mmlotus2020@gmail.com Posted August 13, 2020 Share Posted August 13, 2020 (edited) It was 41 years ago (on August 11th, 1979), that I attended my VERY FIRST Rock and Roll Concert, LED ZEPPELIN at the Knebworth Festival in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. I was 3 weeks short of my 14th Birthday. My Mum's Cousin Mark was my chaperone! We ended up about 75 feet from the Stage. During the day and Opening acts, a group of people who were from Amsterdam, taught me how to smoke Hashish "under Glass", well Paper cup, in this instance! Up until that time, other than a couple of cigarettes, I had "Virgin" lungs. As the day went on and the sunlight faded, anticipation grew for what was to be the FINAL United Kingdom appearance of John Henry Bonham on the drums for Led Zeppelin! When the lights went down and the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen: Jones, Bonham, Plant and Page, Led Zeppelin"!! Within two minutes, the MAGIC began! I felt every note throughout my body, probably due to the "Hashish", which I was later told was Opium! Not knowing the entire repertoire of Led Zeppelin at that time, I heard several songs I hadn't heard before! This made the experience even more unforgettable! After nearly three hours, the music ended, the limited venue lighting rose, and we started our slog through the grounds toward our vehicle, a mile and a half away... Everyone was talking to each other as we were leaving, remarking about one part of the show or another. I kept talking about the Pyramid of Green LASER lights that encircled Jimmy Page during "Dazed and Confused"... The 2.5 hour drive back to Norfolk was a constant conversation between Mark and I. I couldn't get a minute of the show out of my head. And of course, I dare not tell Mum and Stepdad about the Hashish/Opium lesson! I'll never forget that trip to Knebworth. Though I would make several others in future years! There was NOTHING like my VERY FIRST ROCK AND ROLL CONCERT that day! Edited August 14, 2020 by mmlotus2020@gmail.com Add photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveZ98 Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 10 minutes ago, mmlotus2020@gmail.com said: It was 41 years ago (on August 11th, 1979), that I attended my VERY FIRST Rock and Roll Concert, LED ZEPPELIN at the Knebworth Festival in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. I was 3 weeks short of my 14th Birthday. My Mum's Cousin Mark was my chaperone! We ended up about 75 feet from the Stage. During the day and Opening acts, a group of people who were from Amsterdam, taught me how to smoke Hashish "under Glass", well Paper cup, in this instance! Up until that time, other than a couple of cigarettes, I had "Virgin" lungs. As the day went on and the sunlight faded, anticipation grew for what was to be the FINAL United Kingdom appearance of John Henry Bonham on the drums for Led Zeppelin! When the lights went down and the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen: Jones, Bonham, Plant and Page, Led Zeppelin"!! Within two minutes, the MAGIC began! I felt every note throughout my body, probably due to the "Hashish", which I was later told was Opium! Not knowing the entire repertoire of Led Zeppelin at that time, I heard several songs I hadn't heard before! This made the experience even more unforgettable! After nearly three hours, the music ended, the limited venue lighting rose, and we started our slog through the grounds toward our vehicle, a mile and a half away... Everyone was talking to each other as we were leaving, remarking about one part of the show or another. I kept talking about the Pyramid of Green LASER lights that encircled Jimmy Page during "Dazed and Confused"... The 2.5 hour drive back to Norfolk was a constant conversation between Mark and I. I couldn't get a minute of the show out of my head. And of course, I dare not tell Mum and Stepdad about the Hashish/Opium lesson! I'll never forget that trip to Knebworth. Though I would make several others in future years! There was NOTHING like my VERY FIRST ROCK AND ROLL CONCERT that day! Very cool. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmlotus2020@gmail.com Posted August 14, 2020 Author Share Posted August 14, 2020 Sure... All the Best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Nice first concert for you mmlotus. How far did you have to travel to get to Knebworth? Was there a reason you went on the 11th as opposed to the 4th? What Led Zeppelin albums did you own at the time? Were you into punk rock at all or any of the current young bands at that time? What about your school mates? Were there Led Zeppelin fans in your school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pageluvva Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 Love stories like this. You are one lucky dude. Many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted August 14, 2020 Share Posted August 14, 2020 20 hours ago, mmlotus2020@gmail.com said: It was 41 years ago (on August 11th, 1979), that I attended my VERY FIRST Rock and Roll Concert, LED ZEPPELIN at the Knebworth Festival in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England. I was 3 weeks short of my 14th Birthday. My Mum's Cousin Mark was my chaperone! We ended up about 75 feet from the Stage. During the day and Opening acts, a group of people who were from Amsterdam, taught me how to smoke Hashish "under Glass", well Paper cup, in this instance! Up until that time, other than a couple of cigarettes, I had "Virgin" lungs. As the day went on and the sunlight faded, anticipation grew for what was to be the FINAL United Kingdom appearance of John Henry Bonham on the drums for Led Zeppelin! When the lights went down and the announcer said, "Ladies and Gentlemen: Jones, Bonham, Plant and Page, Led Zeppelin"!! Within two minutes, the MAGIC began! I felt every note throughout my body, probably due to the "Hashish", which I was later told was Opium! Not knowing the entire repertoire of Led Zeppelin at that time, I heard several songs I hadn't heard before! This made the experience even more unforgettable! After nearly three hours, the music ended, the limited venue lighting rose, and we started our slog through the grounds toward our vehicle, a mile and a half away... Everyone was talking to each other as we were leaving, remarking about one part of the show or another. I kept talking about the Pyramid of Green LASER lights that encircled Jimmy Page during "Dazed and Confused"... The 2.5 hour drive back to Norfolk was a constant conversation between Mark and I. I couldn't get a minute of the show out of my head. And of course, I dare not tell Mum and Stepdad about the Hashish/Opium lesson! I'll never forget that trip to Knebworth. Though I would make several others in future years! There was NOTHING like my VERY FIRST ROCK AND ROLL CONCERT that day! Great story, thank you for sharing! Welcome to the forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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