chillumpuffer Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I was lucky enough to have been at Knebworth for the 1st show and last evening I had the opportunity to watch the DVD from start to finish. ( I have had this set for a few years and embarassed to say have not really watched it in full). How good was that show? I am being slightly emotional but it really blew me away. A few sound problems aside, the whole band - especially John Bonham really were excellent. Kashmir, Nobodys Fault, Sick Again even No Quarter - the highlights were endless. It really took me back to that warm day in August and the whole Forum should at one time watch this show and bury all the doubters that it really was a top performance Cheers and Robert Plant said it must be better that Earls Court? ( well not the 25th) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Funny you posted this, I just finished listening to the complete SBD bootleg of this show and my evaluation has changed. I used to think it was so-so but it was actually a damn fine show...much better than the second one a week later. Robert's voice is a little rough near the beginning but gets really good and the band is ON for the most part...even Jimmy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibh23 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Well, I reviewed all 1979 shows earlier today so I'm lifting my post from here Let's start with the Copenhagen warm-ups, on the first night, the band is really fluid and fresh, if a bit shaky at times, but pull off an overall great performance, accentuated by the debut of new material, then the second night would literally prove to be a performance for the ages, Page's playing especially is really fluent, probably one of the best, if not the best post- 73 performance, apart from him, the band is really inspired that night. Plant is really convinced and confident, a nice example is during Misty Mountain Hop, he goes for it all on one of the verses and reaches the original high note, if a bit raspy, Jones delivers not only great, precise bass playing but also a great piano solo in No Quarter, along with some nice piano work too during Stairway To Heaven, Bonzo is also quite noteworthy, his performance is pure class and he nails the fills with ease and creativity, not the most incredible of performances but as good as you hope it to be. Then onto Knebworth, the band, heading into the first show is in a really fine state, as the first show show begins, the nerves get the best of Page and he fumbles a bit during The Song Remains the Same, Celebration Day and Black Dog, but then on, his playing is really fluent, if with a few mistakes here and there, Plant is really good at this gig, belting out every line nicely , his voice sometimes gives up on him but he does a nice performance through the show, Bonzo's performance is as good as the past one in Copenhagen and it shows, he really is there to inject energy when things threaten to fall apart and it shows, Jonesy as usual is rock solid. The show overall is great, it starts picking up during Over the Hills, and it doesn't let down, a nice, professional performance. Then onto the second show, probably the worst performance they ever had as an overall group in Britain, Page is really messy through the show, showing the uglier side of his playing, Bonzo is fine but not as good as the previous shows, the Jovial spirit from the three previous performances is quite non existent now, Plant however is atomic this time around, going for high notes and mostly hitting them, an impressive performance, the best of the year. The gig has a few moments of inspiration though, but the excitement is not there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeppelin_2008 Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 I've seen most of the performances from both shows at Knebworth and I think the show on the 4th is alot better than the 11th. In the second show alot of problems happened like when JPJ's keyboard when off about half way though "Misty Mountain Hop" & the mic when crap when Plant was singing "Over The Hills And Far Away". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 No doubt the first Knebworth show was better than the 2nd. Still, a sad way to end their career in the UK and their first gigs their since 1975! One thing Zeppelin did that was unfortunate was give up on playing the UK after Jan 1973...5 gigs at Earls Court in 1975 and 2 at Knebworth in 1979...that's it! The Who were able to stay very active in the UK even while spending a lot of time in the USA...Zeppelin focused solely on the US after Jan 1973 (with some European dates thrown in, and the Euro tour from March'73-April'73 and June-July 1980) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted January 21, 2009 Author Share Posted January 21, 2009 It is a shame about the amount of shows the band played as a whole in the UK and Europe. There just wasn't the venues available in the late 60's or the early 70's and as the band stuck to releasing LP's there was hardly any airplay either. It is well documented that Peter Grant wanted to take America and secure lots of cash - something he wouldn't do taking 1200 punters at say Manchester University. In the UK the 1970's were Slade,Sweet, The Osmonds, Marc Bolan, The Who & the Stones but not Led Zeppelin. I mean 1970 in the US they played the LA Forum, Madison Square Gardens 20,000 people, in the UK er some upstairs pub above a curry house in Grimsby 100 + the dog. OK They Played 1 festival (Bath) The Royal Albert Hall - hardly mass exposure. Even in 1973 they were playing to 56,000 in Tampa or 1500 at the Oxford Playhouse. Knebworth was a fitting climax to a band who were more reputation then action in the UK. I was privileged enough to see the first show and for what it's worth i am not in favour of a reformation at all. On the other hand the wheel could turn full circle and Jimmy should do it and call the ban The "New" Led Zeppelin after all didn't he start it all with the "New" Yardbirds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 ^^I see your point, but The Who were selling out gigantic venues in the USA the same as Zeppelin, and still managed to tour the UK... I think Zeppelin was more about the cashflow, honestly...and fewer gigs with more people per gig is a quicker way to do this than loads of small to mid-sized gigs in the UK. I mean, the 1973 US tour was May-July with breaks, in 1975 Jan to March, and in 1977 April to July, all with breaks.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 ^^I see your point, but The Who were selling out gigantic venues in the USA the same as Zeppelin, and still managed to tour the UK... I think Zeppelin was more about the cashflow, honestly...and fewer gigs with more people per gig is a quicker way to do this than loads of small to mid-sized gigs in the UK. I mean, the 1973 US tour was May-July with breaks, in 1975 Jan to March, and in 1977 April to July, all with breaks.... By 1973 Zeppelin was WAY too big to think about doing small shows man. Besides, from 68 to 73 they had been touring relentlessly, and ya' know what? Plants voice paid the price for it. These guys also had families and shitloads of money and didn't need to be on the road all the time anymore. The reason they stopped playing the U.K., I believe, is the venemous treatment they recieved from the English press. It was more than just the money, a lot more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgeholder Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I don't quite understand the venue problem, I mean aren't there football stadiums or basketball arenas and stuff? Wembly comes to mind. Or was it more of a tax thing why they stayed away? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 I don't quite understand the venue problem, I mean aren't there football stadiums or basketball arenas and stuff? Wembly comes to mind. Or was it more of a tax thing why they stayed away? The Empire Pool was used as was Alexandra Palace in 71 & 72 respectively ( both in the Capital with varying degrees of success) but as a whole in the UK there was not the venues needed to accommodate a band as big as Led Zeppelin. It is well documented that the "Back to the clubs" tour in 1971 was a disaster cos of the amount of people who were after tickets to the size of the venue. The UK was in the dark ages in the 70's when it came to live rock music and large venues. Most of the gigs I went to in Manchester in the mid to late 70's were at the 2500 capicity Free Trade Hall. There was Belle Vue but i never went there but capacity @ 3-4000 ish. For Example Deep Purple 1975. Venue Liverpool Empire about 3000 people, Genesis 1977 venue Free Trade Hall, do you get the picture? The largest venue i can recall going to was Bingley Hall Stafford to see Yes in 1977 !! I maybe wrong here but can anyone in the UK tell me what other venues in the UK could have put on the Earls Court type of show in 1975 ??? Not sure about the Tax thing - it was a bit tough on artists in the 70's with our Dennis, Dear Dennis and The Labour Partys' taxation policies. But it's not as if the UK is a big country. I am not even sure the band had plans to tour the UK or Europe for that matter from 1975 - Knebworth in 1979. What a real shame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 By 1973 Zeppelin was WAY too big to think about doing small shows man. Besides, from 68 to 73 they had been touring relentlessly, and ya' know what? Plants voice paid the price for it. These guys also had families and shitloads of money and didn't need to be on the road all the time anymore. The reason they stopped playing the U.K., I believe, is the venemous treatment they recieved from the English press. It was more than just the money, a lot more. The Who were the biggest live draw in the world, arguably, from 1969-1971, and still managed to play loads of gigs in the UK. Hell, remember when Zeppelin broke the attendance record in Pontiac in 1977 they only beat the Who's record from the same venue in 1975 by 600-800 people...so the Who were just as big a draw as Zeppelin...yet they still played loads of shows in the UK... So I think it had more to do with the venom of the UK press, as you said, than cash, but cash certainly played a factor, I'm sure... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Hey Gang The thread I actually started here was how good was the Knebworth August 4th Show??? I am sure there are many threads on this forum re the reasons why the band very rarely toured the UK. Lets not divert from the path and any reviews out there from fans who actually went or do enjoy the penultimate UK show will be very interesting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 The Knebworth shows, for some reason, I have always enjoyed even though as I've gotten older I've realized they weren't great. The first one is pretty close to capturing the magic of 1977 or even 1975, but still nowhere near 1973 or before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 Totally agree Zepfanatic. Personally as good as Knebworth was, I believe that after 1972 we had seen and heard the best from the band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Totally agree Zepfanatic. Personally as good as Knebworth was, I believe that after 1972 we had seen and heard the best from the band. I agree 1972 is their most overlooked but also best tour ever. 1973 had many magical moments, although was patchy... 1975 wasn't really good until March, although a few gigs in mid-Feb (most notably the New York and Long Island ones) were stunning... In 1977 it was hit or miss...amazing (the LA Forum, second night in Cleveland, 4 nights in Maryland, NYC) or weak shows... I wish the press backlash hadn't been so bad after Knebworth...a mini-UK tour would have been nice...I actually really like the setlist at Knebworth and the Copenhagen warmups, where they bring back Misty Mountain Hop and Celebration Day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 1972 What a year. I will detract from my thread (well i started it). Japan, Australia, The New Zealand gigs, Seattle WOW what a show. LA Forum Burn Like a Candle Yahoo what a gig. I love all that improvising - The Crunge in the middle of Dazed, the Rock and Roll medley in Whole Lotta Love the list is endless. Great voice, great guitar, great rhythm section. The one thing missing from Knebworth - no improvising - well a little bit in No Quarter. Also the Euro tour after that was a scaled down version of neat 6 min songs. Still as i always dig out when i want to hear great Rock Music "A Night at The Heartbreak Hotel" a true classic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Agreed LA Forum 1972 has long been a favorite of mine...I remember buying the silver 3CD Night at the Heartbreak Hotel boot when I was in college...good times to that show!! I agree Knebworth and the subsequent Tour Over Europe from 1980 were more restrained but I think at that point Zeppelin needed to pare it down...3-4 hour marathons with lots of looooong pieces weren't in fashion in the late 1970s/early 1980s and it was either change or be left behind...they were on the right path in 1980...I only wish we could have seen what the mammoth 1980/1981 US Tour would have been like... I always found it curious that fan favorite Ten Years Gone was dropped from the second Knebworth show... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5ymo Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 By 1973 Zeppelin was WAY too big to think about doing small shows man. Besides, from 68 to 73 they had been touring relentlessly, and ya' know what? Plants voice paid the price for it. These guys also had families and shitloads of money and didn't need to be on the road all the time anymore. The reason they stopped playing the U.K., I believe, is the venemous treatment they recieved from the English press. It was more than just the money, a lot more. Sorry, but I tend to disagree. Zeppelin had (and still has) a huge fan base in the UK throughout their career. The U.S just had bigger venues. Big venues mean more people = more money. It's just basic maths. The U.K. just did not have large venues outside of the likes of Wembly Pool and Earls Court. Nothing in the north of England, Wales or Scotland could match the U.S for size and pulling in punters. Grant wanted to crack America and succeeded. Living through the '70's we were all jealous of the USA and having so many opportunities to see the band. Cracking America was the basic mission, and mission was accomplished. I listen to MSG '75 shows and the likes...and I can't imagine during that time what a gig of that magnitude would have been like as a 14 year old then, and these venues were common in the U.S. for loads of bands...and still are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted January 23, 2009 Author Share Posted January 23, 2009 I agree with K5ymo. As I posted previosuly about venues in the UK If you listen to the interview with Robert in 1975 with Whispering Bob Harris, he mentions the Ally pally in 1972 which was a poor venue and The Empire Pool for the Electric Magic shows. He goes on to say, after a question from Bob about UK shows, that if they can find the right venue - which they just may have done (Earls Court) then the possibility of seing Zepp since 1973 was a possibility. I mean it came to the stage that Peter Grant was actually thinking of playing a gig at a Railway Station? (again in London) Can't think of which one it was now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZepFanatic Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Well obviously Knebworth house was big enough! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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