Pianoguy88s Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Greetings, I was at the O2 show in London on Monday night the 10th; me and my son. We're still here in England. This is my own personal eyewitness account of the show, as I saw it, and in my own words. I thought that I might share it with you. Enjoy it for what it is. This review is written mostly about Led Zeppelin's long- awaited concert appearance. The other acts are mentioned also, in part. DISCLAIMER: No offense, slurs or disparagements, to any person or persons, nor are there any latent meanings or messages stated, meant or implied in this report, none whatsoever. All views, terms, references and opinions expressed herein are strictly and exclusively those of the author, and only the author. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2007, by Rob Guarnieri, aka Pianoguy. <pianoguy88s@yahoo.com> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Led Zeppelin. Such a good band. Really. What memories. I mean, this writer first saw them back when your Richard Nixon was President of the USA, and in the first of his two elected four-year terms; before Watergate even. Way, way back, in April 1970, and in Phoenix Arizona no less. Unbelieveable. Almost 40 years gone; four decades ago. This author was still in high school. Quite a while back, that's for sure. The Phoenix concert was a much-anticipated event also, as well as rumored of and previously postponed, but at last it finally happened (much like this 2007 London appearance). Never before had been seen a band that was so good; so strong and imposing, and young and graceful as well. We had heard alot about them over the past year or so, since the release of their first two record albums, and now we were finally getting the chance to see and hear them play. And then, there they were. THE long-awaited Led Zeppelin. What talent and power. Truly artists. Better and much more youthful than the at-the-time reigning (and also British) rock supergroup Cream even, with a front- man vocalist, and with a Hammond B3 (organ) mixed up in there somewhere too. Wow. All four of them only in their early-to-mid 20's. Guitarist Jimmy Page, barely 26 years old, the Mastermind, late of The Yardbirds, and 3 unknown and unproven entities; bassist/organist John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant, and drummer John Bonham. Page and fellow Capricorn Jones, a 24-year-old accomplished London studio musician and acquaintence of Page, Plant the Leo and Bonham the Gemini, both of them from the English Midlands and each a mere 21 years old; all of them ready, willing, and PHYSICALLY ABLE (yes, there it is, that's the key) to become a formidable musical force, and fiercely doing it. Mightily and aptly getting the job done. Even way back then, in their earliest and beginning stages, you just knew that they were gonna be big. But, John Bonham isn't there anymore. And he was a major attraction; he was at least 25 percent of the total package that is Led Zeppelin. Good God, could that man play. Better than Ginger Baker even, and that was saying something in those days, and with only a single-bass drum kit. He was a monster, and astonishingly so; almost larger than life, and beyond belief. Even better than that. You'd never seen or heard anyone like him, before or since. He was unprecedented; a jaw-drop. Couldn't take your eyes off the guy. And oh, that devastating right foot. You just couldn't look bad if you were playing on the same stage with him; he was that good. It brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat thinking back on it all; remembering it, and him as well. And Moby Dick? It was Miraculous. Whew. Like I said, what memories alright. O Well, Fast-Forward to reality now. And now, here they are, on the stage again, in London in 2007 (and with Jason Bonham, John's son, at the drums). Dunt-Da-Da-Daaah: LED ZEPPELIN. The one, the only. In Person. At Long Last. After all, they were the headlining act, right. The focal point of the evening. And, they hadn't performed together or been seen, in public or in concert, for a real honest-to- goodness show since 1980. This was truly an event, and a long time in the making. This almost begs the question: Who are you old guys, and what have you done with Led Zeppelin? Folks, it's the 21st-century edition of Led Zeppelin, THE quintessential 1970's rock band. That's affirmative; I'll even spell it out for you. The Nineteen-Seventies. The good old days. Almost ancient history. It was good to see them again and everything; indeed it was, and after so long too, but it was also kinda sad at the same time. Oh Boy, had they aged. Surely it was not like seeing rock's premier conquering heroes of decades ago. Come again? What's that, you say? Yes, you heard it right the first time, and you heard it here first. DECADES. Ten year groups at a time. Count 'em. At least three of them, and they keep on coming in, like the tides. Time files forward. There's no stopping it. Tick Tock. Excuse me; I digress. It's hard not to however; there's so much history that can be mentioned here. But Now, let us get back to the present, and to the matter at hand, shall we. Seeing Led Zeppelin on stage the other night was akin to watching Secretariat trying to run a race again, many many years later, and after all of those races he'd already won when he was much younger. Both of these former superstars being way past their prime, visibly and otherwise just plain old, and tired too. If you didn't attend this showing, believe me, you didn't miss a thing. Be glad that you didn't see it; remember them as they were. They played OK and all the rest (yes, they were very good), but it was almost like watching the grandfathers up there playing Bocci Ball, or croquet or shuffleboard or something. No more of the galvanizing "Rock'em-Sock'em" Zeppelin power and might of ages ago. Not even close. Loud Volume alone is not energy. No Sir. It was eerily reminiscent of some random group scene out of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". Oh My Goodness. It was quite an experience, nearly bizarre, and surreal as well. And betcha by golly wow, lots of guitars going too. Everywhere. All the time. It would have been nice to hear some other instruments, maybe a psaltery or a dulcimer, a tuba even; anything different just to break it up a bit. The guitar players, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Mick Jones, Bill Wyman and the rest; all of them were brilliant of course, years and years of experience and expertise were gathered there, but it really got to be a bit much after awhile. Almost nightmarish. Yikes I say, eh what. The atmosphere of the concert wasn't pathetic exactly, but it was wrenching for sure, and quite a spectacle to watch. And Led Zeppelin; they're a faint copy at best of a characature of their former selves. They went on last, and they played for approximately 120 minutes or so. Page and Jones both looked brittle and frail, pasty and almost-lifelike, as china dolls, like at any moment they may crack or break, or possibly crumble. Jason Bonham, while much younger than the others at age 41, as a drummer is OK, but he's a far cry from his father's legendary prowess. And, Robert Plant especially. He looked unkempt, scruffy and unprepared, and his singing (?) was not so hot. He never really was all that great anyway, even 40 or so years ago when he was much younger (longer ago than half of the world's current population has been alive even), and first getting out there in the 1960's music world. And, the Shirley Temple-esque lambcurls don't work anymore either, not after all this time. I mean really now. But really, what else are these guys gonna do? This is what they've done for all of their professional lives; are they now going to stop playing music and go to work at Motorola, or function in some cubicle somewhere? Work at the mall? Be a WalMart Greeter? What do you think. And, how about the others on the bill, (no pun intended), like Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Mick Jones and Foreigner, Paul Rodgers and Paolo Nutini. Bill Wyman. Whoa Nellie!! 71 years old (71? Really? Can humans live that long? That's 497 in dog years) and God bless him, he looked every day of it too, and then some. He looked dead; about like an unwrapped mummy. So did Mick Jones of Foreigner. Old and decrepit. He looked like a bag that a person used to be in. Especially up close. Both of these men, Wyman and Jones, all but late of their parent bands, were indeed not unlike sepulchral figures. The choir was a nice touch however. Paul Rodgers, I won't even go there. And Paolo Nutini. He was good. And at only 20 years old. And Van Halen, Bob Seger, The Police and Eric Clapton and all of the other veteran acts from earlier this year; they're aging as well, and rapidly too. All of them played very well and all the rest, but at this point it's about time to quit playing on the team and maybe manage the team, imparting the wisdom of your vast experience and leaving the actual playing, the stage performance, and the ensuing antics to the younger guys; they're more physically able to do it (like all of you older players up there that night used to be able to do once upon a time), and not look too absurd or preposterous while they go about doing it. Picture Bruce Wayne, dressing up as Batman once more, 30 or more years later, having been in retirement-like status, and then going out and fighting the villians and the bad guys again. Even Muhammed Ali (aka Cassius Clay from Louisville USA) was great too at one point, but now? Imagine how Elvis would be these days (What's an Elvis? Should we even know? How long ago was that?). Why not Rudy Vallee or Enrico Caruso? It's OK to gasp, in almost mild horror and disbelief. On the whole, that's about what we had here at the O2 on Monday evening, December 10th, in the Year of our Lord 2007 Anno Domini. Let's face it, all of you old guys, your time is clearly over. So should any future plans to recapture the past be over too. May they never materialize. You can't go back. And, to Led Zeppelin there, you should have went out on top and stayed on top, as you did back in 1980 (upon John Bonham's untimely and unexpected death), and not risked any chance for indignation or embarrassment, possibly even physical injury, by trying to do this rock thing again, particularly at this stage in your lives. Come on now. It's time for you, from here on out, to work from the neck up; implementing your sage advise, and delegating the physical work to the ones who can do it better, and you do the cerebral front-office type stuff, because you've been up there and on the stage, having done it all and did the time as well. You certainly have the experience (that goes without saying), and you've earned the respect that comes with having already been there and done it, as well as having lived through it all, and having lived to tell about it. Preserve the mystique. Don't cheapen it. It's your stock-in-trade. Few others have reached your status, and are still around too. It is, without a doubt, quite an achievement, and one that can only be gotten by being given enough time on Earth. And, also to Led Zeppelin, getting old is a drag and everything, but it happens; accept it or die. You can't fight it. It's the only two ways to deal with it. Unfortunately for them, they didn't evolve musically; they stayed in a time warp. They remained One-Dimensional, and they didn't grow. Many other acts that are also in their 60's, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, even Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Cher too (all of them are your contemporaries in fact), managed to keep on playing, and evolve over the years. They all stayed active and out there, and up-to-date as well, thereby growing with and into the times, but alas Led Zeppelin did not, and it's much too late for them to start doing anything like that now. Very much so too late. A part of me almost wishes I hadn't come here to London to see all of this melodrama, as it unfolded before my very eyes. The years have caught up with them. It was inevitable. They can't cut the mustard anymore, and certainly not with anything near the same fervor as they had done it 30 or more years before. I certainly didn't expect to see anything like that to be taking place up there of course; I knew they wouldn't be the indomitable Led Zeppelin of years past, but they came up short. Way short. No surprise there. All of their songs were lowered in key, some an octave or more, so as to facilitate the vocals and make them easier to sing. And, as always, Father Time wins. And they're my all-time favorite band too. Ever since Day One. I had really wanted to see this show, and I called in some markers and favors so that I could, and for my son to come and see them too. It wasn't as simple as just buying a ticket (admission was not all that easy to come by, and from the very onset of this event some months ago), and as this concert was originally set for November 26th, some two weeks earlier. It's not exactly over for them, but the end is near. Write and compose, be consultants, overseers or whatever, but please, no more on-stage rock and roll performing. You may hurt yourselves. I'm frightened for them; they just don't have the strength for it, nor do they have the strong young bodies for it, not any longer. Hardly. And, they would definitely need all of their strength, and then some, so as to try and hold up while on an extended road tour anywhere, especially at their advanced ages (Make that 60+!!!!). If Led Zeppelin does tour again, which is unlikely (I myself hope that they don't anyway, not a grueling major tour at least, if for nothing else but their own safety), go see them, if only for the sake of having never seen them, but don't expect to see and hear the Led Zeppelin of years and years ago; the one you're used to seeing and hearing. Led Zeppelin had built a name by being a touring band, exciting and vital and very visual, their live shows were incomparable to any other; they were the best. The energy, the power, the conviction; it was all there. Their studio work was good too, but paled in comparison to their live renditions. That magic is gone. It simply isn't there anymore. It was a whole and uniquely different time back then, in 1968 (WHEN?) as they first emerged, and then into the 1970's; a time never again to be repeated or duplicated. They're too old now, too out-of-date; they haven't kept up with any of the current events or done anything new as a band, for many many years now. A new generation of fans, surely for this most recent incarnation (how much more time do they have left anyway), is extremely doubtful. Too much time has unmercifully passed, and has already come down like some gigantic and thunderous hammer. They still have alot of the musical chops (although maybe not all of the vocal chops), but they just don't have the physical stamina for it any longer. They're all but feeble; not totally, but just about. It was a nostalgia show at best, and even less impressive than that. Almost like something cheesy you might see in Las Vegas. Rock And Roll performance doesn't really work at this age. It's definitely a young man's game. It's like Pro Football, or some other physically intensive spectator activity, where you really need to have all of your young strength and all of the youthful vigor that you just simply don't possess anymore, due to your increased years. O Well. But Hey. What're gonna do. That's life. Heck, those of you who know me, know that I even used to do this myself, back in the day. Indeed I did. How long ago was that anyway. I almost shudder at the thought. Rock is too demanding, it's too hard; hard enough to do when you're in your 20's, and a lot tougher to do as you get older. And specifically, what must it be like in your 60's (I can only imagine it; I myself am not even quite that old), unless you go Vegas-Lounge-Lizard style, and even then that's a stretch; relying on your name to carry you, so enjoy your platinum years already. However, if your name can still make you some cash, why not go for it, eh. Business is Business. You can never have too much money. This show was all but strictly a money-making venture anyway; certainly not one given to inspiring any awe or wonder. No Way. Except perhaps, one of the few if any wonders of the evening being that some of these guys are in fact still standing, and haven't crumpled or fallen down yet. So, get it while you still can, ye merry gentlemen; the clock is ticking away. And furthermore, to Jimmy, John Paul, Robert, Mick, Bill and the rest of you geriatric blokes: You're old men now, senior citizens even; some of you having been born in the 1930's. The 1930's!! What? Before the Big War? Before the disaster of the zeppelin Hindenberg (how ironic is that)? And during the Great Depression? Like it or not, the spirit is willing, but the flesh has way too much mileage on it. There's no dishonor in owning up to that. So suck it up already and accept it. That doesn't mean that you're dead of course, far from it, but grow old gently, and with dignity. You can't afford to be reckless. You're not a bunch of young kids anymore. You need to prove nothing. Hang out and have some fun. Be happy that you made it this far, a lot of people didn't, like Jason's dad; the man himself, the late John Henry Bonham, your original drummer and fellow founding member of Led Zeppelin. Enjoy life now. You did good. You had all the glory and the adulation doing this years ago, and you had all the moves and grooves too, but nothing is forever. Let the younger ones imitate you, making their tribute bands (gag) and the like. They're doing it anyway, those darn kids (ha). It is, after all, the cycle of life, and you're on the waning side of it now. So, pass the torch. You've had your heyday. You were a wild, smashing success, bigger than US Steel. You also became immeasurably rich in the process, so relax and take it easy already, save your money and your hip joints, and don't hurt yourselves trying to rock again. You need to be extra careful now, and to be taking good care of yourselves, unless of course you have a death wish or something. In which case, then by all means, knock yourselves out. And, at this point, that shouldn't take too much. Now, looking back on it, I'm afraid that I may remember them all as I saw them the other night, and some of it's not terribly pretty. As for the older performers, the people are still in there, yeah somewhere, but the youth is gone, so gone. It was almost like seeing the Hit-Parade Revue at the Old Folks' home. The Prune Juice Follies, if you will. The twilight years. It's definitely the end of an era. The end of something anyway. Makes you stop and realize just how much time really has gone by. Kinda scary isn't it. Life plays a dirty trick on you. You keep the experience still, having even more smarts and wisdom than ever before, but you don't have the young body (nor do you have the strutting, swaggering young attitude that goes along with it) anymore, and the fearlessness and assertiveness that comes from knowing that you have that taut agile body, the one that can rise to any occasion, no matter what. You have aches and pains now, stiff and less-movable joints (including your guitar-playing fingers), wrinkles and gray or nonexistant hair, and much, ahem, Wearing and Tearing. (I couldn't resist that one). You've probably also had at least one health scare. The years can be unforgiving and brutal. It's time for some new young blood. Audiences don't wanna look at a bunch of old guys; they're not nearly as exciting to watch or behold, they can't move around on a stage that well either (certainly not like they used to), and they can scarcely hit the higher vocal notes anymore. You'll always have your die-hard fans and supporters of course (and they're getting older too), but for the most part, you're done. Give up the ghost. Do much easier gigs, if any; cameo appearances come to mind. Maybe. Now is the time that you leave a legacy, something to be passed down through the ages for when you're gone, having made your mark long ago, when you were able to and still could. And, that is also as it should be. It sure was fun to go back in time again though. It was all good. Absolutely. All things considered, I'm so glad I went. And, if I had to do it all over again, I surely would. Definitely. In a minute. No hesitation at all. There's no doubt about it, Led Zeppelin was very good. So were all the others. This event was a hoot; it was a total gas. What a fun evening. Indescribable, and unlike any other. And on a Monday night no less. It's a wonderful, joyous life alright. Oh so full of surprises. This concert was certainly one of them, and a good one too. And most assuredly, there are more surprises to come. Always. Oh yeah, the world sure is different now..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Goodman Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Sorry pal. In terms of keeping my interest? Boring as hell and couldn't get through the muck. Dribble is dribble. Can't waste my time on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solar Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 (edited) Sorry pal. In terms of keeping my interest? Boring as hell and couldn't get through the muck. Dribble is dribble. Can't waste my time on it. yeah, this is the writing equivilant of a Joe Satriani solo, total wanking all the way down to the copywright and full name and yahoo email address alongside it. Luckily, I automatically tune out someone who begins a piece with "this writer" anyway. Edited December 11, 2007 by solar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatscott Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 (edited) You sir, are a king size douche bag. That is all. Edited December 11, 2007 by fatscott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddot Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 the disclamer gives it away. not a review but low self esteem cry for help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe fitzgibbon chicago Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Greetings, I was at the O2 show in London on Monday night the 10th; me and my son. We're still here in England. This is my own personal eyewitness account of the show, as I saw it, and in my own words. I thought that I might share it with you. Enjoy it for what it is. This review is written mostly about Led Zeppelin's long- awaited concert appearance. The other acts are mentioned also, in part. DISCLAIMER: No offense, slurs or disparagements, to any person or persons, nor are there any latent meanings or messages stated, meant or implied in this report, none whatsoever. All views, terms, references and opinions expressed herein are strictly and exclusively those of the author, and only the author. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2007, by Rob Guarnieri, aka Pianoguy. <pianoguy88s@yahoo.com> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Led Zeppelin. Such a good band. Really. What memories. I mean, this writer first saw them back when your Richard Nixon was President of the USA, and in the first of his two elected four-year terms; before Watergate even. Way, way back, in April 1970, and in Phoenix Arizona no less. Unbelieveable. Almost 40 years gone; four decades ago. This author was still in high school. Quite a while back, that's for sure. The Phoenix concert was a much-anticipated event also, as well as rumored of and previously postponed, but at last it finally happened (much like this 2007 London appearance). Never before had been seen a band that was so good; so strong and imposing, and young and graceful as well. We had heard alot about them over the past year or so, since the release of their first two record albums, and now we were finally getting the chance to see and hear them play. And then, there they were. THE long-awaited Led Zeppelin. What talent and power. Truly artists. Better and much more youthful than the at-the-time reigning (and also British) rock supergroup Cream even, with a front- man vocalist, and with a Hammond B3 (organ) mixed up in there somewhere too. Wow. All four of them only in their early-to-mid 20's. Guitarist Jimmy Page, barely 26 years old, the Mastermind, late of The Yardbirds, and 3 unknown and unproven entities; bassist/organist John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant, and drummer John Bonham. Page and fellow Capricorn Jones, a 24-year-old accomplished London studio musician and acquaintence of Page, Plant the Leo and Bonham the Gemini, both of them from the English Midlands and each a mere 21 years old; all of them ready, willing, and PHYSICALLY ABLE (yes, there it is, that's the key) to become a formidable musical force, and fiercely doing it. Mightily and aptly getting the job done. Even way back then, in their earliest and beginning stages, you just knew that they were gonna be big. But, John Bonham isn't there anymore. And he was a major attraction; he was at least 25 percent of the total package that is Led Zeppelin. Good God, could that man play. Better than Ginger Baker even, and that was saying something in those days, and with only a single-bass drum kit. He was a monster, and astonishingly so; almost larger than life, and beyond belief. Even better than that. You'd never seen or heard anyone like him, before or since. He was unprecedented; a jaw-drop. Couldn't take your eyes off the guy. And oh, that devastating right foot. You just couldn't look bad if you were playing on the same stage with him; he was that good. It brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat thinking back on it all; remembering it, and him as well. And Moby Dick? It was Miraculous. Whew. Like I said, what memories alright. O Well, Fast-Forward to reality now. And now, here they are, on the stage again, in London in 2007 (and with Jason Bonham, John's son, at the drums). Dunt-Da-Da-Daaah: LED ZEPPELIN. The one, the only. In Person. At Long Last. After all, they were the headlining act, right. The focal point of the evening. And, they hadn't performed together or been seen, in public or in concert, for a real honest-to- goodness show since 1980. This was truly an event, and a long time in the making. This almost begs the question: Who are you old guys, and what have you done with Led Zeppelin? Folks, it's the 21st-century edition of Led Zeppelin, THE quintessential 1970's rock band. That's affirmative; I'll even spell it out for you. The Nineteen-Seventies. The good old days. Almost ancient history. It was good to see them again and everything; indeed it was, and after so long too, but it was also kinda sad at the same time. Oh Boy, had they aged. Surely it was not like seeing rock's premier conquering heroes of decades ago. Come again? What's that, you say? Yes, you heard it right the first time, and you heard it here first. DECADES. Ten year groups at a time. Count 'em. At least three of them, and they keep on coming in, like the tides. Time files forward. There's no stopping it. Tick Tock. Excuse me; I digress. It's hard not to however; there's so much history that can be mentioned here. But Now, let us get back to the present, and to the matter at hand, shall we. Seeing Led Zeppelin on stage the other night was akin to watching Secretariat trying to run a race again, many many years later, and after all of those races he'd already won when he was much younger. Both of these former superstars being way past their prime, visibly and otherwise just plain old, and tired too. If you didn't attend this showing, believe me, you didn't miss a thing. Be glad that you didn't see it; remember them as they were. They played OK and all the rest (yes, they were very good), but it was almost like watching the grandfathers up there playing Bocci Ball, or croquet or shuffleboard or something. No more of the galvanizing "Rock'em-Sock'em" Zeppelin power and might of ages ago. Not even close. Loud Volume alone is not energy. No Sir. It was eerily reminiscent of some random group scene out of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". Oh My Goodness. It was quite an experience, nearly bizarre, and surreal as well. And betcha by golly wow, lots of guitars going too. Everywhere. All the time. It would have been nice to hear some other instruments, maybe a psaltery or a dulcimer, a tuba even; anything different just to break it up a bit. The guitar players, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Mick Jones, Bill Wyman and the rest; all of them were brilliant of course, years and years of experience and expertise were gathered there, but it really got to be a bit much after awhile. Almost nightmarish. Yikes I say, eh what. The atmosphere of the concert wasn't pathetic exactly, but it was wrenching for sure, and quite a spectacle to watch. And Led Zeppelin; they're a faint copy at best of a characature of their former selves. They went on last, and they played for approximately 120 minutes or so. Page and Jones both looked brittle and frail, pasty and almost-lifelike, as china dolls, like at any moment they may crack or break, or possibly crumble. Jason Bonham, while much younger than the others at age 41, as a drummer is OK, but he's a far cry from his father's legendary prowess. And, Robert Plant especially. He looked unkempt, scruffy and unprepared, and his singing (?) was not so hot. He never really was all that great anyway, even 40 or so years ago when he was much younger (longer ago than half of the world's current population has been alive even), and first getting out there in the 1960's music world. And, the Shirley Temple-esque lambcurls don't work anymore either, not after all this time. I mean really now. But really, what else are these guys gonna do? This is what they've done for all of their professional lives; are they now going to stop playing music and go to work at Motorola, or function in some cubicle somewhere? Work at the mall? Be a WalMart Greeter? What do you think. And, how about the others on the bill, (no pun intended), like Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Mick Jones and Foreigner, Paul Rodgers and Paolo Nutini. Bill Wyman. Whoa Nellie!! 71 years old (71? Really? Can humans live that long? That's 497 in dog years) and God bless him, he looked every day of it too, and then some. He looked dead; about like an unwrapped mummy. So did Mick Jones of Foreigner. Old and decrepit. He looked like a bag that a person used to be in. Especially up close. Both of these men, Wyman and Jones, all but late of their parent bands, were indeed not unlike sepulchral figures. The choir was a nice touch however. Paul Rodgers, I won't even go there. And Paolo Nutini. He was good. And at only 20 years old. And Van Halen, Bob Seger, The Police and Eric Clapton and all of the other veteran acts from earlier this year; they're aging as well, and rapidly too. All of them played very well and all the rest, but at this point it's about time to quit playing on the team and maybe manage the team, imparting the wisdom of your vast experience and leaving the actual playing, the stage performance, and the ensuing antics to the younger guys; they're more physically able to do it (like all of you older players up there that night used to be able to do once upon a time), and not look too absurd or preposterous while they go about doing it. Picture Bruce Wayne, dressing up as Batman once more, 30 or more years later, having been in retirement-like status, and then going out and fighting the villians and the bad guys again. Even Muhammed Ali (aka Cassius Clay from Louisville USA) was great too at one point, but now? Imagine how Elvis would be these days (What's an Elvis? Should we even know? How long ago was that?). Why not Rudy Vallee or Enrico Caruso? It's OK to gasp, in almost mild horror and disbelief. On the whole, that's about what we had here at the O2 on Monday evening, December 10th, in the Year of our Lord 2007 Anno Domini. Let's face it, all of you old guys, your time is clearly over. So should any future plans to recapture the past be over too. May they never materialize. You can't go back. And, to Led Zeppelin there, you should have went out on top and stayed on top, as you did back in 1980 (upon John Bonham's untimely and unexpected death), and not risked any chance for indignation or embarrassment, possibly even physical injury, by trying to do this rock thing again, particularly at this stage in your lives. Come on now. It's time for you, from here on out, to work from the neck up; implementing your sage advise, and delegating the physical work to the ones who can do it better, and you do the cerebral front-office type stuff, because you've been up there and on the stage, having done it all and did the time as well. You certainly have the experience (that goes without saying), and you've earned the respect that comes with having already been there and done it, as well as having lived through it all, and having lived to tell about it. Preserve the mystique. Don't cheapen it. It's your stock-in-trade. Few others have reached your status, and are still around too. It is, without a doubt, quite an achievement, and one that can only be gotten by being given enough time on Earth. And, also to Led Zeppelin, getting old is a drag and everything, but it happens; accept it or die. You can't fight it. It's the only two ways to deal with it. Unfortunately for them, they didn't evolve musically; they stayed in a time warp. They remained One-Dimensional, and they didn't grow. Many other acts that are also in their 60's, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, even Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Cher too (all of them are your contemporaries in fact), managed to keep on playing, and evolve over the years. They all stayed active and out there, and up-to-date as well, thereby growing with and into the times, but alas Led Zeppelin did not, and it's much too late for them to start doing anything like that now. Very much so too late. A part of me almost wishes I hadn't come here to London to see all of this melodrama, as it unfolded before my very eyes. The years have caught up with them. It was inevitable. They can't cut the mustard anymore, and certainly not with anything near the same fervor as they had done it 30 or more years before. I certainly didn't expect to see anything like that to be taking place up there of course; I knew they wouldn't be the indomitable Led Zeppelin of years past, but they came up short. Way short. No surprise there. All of their songs were lowered in key, some an octave or more, so as to facilitate the vocals and make them easier to sing. And, as always, Father Time wins. And they're my all-time favorite band too. Ever since Day One. I had really wanted to see this show, and I called in some markers and favors so that I could, and for my son to come and see them too. It wasn't as simple as just buying a ticket (admission was not all that easy to come by, and from the very onset of this event some months ago), and as this concert was originally set for November 26th, some two weeks earlier. It's not exactly over for them, but the end is near. Write and compose, be consultants, overseers or whatever, but please, no more on-stage rock and roll performing. You may hurt yourselves. I'm frightened for them; they just don't have the strength for it, nor do they have the strong young bodies for it, not any longer. Hardly. And, they would definitely need all of their strength, and then some, so as to try and hold up while on an extended road tour anywhere, especially at their advanced ages (Make that 60+!!!!). If Led Zeppelin does tour again, which is unlikely (I myself hope that they don't anyway, not a grueling major tour at least, if for nothing else but their own safety), go see them, if only for the sake of having never seen them, but don't expect to see and hear the Led Zeppelin of years and years ago; the one you're used to seeing and hearing. Led Zeppelin had built a name by being a touring band, exciting and vital and very visual, their live shows were incomparable to any other; they were the best. The energy, the power, the conviction; it was all there. Their studio work was good too, but paled in comparison to their live renditions. That magic is gone. It simply isn't there anymore. It was a whole and uniquely different time back then, in 1968 (WHEN?) as they first emerged, and then into the 1970's; a time never again to be repeated or duplicated. They're too old now, too out-of-date; they haven't kept up with any of the current events or done anything new as a band, for many many years now. A new generation of fans, surely for this most recent incarnation (how much more time do they have left anyway), is extremely doubtful. Too much time has unmercifully passed, and has already come down like some gigantic and thunderous hammer. They still have alot of the musical chops (although maybe not all of the vocal chops), but they just don't have the physical stamina for it any longer. They're all but feeble; not totally, but just about. It was a nostalgia show at best, and even less impressive than that. Almost like something cheesy you might see in Las Vegas. Rock And Roll performance doesn't really work at this age. It's definitely a young man's game. It's like Pro Football, or some other physically intensive spectator activity, where you really need to have all of your young strength and all of the youthful vigor that you just simply don't possess anymore, due to your increased years. O Well. But Hey. What're gonna do. That's life. Heck, those of you who know me, know that I even used to do this myself, back in the day. Indeed I did. How long ago was that anyway. I almost shudder at the thought. Rock is too demanding, it's too hard; hard enough to do when you're in your 20's, and a lot tougher to do as you get older. And specifically, what must it be like in your 60's (I can only imagine it; I myself am not even quite that old), unless you go Vegas-Lounge-Lizard style, and even then that's a stretch; relying on your name to carry you, so enjoy your platinum years already. However, if your name can still make you some cash, why not go for it, eh. Business is Business. You can never have too much money. This show was all but strictly a money-making venture anyway; certainly not one given to inspiring any awe or wonder. No Way. Except perhaps, one of the few if any wonders of the evening being that some of these guys are in fact still standing, and haven't crumpled or fallen down yet. So, get it while you still can, ye merry gentlemen; the clock is ticking away. And furthermore, to Jimmy, John Paul, Robert, Mick, Bill and the rest of you geriatric blokes: You're old men now, senior citizens even; some of you having been born in the 1930's. The 1930's!! What? Before the Big War? Before the disaster of the zeppelin Hindenberg (how ironic is that)? And during the Great Depression? Like it or not, the spirit is willing, but the flesh has way too much mileage on it. There's no dishonor in owning up to that. So suck it up already and accept it. That doesn't mean that you're dead of course, far from it, but grow old gently, and with dignity. You can't afford to be reckless. You're not a bunch of young kids anymore. You need to prove nothing. Hang out and have some fun. Be happy that you made it this far, a lot of people didn't, like Jason's dad; the man himself, the late John Henry Bonham, your original drummer and fellow founding member of Led Zeppelin. Enjoy life now. You did good. You had all the glory and the adulation doing this years ago, and you had all the moves and grooves too, but nothing is forever. Let the younger ones imitate you, making their tribute bands (gag) and the like. They're doing it anyway, those darn kids (ha). It is, after all, the cycle of life, and you're on the waning side of it now. So, pass the torch. You've had your heyday. You were a wild, smashing success, bigger than US Steel. You also became immeasurably rich in the process, so relax and take it easy already, save your money and your hip joints, and don't hurt yourselves trying to rock again. You need to be extra careful now, and to be taking good care of yourselves, unless of course you have a death wish or something. In which case, then by all means, knock yourselves out. And, at this point, that shouldn't take too much. Now, looking back on it, I'm afraid that I may remember them all as I saw them the other night, and some of it's not terribly pretty. As for the older performers, the people are still in there, yeah somewhere, but the youth is gone, so gone. It was almost like seeing the Hit-Parade Revue at the Old Folks' home. The Prune Juice Follies, if you will. The twilight years. It's definitely the end of an era. The end of something anyway. Makes you stop and realize just how much time really has gone by. Kinda scary isn't it. Life plays a dirty trick on you. You keep the experience still, having even more smarts and wisdom than ever before, but you don't have the young body (nor do you have the strutting, swaggering young attitude that goes along with it) anymore, and the fearlessness and assertiveness that comes from knowing that you have that taut agile body, the one that can rise to any occasion, no matter what. You have aches and pains now, stiff and less-movable joints (including your guitar-playing fingers), wrinkles and gray or nonexistant hair, and much, ahem, Wearing and Tearing. (I couldn't resist that one). You've probably also had at least one health scare. The years can be unforgiving and brutal. It's time for some new young blood. Audiences don't wanna look at a bunch of old guys; they're not nearly as exciting to watch or behold, they can't move around on a stage that well either (certainly not like they used to), and they can scarcely hit the higher vocal notes anymore. You'll always have your die-hard fans and supporters of course (and they're getting older too), but for the most part, you're done. Give up the ghost. Do much easier gigs, if any; cameo appearances come to mind. Maybe. Now is the time that you leave a legacy, something to be passed down through the ages for when you're gone, having made your mark long ago, when you were able to and still could. And, that is also as it should be. It sure was fun to go back in time again though. It was all good. Absolutely. All things considered, I'm so glad I went. And, if I had to do it all over again, I surely would. Definitely. In a minute. No hesitation at all. There's no doubt about it, Led Zeppelin was very good. So were all the others. This event was a hoot; it was a total gas. What a fun evening. Indescribable, and unlike any other. And on a Monday night no less. It's a wonderful, joyous life alright. Oh so full of surprises. This concert was certainly one of them, and a good one too. And most assuredly, there are more surprises to come. Always. Oh yeah, the world sure is different now..... you should have gave your tickets to someone who would have enjoyed it but your cool with me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck22 Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Rob, what concert did you actually go to last night? I went to the one at the O2 where at the end of the show, everyone was walking out saying wholly f*cking sh*t, that was a religious experience! Absolutely amazing! ... you sir are a moron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Goodman Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 It's sad when not so old people, turn into old people with no wisdom. I see it day in and day out, and it really is just ... sad. What's worse, is that he hasn't learned a damn thing. What a wasted life, a writer who can't write. I'll bet his dick gets hard raining on everyone's parade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solar Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 It's sad when not so old people, turn into old people with no wisdom. I see it day in and day out, and it really is just ... sad. What's worse, is that he hasn't learned a damn thing. What a wasted life, a writer who can't write. I'll bet his dick gets hard raining on everyone's parade. His dick got hard typing the disclaimer to make him feel like an official writer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plantagenet Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Thanks for the NO HOLDS BARRED honest appraisal. Much too long IMO I just scrolled to the bits about the gig itself and read the main bits. To summarise they were not as good as they were in the 70s. Why do people have to get so upset just because someone's opinion differs from their own, folks??? Nobody is going to be surprised, of course you at least can say that you saw them. Oh damn you already did anyway. I'd still like to get the chance even if they were rubbish. Roll on the tour. It will happen. I recommend people buy tickets for Glastonbury !!!!!! I have an inside hint; nothing concrete, nothing quoteable; but the tickets can at least be sold on if I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenman Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 (edited) No offence but thats not a review of the concert so much as the authors personal feelings on aging rock stars, you have to wonder how much of it was written before he even went to the show. Edited December 11, 2007 by greenman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vfh666 Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 It sounds to me that you dont know importance of this reunion. You say younger guys should do what they did 27 years and more ago. Well they cant. Their is no talent these days. Their almost will never be. What a treat to see Led Zeppelin Live after 27 years. Im 27 so i could have never seen them. I feel all you did was put them down for something that in not their fault, AGE. It sounds to me that what really is the issue is that you are getting old and decrepit. You are so afraid of your age you have to put these gods down. I think they look great for their age. They must be aging better then you my friend. You should only look as good as them although I highly doubt it. I also feel you took the gift of being there away from someone who would truly appreciate this day in history. If they came to my area 10, 20 , 30 times I would take each and every one of those opportunities. If Jim Morrison were alive he would be in his mid 70's and again I would not hesitate one sec. to buy tickets to see that. Why not take a trip back into memory lane. That time was better then this. This day and age sucks. No respect, no love, no great people, no common sense, no great music, no clean air or environment. And you, oh mighty one who only knows how to ramble on about nothing, what to take this once in a life time thing away. A dream I have had since I could remember, You just took it away from alot of people just like me. But Im not one to listen to stupid people. I bet if you asked every one, that is except you, in that arena how the show was. I bet they would say the exact opposite. I cant wait till they come to the US. And ill try to see every show in my area. California is a big state. Ill have alot of traveling and led zeppelin concerts to do. Oh and by the way all that unnessisary rambling you did, it did not make you seem more educated just a dorky loop that made me fall asleep. Greetings, I was at the O2 show in London on Monday night the 10th; me and my son. We're still here in England. This is my own personal eyewitness account of the show, as I saw it, and in my own words. I thought that I might share it with you. Enjoy it for what it is. This review is written mostly about Led Zeppelin's long- awaited concert appearance. The other acts are mentioned also, in part. DISCLAIMER: No offense, slurs or disparagements, to any person or persons, nor are there any latent meanings or messages stated, meant or implied in this report, none whatsoever. All views, terms, references and opinions expressed herein are strictly and exclusively those of the author, and only the author. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2007, by Rob Guarnieri, aka Pianoguy. <pianoguy88s@yahoo.com> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Led Zeppelin. Such a good band. Really. What memories. I mean, this writer first saw them back when your Richard Nixon was President of the USA, and in the first of his two elected four-year terms; before Watergate even. Way, way back, in April 1970, and in Phoenix Arizona no less. Unbelieveable. Almost 40 years gone; four decades ago. This author was still in high school. Quite a while back, that's for sure. The Phoenix concert was a much-anticipated event also, as well as rumored of and previously postponed, but at last it finally happened (much like this 2007 London appearance). Never before had been seen a band that was so good; so strong and imposing, and young and graceful as well. We had heard alot about them over the past year or so, since the release of their first two record albums, and now we were finally getting the chance to see and hear them play. And then, there they were. THE long-awaited Led Zeppelin. What talent and power. Truly artists. Better and much more youthful than the at-the-time reigning (and also British) rock supergroup Cream even, with a front- man vocalist, and with a Hammond B3 (organ) mixed up in there somewhere too. Wow. All four of them only in their early-to-mid 20's. Guitarist Jimmy Page, barely 26 years old, the Mastermind, late of The Yardbirds, and 3 unknown and unproven entities; bassist/organist John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant, and drummer John Bonham. Page and fellow Capricorn Jones, a 24-year-old accomplished London studio musician and acquaintence of Page, Plant the Leo and Bonham the Gemini, both of them from the English Midlands and each a mere 21 years old; all of them ready, willing, and PHYSICALLY ABLE (yes, there it is, that's the key) to become a formidable musical force, and fiercely doing it. Mightily and aptly getting the job done. Even way back then, in their earliest and beginning stages, you just knew that they were gonna be big. But, John Bonham isn't there anymore. And he was a major attraction; he was at least 25 percent of the total package that is Led Zeppelin. Good God, could that man play. Better than Ginger Baker even, and that was saying something in those days, and with only a single-bass drum kit. He was a monster, and astonishingly so; almost larger than life, and beyond belief. Even better than that. You'd never seen or heard anyone like him, before or since. He was unprecedented; a jaw-drop. Couldn't take your eyes off the guy. And oh, that devastating right foot. You just couldn't look bad if you were playing on the same stage with him; he was that good. It brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat thinking back on it all; remembering it, and him as well. And Moby Dick? It was Miraculous. Whew. Like I said, what memories alright. O Well, Fast-Forward to reality now. And now, here they are, on the stage again, in London in 2007 (and with Jason Bonham, John's son, at the drums). Dunt-Da-Da-Daaah: LED ZEPPELIN. The one, the only. In Person. At Long Last. After all, they were the headlining act, right. The focal point of the evening. And, they hadn't performed together or been seen, in public or in concert, for a real honest-to- goodness show since 1980. This was truly an event, and a long time in the making. This almost begs the question: Who are you old guys, and what have you done with Led Zeppelin? Folks, it's the 21st-century edition of Led Zeppelin, THE quintessential 1970's rock band. That's affirmative; I'll even spell it out for you. The Nineteen-Seventies. The good old days. Almost ancient history. It was good to see them again and everything; indeed it was, and after so long too, but it was also kinda sad at the same time. Oh Boy, had they aged. Surely it was not like seeing rock's premier conquering heroes of decades ago. Come again? What's that, you say? Yes, you heard it right the first time, and you heard it here first. DECADES. Ten year groups at a time. Count 'em. At least three of them, and they keep on coming in, like the tides. Time files forward. There's no stopping it. Tick Tock. Excuse me; I digress. It's hard not to however; there's so much history that can be mentioned here. But Now, let us get back to the present, and to the matter at hand, shall we. Seeing Led Zeppelin on stage the other night was akin to watching Secretariat trying to run a race again, many many years later, and after all of those races he'd already won when he was much younger. Both of these former superstars being way past their prime, visibly and otherwise just plain old, and tired too. If you didn't attend this showing, believe me, you didn't miss a thing. Be glad that you didn't see it; remember them as they were. They played OK and all the rest (yes, they were very good), but it was almost like watching the grandfathers up there playing Bocci Ball, or croquet or shuffleboard or something. No more of the galvanizing "Rock'em-Sock'em" Zeppelin power and might of ages ago. Not even close. Loud Volume alone is not energy. No Sir. It was eerily reminiscent of some random group scene out of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". Oh My Goodness. It was quite an experience, nearly bizarre, and surreal as well. And betcha by golly wow, lots of guitars going too. Everywhere. All the time. It would have been nice to hear some other instruments, maybe a psaltery or a dulcimer, a tuba even; anything different just to break it up a bit. The guitar players, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Mick Jones, Bill Wyman and the rest; all of them were brilliant of course, years and years of experience and expertise were gathered there, but it really got to be a bit much after awhile. Almost nightmarish. Yikes I say, eh what. The atmosphere of the concert wasn't pathetic exactly, but it was wrenching for sure, and quite a spectacle to watch. And Led Zeppelin; they're a faint copy at best of a characature of their former selves. They went on last, and they played for approximately 120 minutes or so. Page and Jones both looked brittle and frail, pasty and almost-lifelike, as china dolls, like at any moment they may crack or break, or possibly crumble. Jason Bonham, while much younger than the others at age 41, as a drummer is OK, but he's a far cry from his father's legendary prowess. And, Robert Plant especially. He looked unkempt, scruffy and unprepared, and his singing (?) was not so hot. He never really was all that great anyway, even 40 or so years ago when he was much younger (longer ago than half of the world's current population has been alive even), and first getting out there in the 1960's music world. And, the Shirley Temple-esque lambcurls don't work anymore either, not after all this time. I mean really now. But really, what else are these guys gonna do? This is what they've done for all of their professional lives; are they now going to stop playing music and go to work at Motorola, or function in some cubicle somewhere? Work at the mall? Be a WalMart Greeter? What do you think. And, how about the others on the bill, (no pun intended), like Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Mick Jones and Foreigner, Paul Rodgers and Paolo Nutini. Bill Wyman. Whoa Nellie!! 71 years old (71? Really? Can humans live that long? That's 497 in dog years) and God bless him, he looked every day of it too, and then some. He looked dead; about like an unwrapped mummy. So did Mick Jones of Foreigner. Old and decrepit. He looked like a bag that a person used to be in. Especially up close. Both of these men, Wyman and Jones, all but late of their parent bands, were indeed not unlike sepulchral figures. The choir was a nice touch however. Paul Rodgers, I won't even go there. And Paolo Nutini. He was good. And at only 20 years old. And Van Halen, Bob Seger, The Police and Eric Clapton and all of the other veteran acts from earlier this year; they're aging as well, and rapidly too. All of them played very well and all the rest, but at this point it's about time to quit playing on the team and maybe manage the team, imparting the wisdom of your vast experience and leaving the actual playing, the stage performance, and the ensuing antics to the younger guys; they're more physically able to do it (like all of you older players up there that night used to be able to do once upon a time), and not look too absurd or preposterous while they go about doing it. Picture Bruce Wayne, dressing up as Batman once more, 30 or more years later, having been in retirement-like status, and then going out and fighting the villians and the bad guys again. Even Muhammed Ali (aka Cassius Clay from Louisville USA) was great too at one point, but now? Imagine how Elvis would be these days (What's an Elvis? Should we even know? How long ago was that?). Why not Rudy Vallee or Enrico Caruso? It's OK to gasp, in almost mild horror and disbelief. On the whole, that's about what we had here at the O2 on Monday evening, December 10th, in the Year of our Lord 2007 Anno Domini. Let's face it, all of you old guys, your time is clearly over. So should any future plans to recapture the past be over too. May they never materialize. You can't go back. And, to Led Zeppelin there, you should have went out on top and stayed on top, as you did back in 1980 (upon John Bonham's untimely and unexpected death), and not risked any chance for indignation or embarrassment, possibly even physical injury, by trying to do this rock thing again, particularly at this stage in your lives. Come on now. It's time for you, from here on out, to work from the neck up; implementing your sage advise, and delegating the physical work to the ones who can do it better, and you do the cerebral front-office type stuff, because you've been up there and on the stage, having done it all and did the time as well. You certainly have the experience (that goes without saying), and you've earned the respect that comes with having already been there and done it, as well as having lived through it all, and having lived to tell about it. Preserve the mystique. Don't cheapen it. It's your stock-in-trade. Few others have reached your status, and are still around too. It is, without a doubt, quite an achievement, and one that can only be gotten by being given enough time on Earth. And, also to Led Zeppelin, getting old is a drag and everything, but it happens; accept it or die. You can't fight it. It's the only two ways to deal with it. Unfortunately for them, they didn't evolve musically; they stayed in a time warp. They remained One-Dimensional, and they didn't grow. Many other acts that are also in their 60's, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, even Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Cher too (all of them are your contemporaries in fact), managed to keep on playing, and evolve over the years. They all stayed active and out there, and up-to-date as well, thereby growing with and into the times, but alas Led Zeppelin did not, and it's much too late for them to start doing anything like that now. Very much so too late. A part of me almost wishes I hadn't come here to London to see all of this melodrama, as it unfolded before my very eyes. The years have caught up with them. It was inevitable. They can't cut the mustard anymore, and certainly not with anything near the same fervor as they had done it 30 or more years before. I certainly didn't expect to see anything like that to be taking place up there of course; I knew they wouldn't be the indomitable Led Zeppelin of years past, but they came up short. Way short. No surprise there. All of their songs were lowered in key, some an octave or more, so as to facilitate the vocals and make them easier to sing. And, as always, Father Time wins. And they're my all-time favorite band too. Ever since Day One. I had really wanted to see this show, and I called in some markers and favors so that I could, and for my son to come and see them too. It wasn't as simple as just buying a ticket (admission was not all that easy to come by, and from the very onset of this event some months ago), and as this concert was originally set for November 26th, some two weeks earlier. It's not exactly over for them, but the end is near. Write and compose, be consultants, overseers or whatever, but please, no more on-stage rock and roll performing. You may hurt yourselves. I'm frightened for them; they just don't have the strength for it, nor do they have the strong young bodies for it, not any longer. Hardly. And, they would definitely need all of their strength, and then some, so as to try and hold up while on an extended road tour anywhere, especially at their advanced ages (Make that 60+!!!!). If Led Zeppelin does tour again, which is unlikely (I myself hope that they don't anyway, not a grueling major tour at least, if for nothing else but their own safety), go see them, if only for the sake of having never seen them, but don't expect to see and hear the Led Zeppelin of years and years ago; the one you're used to seeing and hearing. Led Zeppelin had built a name by being a touring band, exciting and vital and very visual, their live shows were incomparable to any other; they were the best. The energy, the power, the conviction; it was all there. Their studio work was good too, but paled in comparison to their live renditions. That magic is gone. It simply isn't there anymore. It was a whole and uniquely different time back then, in 1968 (WHEN?) as they first emerged, and then into the 1970's; a time never again to be repeated or duplicated. They're too old now, too out-of-date; they haven't kept up with any of the current events or done anything new as a band, for many many years now. A new generation of fans, surely for this most recent incarnation (how much more time do they have left anyway), is extremely doubtful. Too much time has unmercifully passed, and has already come down like some gigantic and thunderous hammer. They still have alot of the musical chops (although maybe not all of the vocal chops), but they just don't have the physical stamina for it any longer. They're all but feeble; not totally, but just about. It was a nostalgia show at best, and even less impressive than that. Almost like something cheesy you might see in Las Vegas. Rock And Roll performance doesn't really work at this age. It's definitely a young man's game. It's like Pro Football, or some other physically intensive spectator activity, where you really need to have all of your young strength and all of the youthful vigor that you just simply don't possess anymore, due to your increased years. O Well. But Hey. What're gonna do. That's life. Heck, those of you who know me, know that I even used to do this myself, back in the day. Indeed I did. How long ago was that anyway. I almost shudder at the thought. Rock is too demanding, it's too hard; hard enough to do when you're in your 20's, and a lot tougher to do as you get older. And specifically, what must it be like in your 60's (I can only imagine it; I myself am not even quite that old), unless you go Vegas-Lounge-Lizard style, and even then that's a stretch; relying on your name to carry you, so enjoy your platinum years already. However, if your name can still make you some cash, why not go for it, eh. Business is Business. You can never have too much money. This show was all but strictly a money-making venture anyway; certainly not one given to inspiring any awe or wonder. No Way. Except perhaps, one of the few if any wonders of the evening being that some of these guys are in fact still standing, and haven't crumpled or fallen down yet. So, get it while you still can, ye merry gentlemen; the clock is ticking away. And furthermore, to Jimmy, John Paul, Robert, Mick, Bill and the rest of you geriatric blokes: You're old men now, senior citizens even; some of you having been born in the 1930's. The 1930's!! What? Before the Big War? Before the disaster of the zeppelin Hindenberg (how ironic is that)? And during the Great Depression? Like it or not, the spirit is willing, but the flesh has way too much mileage on it. There's no dishonor in owning up to that. So suck it up already and accept it. That doesn't mean that you're dead of course, far from it, but grow old gently, and with dignity. You can't afford to be reckless. You're not a bunch of young kids anymore. You need to prove nothing. Hang out and have some fun. Be happy that you made it this far, a lot of people didn't, like Jason's dad; the man himself, the late John Henry Bonham, your original drummer and fellow founding member of Led Zeppelin. Enjoy life now. You did good. You had all the glory and the adulation doing this years ago, and you had all the moves and grooves too, but nothing is forever. Let the younger ones imitate you, making their tribute bands (gag) and the like. They're doing it anyway, those darn kids (ha). It is, after all, the cycle of life, and you're on the waning side of it now. So, pass the torch. You've had your heyday. You were a wild, smashing success, bigger than US Steel. You also became immeasurably rich in the process, so relax and take it easy already, save your money and your hip joints, and don't hurt yourselves trying to rock again. You need to be extra careful now, and to be taking good care of yourselves, unless of course you have a death wish or something. In which case, then by all means, knock yourselves out. And, at this point, that shouldn't take too much. Now, looking back on it, I'm afraid that I may remember them all as I saw them the other night, and some of it's not terribly pretty. As for the older performers, the people are still in there, yeah somewhere, but the youth is gone, so gone. It was almost like seeing the Hit-Parade Revue at the Old Folks' home. The Prune Juice Follies, if you will. The twilight years. It's definitely the end of an era. The end of something anyway. Makes you stop and realize just how much time really has gone by. Kinda scary isn't it. Life plays a dirty trick on you. You keep the experience still, having even more smarts and wisdom than ever before, but you don't have the young body (nor do you have the strutting, swaggering young attitude that goes along with it) anymore, and the fearlessness and assertiveness that comes from knowing that you have that taut agile body, the one that can rise to any occasion, no matter what. You have aches and pains now, stiff and less-movable joints (including your guitar-playing fingers), wrinkles and gray or nonexistant hair, and much, ahem, Wearing and Tearing. (I couldn't resist that one). You've probably also had at least one health scare. The years can be unforgiving and brutal. It's time for some new young blood. Audiences don't wanna look at a bunch of old guys; they're not nearly as exciting to watch or behold, they can't move around on a stage that well either (certainly not like they used to), and they can scarcely hit the higher vocal notes anymore. You'll always have your die-hard fans and supporters of course (and they're getting older too), but for the most part, you're done. Give up the ghost. Do much easier gigs, if any; cameo appearances come to mind. Maybe. Now is the time that you leave a legacy, something to be passed down through the ages for when you're gone, having made your mark long ago, when you were able to and still could. And, that is also as it should be. It sure was fun to go back in time again though. It was all good. Absolutely. All things considered, I'm so glad I went. And, if I had to do it all over again, I surely would. Definitely. In a minute. No hesitation at all. There's no doubt about it, Led Zeppelin was very good. So were all the others. This event was a hoot; it was a total gas. What a fun evening. Indescribable, and unlike any other. And on a Monday night no less. It's a wonderful, joyous life alright. Oh so full of surprises. This concert was certainly one of them, and a good one too. And most assuredly, there are more surprises to come. Always. Oh yeah, the world sure is different now..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~ykrej Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 (edited) What a load of crap. They are aged, true, but they still put up a better show than almost any modern band. That was no review, just an angry bunch of nonsense. I bet you never got a ticket. I bet you never saw the show. What are you writing here??? I was not at the concert but heard it on Planet Rock and it was absolutely wonderful, they made it soooooooo good! Or why the screaming people in the audience? Yes, they are old, but still better than most 20 oder 30 years old Musicans!!!!!!!!! My English is not good enough to really say what I think about your writing. It is a pity that such people like you had a ticket!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to dissapoint you but the show on PLANET ROCK WAS NOT THE LIVE SHOW FROM O2. It was a complication of songs from TSRTS, Mothership and other sources. Edited December 11, 2007 by ~ykrej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 hey, i know why you didnt like the concert....its because YOU are too old!! you must have brain degeneration to not be blown away by these living legends! god i wouldve given anything to have been at that concert, and to think that a ticket was wasted on someone so unapreciative as you...is just beyond belief! of course they are older now, arent we all??? what did you expect? did you think the guys would all go and get face lifts and botox??? they are and will always be the kings of music. period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazz Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Thanks for the NO HOLDS BARRED honest appraisal. Much too long IMO I just scrolled to the bits about the gig itself and read the main bits. To summarise they were not as good as they were in the 70s. Why do people have to get so upset just because someone's opinion differs from their own, folks??? It's not so much his opinion as his pomposity that would make me want to punch him in the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LZ#1 Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Greetings, I was at the O2 show in London on Monday night the 10th; me and my son. We're still here in England. This is my own personal eyewitness account of the show, as I saw it, and in my own words. I thought that I might share it with you. Enjoy it for what it is. This review is written mostly about Led Zeppelin's long- awaited concert appearance. The other acts are mentioned also, in part. DISCLAIMER: No offense, slurs or disparagements, to any person or persons, nor are there any latent meanings or messages stated, meant or implied in this report, none whatsoever. All views, terms, references and opinions expressed herein are strictly and exclusively those of the author, and only the author. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 2007, by Rob Guarnieri, aka Pianoguy. <pianoguy88s@yahoo.com> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Led Zeppelin. Such a good band. Really. What memories. I mean, this writer first saw them back when your Richard Nixon was President of the USA, and in the first of his two elected four-year terms; before Watergate even. Way, way back, in April 1970, and in Phoenix Arizona no less. Unbelieveable. Almost 40 years gone; four decades ago. This author was still in high school. Quite a while back, that's for sure. The Phoenix concert was a much-anticipated event also, as well as rumored of and previously postponed, but at last it finally happened (much like this 2007 London appearance). Never before had been seen a band that was so good; so strong and imposing, and young and graceful as well. We had heard alot about them over the past year or so, since the release of their first two record albums, and now we were finally getting the chance to see and hear them play. And then, there they were. THE long-awaited Led Zeppelin. What talent and power. Truly artists. Better and much more youthful than the at-the-time reigning (and also British) rock supergroup Cream even, with a front- man vocalist, and with a Hammond B3 (organ) mixed up in there somewhere too. Wow. All four of them only in their early-to-mid 20's. Guitarist Jimmy Page, barely 26 years old, the Mastermind, late of The Yardbirds, and 3 unknown and unproven entities; bassist/organist John Paul Jones, singer Robert Plant, and drummer John Bonham. Page and fellow Capricorn Jones, a 24-year-old accomplished London studio musician and acquaintence of Page, Plant the Leo and Bonham the Gemini, both of them from the English Midlands and each a mere 21 years old; all of them ready, willing, and PHYSICALLY ABLE (yes, there it is, that's the key) to become a formidable musical force, and fiercely doing it. Mightily and aptly getting the job done. Even way back then, in their earliest and beginning stages, you just knew that they were gonna be big. But, John Bonham isn't there anymore. And he was a major attraction; he was at least 25 percent of the total package that is Led Zeppelin. Good God, could that man play. Better than Ginger Baker even, and that was saying something in those days, and with only a single-bass drum kit. He was a monster, and astonishingly so; almost larger than life, and beyond belief. Even better than that. You'd never seen or heard anyone like him, before or since. He was unprecedented; a jaw-drop. Couldn't take your eyes off the guy. And oh, that devastating right foot. You just couldn't look bad if you were playing on the same stage with him; he was that good. It brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat thinking back on it all; remembering it, and him as well. And Moby Dick? It was Miraculous. Whew. Like I said, what memories alright. O Well, Fast-Forward to reality now. And now, here they are, on the stage again, in London in 2007 (and with Jason Bonham, John's son, at the drums). Dunt-Da-Da-Daaah: LED ZEPPELIN. The one, the only. In Person. At Long Last. After all, they were the headlining act, right. The focal point of the evening. And, they hadn't performed together or been seen, in public or in concert, for a real honest-to- goodness show since 1980. This was truly an event, and a long time in the making. This almost begs the question: Who are you old guys, and what have you done with Led Zeppelin? Folks, it's the 21st-century edition of Led Zeppelin, THE quintessential 1970's rock band. That's affirmative; I'll even spell it out for you. The Nineteen-Seventies. The good old days. Almost ancient history. It was good to see them again and everything; indeed it was, and after so long too, but it was also kinda sad at the same time. Oh Boy, had they aged. Surely it was not like seeing rock's premier conquering heroes of decades ago. Come again? What's that, you say? Yes, you heard it right the first time, and you heard it here first. DECADES. Ten year groups at a time. Count 'em. At least three of them, and they keep on coming in, like the tides. Time files forward. There's no stopping it. Tick Tock. Excuse me; I digress. It's hard not to however; there's so much history that can be mentioned here. But Now, let us get back to the present, and to the matter at hand, shall we. Seeing Led Zeppelin on stage the other night was akin to watching Secretariat trying to run a race again, many many years later, and after all of those races he'd already won when he was much younger. Both of these former superstars being way past their prime, visibly and otherwise just plain old, and tired too. If you didn't attend this showing, believe me, you didn't miss a thing. Be glad that you didn't see it; remember them as they were. They played OK and all the rest (yes, they were very good), but it was almost like watching the grandfathers up there playing Bocci Ball, or croquet or shuffleboard or something. No more of the galvanizing "Rock'em-Sock'em" Zeppelin power and might of ages ago. Not even close. Loud Volume alone is not energy. No Sir. It was eerily reminiscent of some random group scene out of the movie "Grumpy Old Men". Oh My Goodness. It was quite an experience, nearly bizarre, and surreal as well. And betcha by golly wow, lots of guitars going too. Everywhere. All the time. It would have been nice to hear some other instruments, maybe a psaltery or a dulcimer, a tuba even; anything different just to break it up a bit. The guitar players, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Mick Jones, Bill Wyman and the rest; all of them were brilliant of course, years and years of experience and expertise were gathered there, but it really got to be a bit much after awhile. Almost nightmarish. Yikes I say, eh what. The atmosphere of the concert wasn't pathetic exactly, but it was wrenching for sure, and quite a spectacle to watch. And Led Zeppelin; they're a faint copy at best of a characature of their former selves. They went on last, and they played for approximately 120 minutes or so. Page and Jones both looked brittle and frail, pasty and almost-lifelike, as china dolls, like at any moment they may crack or break, or possibly crumble. Jason Bonham, while much younger than the others at age 41, as a drummer is OK, but he's a far cry from his father's legendary prowess. And, Robert Plant especially. He looked unkempt, scruffy and unprepared, and his singing (?) was not so hot. He never really was all that great anyway, even 40 or so years ago when he was much younger (longer ago than half of the world's current population has been alive even), and first getting out there in the 1960's music world. And, the Shirley Temple-esque lambcurls don't work anymore either, not after all this time. I mean really now. But really, what else are these guys gonna do? This is what they've done for all of their professional lives; are they now going to stop playing music and go to work at Motorola, or function in some cubicle somewhere? Work at the mall? Be a WalMart Greeter? What do you think. And, how about the others on the bill, (no pun intended), like Bill Wyman and the Rhythm Kings, Mick Jones and Foreigner, Paul Rodgers and Paolo Nutini. Bill Wyman. Whoa Nellie!! 71 years old (71? Really? Can humans live that long? That's 497 in dog years) and God bless him, he looked every day of it too, and then some. He looked dead; about like an unwrapped mummy. So did Mick Jones of Foreigner. Old and decrepit. He looked like a bag that a person used to be in. Especially up close. Both of these men, Wyman and Jones, all but late of their parent bands, were indeed not unlike sepulchral figures. The choir was a nice touch however. Paul Rodgers, I won't even go there. And Paolo Nutini. He was good. And at only 20 years old. And Van Halen, Bob Seger, The Police and Eric Clapton and all of the other veteran acts from earlier this year; they're aging as well, and rapidly too. All of them played very well and all the rest, but at this point it's about time to quit playing on the team and maybe manage the team, imparting the wisdom of your vast experience and leaving the actual playing, the stage performance, and the ensuing antics to the younger guys; they're more physically able to do it (like all of you older players up there that night used to be able to do once upon a time), and not look too absurd or preposterous while they go about doing it. Picture Bruce Wayne, dressing up as Batman once more, 30 or more years later, having been in retirement-like status, and then going out and fighting the villians and the bad guys again. Even Muhammed Ali (aka Cassius Clay from Louisville USA) was great too at one point, but now? Imagine how Elvis would be these days (What's an Elvis? Should we even know? How long ago was that?). Why not Rudy Vallee or Enrico Caruso? It's OK to gasp, in almost mild horror and disbelief. On the whole, that's about what we had here at the O2 on Monday evening, December 10th, in the Year of our Lord 2007 Anno Domini. Let's face it, all of you old guys, your time is clearly over. So should any future plans to recapture the past be over too. May they never materialize. You can't go back. And, to Led Zeppelin there, you should have went out on top and stayed on top, as you did back in 1980 (upon John Bonham's untimely and unexpected death), and not risked any chance for indignation or embarrassment, possibly even physical injury, by trying to do this rock thing again, particularly at this stage in your lives. Come on now. It's time for you, from here on out, to work from the neck up; implementing your sage advise, and delegating the physical work to the ones who can do it better, and you do the cerebral front-office type stuff, because you've been up there and on the stage, having done it all and did the time as well. You certainly have the experience (that goes without saying), and you've earned the respect that comes with having already been there and done it, as well as having lived through it all, and having lived to tell about it. Preserve the mystique. Don't cheapen it. It's your stock-in-trade. Few others have reached your status, and are still around too. It is, without a doubt, quite an achievement, and one that can only be gotten by being given enough time on Earth. And, also to Led Zeppelin, getting old is a drag and everything, but it happens; accept it or die. You can't fight it. It's the only two ways to deal with it. Unfortunately for them, they didn't evolve musically; they stayed in a time warp. They remained One-Dimensional, and they didn't grow. Many other acts that are also in their 60's, such as Paul McCartney, Elton John and The Rolling Stones, even Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond and Cher too (all of them are your contemporaries in fact), managed to keep on playing, and evolve over the years. They all stayed active and out there, and up-to-date as well, thereby growing with and into the times, but alas Led Zeppelin did not, and it's much too late for them to start doing anything like that now. Very much so too late. A part of me almost wishes I hadn't come here to London to see all of this melodrama, as it unfolded before my very eyes. The years have caught up with them. It was inevitable. They can't cut the mustard anymore, and certainly not with anything near the same fervor as they had done it 30 or more years before. I certainly didn't expect to see anything like that to be taking place up there of course; I knew they wouldn't be the indomitable Led Zeppelin of years past, but they came up short. Way short. No surprise there. All of their songs were lowered in key, some an octave or more, so as to facilitate the vocals and make them easier to sing. And, as always, Father Time wins. And they're my all-time favorite band too. Ever since Day One. I had really wanted to see this show, and I called in some markers and favors so that I could, and for my son to come and see them too. It wasn't as simple as just buying a ticket (admission was not all that easy to come by, and from the very onset of this event some months ago), and as this concert was originally set for November 26th, some two weeks earlier. It's not exactly over for them, but the end is near. Write and compose, be consultants, overseers or whatever, but please, no more on-stage rock and roll performing. You may hurt yourselves. I'm frightened for them; they just don't have the strength for it, nor do they have the strong young bodies for it, not any longer. Hardly. And, they would definitely need all of their strength, and then some, so as to try and hold up while on an extended road tour anywhere, especially at their advanced ages (Make that 60+!!!!). If Led Zeppelin does tour again, which is unlikely (I myself hope that they don't anyway, not a grueling major tour at least, if for nothing else but their own safety), go see them, if only for the sake of having never seen them, but don't expect to see and hear the Led Zeppelin of years and years ago; the one you're used to seeing and hearing. Led Zeppelin had built a name by being a touring band, exciting and vital and very visual, their live shows were incomparable to any other; they were the best. The energy, the power, the conviction; it was all there. Their studio work was good too, but paled in comparison to their live renditions. That magic is gone. It simply isn't there anymore. It was a whole and uniquely different time back then, in 1968 (WHEN?) as they first emerged, and then into the 1970's; a time never again to be repeated or duplicated. They're too old now, too out-of-date; they haven't kept up with any of the current events or done anything new as a band, for many many years now. A new generation of fans, surely for this most recent incarnation (how much more time do they have left anyway), is extremely doubtful. Too much time has unmercifully passed, and has already come down like some gigantic and thunderous hammer. They still have alot of the musical chops (although maybe not all of the vocal chops), but they just don't have the physical stamina for it any longer. They're all but feeble; not totally, but just about. It was a nostalgia show at best, and even less impressive than that. Almost like something cheesy you might see in Las Vegas. Rock And Roll performance doesn't really work at this age. It's definitely a young man's game. It's like Pro Football, or some other physically intensive spectator activity, where you really need to have all of your young strength and all of the youthful vigor that you just simply don't possess anymore, due to your increased years. O Well. But Hey. What're gonna do. That's life. Heck, those of you who know me, know that I even used to do this myself, back in the day. Indeed I did. How long ago was that anyway. I almost shudder at the thought. Rock is too demanding, it's too hard; hard enough to do when you're in your 20's, and a lot tougher to do as you get older. And specifically, what must it be like in your 60's (I can only imagine it; I myself am not even quite that old), unless you go Vegas-Lounge-Lizard style, and even then that's a stretch; relying on your name to carry you, so enjoy your platinum years already. However, if your name can still make you some cash, why not go for it, eh. Business is Business. You can never have too much money. This show was all but strictly a money-making venture anyway; certainly not one given to inspiring any awe or wonder. No Way. Except perhaps, one of the few if any wonders of the evening being that some of these guys are in fact still standing, and haven't crumpled or fallen down yet. So, get it while you still can, ye merry gentlemen; the clock is ticking away. And furthermore, to Jimmy, John Paul, Robert, Mick, Bill and the rest of you geriatric blokes: You're old men now, senior citizens even; some of you having been born in the 1930's. The 1930's!! What? Before the Big War? Before the disaster of the zeppelin Hindenberg (how ironic is that)? And during the Great Depression? Like it or not, the spirit is willing, but the flesh has way too much mileage on it. There's no dishonor in owning up to that. So suck it up already and accept it. That doesn't mean that you're dead of course, far from it, but grow old gently, and with dignity. You can't afford to be reckless. You're not a bunch of young kids anymore. You need to prove nothing. Hang out and have some fun. Be happy that you made it this far, a lot of people didn't, like Jason's dad; the man himself, the late John Henry Bonham, your original drummer and fellow founding member of Led Zeppelin. Enjoy life now. You did good. You had all the glory and the adulation doing this years ago, and you had all the moves and grooves too, but nothing is forever. Let the younger ones imitate you, making their tribute bands (gag) and the like. They're doing it anyway, those darn kids (ha). It is, after all, the cycle of life, and you're on the waning side of it now. So, pass the torch. You've had your heyday. You were a wild, smashing success, bigger than US Steel. You also became immeasurably rich in the process, so relax and take it easy already, save your money and your hip joints, and don't hurt yourselves trying to rock again. You need to be extra careful now, and to be taking good care of yourselves, unless of course you have a death wish or something. In which case, then by all means, knock yourselves out. And, at this point, that shouldn't take too much. Now, looking back on it, I'm afraid that I may remember them all as I saw them the other night, and some of it's not terribly pretty. As for the older performers, the people are still in there, yeah somewhere, but the youth is gone, so gone. It was almost like seeing the Hit-Parade Revue at the Old Folks' home. The Prune Juice Follies, if you will. The twilight years. It's definitely the end of an era. The end of something anyway. Makes you stop and realize just how much time really has gone by. Kinda scary isn't it. Life plays a dirty trick on you. You keep the experience still, having even more smarts and wisdom than ever before, but you don't have the young body (nor do you have the strutting, swaggering young attitude that goes along with it) anymore, and the fearlessness and assertiveness that comes from knowing that you have that taut agile body, the one that can rise to any occasion, no matter what. You have aches and pains now, stiff and less-movable joints (including your guitar-playing fingers), wrinkles and gray or nonexistant hair, and much, ahem, Wearing and Tearing. (I couldn't resist that one). You've probably also had at least one health scare. The years can be unforgiving and brutal. It's time for some new young blood. Audiences don't wanna look at a bunch of old guys; they're not nearly as exciting to watch or behold, they can't move around on a stage that well either (certainly not like they used to), and they can scarcely hit the higher vocal notes anymore. You'll always have your die-hard fans and supporters of course (and they're getting older too), but for the most part, you're done. Give up the ghost. Do much easier gigs, if any; cameo appearances come to mind. Maybe. Now is the time that you leave a legacy, something to be passed down through the ages for when you're gone, having made your mark long ago, when you were able to and still could. And, that is also as it should be. It sure was fun to go back in time again though. It was all good. Absolutely. All things considered, I'm so glad I went. And, if I had to do it all over again, I surely would. Definitely. In a minute. No hesitation at all. There's no doubt about it, Led Zeppelin was very good. So were all the others. This event was a hoot; it was a total gas. What a fun evening. Indescribable, and unlike any other. And on a Monday night no less. It's a wonderful, joyous life alright. Oh so full of surprises. This concert was certainly one of them, and a good one too. And most assuredly, there are more surprises to come. Always. Oh yeah, the world sure is different now..... Heep of shite - so far up your own arse - were you even there? it was trully amazing - you cannot compare the past to the present unless you cant deal with today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy old git Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 This is really tedious. Surely, if you take the trouble to travel several thousand miles to a gig you can at least take the trouble to be positive about it. I thought it was a really great night and well worth queuing for hours to get to the front. I stood in front of the speaker stacks at the left of the stage. In a day or two I expect my hearing will return. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WildBill Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Believe me EVERYONE when I say that this guy is an idiot. Not only that but full of s**t and his own self importance. I WAS THERE. They were not only brilliant but they surpassed all expectations. I wish everyone in Zepland could have been there, you would have all loved it. I've seen them before and they were BETTER last night. So much power, energy and presence that belied their ages. Yes, Robert Plant couldn't get all the notes but he got most and when he did it was AMAZING. Jimmy Page was on fire, so cool coming on in shades and a black jacket. Jonesey was stalwart and Bonham incredible. The songs just came flying out with a force that was undescribable. I've seen nearly all of the big bands live (and loved them), Floyd, The Who, Oasis, U2, Yes, Chilli Peppers and many many more. This gig was the best I have ever been to because Zeppelin pulled it off and they didn't let us down. THAT is the O2 review, NOT what this pompus fool had already decided it would be like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJH Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Well I don't know what concert you were at last night mate, true fans like us had to hang on to every news bulletin last night and this morning on Sky News to get a flavour of the gig and every single person they interviewed coming out of the concert raved about it. It is sickening for people like us, who have been to dozens of Zep and Page/Plant concerts and not get a ticket for this event and have it wasted on a tosser like you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PIPPIN Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Imagine copyrighting that!!!???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiina63 Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 And such fucking silly people had a ticket, oh my god!!!!!!! I couldn't agree more!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spotondrums Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 It is sickening for people like us, who have been to dozens of Zep and Page/Plant concerts and not get a ticket for this event and have it wasted on a tosser like you. Well said!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tangerinedream Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Your review reads almost like a diary entry, like a note to yourself. It's not a review of the concert as much as an opinion piece on the question of whether old guys should play rock and roll. Interesting question, but tangential in the context of a concert review. Further, your opinion is clearly is at odds with the prevailing opinion of music critics, which is that Led Zeppelin acquitted themselves admirably. Led Zeppelin's previous post-band reunion performances were decidedly sub-par, and they did not want to leave that legacy. So they went out again, while there was still time, and for a worthy cause, because they had something to prove. And they proved it. So now history is changed. Nothing wrong with that, and good for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Sorry pal. In terms of keeping my interest? Boring as hell and couldn't get through the muck. Dribble is dribble. Can't waste my time on it. UMMM..Ditto sister. I can't believe I read almost all that crap. I stopped at the part where you said RP was never any good anyway. I must say at first I was truly excited that a true fan was kind enough to write a review and then I realized that I was not reading the heartfelt writing of a true fan. Just reading the crap from a guy who is a fan of writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ludwig Posted December 11, 2007 Share Posted December 11, 2007 Granted, all I've seen of this is the wee clips on the various sites, but I have a serious feeling that this guy is talking through his arse. Bonham better than Baker? Hmmm. Bonham was good, but better than Baker? It's a bit like saying, Hendrix is better than Page, or Clapton. It's a daft discussion. As for the performance? Maybe the guy had a poor seat? Only a complete daftie would say say it was a poor show overall. From the clips I was seeing earlier, I can tell you I was more gutted about not being there, than last night, because they did seem to be good. If they had been crap, I wouldn't have been too bothered about missing the show, but now I feel that I have missed out even more. If they reviewer was expecting to see a Led Zeppelin in their 20s, he should have bought a time machine rather than a ticket to the show. Zeppelin of now is a different animal to what it was. So the guys in the band are getting on a bit, but it doesn't mean they can't perform. Of what I have seen, Page's playing was better than I thought it might have been. Not sure about Jones as I haven't tried to analyse him yet. Plant was kind of like I expected, maybe not quite as rawkas as before, but still doing a fine job. Bonham, from what I saw provided an excellent bedrock for everyone to play over. Granted I wasn't there, but the signs i the clips seem very positive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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