ScarletMacaw Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I was going through some personal issues during adolescence. Listening to Led Zeppelin, I'm convinced, saved my life. I went to therapy when I was 16 and that was what really saved my life, but I was able to make it that far because I had music. Between listening to Zep and playing the guitar (which I never would have started doing if I hadn't been listening to Zep), I had something beautiful in my life and that kept me going. I'm now a therapist myself...I no longer play the guitar (although I've thought about picking it up again), but at times when I feel down, I listen to Led Zeppelin and I feel better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redirtuo Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I was hiking on a trail in the Blue Ridge Parkway early one morning and thinking about just how much the atmosphere reminded me of some acoustic Zeppelin. Gray rocks, green ferns all around, crisp cool air... and then I heard Bron-Yr-Aur kinda just fluttering along the wind towards me as I rounded a bend and came upon some people chilling on rocks with a boombox and passing a bowl around. Not sure how meaningful it all was, but it was an experience :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Wow...that was a nice personal story, ScarletMacaw. And a fairly interesting one, redirtuo. I'm not sure I can break down my experiences with Zeppelin to a single, "most meaningful" one...listening to them when I was in high school definitely left me feeling empowered, in some way, and probably helped me through some of the bullying I experienced. Some of my fondest memories of Zeppelin are of listening to the music on my long walks home... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimothyClayton Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I was entertaining a buddy from out of town (I live in Vancouver) in October,1993. We went to play stick (pool) at a 'hip' club downtown (Bar None). While we played, I joked that this trendy bar was being 'invaded' by rockers. We finished playing at midnight and then could only get a table near the back door. Moments later the back door to the alley opens and in walks Robert Plant and his band from a stretch limo. The only 2 tables open were the 2 beside ours! My mouth dropped open and I exclaimed: "Hey Mac...that's Robert Plant!" My bud sneakers: "Ya right!" I was able to hastly grab a cigarette pack, rip it open and ask a waitress for a pen. Graciously, Robert shook my hand and signed my cig. cardboaard (this was before we all got mobiles with cameras unfortunately). Within a minute there were 8 bouncers surrounding his table which included our table. The bouncer looked at me and said: "Are you cool?" I replied: "We're cool".We got to hang out and watch Rock & Roll god interact with an insane public for 2 hours. I do have that signed cigarette pack framed now in my 'man cave'. PS...I sure hope the rumours are true...PLEASE go on tour in 2014 and make sure you come back to Vancouver! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeppelincheetah Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Watching Celebration Day in theater. Oh My God what a wonderful experience that was. It made me think of all the times I listened to Led Zeppelin and what got me into them in the first place. I cried I was so touched by it. It was the closest i'll ever get to seeing them in concert. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksgemini Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Watching LZ Celebration Day in a theater at the proper volume with a great crowd and even LZ non fan wife thought it was an amazing performance. If solo stuff counts the AK and BOJ tours cuz I got to see Plant from 15 rows away and loved the small venue and when wife was on her feet clapping with Ramble On ..I almost croaked right there...I know everyone here likes bootlegs but since I dont have any CDay was a first time new experience for me. Way exceeded my expectations... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveAJones Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I was entertaining a buddy from out of town (I live in Vancouver) in October,1993... I show he performed at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver on October 7, 1993; hadn't heard of this public appearance at Bar None. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookie0024 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 My first ever time listening to Led Zeppelin? Standing squashed against a wall in the living room holding my iPod up to the one spot I knew could pick up my neighbor's unsecured WiFi connection. Took me ten minutes to load Stairway to Heaven on YouTube, but it was worth it! Perhaps it could be those late nights under the bed covers gradually going through every Led Zeppelin song I could find on YouTube and writing down the ones I liked in a little book. In one night I must have listened to everything they made. I remember it well. But maybe the most meaningful Led Zeppelin experience for me is the memory of coming home from school every day in the hot summer of 2011, exhausted, stressed, knowing exams were looming. I'd open the windows wide, and lay on the bed with Down By The Seaside playing on repeat as the net curtains blew in the summer breeze and I forgot about whatever the hell it was I should have been doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScarletMacaw Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 Thanks to everyone for sharing--I was afraid for a second I would be the only person to post! I really liked your story, redirtuo--very descriptive. I notice you didn't mention if you partook though The Celeb. Day DVD was also a very meaningful experience for me, as was finally renting TSRTS on DVD a few years back--since I wasn't quite old enough to go to their '77 concert, and I tend to be oblivious to what's on Youtube (also won't buy bootlegs) to see them in "concert" even if it's a DVD is an experience hard to describe...when I first started listening to them there was no Youtube, no DVDs, and they never seemed to appear in the media, so I actually never "saw" them for many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrybonzo Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 me and my future fiance watching the DVD when it came out in 2003, we weren't together back then and it was the first time we'd seen the EC show, i nearly lost her to plant forever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Only Way To Fly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Growing up I wasn't into sports. You'd be at someone's house hanging out & it was always just a bunch of dudes quoting Chicago Bears/Cubs/Bulls/Blakhawks, etc.. stats. It was never my thing so I was left out of a lot of stuff. But once I found out about Led Zeppelin and all the lore that went with it.... I could tell folks about Headley Grange; Bron-Y-Aur, Snowdonia, Crowley, etc... Turns out ya know folks lost interest pretty quickly unless I found somebody equally as into music as I was (when your a 12 year old boy can be pretty difficult)... Seems like were all here on this forum now - where we can all geek out about Gear, Guitars, Bath, Pontiac, lost/found soundboards, rare Super 8MM or 16MM films.... Thanks everybody! It took 30 + years but dang glad to meet ya!!! The Dr. was played by Larry Badgley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melcórë Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Thinking back...watching the DVD that came with Mothership (clips of the 2003 DVD, which I didn't yet own) was a sort of mystical experience - my first real experience seeing the lads and their raw power first hand. (also won't buy bootlegs) With the proliferation of the internet, the need to actually "buy" (or even physically possess) bootlegs has been dramatically reduced. You can find almost everything you'd want to see/hear after a few clicks! (Speaking of the live recordings/outtakes shared by the fans with each other, not bootlegs in the sense of officially-released stuff.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightandshade Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 What a great thread, thank you to everyone who has shared their stories. Like Melcórë, it's hard for me to pinpoint one specific meaningful experience. I've mentioned on the board before about how Zeppelin expanded my musical horizons as both a listener and a performer, particularly in my appreciation of the blues and improvisation. I'd like to think that this philosophy carried over into my life, as well. When I first discovered Zeppelin, I was in my last couple years of high school and thought I had my whole life planned out for me after graduation. But at heart, I was still quite self-conscious and unsure of what my place would be in the world. Discovering Zep at that time echoed and nurtured a rebellious spirit, one that sought out spontaneous adventure. Just like Zeppelin took risks and blended drastically different elements to create something beautiful, I had to trust that every experience would just add to the exciting "improvisation" of my life. I needed to savor and appreciate every moment, and have the courage to seek out and take advantage of new chances. I am somewhere totally different than what I would have imagined ten years ago, and I'm loving this adventure I'm on. Cheesy and cliché as it might sound, Zeppelin's soundtrack was there to help give me the confidence to live a truly fulfilled life. Seems like were all here on this forum now - where we can all geek out about Gear, Guitars, Bath, Pontiac, lost/found soundboards, rare Super 8MM or 16MM films.... I think this forum itself has been a very meaningful and personal Zeppelin experience! Especially as a younger fan, this has been a great place for me to come and soak up everything it has to offer - stories, photos, videos, articles, and enthusiastic conversation about shared passions. Who can ask for anything more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutly Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 as a 14 yr old teenager in the summer of 1980 i got turned on to quite a few things with Zeppelin topping the list. as 9th grade started in september i found myself part of a whole new world that i use to look at with fear just a short year ago. i was part of the "scene" now and hung with the cool kids and our religion if you can call it that was Led Zeppelin. and now our Gods were coming to the states! for a few short months we were all on top of the world. planning and replanning road trips. imaginning possibillites of set lists and constantly pestering the older guys we knew who got to see them in MSG in 77 for stories and details. then it happened................ up to that point in my life i never experienced anything that came close to the loss i felt when i heard the news. our whole world crashed right before our eyes. thats how important Zeppelin was to us. was this a pleasurable meaningful personal zeppelin experience? hell no but it is my most meaning and personal one. of course spending my 16th bday trippin balls watching the "Midnight Madnness" screening of TSRTS in my local movie theater and having sex was a pretty meaningful personal Zep experience as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silbhe Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Last Summer at Shetland Islands. My 8yo daughter was sitting close to me, while we listened to "The Rain Song". She looked into my eyes and told me: "I love this song... it makes me feel we two are one only being, mom!" <3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nirvana Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Other than a ton of very personal moments and some difficult times when Zep gave me a lot of inner strength to get through it all. But what I remember most, in an emotional response to a Zeppelin song, was my first listen to "All of My Love" when the ITTOD LP came out. I heard the pain and lonliness in Robert's voice when he sings "you are a feather in the wind" and "I get a little bit lonely, sometimes, sometimes... just a little bit lonely..." And I knew instantly that he was singing about his son Karac. I was so choked up that I just lay on my bed and the tears came... "All of my Love to you Child..." wow, that still has such a powerful impact, esp. now that I am a father of two. It was 1979 when those lyrics broke my chilled heart but warmed the Love for the coming days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishhead Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I think it was the Danforth Music Hall (Movie Theatre) in 1980 when I saw the Song Remains The Same for the first time. I was a huge fan but had never seen any video footage of the band. When the movie started it was like being in a dream world and when they finally went into Rock and Roll I was mesmerized. Probably went back there 10 times over the next two years. They used to double bill it with the Hendrix movie. I was about 16 and this theatre had some characters in it during these movies. I kinda kept my head down and outta trouble. Also, about 5 years ago, I was coming down the highway on empty with my buddy Mike. I was getting ready to pull into Gasoline Alley just north of Barrie and Black DOg came on the radio. Well, I had to keep driving...................I ran out of gas 5 minutes later on the off ramp into town.....we still laugh about it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace Of Spades Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I'm not sure if this qualifies as a personal experience, but at the funeral for my friend's father they played the Rainsong and it brought tears to my eyes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepRex Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Oh man, how could i possibly choose the most personal Zeppelin experience? From an emotional point of view it was meeting Jimmy last year. I mean, that was something that cannot be taken away from me and that doesn't happen to loads and loads of people. Even if it did I would still rank it as a wonderful and unique experience and I would still feel privileged to have been in his presence. I do, however, have personal Zeppelin experiences every day. When I hear the lines "I felt the coldness of my winter, I never thought it would ever go. I cursed the gloom that set upon us, but I know that I love you so" it reminds me of a very painful time in my life when I was on the verge of losing a loved one forever (everything went well in the end, thank god) and how these lines marked the end of that time. Led Zeppelin as a whole stand for a time of turmoil and change in my life and for every mood or situation Zeppelin seems to provide the right words and songs. "Friends" is a song which stands for a personal experience too. It was after that song that Robert smiled at me last year when I went to see him in London. So, Zeppelin is everywhere and the personal experiences continue... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie29 Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 It happened 41 years ago today (or tomorrow for all our Northern Hemispherical friends). I have posted this elsewhere on the forum and I'll be playing the DVD of this concert sometime this afternoon. This was the period when the band was at its peak, IMO. Led Zeppelin – Sydney Showground February 27 1972 2.00pm It was a balmy summer's Sunday afternoon, rain clouds had threatened all morning but thankfully never eventuated. My good mate Muzza and I jumped on the train and headed into the city. We arrived at Central Station and walked the couple of miles to The Sydney Showground, more accustomed to holding Rodeos and such rather than rock concerts. Thousands of people had gathered estimated at somewhere between 26 and 38 thousand. They threw the gates open about 15 minutes before it started. The stage was set back about 50 yards from the boundary fence, the stands were full except for a handful of VIP's sitting on the grassed area. Several fans tried to join them but were tackled by the cops and escorted back to the stands. The band ripped into the Immigrant Song and pandemonium broke out when we charged on to the field and the cops didn't know what had hit them and gave up the chase. As fast as it started it ended with everybody just stopped and sat down all at once for a few seconds then started going off. After a couple of songs Robert said "Hello Sydney, I hope it doesn't rain and we have to stop, if we don’t we'll all blow up!" and the throng erupted. We were about 10 yards from them centre stage One of the many highlights was when they played Bron-yr-aur Stomp and the whole crowd clapped along with the chorus in perfect time, a real "you had to be there moment". I left there with a feeling that I was part of something special that day and it only seems like yesterday, even though it will be 41 years ago today that The Mighty Led Zeppelin landed in Oz. Set List 1. Immigrant Song 2. Heartbreaker 3. Black Dog 4. Celebration Day 5. Since I've Been Loving You 6. Stairway to Heaven 7. Going to California 8. That's the Way 9. Tangerine 10. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp 11. Dazed and Confused 12. What Is and What Should Never Be 13. Moby Dick 14. Rock and Roll 15. Whole Lotta Love (inc. Boogie Chillun - Hello Mary Lou - The Rover - Let's Have A Party - Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Going Down Slow - The Shape I'm In) 16. Communication Breakdown 17. Organ Solo / Thank You Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonkeyOnMyBack Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 As one who joined the ride just as Bonzo's life ended way too soon, my first several years of LedZep mania were accompanied by regret, loss, confusion and sadness thinking I would never see any of them, much less all of them perform together. After 3+ years of anticipation, in McNichols Arena in Denver, CO, something finally went my way. The soft synthesizer of In The Mood started in the darkness, and on the beat of the drum.. the lights flashed on, and there he was, The Golden God, Percy himself, before me and 17,000 other screaming fans. I will always treasure ever moment I have seen one (or two of them) in concert, but nothing will ever match the euphoria of that first live experience, as a 16 year old wide-eyed fanatic. To this day, at every one of the hundreds of concerts I have attended in my life, I have fantasized that when the lights are dark, I will hear Bonzo shout.. "Alright.. let's GO!!", Rock and Roll starts.. and there they are. Is 45 too old to dream? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mckjuana Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Summer of 1994. Not only was it the summer where I managed to finally get my hands on some genuine bootleg CDs (lol oxymoron unintended) from Oxford record fair, but about 1 week later I got a letter through the door advising that I had been invited to page & plant unledded. I was still at school and it was my first solo jaunt to London. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dallas Knebs Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 too many to count the ones that matter most are the ones with friends especially early on and again at Studio Movie Grill for Celebration Day maybe the most special personally was the look on my room mates face when he came home from work to hear me playing Kashmir correctly for the first time. We went out to campus corner and played cut throat pool until 4am and then came home and listened to The Song Remains the Same- side 2 talk about bonding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sickagain98 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Blasting 7 hours of Zeppelin from San Jose to L.A. with my father. We listened to my favorite show (3.7.70) and then played Oakland 7.23.77, which he was at. This was the longest time both of us were together and didn't want to yell at each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ally Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 The 6 Zeppelin concerts I attended. All meaningful in their own way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.