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How did Led Zep compare?


Lee

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Although I'm fairly mature myself (45 next month), I didn't start going to gigs until the late 70's.

I'm sure there are a few people here that caught the band in the late 60's/early 70's.

Obviously every band has good and not so good nights, but overall, how would you compare Zep to their peers?

I've seen quite a few of the 'classic' bands of the era, such as the Who, the Stones, Pink Floyd (performing The Wall), Cream (2005 edition), Thin Lizzy, Bad Company etc. etc.

All really great, but 4th August 1979 remains my favourite gig ever.

However, I never got to see the Who until after Moon died (first time for me was August '79). I've seen the Stones a number of times over the years, but didn't see them in the 70's. Didn't see Cream in their 60's heyday. Most importantly never got to see Hendrix.

So, if anyone out there had the good fortune to see any of these bands at their peak, would you rate any of them as better than Zeppelin? I'm curious as I regularly see the Who or the Stones or Springsteen cited as the best live act ever, and I've seen them all, and still rank Zep at the top.

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A Different Kind of Concert Review

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok i pulled out all my ticket stub books to see where and how "I" felt Led Zeppelin and Gomez ranked. First let me say I,ve seen THOUSANDS of shows....The Grateful Dead for example I've seen more Than 100 times ......so with that said, I put together my favorite 15 shows of my lifetime!!!!!

1. Led Zeppelin May 26 1977 Capital Centre MD FRONT ROW. My first of four front row shows in a row by the mighty Zep.

2. The Who Aug 6, 1976 Capital Centre 2nd row...with Moon...my hearing has never been the same since.

3. Led Zeppelin May 30,1977 Capital Centre Front Row....The first was the first just for the sheer excitement of seeing Plant inches from me....this one was because the performance was .....well get the boot and see.

4. The Grateful Dead July 13, 1984 Greek Theatre Berkley,CA..this was the boys 15th B-day party.

5. GOMEZ Oct 18, 2004 The Handlebar,Greenville,SC HOLY SHIT!!

Really and truely the boys garner the 5th spot on my list!!! What a performance...too bad the sound system was so wimpy there.

6. Roger Waters Sept 12, 1988 McNichols Arena Denver,CO This show blew Pink Floyd away.....I can't believe I just said that in public...but it was one of the best things I've ever seen Roger do.

7. Robert Plant Sept 14,1990 Red Rocks Morrison,CO....I,ve seen Plant SO many times, but this was a very special performance....mind numbing.

8. Queen/Thin Lizzy 1976 Cole Field House University of MD....shitty acoustics.....but phenomenal performance....I saw Queen 4 or 5 times...this was by far the best. Lizzy tore it up as well.

9. Little Feat w/Lowell George....March 78 Warner Theatre DC I was at 7 of the 14 shows...this is where they recorded Waiting For Columbus, so I need to list all 7 shows I saw as #9.

10.GOMEZ Aug 12, 2004 Orange Peel,Asheville,NC....Truely Gomez are in my top 10 shows TWICE!!!!!!! I believe they will keep bustin' my list!

11.Grateful Dead July22, 1984 Ventura<CA...The Dead played on the beach for two days.....we camped and swam in the ocean to the Dead!!! Just pure magic.

12. Yes/Donavan Aug. 16, 1977 Capital Centre MD...great show I got to sit on stage next to Steve Howe for this show.....

13.Talking Heads 1983 Red Rocks,CO...this was incredible....they played Burnin' Down THe House TWICE....

14.Grateful Dead Dec 31,1983 San Fran Civic Centre....New Years Eve turning 1984......4 shows....so much fun...this show ended at 5:00am with Bill Graham giving ALL in attendance a bagged breakfast of bagel and apple to leave with.

15. Lenny Kravitz Oct 16,1999 ABQ Convention Centre...I can't believe Lenny made it on my list either...but THIS show was stellar.

Led Zeppelin are and always will be my favorite band of ALL TIME! I wish I was going in 10 days.

So I post this list to show how IMPORTANT I feel this band Gomez is! OK now let's do a Zep cover for the next tour guys.

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Wow, 1000 shows, you've been on tour for 3 years worth of concerts. I'm 45 & have seen Yes in the round, Black Sabbath/78, Judas Priest, UFO, Rush, Pink Floyd/The Wall, Robin Trower, The Who post Keith Moon/LA Guns & U2 opened for them in Los Angeles, Stanley Clark, Rainbow post Dio, Van Hurtin, Boston, The stones @ the LA Some Girls Tour? Mick Stunk, Prince, even though he played 3 songs as he was booed off was better as was J.geils, Bad Company, ZZ Top, Nugent, Kiss, took my Daughter to see No doubt, I'm so cool, Ha ha, Triumph, Scorpians, Frank Marino, Aerosmith & Guns & Roses, John Mayall, Black Label Society to name a few, with the exception of Pink Floyd, none of the bands mentioned are in the same league as Zep, although Sabbath will always be top 3 for me. Zeppelin was way better than all, even Floyd. I had to give away my tix 2 summers ago for CSYN. They are another deserted island band. No one I've seen ever rocked better then Zep. Saw them 6/26/77 in LA & they were on that night!

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So, if anyone out there had the good fortune to see any of these bands at their peak, would you rate any of them as better than Zeppelin? I'm curious as I regularly see the Who or the Stones or Springsteen cited as the best live act ever, and I've seen them all, and still rank Zep at the top.

Not having been around at the time I can only go by recordings but what sets Zep apart for is their "tight but loose" sound, thats to say they had the same loose improv as someone like The Dead but they could also turn on a pin point like tighter rock bands like The Who. Hendrix played in the same kind of way but as a group leader were as with Zep you had four(yes Plants voice counts as an instrument) playing that way as equals and somehow linking it together.

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I first saw the Rolling Stones in 1966, Jimi Hendrix and Cream in 1968, and Led Zeppelin in 1969. I can't compare them in terms of who is better, as each came with their own outstanding, superior qualities. Each was in a league by themselves.

Thanks...these three bands, plus the Who, are exactly who I was thinking of. Managed to see all of them, except Jimi, at some point or another, but I'm envious that you managed to see them at the times you did, I saw them a lot later.

Your answer is pretty much what I expected, all great in their own way, pretty hard to make a comparison between such bands.

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Hi,

As my name suggests I saw them in Earl's Court London on Sat 24th May 1975. The tour was announced in the music press and 4 of us sent off for tickets at £1 each!

Only 15 so worked weekends to raise the cash for the travel etc and was never so excited about anything before.

I have seen Bruce Springsteen,Stones,U2 etc etc but NOBODY compares to Led Zep!!!!

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Although I'm fairly mature myself (45 next month), I didn't start going to gigs until the late 70's.

I'm sure there are a few people here that caught the band in the late 60's/early 70's.

Obviously every band has good and not so good nights, but overall, how would you compare Zep to their peers?

I've seen quite a few of the 'classic' bands of the era, such as the Who, the Stones, Pink Floyd (performing The Wall), Cream (2005 edition), Thin Lizzy, Bad Company etc. etc.

All really great, but 4th August 1979 remains my favourite gig ever.

However, I never got to see the Who until after Moon died (first time for me was August '79). I've seen the Stones a number of times over the years, but didn't see them in the 70's. Didn't see Cream in their 60's heyday. Most importantly never got to see Hendrix.

So, if anyone out there had the good fortune to see any of these bands at their peak, would you rate any of them as better than Zeppelin? I'm curious as I regularly see the Who or the Stones or Springsteen cited as the best live act ever, and I've seen them all, and still rank Zep at the top.

Zeppeln was my very first concert 1977. Seen every Stones tour since that year, George Therogood, actually pretty much everyone after that date. AC/DC,Journey,Rush....by some wierd twist of fate ive had tickets to two "Who" concerts and both times got into some trouble right before and couldnt go...

It is my opinion that different bands create a different experience. But answering your question-no. no one else compares...Zeppelin is an experience, everyone else is a musical show. Just my opinion.

Edited by DreamyKnight
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Paul drags out his bands seen list again. Some fantastic shows down the years but forme Zep easliy tops the lot. I'm biased I know but its true for me.

Asia

Amon Duul

Argent x2

Ace x2

Aerosmith

America

Allman Bros

Harvey Andrews x3

Average White Band x2

Audience

Kevin Ayers

Joan Armatrading

Atomic Rooster x2

AC/DC x3

April Wine

Bryan Adams

Airforce (Ginger Baker)

Bad Company x2

Bees Make Honey

Bell and Arc

Jeff Beck

Boston

David Bowie x4

Black Sabbath x3

Cozy Powels Bedlam x3

The Band

Edgar Broughton Band x8

Budgie x6

Billy Bragg

Bonzo Dog Band

Maggie Bell

Blue Oyster Cult

Boxer

Brand X

Be Bop Deluxe x2

Jack Bruce x2

Badger

Baker Gurvitz Army

Burlesque

The Beat

Andy Bown

Jackson Browne

British Lions

David Byron

Big Country

The Bangles

Bon Jovi

Blue Murder

Sam Brown

Bonham

Black Crowes

Blackfoot Sue

Back Street Crawler

Beckett

Del Bromham

Caravan x3

Camel x2

Can

Colosseum

Colosseum II

Phil Collins

Joanna Carlin

City Boy

Cochise

CSNY

Eric Clapton x4

Climax Chicago Blues band x4

Climax Blues band x3

Elvis Costello

David Coverdale

Cockney Rebel

Alice Cooper

Ry Cooder

Kevin Coyne

Joe Cocker

Roger Chapman x2

Cocteau twins

The Cult

Chicken Shack x3

The Cure

Canned Heat

Robert Cray

Chicago

Tracy Chapman

JJ Cale

Martin Carthy

The Cranberries

Curved Air x2

Dare x2

Deep Purple x3

Ian Dury and the Blockheads

Bob Dylan

Donovan x3

Doobie Bros

Dire Straits x3

Ducks Deluxe

Def Leppard x2

Detective

Dio

Deacon Blue

Del Amitri

East of Eden

Eagles

Everything But The Girl

Earth Wind and Fire

Emerson Lake and Palmer x3

ELO x2

Eurythmics

Dave Edmunds Rockpile

Europe

Extreme

Free

Faces

Focus x2

Fairport Convention x6/7

Dr Feelgood

Fleetwood Mac

Fox

Fields

Chris Farlowe.

Family x2

Bryan Ferry

Foreigner

FM

Fastway

Fish

Genesis x3

Rory Gallagher x4

Groundhogs x6

Gnidrolog

Guns n Roses

Gong

Otis Grand x 5

Gentle Giant x2

Vin Garbutt

Peter Gabriel

Ian Gillan band

Gryphon

Greenslade

Steve Gibbons band x2

Godley and Crème

Peter Green

Buddy Guy

Garbage

Thea Gilmore

Hawkwind x2

Heart

Home x2

Steve Hillage

Roy Harper x5

Head Hands and Feet

Hall and Oates

Alex Harvey (SAHB) x4

Sammy Hagar

Horslips

Steve Hackett

Ian Hunter x2

Hamburg blues band.

Peter Hammil

Claire Hamil

Bruce Hornsby

Humble Pie

Jeff Healey x2

House of Lords

Steve Harley

Iron Maiden x3

Isotope

Janis Ian

Incredible String band

INXS

It Bites x2

If

Journey

Jethro Tull x5

Elton John x2

Jigsaw

Dr John x2

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Starship

Japan

Bert Jansch

Juicy Lucy

Martyn Joseph

Jonathan Kelly

Kokomo

Kansas

Alexis Korner

Kings X

Kinks

Kula Shaker

Longdancer

LA Express

Nils Lofgren

Little Feat x2

Love

Lindisfarne x3

Huey Lewis and the news

Level 42

Annie Lennox

Little Angels

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Linda Lewis

Man

Joni Mitchell x3

John Mayall x5

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band x2

Melanie

Bob Marley

Steve Miller band

Meatloaf

The Movies x2

Mott the Hoople x3

John Mclaughlin

John Martyn x5

Men at work

Frankie Miller

Van Morrison x5

Alison Moyet

Molly Hatchet

Mountain

Mike and the Mechanics

Machine Head

Marillion x2

The Mission x2

Moody Blues x2

Gary Moore x3

Mammoth

Yngwie Malmsteen

Alannah Miles x 2

Megadeath

Metallica

Jesse Malin

Nektar

Nazareth x2

New Order

Gary Numan

Nucleus

Mike Oldfield

Ozzy x2

Ocean Colour Scene

Led Zeppelin x4

Jimmy Page x5

Robert Plant x12

Strange Sensation x 19

Priory of Brion x5

Page and Plant x 5

Honeydrippers

The Firm x2

Robert Palmer

Tom Petty

PFM

Pretty Things

Graham Parker and the Rumour

Pentangle

Maddy Prior

Prefab Sprout

Pretenders

Procul Harum

The Police x2

Portishead

Priory of Brion x5

Queen x4

Quireboys

Queensryche

Quintessence

Suzie Quatro

Rainbow x3

Jess Roden

Todd Rundgren

Roxy Music x2

Rare Bird

Rush

Tom Robinson band

Paul Rodgers

Chris Rea

Rolling Stones x3

Gerry Rafferty

Bonnie Raitt

REM

Runrig

Brinsley Schwarze x2

Snafu

Paul Simon

Boz Scaggs

Santana x2

Stray

Streetwalkers

Stone the Crows

Sutherland brothers x3

Al Stewart x2

Cat Stevens

Stackridge

Supertramp x4

Steeleye Span x3

Squeeze

Leo Sayer x2

Scorpions x2

Saxon

Sad Café

Michael Schenker

Tom Scott

Sade

Scritti Politti

Bruce Springsteen

Sting

Bob Seger

Skid Row

Stranglers

Simple Minds

Simply Red

Spooky Tooth

Tangerine Dream

10 CC x3

Travis

Tir Na Nog

Jake Thackray

Pat Travers band

Ten Years After x2

James Taylor

Ten wheel drive

Robin Trower x2

Judy Tzuke

Trapeze x2

Richard Thompson x2

Tempest

Toto

Tears For Fears

The The

Triumph

Terraplane

Tanita Tikaram

T’Pau

Thunder

Walter Troutx4

June Tabor

Texas

Ultravox

Uriah Heep x3

U2 x2

UB40 x2

Midge Ure

UFO x2

Suzanne Vega

Vangelis

Van Der Graaf Generator

Vixen

The Verve

Whitesnake x3

The Who x4

Wishbone Ash x 6

Widowmaker

Louden Wainwright III

Joe Walsh

Wings

Snowy White

Helen Watson

White Lion

Paul Weller

Waterboys

Johnny Winter

XTC

Neil Young x2

Jesse Colin Young

Paul Young

Yes x7

Yazoo

ZZ Top x2

Frank Zappa

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Always nice to see your list Paul. I just saw a list last night before the John Fogerty concert that blew my mind.

650 shows...probably 1200-1500 bands or more, of which Zep were a dozen times seen on the list.

Unbelievable....the envy of any rock concert goer. The list started in 1964 with The Beatles. My friend, Jim, saw Zep 3 times in '69...the Jan., April and November San Francisco shows...Everyone you could name from the Fillmore's and the Winterland shows in the late 60s....He's going to photocopy his concert archive and hopefully he'll post it.

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Paul drags out his bands seen list again. Some fantastic shows down the years but forme Zep easliy tops the lot. I'm biased I know but its true for me.

Asia

Amon Duul

Argent x2

Ace x2

Aerosmith

America

Allman Bros

Harvey Andrews x3

Average White Band x2

Audience

Kevin Ayers

Joan Armatrading

Atomic Rooster x2

AC/DC x3

April Wine

Bryan Adams

Airforce (Ginger Baker)

Bad Company x2

Bees Make Honey

Bell and Arc

Jeff Beck

Boston

David Bowie x4

Black Sabbath x3

Cozy Powels Bedlam x3

The Band

Edgar Broughton Band x8

Budgie x6

Billy Bragg

Bonzo Dog Band

Maggie Bell

Blue Oyster Cult

Boxer

Brand X

Be Bop Deluxe x2

Jack Bruce x2

Badger

Baker Gurvitz Army

Burlesque

The Beat

Andy Bown

Jackson Browne

British Lions

David Byron

Big Country

The Bangles

Bon Jovi

Blue Murder

Sam Brown

Bonham

Black Crowes

Blackfoot Sue

Back Street Crawler

Beckett

Del Bromham

Caravan x3

Camel x2

Can

Colosseum

Colosseum II

Phil Collins

Joanna Carlin

City Boy

Cochise

CSNY

Eric Clapton x4

Climax Chicago Blues band x4

Climax Blues band x3

Elvis Costello

David Coverdale

Cockney Rebel

Alice Cooper

Ry Cooder

Kevin Coyne

Joe Cocker

Roger Chapman x2

Cocteau twins

The Cult

Chicken Shack x3

The Cure

Canned Heat

Robert Cray

Chicago

Tracy Chapman

JJ Cale

Martin Carthy

The Cranberries

Curved Air x2

Dare x2

Deep Purple x3

Ian Dury and the Blockheads

Bob Dylan

Donovan x3

Doobie Bros

Dire Straits x3

Ducks Deluxe

Def Leppard x2

Detective

Dio

Deacon Blue

Del Amitri

East of Eden

Eagles

Everything But The Girl

Earth Wind and Fire

Emerson Lake and Palmer x3

ELO x2

Eurythmics

Dave Edmunds Rockpile

Europe

Extreme

Free

Faces

Focus x2

Fairport Convention x6/7

Dr Feelgood

Fleetwood Mac

Fox

Fields

Chris Farlowe.

Family x2

Bryan Ferry

Foreigner

FM

Fastway

Fish

Genesis x3

Rory Gallagher x4

Groundhogs x6

Gnidrolog

Guns n Roses

Gong

Otis Grand x 5

Gentle Giant x2

Vin Garbutt

Peter Gabriel

Ian Gillan band

Gryphon

Greenslade

Steve Gibbons band x2

Godley and Crème

Peter Green

Buddy Guy

Garbage

Thea Gilmore

Hawkwind x2

Heart

Home x2

Steve Hillage

Roy Harper x5

Head Hands and Feet

Hall and Oates

Alex Harvey (SAHB) x4

Sammy Hagar

Horslips

Steve Hackett

Ian Hunter x2

Hamburg blues band.

Peter Hammil

Claire Hamil

Bruce Hornsby

Humble Pie

Jeff Healey x2

House of Lords

Steve Harley

Iron Maiden x3

Isotope

Janis Ian

Incredible String band

INXS

It Bites x2

If

Journey

Jethro Tull x5

Elton John x2

Jigsaw

Dr John x2

Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Starship

Japan

Bert Jansch

Juicy Lucy

Martyn Joseph

Jonathan Kelly

Kokomo

Kansas

Alexis Korner

Kings X

Kinks

Kula Shaker

Longdancer

LA Express

Nils Lofgren

Little Feat x2

Love

Lindisfarne x3

Huey Lewis and the news

Level 42

Annie Lennox

Little Angels

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Linda Lewis

Man

Joni Mitchell x3

John Mayall x5

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band x2

Melanie

Bob Marley

Steve Miller band

Meatloaf

The Movies x2

Mott the Hoople x3

John Mclaughlin

John Martyn x5

Men at work

Frankie Miller

Van Morrison x5

Alison Moyet

Molly Hatchet

Mountain

Mike and the Mechanics

Machine Head

Marillion x2

The Mission x2

Moody Blues x2

Gary Moore x3

Mammoth

Yngwie Malmsteen

Alannah Miles x 2

Megadeath

Metallica

Jesse Malin

Nektar

Nazareth x2

New Order

Gary Numan

Nucleus

Mike Oldfield

Ozzy x2

Ocean Colour Scene

Led Zeppelin x4

Jimmy Page x5

Robert Plant x12

Strange Sensation x 19

Priory of Brion x5

Page and Plant x 5

Honeydrippers

The Firm x2

Robert Palmer

Tom Petty

PFM

Pretty Things

Graham Parker and the Rumour

Pentangle

Maddy Prior

Prefab Sprout

Pretenders

Procul Harum

The Police x2

Portishead

Priory of Brion x5

Queen x4

Quireboys

Queensryche

Quintessence

Suzie Quatro

Rainbow x3

Jess Roden

Todd Rundgren

Roxy Music x2

Rare Bird

Rush

Tom Robinson band

Paul Rodgers

Chris Rea

Rolling Stones x3

Gerry Rafferty

Bonnie Raitt

REM

Runrig

Brinsley Schwarze x2

Snafu

Paul Simon

Boz Scaggs

Santana x2

Stray

Streetwalkers

Stone the Crows

Sutherland brothers x3

Al Stewart x2

Cat Stevens

Stackridge

Supertramp x4

Steeleye Span x3

Squeeze

Leo Sayer x2

Scorpions x2

Saxon

Sad Café

Michael Schenker

Tom Scott

Sade

Scritti Politti

Bruce Springsteen

Sting

Bob Seger

Skid Row

Stranglers

Simple Minds

Simply Red

Spooky Tooth

Tangerine Dream

10 CC x3

Travis

Tir Na Nog

Jake Thackray

Pat Travers band

Ten Years After x2

James Taylor

Ten wheel drive

Robin Trower x2

Judy Tzuke

Trapeze x2

Richard Thompson x2

Tempest

Toto

Tears For Fears

The The

Triumph

Terraplane

Tanita Tikaram

T’Pau

Thunder

Walter Troutx4

June Tabor

Texas

Ultravox

Uriah Heep x3

U2 x2

UB40 x2

Midge Ure

UFO x2

Suzanne Vega

Vangelis

Van Der Graaf Generator

Vixen

The Verve

Whitesnake x3

The Who x4

Wishbone Ash x 6

Widowmaker

Louden Wainwright III

Joe Walsh

Wings

Snowy White

Helen Watson

White Lion

Paul Weller

Waterboys

Johnny Winter

XTC

Neil Young x2

Jesse Colin Young

Paul Young

Yes x7

Yazoo

ZZ Top x2

Frank Zappa

Here let me take your pulse.........

How was Jonny Winter. I've never seen him, but on his live albums it sounds like-during a long solo he would play until his guitar went out of tune and then used the wah-wah peddle to cover it up?

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Although I'm fairly mature myself (45 next month), I didn't start going to gigs until the late 70's.

I'm sure there are a few people here that caught the band in the late 60's/early 70's.

Obviously every band has good and not so good nights, but overall, how would you compare Zep to their peers?

I've seen quite a few of the 'classic' bands of the era, such as the Who, the Stones, Pink Floyd (performing The Wall), Cream (2005 edition), Thin Lizzy, Bad Company etc. etc.

All really great, but 4th August 1979 remains my favourite gig ever.

However, I never got to see the Who until after Moon died (first time for me was August '79). I've seen the Stones a number of times over the years, but didn't see them in the 70's. Didn't see Cream in their 60's heyday. Most importantly never got to see Hendrix.

So, if anyone out there had the good fortune to see any of these bands at their peak, would you rate any of them as better than Zeppelin? I'm curious as I regularly see the Who or the Stones or Springsteen cited as the best live act ever, and I've seen them all, and still rank Zep at the top.

Well, im 52 and ive been going to concerts ever since I saw grand funk in 1969. Ive seen Pink floyd, black sabbath,uriah heep,free, it goes on and on I guess its been around a 100 shows and the zep concert in Tampa 1973 was the greatest by far!!!!
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