And as you wound on down the road...

[Caliphora]

I'm one of the few unluckies who was born 30 years too late... My mother and father spoonfed me hard rock from when I was just a small embryo, and this was my one and possibly only chance to see them live.

I cried on the phone when my boyfriend rang me and told me he was taking me to the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute. I was sat at work sobbing down the phone.

Then I started to wonder.

I saw Black Sabbath in '98. It was awesome, but not as good as I had hoped. I saw Yes, Jethro Tull, Whitesnake, Dio and Uriah Heep in 2003 - and all of them apart from UH disappointed me beyond belief.

Would my all time favourites let me down? Would my heroes and life long companions through heartbreak, party and love really be able to live up to my expectations?

As Yes made a horrible, untight, shambolic intro, I was setting myself up for a let down. A pang of disappointment struck my heart. Paul Rodgers made me holler though, and phoned my mum who squalerd with envy.

Then it happened. The stage lit up. My heart jumped. A lump in my throat grew and grew. Anticipation. Happiness. Longing. Magick.

Tears trickled down my face as the first four songs transported me into a trance. I felt Jimmy's concentration, gasped at Jason's blood legacy and the clear passion and sorrow with which he played, admired the slightly slimmer waist of Robert - and John-Paul! No Quarter had me in pieces. My boyfriend tearfully clenched my hand and we didn't have to say a word to understand that this was as close to 1972 as we would get.

For two hours we sat, stood, rocked, shouted and finally walked out into the night, exhilarated.

We spent the next 5 hours walking through London, staying awake on happiness and adrenaline.

Led Zeppelin transformed us.

And why?

Because their technical skill hasn't died - it was revived and renewed Monday night. That gig was -TIGHT-.

Their charisma and presence was mature, powerful, weighed, convincing.

So what if Mr. Plant couldn't hit the top top top squeal of a 20 year old?

It was pure sensual energy.

I am truly greatful, that I was allowed to have this experience. That I can forever say "I was there".

The only thing that saddened me that night was that my father, who died young as they all do, couldn't be there to experience it with me.

Had it not been for him I would not have been so uplifted and thankful by this truly religious experience.