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Birmingham, AL-Jefferson Civic Center Coliseum- May 18, 1977


DavidZoso

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This was the first show of the second leg of the US 1977 tour. It was played at the Jefferson Civic Center Coliseum. It is a good show and the highlights for me are No Quarter- it is shorter than most versions on this tour but has one of the most amazing screams I think Robert Plant has ever sung- during the second and last dogs of doom he lets it rip and also Jimmy plays in perfect unison with him as he does. I had to listen to it over and over. Just superb!

Ten Years Gone is a very nice version and Robert says Audrey right before Jimmy does the first guitar solo. Audrey I am sure being Audrey Hamilton- the young woman Robert met on the tour who was from Texas and is also the inspiration for Hot Dog.

The version of Rock and Roll is one the best they ever have done in my opinion.

I read somewhere that Led Zeppelin rarely did soundchecks and if they did it was usually at the first show of a new leg. This seems to fit as if you look back at the nice sbd rehearsale/soundcheck we have from Chicago 7-6-73 and it was the first show of the 2nd leg of the US 1973 tour. So maybe there is a recording somewhere of a soundcheck/rehearsal from Birmingham. Hopefully it will surface someday.

This was also the first show that John Paul Jones premiered his Secret Weapon- the new Triple-neck acoustic guitar.

Another thing that is interesting- at all opening shows for each leg on this 1977 tour Jimmy didn't wear the sun glasses like he did at the majority of the shows.

Dallas 4-1-77 opening show 1st leg- no sun glasses and no scarf.

Birmingham 5-18-77 opening show for 2nd leg- no sun glasses but he wore a scarf

Seattle 7-17-77 opening show of 3rd leg-no sun glasses but he wore a scarf.

Most all of these pics were taken by Frank Melfi.

Jimmy Page is very animated at this show as you can see in the video footage:

http://www.ledzeppelin.com/video/birmingham-al-5-18-77

Setlist:

The Song Remains The Same

Sick Again

Nobody's Fault But Mine

In My Time of Dying

Since I've Been Loving You

No Quarter

Ten Years Gone

The Battle of Evermore

Going to California

Black Country Woman

Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

White Summer ~ Black Mountainside

Kashmir

Moby Dick

Guitar solo

Achilles Last Stand

Stairway to Heaven

Encore:

Rock and Roll

The Song Remains the Same

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The Song Remains the Same

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The Song Remains the Same

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The Song Remains the Same

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The Song Remains the Same

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The Song Remains the Same

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Sick Again

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Sick Again

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Nobody's Fault but Mine- (Love John Paul Jones in the hat)

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In My Time of Dying

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In MY Time of Dying

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In MY Time of Dying

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In My Time of Dying

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In My Time of Dying

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In My Time of Dying-(photo has been autographed by Jimmy Page)

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In MY Time of Dying

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The Battle of Evermore

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The Battle of Evermore

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The Battle of Evermore

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The Battle of Evermore

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The Battle of Evermore or Going to California

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Black Country Woman or Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

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Black Country Woman or Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

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Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

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Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

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Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

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Achilles Last Stand

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Achilles Last Stand

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Achilles Last Stand

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Achilles Last Stand

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Achilles Last Stand

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Achilles Last Stand

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Stairway to Heaven

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Stairway to Heaven

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Stairway to Heaven

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Stairway to Heaven

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Stairway to Heaven

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These are some of the best, if not the best photos from the '77 tour in my biased opinion.

The next to last photo posted, the one with Plant thrusting the tambourine, would have me closer to the stage and a little further left, if you check the photos I posted a few months back. I took pretty much the same pic, with inferior results. What a night!

A soundcheck surfacing would be fabulous.

And I still would like to know where the band spent the night in Birmingham, if in fact, they did.

DavidZoso, as always, great work!

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Jabe I Agree David Awesome!!!

Jabe, they flew back to New Orleans after the show as they played Baton Rouge the next night on the 19th. New Orleans was where they stayed and flew out of during the Southern Part of the 2nd Leg. They where staying at 2-hotel's in New Orleans The Maison Dupuis & The Royal Orleans mostly during the 2nd Leg.

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gstritzi, I had always thought the band flew back to NOLA after the Birmingham show. I knew New Orleans was their 'hub' city.

But I recall SteveAjones some time back saying his archives indicated the band left New Orleans International by bus/limo at something like 6:00 pm on May 19 heading for Baton Rouge.

So either the band left their hotel in New Orleans and headed back to their plane before leaving for Baton Rouge, or flew into NOI the day of the 19th.

I tend to believe they flew to New Orleans after the concert in Birmingham. (even though there was a Hyatt right next door to the coliseum where they played!!)

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jabe, if you view the Baton Rouge Video that is a possibility because it shows the band getting off of the plane but where N.O.or Baton Rouge it was which seemed during the Day which would say they could have stayed overnight in Birmingham. I know they didn,t take the stage in Baton Rouge til 9:15pm so they couldn,t have left N.O.at 6:00pm but that is a Good Question Jabe maybe someone on this Forum could tell us where were the Band after the Show on the 18th?

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Thanks everyone for all the compliments. I don't know what the exact date this photo was taken but possiblyin this timeframe- Birmingham 5-18-77- Baton Rouge 5-19-77 Maybe on the off day/night 5-20-77 before the Houston show 5-21-77

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