whyalla Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 A bit off topic but anyone traveling to the London for the concert can go to Trafalgar Square for Christmas carols from the 10th to the 23rd of December between 5pm and 9pm. Except for the 11th when they host 'Chanukah on the Square' - "Celebrations will include the traditional Chanukah fare, music, prayers and the lighting ceremony". Might just warm you up. Just round the corner from Trafalgar Square is a Mexican restaurant - The Texas Embassy, which I can highly recommend but usually you need to book early. Links below. Christmas carols Good mexican food Disclaimer: I am not affiliated to either of these sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brspled Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Thank you Whyalla, these infos are great! Thank you too, Warby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whyalla Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Thank you Whyalla, these infos are great! Thank you too, Warby. Hi Celia There's plenty to do in London, especially around Chrimbo time. Most hotels will have a 'What's On' guide. Mrs. whyalla and myself where down there last weekend and missed the 'Winter Wonderland' in Hyde Park but will check it out next week . Links below Winter Wonderland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotBound Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 You need to allow 2-3 hours in the queue for wristbands Thanks, Moon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stairway_to_02_heaven Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Yeah, I met an English girl from Durham in the post office this morning. I told her I'm going to England on Saturday & she told me to wrap up warm. I just have a light jacket/coat. I find that buildings in London are kept really really warm (especially the hotels). So unless you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors, it doesn't really matter. I'm from Durham ! Its always around 5 degrees colder up there than London LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minx Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 £5 for a pint of Guinness? They must have seen your friend coming! London's expensive...but not that expensive. Still, with the current exchange rate, this won't be a cheap trip for anyone from the US. Went to see The Stones over the summer at the O2 and lager there was about £3.50 a pint, which is top end 'pub' London... And we didn't have wristbands for The Stones - just tickets. Minx x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leddy Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Thank you Potbound and Leddy. I have got some real good advice here, you people helped a lot. Your welcome...see you at the gig !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Sunday's forecast is 9 degrees C with heavy showers, I'm afraid. Still, might improve as it draws closer..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desirezep Posted December 4, 2007 Share Posted December 4, 2007 Cross your fingers, BBC weather is always right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllisonAdler Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 http://www.theo2.co.uk/web/guest/venueinfo...sinfo/floorplan This show the plan of the O2 the ticket office is 1. right at the entrance. So they might make the queue wait outside, but it has a covered walk way so you should atleast stay dry it it's raining. THey may allow the queue inside when the O2 opens at 9am. Check out the the website lots of useful info on getting there and whats at the O2. Cheers Warby Thanks, Warby! I've been all over that site but have never managed to light upon that map--'preciate it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheresthatconfoundedbridge Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 A couple of things about LED ZEPPELIN and post bonham concerts. Live Aid was regrettable. Not a great performance and Phil collins was laughable as a Bonham substitute. I was lucky enough to be at Madison Square Garden in 1988 at the 40th anniversary Atlantic records show. Zep sounded a lot better there than they appeared on the live Television broadcast. Jimmy Page said after the show words to the effect that he would have liked to pull a Tony Soprano on whoever the soundboard guy was. The sound on the TV was not good and they learned a valuable lesson. You can't take back a show once it is out there. There are literally millions of dollars on the line here. If you saw Monday Night Football last night, you would have noticed Zeppelin playing into all the commercial breaks..... "Mothership" sales are good, but they are nothing compared to what a Zeppelin tour would net...a lot of that hangs on how this December 1Oth gig goes.... Jimmy, god love him, is a businessman....the show is likely to taped this and released on a DVD with audio quality he can be sure of. There will be youtube uploads I am sure, but a lot of them will get yanked within days...Peter Grant taught them well....NOBODY BUT LED ZEPPELIN MAKES MONEY OFF OF LED ZEPPELIN!!! God I wish I could go! I would jump a flight in a heartbeat, and it would probrably require a couple grand, and a good divorce lawyer when I got home. I pray it goes well, and they tour. If anyone from the Band, or the people that pull the strings were to read this I would say... THANKS FOR REMEMBERING JOHN PAUL JONES! John is gone and not touring after his death was honorable...there will Never be another John Bonham, but he would want the music to go on, keep it ALIVE and let the kids who live in the world of crap music get a taste of the sweet sounds of rock and roll, and let the her the crack of THE HAMMER OF THE GODS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotBound Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 What a nice thread this has turned out to be! Thanks Minx, Warby, Whyalla, and WITCFB for all your good info. and insights. Now that the clothes have been decided upon [i'm taking full advantage to indulge in some groovy, Mod styling for this trip! ] I was feeling more relaxed. Until I heard the weather. They are calling for snow in Washington, DC tomorrow...NOT AGAIN! Last time I flew to the UK the same deal. Nightmare drive to the airport, had my own battle with the airlines worthy of the attention of Achilles, until they routed me through Toronto to ensure we'd catch the plane to London. Ugh. FYI, 1/2 inch of snow closes schools, makes all of the milk and bread disappear from the grocery stores, and creates extra-long local news, 'feature stories' about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the snow. Yep. The 11 PM news...headline story! Looks like those shorty snow boots will get a work out before I arrive in the UK and that I come from the Land of Ice and Snow. Joy and rapture. Positive Karma solicited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandmeaulne Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 What a nice thread this has turned out to be! Thanks Minx, Warby, Whyalla, and WITCFB for all your good info. and insights. Now that the clothes have been decided upon [i'm taking full advantage to indulge in some groovy, Mod styling for this trip! ] I was feeling more relaxed. Until I heard the weather. They are calling for snow in Washington, DC tomorrow...NOT AGAIN! Last time I flew to the UK the same deal. Nightmare drive to the airport, had my own battle with the airlines worthy of the attention of Achilles, until they routed me through Toronto to ensure we'd catch the plane to London. Ugh. FYI, 1/2 inch of snow closes schools, makes all of the milk and bread disappear from the grocery stores, and creates extra-long local news, 'feature stories' about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the snow. Yep. The 11 PM news...headline story! Looks like those shorty snow boots will get a work out before I arrive in the UK and that I come from the Land of Ice and Snow. Joy and rapture. Positive Karma solicited. Well here in Montreal we've had 18 inches of snow in the last 24 hours! I can't WAIT to be in the place where bad weather means a little rain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carrots1969 Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 At the moment here in london it is raining slightly and very breezy. Just watching the weather on tv and they are saying the weather is very changable. Its not very cold,considering its december! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Of Avalon Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I've been to many concerts in the wintertime - when it's been a case of having a seat, of course I just throw the coat there. But those venues where it's standing room only, I tend to wear a heavy coat and something lighter underneath because the arenas can get warm and just hold the coat in hand. It'd take hours to check a coat I'd think. It occurs to me that as I will just be waiting around for Leddy while he's at the concert, I should take up a new job as a coat holder, I could collect everyones coat as they go in and then hole up in a nearby pub, with all the money I collect for coat holding, I shall be able to buy drinks all night and if I get sleepy I will have a nice soft pile of coats to have a nap on. Then set my alarm and reunite everyone with their coats as they exit. At least then I would feel useful Perhaps I should go into umbrella sales too pmsl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warby Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 What a nice thread this has turned out to be! Thanks Minx, Warby, Whyalla, and WITCFB for all your good info. and insights. Now that the clothes have been decided upon [i'm taking full advantage to indulge in some groovy, Mod styling for this trip! ] I was feeling more relaxed. Until I heard the weather. They are calling for snow in Washington, DC tomorrow...NOT AGAIN! Last time I flew to the UK the same deal. Nightmare drive to the airport, had my own battle with the airlines worthy of the attention of Achilles, until they routed me through Toronto to ensure we'd catch the plane to London. Ugh. FYI, 1/2 inch of snow closes schools, makes all of the milk and bread disappear from the grocery stores, and creates extra-long local news, 'feature stories' about the trials and tribulations of dealing with the snow. Yep. The 11 PM news...headline story! Looks like those shorty snow boots will get a work out before I arrive in the UK and that I come from the Land of Ice and Snow. Joy and rapture. Positive Karma solicited. Just to add to this "Nice Thread", saw this on Hard-Fi's myspace page. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One final day of rehearsing at Shepperton studios before we embark on our biggest tour to date... Things to remember: * To upload footage of Steve acting like a diva onto the L.E.D curtain before it gets taken down. * To sneak into the hanger next to ours for a peak (Led Zeppelin are rehearsing there) * To...err, remember the lines and parts to the new live set (Nudge,wink). * To actually remember to pack enough warm clothes / spare socks / books / drugs (rennies / paracetamol etc). * To get to bus call early and thus claim a bunk, away from the toilet / the lounge / driver / Snoring tour manager. * To eat a good meal today because it might be the last for a while. * To be very, very excited...Manchester central? Wembley Arena? We always said we wanted big, we got it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So looks like the Dress Rehearsal on the 9th might also be there. Cheers Warby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renatus Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 does the O2 have an area for ppl to leave backpacks or other items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warby Posted December 6, 2007 Share Posted December 6, 2007 does the O2 have an area for ppl to leave backpacks or other items? Do not think there are any facilities for this or a cloak room, try emailing customerservices@theo2.co.uk for an official answer. Cheers Warby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warby Posted December 7, 2007 Share Posted December 7, 2007 Do not think there are any facilities for this or a cloak room, try emailing customerservices@theo2.co.uk for an official answer. Cheers Warby Another good view of the O2 from Ross Halfin http://www.rosshalfin.co.uk/foo-fighters/f...s-colour185.jpg More Led Zep Stuff on sis site if you have a look. Now getting excited and only 3 days to go! Like this one of Jason Warby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warby Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 Nice build up article from AP. By CHRIS LEHOURITES, Associated Press Writer Fri Dec 7, 5:48 PM ET LONDON - Led Zeppelin's time is coming again. ADVERTISEMENT When the diviners of rock 'n' roll classics "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Your Time is Gonna Come" reunite for their first full concert in almost three decades, the question on everyone's mind is sure to be: How many more times? Monday's reunion in London has quickly become one of the most anticipated concerts of all time. Whether a larger tour will follow could depend on how well Zeppelin's members — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones and the late drummer John Bonham's son Jason — perform in front of a frenzied audience. "I've got to go through it, see how I feel," Jones told Rolling Stone magazine in its December issue. If the result of the band's early rehearsals is any indication, Zeppelin fans have reason to be hopeful. Bonham told Rolling Stone that the band clicked immediately, right from the opening notes of the first song they tried: the haunting dirge "No Quarter." "When the riff came in, there was this look that went around. It was brilliant." After blasting through "Kashmir" next, Bonham told the magazine that the band stopped and Page said, "'Can you give me a hug?' And Robert (Plant) shouted, 'Yeah, sons of thunder!'" The 63-year-old Page echoed those sentiments to Q music magazine, saying the initial get-together was "so exhilarating and fun that I did feel I would like to do more." Despite rumors that the 59-year-old Plant can no longer hit the high notes, the singer's latest album, with bluegrass star Alison Krauss, seems to show that he's still in good voice. On "Raising Sand," one of this year's surprise hits, Plant still has that otherworldly feel. Besides, he rarely was able to conjure the same piercing vocals from Zeppelin's studio albums when onstage in the band's heyday. Led Zeppelin formed in 1968, but disbanded in late 1980 when Bonham choked to death on his own vomit after a drinking binge. In their 12 years, the group evolved from a rhythm and blues band first known as "The New Yardbirds" to become the standard for guitar-driven hard rock and the precursors of heavy metal. Plant's caterwauling vocals and curly blond locks combined with Page's ragged riffs to give the band an identity that became instantly recognizable, but Bonham's death robbed the group of its heart-pounding pulse. Led Zeppelin disbanded on Dec. 4 of that year after a career of hard-living success that saw it fly around the world on a private jumbo jet to play sold-out concerts just about everywhere. In the years since their breakup, Led Zeppelin's eight studio albums are still in heavy rotation on classic rock radio, with millions of fans still listening to classics like "Kashmir," "Black Dog," "Rock and Roll" and "Hey Hey What Can I Do." And the opening notes of "Stairway to Heaven" have commonly become the first thing just about any aspiring rock star learns to play when first picking up a guitar. The sold-out crowd at the O2 Arena in east London will surely hear Page picking away at his double-necked guitar on the band's staple song — and maybe even get a glimpse of his cello bow for the solo in "Dazed and Confused." Zep's surviving members have all stayed involved in music since they broke up, with Plant and Page even working together in the mid-1980s and '90s. With The Honeydrippers, they produced a hit with a cover of the '50s classic "Sea of Love." Jones, however, was mostly left out, which he wryly noted at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995: "Thank you, my friends," he said, "for finally remembering my phone number." Monday's concert won't be the first Led Zeppelin reunion, but it will be the biggest. The band played together in 1985 at Live Aid, and joined forces again three years later — with Jason Bonham on drums — to play at the 40th anniversary concert for Atlantic Records. At their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, they teamed with other musicians for another short set. This time, they have promised to play a two-hour concert, and not even that will be enough for the thousands of fans making their way to London from countries around the world. The latest show is dedicated to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, who died last year. Proceeds from the show are to go to the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, which provides scholarships to universities in the United States, Britain and Turkey. The Who guitarist Pete Townsend, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman and one-time Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers are also scheduled to perform. Besides the concert, Led Zeppelin also released a greatest hits double-CD called "Mothership" and an updated version of "The Song Remains the Same" DVD in November. The DVD, which features scenes from three concerts in New York in 1973, includes 40 minutes of extra footage. When the reunion show was announced Sept. 12, tickets were made available by ballot only "due to the anticipated overwhelming demand for this concert," according to the Web site. Priced at about $250, tickets have been selling on the internet for $2,000 or more. The show was originally scheduled for Nov. 26, but was postponed until Monday because Page injured the little finger on his left hand. Hey hey, what can you do? ___ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 does the O2 have an area for ppl to leave backpacks or other items? Its gonna takes long enough to get in without queueing behind a couple a dozen geeks with backpacks full of packed lunches, popcorn and explosives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warby Posted December 8, 2007 Share Posted December 8, 2007 Weather in London is crap today, wind rain and looks like more tomorrow Monday is looking grey too and cold in the evening, could be sub-zero! However I do predict a serious HOTSPOT in North Greenwich from around 9pm GMT, this will thaw out any cold bodies in the vicinity! Cheers Warby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.