 -Rome

11/6/09 -Greece

11/10/09 -Melbourne

11/12/09 -Sydney

11/16/09 -China

11/18/09 -Russia

12/6/09 -San Francisco

12/7/09 -New Orleans

12/10/09 -The 02

1/9/2010 -Holland

1/11/2010 -Germany

1/12/2010 -France

1/21/2010 - Australia

1/23/2010 New Zealand

2/3/2010 - Vancouver

2/4/2010 -Winnipeg

The 2nd leg of the American Tour will be released in the next few weeks. If anyone has any different information please let us know. I will be in Nashville for tomorrow's event:-)

[Nathan]

FICTION

Part 3:

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After that, Plant introduced Them Crooked Vultures onto the stage. Homme and Plant then switched places, and Plant… picked up an acoustic guitar… to a number of cheers, yeahs,and yelps. In response he said "I'm just using it as a prop. I have to look like I'm doing something." We all laughed. But Plant actually did use it,doing a damn good job and even got to play a really good solo in "Dead End Friends".

Jason and Grohl also switch places, with Grohl playing the drums and Jason playing percussion.

Josh introduced both their songs at the same time, saying "it's a little odd to be playing these songs in an acoustic setting because they're normally so heavy. Rehearsing these two was quite an interesting experience." And hearing them was interesting, as well. I had never heard these songs before, and now I'm dying to hear them in all their heavy, stadium-rock glory.

Plant then introduced Alison Krauss. Plant and Homme again switched places on the stage, and the last empty chair and mic were pulled up next to Plant, where Alison sat down. Grohl and Jason also switched places, putting Jason back on drums. The stage now looked crowded, but everyone seemed comfortable and relaxed. Plant then introduced the next song, "Battle of Evermore." Now, think about this. How many ways have you heard this song? Jimmy Page was on Mandolin. Josh Homme and John Paul Jones were on guitar. Dave Grohl took over the bass. Alison and Plant both played tambourines. Jason was on his drum kit (and yeah, he played it).

If they hadn't played "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp", this would have been my favorite performance of the evening. As it stands, it is my second favorite performance of the evening. Very full sounding, Plant and Krauss sounded amazing together. And, on the appropriate parts, every person on stage, including Jimmy Page, sang! Krauss sang all the words to Sandy Denny's parts (including the lines Najma Akhtar forgot) and, overall, it sounded absolutely amazing! When it was over, Krauss thanked everyone, and her and Them Crooked Vultures walked off stage.

Plant then said they only had time for two more songs. Everyone in the room booed, and Plant laughed. "We are having a lot of fun. This is a brilliant evening, and I'm rather loathe for it to end." Page responded "I think we should go all night, personally, well into tomorrow morning." The crowd cheered, but Jason responded "right… and miss our next gig." "Oh yeah," responded Page. John Paul Jones could be seen laughing and shaking his head.

Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that two managers and the owner had started discussing something amongst themselves. I was praying it was the possibility of letting Led Zeppelin go a little longer if they wanted. I had no idea that my prayer would be answered after only two songs.

Plant introduced the next song as Black Country Woman. Now, if anyone reading this remembers correctly, back in '77, Black Country Woman would be incomplete, and followed immediately by Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. That's not entirely what was done here. Instead, they played the entirety of Black Country Woman. They did go straight in to Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,though over Page's intro, Plant said "I believe our fan Nathan back there counts this last song as his all-time favorite." That had me grinning and I cheered in agreement. They then played a rocking version of Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, and Page's solo was brilliant. Plant even finished it off with a shout of"Strider!"

Immediately we gave them a standing ovation. Plant said they really did want to keep going, when, suddenly, the owner of Smith's got up on the stage and asked Robert if he could say something quickly. Robert obliged, looking curious.

"Like [the MC] said at the beginning, it's a little hard to believe that this night just happened, and I myself am not sure I want it to end, either."

We all cheered very loudly. Page started laughing, JPJ and Jason actually high-fived, and Plant smiled.

The owner continued:

"Led Zeppelin, what would you guys say if I said we'd be willing to let you play another hour?" (He also whispered something to Plant, which I assume was "we'll pay you for it" because Plant's response seemed like a "don't worry about it.")

Anyone outside Smith's at this point was probably wondering where the explosion that had just gone off was. There weren't a lot of people here, but we got really fuckin' loud (I listened to a friend's recording just before I started writing this review… his sound was perfect, but our cheer here actually clipped his sound… a lot… the recorder was at a low volume and I still had to turn it down)! After our cheers finally died down, John Paul Jones took the mic and said "why not? I'm having a ton of fun, I have a lot of energy, and this crowd has been great." We cheered again, and Jimmy said "I agree. Let's do it." Plant agreed, and sat back down to cheers.

Before giving the mic back to Plant, the owner said "ladies and gentleman, Led Zeppelin!"

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[Ronen]

That's great.

I see the fans made a good job.

There is a lot of fans in the world who waiting for the zep guys to play again.

[Stargroves Tangie]

FICTION

The last information I had, were the followiing remaining dates:

10/5/09 -Nashville - joined by TCV

10/7/09 -Columbus

10/08/09 -Detroit- joined by TCV

10/10/09 -Toronto

10/11/09 -Boston - joined by TCV

10/13/09 -Philadelphia

10/17/09 -Birmingham UK

10/18/09 -London UK

10/24/09 -France Eiffel Tower

10/28/09 -The Giza Pyramids

10/30/09 -Mecca, Saudi Arabia

11/4/09 -Rome

11/6/09 -Greece

11/10/09 -Melbourne

11/12/09 -Sydney

11/16/09 -China

11/18/09 -Russia

12/6/09 -San Francisco

12/7/09 -New Orleans

12/10/09 -The 02

1/9/2010 -Holland

1/11/2010 -Germany

1/12/2010 -France

1/21/2010 - Australia

1/23/2010 New Zealand

2/3/2010 - Vancouver

2/4/2010 -Winnipeg

The 2nd leg of the American Tour will be released in the next few weeks. If anyone has any different information please let us know. I will be in Nashville for tomorrow's event:-)

FICTION

Yeah, this looks like what was confirmed earlier(note- some of these dates are different than the ones posted on page 1 of this thread but if you go a few pages later you'll find the updated schedule). However, the Australian press has confirmed some changes to the Down Under schedule:

1/20/2010- Etihad Stadium, Melbourne

1/23/2010- Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

1/27/2010- ANZ Stadium, Sydney

2/1/2010- Eden Park, New Zealand

[Ronen]

So, the question now is it a fiction or not?

[ledzepfvr]

So, the question now is it a fiction or not?

This is the thread of what isn't and what may never be. It is always fiction.

[Nathan]

Fiction

Part 4:

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Plant then took the mic and, after more applause, looked around at Jimmy, JPJ, and Jason, then back at the crowd. "So then, what should we do?" A girl in the crowd yelled out "Bron-Yr-Aur!" We all laughed a little, but Plant looked at Page and said "how 'bout it?" Page seemed to ponder for a second, shrugged, then said "why not?" We all cheered while Page tuned his guitar and Plant held a conversation with Deborah who was sitting in the front. Page then said he was ready, and started playing. It wasn't long, but it was incredibly moving, and when he finished, we gave him a standing ovation.

Plant then said "you know what? Since we're doing another hour, we as might as well do another new tune..." We cheered. Plant continued… "Why don't we do 'Wonder World', guys?" Jones, Page,and Jason agreed. So, while Page was tuning back to standard, Plant said "this next one is something Page and I wrote. The lyrics are just about my observations of the world from the time I started touring with Led Zeppelin to today."

This song as an acoustic piece was amazing! Even better than in its electric setting the night before! A bit reminiscent of the softer parts of The Rain Song (though no keyboard), the lyrics seemed to sum up Plant's travels with Led Zeppelin and during his post-Zeppelin career in only four short verses. It was very well-written and a great song. As with its performance the night before, Page didn't have a real solo, here… there was more of a short instrumental break. But the song was poignant, and I noticed more than one person in the crowd had been moved to tears by it (admittedly, so had I).

Plant then asked for another request. Jokingly, I called out "Hats Off to Roy Harper",having seen it in the Creative Loafing article. Plant responded "we were gonna do it, but…" Page cut him off and said "let's do it. It'll be fun." Plant rolled his eyes but agreed, Page pulled out his slide, and they started it. In a literal sense, it was not a very good rendition, but neither Page nor Plant were actually taking it seriously. Plant warbled his voice using his hand on his throat at nearly every held-out note, eliciting a lot of laughs, and Page himself goofed off quite a bit in his playing.

They didn't actually finish the song, though. About a minute in, Plant ad-libbed "I can't believe we're doing this stupid song", at which point Page completely stopped playing because he was laughing too hard to continue. All of us were laughing as well (so were Jason and JPJ), and, through his own laughter, Plant said "I think we'll end it there. Thanks for the laugh, Nate." We all laughed and cheered.

If you're a perfectionist who loves this song, you would have hated it (in other words, most would have loved it). However, I and the rest of the crowd thought it was hilarious and brilliant.

After that was over, Jason suggested Them Crooked Vultures come back on the stage. Page, Jones, and Plant agreed, and we all cheered as Grohl and Homme got back on stage. Page asked them if they could play their tune"Scumbag Blues". They agreed, and "Them Zeppelin Vultures" played yet another great song I can't wait to hear in allits heavy, stadium-rock glory. After they finished, Plant then asked if Alison would join them again on stage. Alison came up to applause, and they were all now configured on the stage as they had been for Battle of Evermore.

Alison asked if they could play "Modern-Times Blues". It was a tune she had penned during the recording for Raising Sand as a song for possible future solo release. In the rehearsal with Led Zeppelin and Them Crooked Vultures, they had played this one twice (according to Alison's intro to the song), and Alison wanted to sing it. They all obliged. It was a beautiful 12-bar blues in F, and Alison even played a fiddle solo during it. It was just a little lament about modern-day society and how we're so busy on things like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc that nothing seems personal anymore. Everyone cheered loudly when it was over, and Alison thanked everyone and started to get off stage when Plant said "where are you going? Stay here for a few more." Alison shrugged and sat back down to a little laughter. Plant then turned to us and said"let's do Gallows Pole. How 'bout it?"

We all cheered, but Homme said "oh! Hang on a bit!" He jumped off the stage then got back on a minute later with an electric banjo! Plant laughed, Krauss picked up her fiddle, and off they went! It was probably the most studio-true rendition of the song I've ever heard, with both Grohl and Jason playing percussion and drums respectively. It was absolutely brilliant!

The second Gallows Pole ended, and without warning, Page started playing the Whole Lotta Love riff! Plant looked at Page, and Jason started playing the drums as we cheered. Plant shrugged, and started singing:

"You need coolin', woman I ain't foolin'. I'm gonna send ya' back to schoolin'. Way down inside… mama you need it. I'm gonna give you my love. I'm gonna give you my love. Yeah… wanna whole lotta love. Wanna whole lotta love. Wanna whole lotta love…"

Alison was mimicking the main guitar riff on her fiddle while Homme was playing a harmony counterpoint to Page on his acoustic, the effect of which made the riff sound almost heavy enough to be electric. Page also doubled Plant on the vocals in the chorus, and Alison provided those little slides in the chorus on her fiddle.

I was really excited when, after the second chorus, they actually did the noise section! But…noise it was. Bonham and Grohl kept the beat and Plant got us clapping. Meanwhile, Page, Homme, Jones, and Alison were just… fucking around,with huge grins on their faces. But there was no vocal vs. guitar sparring, and no theremin, either… just about a minute of rhythmic noise.

Then, at the end of that section, Page yelled "Alison,solo!"

They went in to the solo, and Alison took it. And she was awesome! She nailed it perfectly, playing it as we all know and love (though on her fiddle) while adding in her embellishments.

They went in to the last verse, and came to that first end. Plant stalled, looked around, then…

"One night I was layin' down, oh lord…

I hear…

I heard my mamma and papa talkin'

I heard them say…

Yeah… you gotta let that boy boogie-woogie.

'Cause it's in him, and it's got ta' come out."

And with that, they went in to "Boogie Chillun'". Homme did the first solo, then Alison sang "Hoodoo Lady" by Memphis Minnie and soloed. Page took another solo, then Plant went in to "That's Alright,Mama". Page took one more solo, and they ad-libbed into an awesome WLL outro, with Page playing the usual live WLL outro solo, and they ended it with a bang to loud applause.

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Part 5 will be the last part. Promise...

[SteveAJones]

Fiction

Part 1,2,3,4

Young man, before you bring them out for the encore I want to pull you aside to congratulate you on putting on such a fantastic Led Zeppelin concert. I don't know if there is a local paper or some academic forum you could submit your fictional account to, but I must say it's certainly worthy of being shared elsewhere. The passion for the band and imagination they've inspired in everyone here is truly remarkable. Rock on!

[ms_zeppelin94]

ETA:

It was great meeting ms_zeppelin94, Deborah J, and their dates for the pre-show rehearsal. I think y'all had as much fun hanging out with Led Zeppelin as I did... especially at the bar... I was personally quite glad to find out that Jimmy Page still likes Jack Daniels. We shared, I think, 3 glasses while playing guitar.

Although I have to say... playing guitar alongside Jimmy Page is... um... nerve-wracking. Especially in front of other people. ms_zeppelin94 and Deborah J can testify to this, but playing alongside Page kinda showed me just how much of an amateur I really am. The likes of me should not be playing alongside a god like Page...

I thought you sounded great!! But, you did mention how much I liked the bar...

Seriously though, your "Middle Man" is great! Very catchy & it's definitely saying something if Jimmy got into it...

Do I sense a record deal in your future??

Hey, just be glad I didn't get brave & decide to pick up a guitar...

Thank's again for the tickets!! We had a great night & the shows were amasing!

[Deborah J]

I thought you sounded great!! But, you did mention how much I liked the bar...

Seriously though, your "Middle Man" is great! Very catchy & it's definitely saying something if Jimmy got into it...

Do I sense a record deal in your future??

Hey, just be glad I didn't get brave & decide to pick up a guitar...

Thank's again for the tickets!! We had a great night & the shows were amasing!

FICTION

Nathan, I thought you were amazing as well. What a night!! What a perfect description of those events. I will never forget this and spending time with you and ms_zeppelin94:-)

Where the hell is that ZNN reporter?

[Nathan]

Thanks everyone!

FICTION

Okay, here's the rest of my review of the October 30 show at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta, GA:

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Grohl then asked "how about 'Boogie with Stu'?" Page started playing it, so they all went into it together. They didn't play the whole thing, though. After the instrumental break, Plant ad-libbed "I forgot the rest of the words, yes I really forgot those words" and Jason just suddenly started the drum intro to"Rock and Roll", so they played it. Of the entire night, "Rock and Roll" was probably the only one that didn't translate all that well into the acoustic setting. It was still awesome, but… the lack of electric instruments left something to be desired.

When they ended it, to loud applause, Robert again asked fora suggestion. A woman yelled out "Poor Tom." Plant laughed and said "hang on a bit." Then he sat back, closed his eyes,and started trying to remember the lyrics. We all started laughing, to which Plant said "you aren't helping. Quiet." We laughed again, then Plant said "okay, let's go." It was fun, very cool.

After the song, Plant then got up and went over to Jones. He had this very apologetic,pleading look on his face, and as he talked, Jones kind of smiled a little,though it was a slightly bitter smile. Plant finished saying whatever it was, and Jones looked at him for a bit, then said something. Plant apparently agreed, and Jones got up, gave Grohl his bass, and got behind the keyboard. Then Plant got on his mic and said "I don't know how many of you remember Page/Plant, but…" Most of us cheered… Plant continued… "but I'd really like to do that version of 'Nobody's Fault but Mine'. Jones agreed on the condition that he got to play the keyboard for it." Then he turned to Alison, Grohl, and Homme, and we could hear him give a simple explanation of how the song was played.

Then, Jimmy started the riff, and they went in to "Nobody's Fault but Mine". Considering Alison, Grohl, and Homme had never played it before, and neither had Jones, really, it was incredible! The four of them just listened to Page and Plant at the first verse. Jones came in on the keyboard, first, then Grohl on the bass, then Jason, Alison, and Homme all at the same time. Plant gave Jones a keyboard solo, which was incredible, and it ended to a standing ovation. It was a very good rendition, and Jones actually seemed to have a lot of fun with it… he really lit up when Plant told him to solo.

After the song, Plant looked at his watch and said "that's all we have time for, I guess. Thank you so much, and goodnight." We all cheered as everyone got off stage, but we started calling for an encore. After about a minute Page, Plant, Jones, and Jason came back. Plant didn't say anything. They discussed amongst themselves for a second. Then, when they all sat down, Page asked Homme if he'd come back and bring his guitar. Homme obliged, and as he was setting up, Page whispered to him. Homme nodded, sat down,Page strummed an A chord, and they went in to "Black Dog!" It was awesome! Page, Homme, and Jones all had distortion on for it. Plant, keeping within a safe vocal range for the entire night up to this point, actually hit a few of the notes! Homme took the harmony guitar line at the point it was supposed to come in, then played an awesome rhythm guitar over Page's brilliant solo. Actually, I should say… I've never really liked the Black Dog solo live…I never thought it came across well… but this one was awesome! Again, Page shredded, pulling off some incredible licks.

They finished "Black Dog", Plant said goodnight, and as they got off stage we cheered for another encore. After three minutes, Page and Plant got on stage by themselves and sat next to each other. Page re-positioned his amp, though left his pedals behind. Plant then said "we'll do the short version of this." Then they went in to the short, Page/Plant version of "Stairway to Heaven." The cheer was very loud. It did end a bit too soon to a little disappointment, but Plant said "we really do have to go. This night really was a lot of fun, and thank you so much for coming out. This one is definitely nothing but happy memories. I promise that if we hit Georgia again on our tour, we will definitely do this show again. Also, if you recorded the show, you should have a card with an address to send a copy of your recording to. If not, get that card at the bar. You can still share those recordings as long as you do it freely. We just want to see and hear this one for ourselves. Thank you very much, everyone, and goodnight."

We cheered as they got off stage, but this time we didn't call for an encore, knowing they wouldn't come back.

As the crowd was sauntering out, my date and I got to talking with Deborah J and her date, when one of the recorders, a Travis Miller (whom I recognized as a Days of the New fan) came over. We chatted for a while and Travis promised both Deborah and I a copy of the video he and some friends shot (they did multiple camera-angles with the limited space they had to move around),which he said would be done in about two weeks. I can't wait to see that footage!

All in all, it was a brilliant night,and I'm so glad I finally got to see Led Zeppelin live, and even hang out with them! Purists, suck it up, because this is Led Zeppelin, whether or not you want to admit it. They're back, baby!

------------------------------------

So Deborah, I forgot... did you give Travis an address or did you want me to upload the recording for you to download?

for the night, while my favorite song of the night was Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, and I think my favorite moment was the goof-ball rendition of "Hats (Off) to Roy Harper". It was hilarious, IMO. If you missed it, I feel bad for you. It was so funny...

[ledzepfvr]

FICTION

Nathan your account of your experience was just great. Makes me sad I missed it but your discription made me feel as if I was there with you all. I'm looking forward to finally getting to Boston for the show there. Sunday we drove up to Oklahoma City and checked into the Marriott for lots of sleep and room service. Monday was a 458 mile treck into St. Louis. Did not have any time for site seeing but did see the Arch. Can't miss that landmark. Today we arrived in Chicago and went to the Shedd Aquarium. My husband surprised me for my birthday with the box set of the movie, The Song Remains The Same. I was very happy to get that so now I can watch it whenever I want instead of searching the guide to find it on the TV. Tomarrow we leave for our next stop in Cleveland, OH.

[Deborah J]

So Deborah, I forgot... did you give Travis an address or did you want me to upload the recording for you to download? (edit)

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Hello Nathan! I did give Travis an address, but to make sure, can you send to me:-)What an amazing time we have had. It all started with the announcemnt on September 19th. All I have to say is I am still dreaming and can't wait for the next round of concerts coming up, we have Boston, Philly to name a few.....

[Deborah J]

FICTION

Nathan your account of your experience was just great. Makes me sad I missed it but your discription made me feel as if I was there with you all. I'm looking forward to finally getting to Boston for the show there. Sunday we drove up to Oklahoma City and checked into the Marriott for lots of sleep and room service. Monday was a 458 mile treck into St. Louis. Did not have any time for site seeing but did see the Arch. Can't miss that landmark. Today we arrived in Chicago and went to the Shedd Aquarium. My husband surprised me for my birthday with the box set of the movie, The Song Remains The Same. I was very happy to get that so now I can watch it whenever I want instead of searching the guide to find it on the TV. Tomarrow we leave for our next stop in Cleveland, OH.

Hello ledzepfvr! Glad you got the box set.I have almost worn out my copy of TSRTS.Sometimes I just put it on , light a few candles, and I am there!!!!

Well, we are off to the next few cities. See you and many more in Boston!:-)

[ledzepfvr]

FICTION

Today we rolled into Cleveland, OH. Spent the rest of the day at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Was great seeing all the inductees but focused most of my time on Led Zeppelin of course.

http://www.rockhall.com/inductee/led-zeppelin

Tomarrow we leave for Buffalo NY. We are getting closer to our final destination.

[Stargroves Tangie]

FICTION

Hey guys- don't forget about Saturday night's show in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre! We'll be flying up that morning & will be staying in the Cambridge Suites Hotel which is about a couple of miles from the arena. Hope to see you there!

[ledzepfvr]

FICTION

Thursday we left Cleveland and drove 177 miles into Buffalo NY. Took the Buffalo River dinner tour which was really nice. This morning was the drive into Albany. We decided to take in a movie this evening and turn in early. Tomarrow is the last leg into Boston. Yeah

Everyone going to tomarrows show have a great time and I will be seeing you all at The House of Blues on the 11th.

[Stargroves Tangie]

FICTION

This is my report of the Toronto show, but first I want to share the big news...

I MET JIMMY!!

My husband (likes Zep but not a big fan like me) and I arrived in Toronto around 2PM and took a taxi to the Cambridge Suites Hotel. Before we checked in, he had to use the bathroom, so I waited with the bags in the lobby.

While I was waiting, there were 2 young women standing about 10 feet away, talking. I didn't pay much attention until I heard one of them say "Led Zeppelin". Of course I started listening in on their conversation, and I heard one of them say:

"Yeah, Jimmy's here- he's staying up in the Ambassador Penthouse Suite."

Her friend replied "Great- let's go!"

I wanted to follow them so bad, but I know my husband would be pissed if I just disappeared, so I was forced to wait. After what seemed like forever, he finally returned.

What happened next was a bunch of gibberish came out of my mouth and my husband looking at me like I had 2 heads. "What?"

I took a deep breath. "Jimmy! Here! Our hotel!"

"So?" He picked up the bags and headed to the front desk.

"So! We're staying in the same hotel as Jimmy!"

"That's nice."

The reservation clerk gave us our key and we went up to the room. Beautiful room, very luxurious. No wonder why Jimmy is staying here, I thought.

An hour later, we were getting hungry, so we went down to the Portico Bar in the hotel and ordered some burgers. I spilled some ketchup on my pants, and headed toward the bathroom to clean up. As I approached the ladies' room, the door to the mens' room opened- and there he was....

Now I had always wondered what would happen if I ever met one of the Zeppelin guys- would I be cool or totally embarass myself by acting like a complete idiot? Luckily it was the former, and we chatted for a couple of minutes before I saw someone approach us.

"Oh bloody hell, another fan!" the man snarled. I recognized him from a picture on the Forum- it was Ross Halfin. "First we had those 2 bimbos earlier, and now another one. Move along now, Mr. Page does not wish to be bothered!"

I started to leave, but Jimmy grabbed my arm and told me to wait. He turned to Ross and said "It's okay. I'll join you back in the bar in a minute." Ross left, and we continued our conversation. I was thanking Jimmy for all the great music he's given us throughout the years, when my husband appeared- he had been wondering why it was taking so long to wash a spot of ketchup off.

"Oh no" I heard him say. "Uh, I'm sorry Mr. Page that my wife (I noticed how he put the emphasis on "wife") is bothering you." Jimmy replied that no, I wasn't, and I quickly introduced them and they shook hands. I thanked Jimmy for taking the time to talk to us, and we went back to our table to eat.

[Stargroves Tangie]

FICTION

We left the hotel at 7:30 and went to the Air Canada Centre. We had seats in the Golden Circle again like at MSG, this time front row between where Robert & John Paul will be. Tonight there was no opening act, just the power and magic of Led Zeppelin. At 8:45 the lights went down and we were all screaming for Zep- and then came a familiar riff and the stage exploded with light- they're opening with "Immigrant Song"! Robert did not do the opening wail, but went right into the verse. When it came time for the second wail, we all played the part of the mighty Viking and did it for him. Robert smiled, pointed to the crowd and nodded his head. Jimmy delivered a blistering solo before they went into the coda, which combined with John Paul's thundering bass and Jason's pounding drums made the entire Air Canada Centre vibrate.

The band went right into "Walter's Walk" (my favorite track from Coda, which made me very happy!) which had another furious ending before segueing into "The Wanton Song", which ended with a mournful Plant howl.

"Good evening Toronto!" Robert stood at the mic, hands on his hips. He was wearing the same red shirt/black leather pants outfit that he ddi at MSG last month- damn this guy still is hot after all these years! "Uh, this next one is not new for me, but it is for us- "Slow Dancer"!" Now this was a surprise- I had always thought that "Slow Dancer" would've made a great Zeppelin song, and yes it did!

"Slow Dancer" was followed by "For Your Life", which they had done live for the first time at the O2 show in 2007 (has it really been almost 2 years already?) Then John Paul started the intro to "Trampled Under Foot" and we were all stomping to the beat. Jonesy did a fantastic extended keyboard solo, and Jimmy used the Theramin to make some weird laser sound noises. We all joined Robert for the "push push yeah!" shouts at the end.

"So Toronto- are we having fun yet?" We all shouted "Yeah!".

"Ah, well as you might know, we've been busy- but not quite as busy as Mr. Jones here- he's a real Superman these days- Them Crooked Vultures- did a great show last night at the Sound Academy..."

(Dave Grohl, who's standing right next to me and has been yelling 'f-in awesome! f-in amazing!' throughout the whole show, yells "Yeah!". Robert looks our way and laughs.)

"...and uh, our new album will be out next month, and we thought we'd play a song from it tonight- a song that's been in the making for, well almost 30 years- this is "St. Tristan's Sword"!"

"St. Tristan's Sword", with it's eerie keyboard and guitar riff, reminded me a lot of "No Quarter",and was well received by the crowd. From this, the band went into "Kashmir", and when Jimmy started to exchange the Danelectro for the doubleneck, we sort of figured out what was coming next.

While Jimmy was strapping on the doubleneck, Robert spoke: "This evening, we're going to do something a little different, we're going to invite you all to share the experience, so to speak, and join in on the next song." Jimmy played the intro to "Stairway", and we all joined Robert in singign the first line. But then Robert bowed and waved his hand to us- and we continued singing "Stairway"... without him! However, Robert did join us for the closing verse.

"Thank you Toronto!" Robert said, clapping. Jimmy went over to him and whispered something and started laughing. Robert said something back to him, also laughing, but I couldn't catch what they were saying. It was just so great seeing the two of them smiling, laughing, and obviously having fun again.

"Over The Hills And Far Away" was next, followed by "another one from the new album- "Wonder World"." After that, the spotlight went on Jimmy, who did a creepy violin bow solo before Robert shouted "in the eeeeeeevening!" He came to the front of the stage and was looking directly at a lady when he was singing "oh, oh, I need your love" and blew her a kiss. (Robert is such a flirt!)

The final song of the night was a spirited "The Ocean", with all of us singing along. Robert said good night and the band left the stage for a short while before returning for the encore. They started with "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" and then went right into "Whole Lotta Love". During "Whole Lotta Love" they went into a medley of old songs including "Blueberry Hill", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hello Mary Lou". We were having a good time rockin' out to the oldies and so was the band!

We were hoping that they would play all night (maybe another 4 hour show like the Boston Tea Party in '69?)but of course all good things must come to an end. The band hugged each other, bowed to the crowd and left the stage. Everybody was raving about the show, except my husband, who said he liked it but was very disappointed that they didn't do his favorite, "Dazed and Confused". I told him that he should've requested it from Jimmy when we met him earlier at the hotel.

Well now, it's off to Boston for the next show, hope to see you all there!

[ledzepfvr]

FICTION

Hi Stargrove..Sounds like it was an awsome evening and I am so happy for you that you got to meet Jimmy. We got into Boston today and looked around at a few of the historical sites. We're holed up in our room now resting up for tomarrows show. I'll be looking for you.