LED ZEPPELIN - AUGUST 17TH : WALLINGFORD '69 & HAMPTON '70

AUGUST 17TH 1969

OAKDALE MUSICAL THEATER, WALLINGFORD, CONN

The tour that changed everything for Led Zeppelin rolls on. The night before (Saturday 16th) they had played at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, New Jersey with fellow Brit Joe Cocker opening. This weekend, in upstate New York, the Woodstock Festival was taking place. Of course Led Zeppelin, despite being listed on one or two early handbills, did not play the event, Gee (rightly in my opinion) deciding they would be swallowed up by the enormity of the event nd be 'just another band on the bill'. There's also the question of handing over the rights to record and film their performance, something that even back then went very much against the grain.

Of course, Joe Cocker and band they flew up to play a legendary set on the Sunday afternoon at Woodstock, the celluloid highlight his version of With A Little Help From My Friends, which of course features one of Jimmy's finest sessions outside of Led Zeppelin on the recorded version. Wheels within wheels.

Anyway, we only have a small fragment of this performance, the opening salvo, captured in listenable quality. The sound is very uneven, partly due to the limitations of the recorder I expect plus the fact Led Zeppelin performed on a revolving stage. 

The official website ledzeppelin.com lists a standard summer 1969 set, including an encore of Communication Breakdown, but all we have on the tape are Train Kept A-Rollin' and I Can't Quit You Baby. 

Luis Rey confirms the rumour that the widow of the taper has the whole set, so It may be in the hands of one or two collectors already or even with Jimmy. Time will tell.

The fragment came out a few years back now and is included on a couple of compilation bootleg CD sets, Red Snapper Deluxe and Tarantura's Tales From '69. 

AUGUST 17TH 1970

HAMPTON ROADS COLISEUM, HAMPTON, VA

A year and a second elpee later, and Led Zeppelin are gettiug into gear on their breakthrough 6th US Tour. After the truncated recording from Yale Bowl two nights before (see my seperate article on that) we get our first taste of the new two hour Led Zeppelin live experience. The set ran - 

Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker

Dazed And Confused
Bring It On Home

That's The Way

Bron-y-Aur

Since I've Been Loving You

Organ Solo/Thank You

What Is And What Should Never Be

Moby Dick

Whole Lotta Love + Medley - 

Feel So Good Today/Boogie Chillun'/Back In The USA/I'm Movin' On/CC Rider

Communication Breakdown/Sing A Simple Song/Bass Solo/Good Times Bad Times

Led Zeppelin ease into the tour with a good but unspectacular performance. The recording doesn't help, a distant and flat mono audience tape with little fidelity or depth. Despite these shortcomings the confidence is flowing and Dazed And Confused is developing night after night into a show stopper. Bring It On Home sees Jimmy gently pushing the improvisational call and response section while Robert finds the groove with some deft harmonica licks. Jonesy gets in on the act too, extending his first of two moments in the spotlight before a regal and very British Thank You.

The closing medley seems a bit flat, shorter than the first gig and any of the others later on the tour. Sometimes, it just doesn't flow. 

Encore time is great though, and a definite funky groove ends Led Zeppelin's debut performance in Virginia.

The tape has been faithfully pressed on TDOLZ as Live In Hampton 1970, complete and just a bit of EQ and noise reduction. 

Only 2 dates into the tour that would run for 19 shows - Honolulu and Madison Square being 2 sets a night on top of that - and the structure, flow and confidence is rising. before the tour's out there would be some spectacular, even legendary nights to come...