LED ZEPPELIN - AUGUST 31ST:ORLANDO, FLORIDA '71

It's 1971 and led Zeppelin are on a high. Despite the fact that the new elpee is still a way from release, their confidence in the new material and breadth of material presented and performed over these 2 hour plus shows is growing and showing more and more. I love the '71 gigs. The new songs add so much to the set, and it finally feels like the best band in the World presenting the best music. After the initial tours their growth and expansion didn't take long, but in comparison the previous year was to me a transition period. Now they'e top of the mountain and perform like never before. 

The Civic Auditorium/Sports Stadium Arena sees Led Zeppelin reaching gig number 9 of 21 and their control over the material and audience is startling. My favourite ever bootleg, 'Going To California' is from this tour, and the better of the two mixed recordings is very similar sound wise. Their PA system is improving along with everything else, more fidelity, depth and power. Originally we only got the first part of this show, then a bit more, then a bit more.... Usual hoarding tactics before the two recordings were brought together to give us over 130 minutes of Led Zeppelin at their best. Almost acting like a record company, the hoarded tape was fanfared and lauded because it included a 'rare version of You Really Got Me'. Call it 'enthusiastic advertising', it lasts 7 seconds! There's a lesson in there methinks....

Anyway, on to the music. Once again Led Zeppelin hit the ground running, and once the sound and audience settle Heartbreaker is near perfection. Bonzo is the star here, wielding that latent power of his with incredible depth charge floor tom drops and lightning quick rolls and never missing the beat, never losing it. Staggering and syncopated, it makes Jimmy and John Paul's riffing easier as they glide over the top, perfectly clamped to that monsterous bass drum. Since I've Been Loving You is maturing as fast as the band onstage now, the fluency and drama heightened more and more as Robert soulfully pleads his tale of woe. 

Dazed And Confused follows, becoming almost a complete show in itself. Jimmy revisits Bouree on the bow and gets into extended dissonant growls and scrapes of noise, like an alternative 2001 A Space Oddity soundtrack. The following chase and jam are a delight, and the final coda is dramatic and extended as Jimmy holds back and listens to the superlative counter rhythms before topping the maelstrom with a slow and eerie White Summer. Black Dog is by contrast a bit of a muddle. God only knows what Robert's singing, and the guys manage to fall over each other and stutter over the riffs, like a scratched record! 

Stairway To Heaven is masterful and becoming almost regal even at this early stage of its' life. Robert's vocals are intact and wonderful over the blast for home at the end. Celebration Day, while Jimmy keeps the double neck strapped on, is muscular and with a slightly different guitar introduction. It always sounded better coming out of another number rather than just starting by itself. The acoustic set is now more of a feature than an interlude, showing off Robert's wonderful vocals.

The You Really Got Me tune up signals a relaxed What Is And What Should Never Be before Bonzo defies the stifling heat inside the arena to deliver a powerful Moby Dick. The closing medley is a joy. Jonesy plays keyboards amid the Theremin frenzy that whips the crowd up into near madness before one of the first instrumental jams of Everybody Needs Somebody To Love that finally has Robert squawking Gambler's Blues before briefly calming the atmosphere with an extended introduction to Boogie Chillun'. A powerful My Baby Left Me also hints at Ray Charles' Mess Around before a sturdy Mess O' Blues. Frustratingly the rest was missed by both recorders just as the final blow out was in sight.

A great Organ Solo and Thank You close the show for a completely bananas audience. The more shows that appear from this tour, the better Led Zeppelin seem to play. We've now got 11 and cine clips of 2 more, so there's a way to go yet! Various CD sets are out there of this show, Florida Sunshine and Magic Kingdom seem to be as good as they get. 

LED ZEPPELIN - AUGUST 31st:MILWAUKEE ARENA,WISCONSIN

One of the most frustrating things about bootleg collecting, especially long lost archive recordings from over 40 years ago, is getting fragments, edits, incomplete shows. The 12th show of Led Zeppelin's 6th US tour at Milwaukee Arena, Wisconsin is a case in point. A brilliant performance, well recorded by the way, is a particular case in point. Not a tape that's been circulating since the year dot, but a more recent discovery. And we have (almost) the first hour. I've not been party to any trader discussion about this tape, but it could be the rest has been 'hoarded', it could be the second tape was lost or it could be that was all that was recorded in the first place. Hmm. Whatever the reason, let's at least be thankful for what there is and keep somewhere in the back of our minds more MAY one day burst forth blinking into the light.

The original date of August 27th was postponed due to the sad death of John Paul Jones' father Joe. Jonesy flew home and the show was rescheduled 4 days later. 

Led Zeppelin hit the stage with a vengeance. Robert's sirens bear down on the enthusiastic crowd as they punish Immigrant Song into oblivion. Jimmy's solo is getting longer and looser with his cascading beat pop figures held in check and answered by Bonzo at every turn. Heartbreaker opens the sound up and the crowd responds to the stomping boogie. Jimmy's solo is again masterful, the one handed figures bringing huge roars and sighs before he brings it down for some lovely jazz figures. After some screaming sustained notes we get a brief Bouree before the blast off. 2 tracks in and Led Zeppelin have then eating out of their hands.

Dazed And Confused continues the onslaught. It sounds angry and brutal, Bonzo killing his Ludwig snare behind Robert's garbled lyrics. The bow is extended and teeters between pure showmanship and whispered delicacy. When once again Led Zeppelin blast off, the half speed post 'chase' section has Robert throwing in lines from Rock 'n' Roll Is Here To Stay before Jimmy twists the riffs again with some amazing off the cuff riffing. Bring It On Home is even more remarkable, the 4-way instrumental getting longer and longer as Robert's harmonica is the star as it fights against more of Jimmy's 60's beat almanac licks including hints of Baby Please Don't Go. 

The welcome breather of the 2 track acoustic interlude has Robert talking about the West Allis Festival gig the previous summer and the new confident Led Zeppelin is really starting to shine through the longer the tour goes on. Since I've Been Loving You is a beautifully paced blues by now, and still able to twist and wriggle inside a pretty straight arrangement. 

And sadly that is that. The rest, which judging by what's here could well have been an outstanding gig. The rest of the tour we do have points that way too. There are several bootlegs by the usual suspects, all using the same recording with similar results. Wonderful show, sadly only a part, but a great listen.

LED ZEPPELIN - AUGUST 31ST:TEXAS POP FESTIVAL 69

August 31st is a date that resonates with Led Zeppelin bootleg collectors. No less than 3 shows performed and recorded on this date, beginning with a brilliant end of tour performance (finally) perfectly recorded for our listening pleasure!

AUGUST 31st 1969 -

 TEXAS INTERNATIONAL POP FESTIVAL,

LEWISVILLE SPEEDWAY, TEXAS

The 3rd intense summer US tour finally comes to a climax. It began almost 2 months before at the Atlanta Pop Festival in Georgia, and 35 shows later it's time for Texas to once again experience the hottest ticket in town. This will be their 5th Texan show of the tour, and is their most famous. 

For years we had a cacophonous but listenable audience recording of the complete 62 minute set. It was  one of the first non vinyl tapes I remember getting way back, and was disappointed when it eventually made it onto wax that the Never Healed elpee was so much poorer than the tape! Thankfully much of the festival appeared from superb (in bootleg terms) quality soundboard recordings, pushing this performance into the top echelons of 'must have' bootlegs. A couple of minor edits in the two marathons are annoying but not crucial. We've even had a recent upgrade with a great clear audience recording too.

Squeezed on to a star studded bill spread over the 'labor day weekend' event, Led Zeppelin took a deep breath and delivered the goods one last time. From the off, the band are hot. After settling down through the opening blast of Train Kept A-Rollin', Jimmy dictates the pace and intensity with some superb free form runs in the amazingly relaxed I Can't Quit You Baby, while Robert glides into an easy familiar rapport with the already near hysterical crowd.

Dazed And Confused is still growing, and if the pre-bow link from the opening verses is yet to be sorted and expanded, the explosion after Jimmy's sketch is sheer madness, a frenzied chase kept in check (just) by half beat grooves from Bonzo just as it's about to fall off the cliff. On the audience recording it sounds like complete bedlam! 

You Shook Me calms the nerves and atmosphere with it's deliberate blues sludge, but opens up with some fine call and response blats as the growing sexual tension between Robert and Jimmy turns up the heat. 

And Led Zeppelin give us a How Many More Times to remember. Maybe it's the late hour, maybe it's the last night of the tour. Whatever the reason, it's party time. Robert blasts into another stunning medley of classics and obscurities, Suzie Q segues into The Hunter and an x-rated Lemon Song before an untamed boogie without lyrics that mutates into snippets of Eyesight To The Blind and Shake For Me Baby. It's their longest (recorded) version to date and steals the show. 

The first audience recording is unlistenable now amid the chaos, as Robert apologises for not playing longer as they're going home. A hurried and noisily demanded encore of Communication Breakdown, where Jonesy auditions a bass solo of sorts in the quieter post solo section, seals the event. They could have played all night, but instead leave the Texans screaming for more and a classic lusty performance ringing in their heads!

On bootleg, we have the listenable but frankly poor Never Healed vinyl that's poorly packaged and incomplete too. Hardcore 'must have' fans only methinks! The soundboard brought forth a flurry of CD issues, Don't Mess With Texas (including a cd size programme reproduction) on Oh Boy an Plays Pure Blues on Whoopy cat were the first, and as good sonically as any out there. Oh Boy also pressed a vinyl run, thank god, for those of us who still love their live Led Zeppelin on wax! 

On film a fragmented documentary of the event, jumpy and time coded, has been circulating for a couple of decades now. The 78 minute film, including some of the other artists on the bill and crowd and festival arena scenes, has about 6 minutes of Led Zeppelin, fragmentary with some sound, poor in places and silent in others. Now we have 11 minutes with synched sound and a much clearer picture in places.

I've seen two versions of the Zeppelin clips, culled together outside of the complete film. The first has a large time code and is green and washed out looking, and the sound has been successfully added. The second is much better, full bright colours and even better sound. Shame there's no full songs or any actual intent to film properly, but we gotta be glad to have it. 

ANGEL WITCH - NWOBHM'S FORGOTTEN HEROES

I've been racking my brains trying to remember when I first saw and heard Angel Witch. As the NWOBHM dam began to burst in '79 an ever growing pile of 7" singles and EP's filled the end of my singles shelves. Live, although the local scene took a while to catch up, there were exciting new bands opening larger and headlining smaller shows all over London. Girlschool made a breakthrough with Motorhead, and Samson, Saxon and so many others had their logo's jumping out of the gig guide in the back pages of Sounds, from The Bandwagon to Ealing, The Marquee to The Cartoon.  

I recall a Marquee, it must have been either very late '79 or very early '80. We walked in as Sledgehammer were closing their set I think, with the track Sledgehammer. Twas de rigeur to have a track the same name as the band. Motorhead, Iron Maiden and, of course Angel Witch fitted that criteria admirably. Like Maiden, my most vivid memory of that first sighting was the crowd. They already had a loud, loyal following, urging them on to bigger and better things. Immediately, despite being only a 3-piece, they had a full bottom end Sabbath sound, with a sprinkling of widdly scree on top of course. Kev Heybourne even teased a harmonic snarl from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind during his solo. And (I think) they may have done Paranoid, or did someone that night say they'd recently seen them do it? Newcy Brown memory fudge I'm afraid....

And we didn't have very long to wait to get hold of some vinyl, as the (now) iconic Metal For Muthas compilation came out on February 15th and included the mighty Baphomet. Another Marquee came hot on the heels and then a gig at Crocs in Rayleigh, one of their thursday night NWOBHM live band specials. A couple of days later I saw them in the middle of a 3 band bill coming on after NWOBHM bretherin Sledgehammer and before Canadian AOR group April Wine. A bit of a mismatch, but I enjoyed all 3, and once again the ever growing Angel Witch following made themselves heard! Six days later Tommy Vance played 4 tracks recorded for his Friday Rock Show - Sweet Danger, Angel Of Death, Extermination Day and (natch) Angel Witch. Had to leave a couple of tape machines and 2 C120's set up at home that night, 'cos although I tried never to miss a FRS we were up to Hammy for Judas Priest with special guests Iron Maiden! Phew!

In May, following the Metal For Muthas release on EMI, a 7" and 12" of Sweet Danger came out, with Flight Nineteen and Hades Paradise (12" only and misspelt as Hadies!). It hit 75 on the charts then disappeared, but was despite the 'failure' tag was only the 5th NWOBHM single to get that high in the charts. A longer deal was put on the table, but with Maiden getting all the attention and funds Angel Witch didn't want to be pushed aside (as Pallas had been when EMI signed Marillion the following year as part of the NWOBP) so chose Bronze instead with their motorhead and Girlschool pedigree. 

By now we were getting familiar with the songs, they were becoming old friends. The gigs kept on coming, and a sterling performance at the 'Heavy Metal Barn Dance' at a boiling hot and packed Stafford Bingley Hall enhanced their reputation many fold. They were one of the stand out bands of the day, has to be said. Remember a couple of gigs in August, one in west London Ealing way, and another Marquee before their Reading set. And before long their Bronze debut single Angel Witch and Gorgon came out. And a tour with Girlschool and Tank. And the elpee. Things were going a pace for sure. Sounds hated the album, which was not only wrong, but like the hatchet job Girl got for Sheer Greed, did a lot to halt everything in its' tracks. 

With so much rock, so much NWOBHM material and gigs out there, word of mouth was not enough. You read Sounds, it had Neil Kay's playlist. It was where the NWOBHM moniker was born, and Deaf Barton and cohorts championed it all. They were part of it, just like us. So a bad (and it was BAD) review crucified the band. And Dave Hogg, lovable geezer and madman to boot, went too far over the top too often and was fired. Dave Duford, brother of Girlschool stickswoman Denise, came in and they recorded their next Bronze single Loser, backed with Suffer and Dr Phibes. A stab at commerciallity it flopped. And the reviews were worse than ever. By now the band was sadly beginning to flounder. The gloss and glory of the NWOBHM was wearing off in the eyes of the industry and countless bands were discarded or ignored. By september there was a farewell Marquee show after which Kev Riddles vacated the bass position and moved on to Tytan. Remember them giving Diamond Head a run for their money at the Zig Zag club the following may by the way.

Angel Witch carried on, split, came back and so on. But for me, the 3 piece was the one. Those Marquee shows, the crowd and the riffs and the power. Some bands had a song (Trespass spring to mind), others a sound. Angel Witch were down to earth but with a firmly British take on HM. 

Now, go and play the elpee. If you can, get the expanded 2CD 30th anniversary edition. Not withstanding the classy artwork and live pics from Reading among the gatefold card sleeve thing, it's a 30 track monster set including those FRS sessions, 7 demo's from '78 and '79, baphomet from Metal For Muthas and the 8 tracks released on 7" and 12", most of 'em different to the elpee versions. The core is the original record. It holds up amazingly well, the production better than I remember, Andy Pearce's remastering bringing even more life and power to the songs. And what songs. Atlantis, Sorceress, Devil's Tower...plus the one's we all know and love. They made me smile, they made me rock,and made me more serious about doing it myself. we were all part of the club then, it mattered and it was fantastic. 

"You're an Angel Witch, You're an Angel Witch" 

LED ZEPPELIN - IMMIGRANT SONG

'Hammer Of The Gods Will Drive Our Ships To New Lands...'

Led Zeppelin II, 'The Brown Bomber', was a huge success. More deliberately heavy than their eponymous debut, Jimmy's powerful riffs gave Led Zeppelin a unique sexually potent groove, a strut unmatched both on record and on stage. The groove of Whole Lotta Love, the grind of The Lemon Song, the dirty strut of Heartbreaker. All powerful. Nothing on II cloned anything from the debut. Robert may well have lifted lyrics virtually intact from assorted blues songs, but riff wise, Jimmy had those little nuances, tweaks and glides that set them apart. 

Already more than 200 shows into their live career, Led Zeppelin knew the effect the power of those live performances had on their ever increasing audience. But the next elpee had to be different. Although acoustic and folk influences were strong over the first two elpees, 3 of the 18 tracks featured prominent acoustic guitar plus there's the light and shade arrangements of many of the other songs, a rest and change was the order of the day. 

An incredibly fruitful writing session in Snowdonia at the cottage at Bron-Y-Aur was followed by full band rehearsals at Headley Grange, their first visit to the dilapidated former workhouse. It was there that the full band worked on the new riffs and ideas, and the powerful muscular nuances of Immigrant and Out On The Tiles came to the fore.

Bootleg fragments show that during these sessions in May 1970, at least two of the full electric tracks marked for the next album were auditioned and put into shape. The F# octave jerk riff of Immigrant Song was powered along by unison JPJ bass figures and an overwhelmingly powerful Bonzo charge. Over the top Robert wails as otherworldly battle cry, reminiscent of Bali Hai from the musical South Pacific. The crude sound of the rehearsal, Robert some way off in the distance, emphasises the almost military precision of Bonzo's drumming, and the fact that Robert is feeling his way with his battle cry and the Viking lyrics are yet to be penned. At the coda it peters out without a proper finish just as Jimmy begins to test and tease a few licks, something he would expand upon greatly onstage.

The companion disc version was recorded in Olympic Studios No.2 on May 29th 1970, and is more open that the finished version. Extra and alternate vocal nuances shine through. The upcoming trip to Iceland was an obvious inspiration for Robert, and his brilliant widescreen tale of gore and pillage is in place some 3 weeks before they got to Iceland. The finished studio version is tight and concise, and Jimmy adds the nice touch of a build up of echoed and repeated tape hiss that rumbles up and builds until the riff comes crashing in and jolts you back on your heels. Perfect.

Various later issues of III and compilations over the years have omitted the hiss (Shame) including the cut used for its' release as a single across the world. It was also backed with Hey Hey, What Can I Do, the only non-elpee Led Zeppelin track commercially released for many a year. An obvious and immediately outstanding live track, it became the set opener instantly, Robert's battle cry swirling over the heads of the ocean of fans from the off. Probably performed in Reykjavik, it sounded tentative and nervous at Bath and Berlin, the only two recordings we have from the short summer 1970 European shows.

From the on it was nailed down and extended by Jimmy with some finger loosening licks and solos that twisted over a syncopated rhythm and some nights included old 60's riffs like the Yardbirds Mister, You're A Better Man Than I and hints of Shapes Of Things and even Baby Please Don't Go. 
Once Immigrant Song left the set, Over The Hills And Far Away became Jimmy's vehicle for this solo sketch. It remained set opener, linked brilliantly with Heartbreaker via a sudden stop and Jimmy bending the F# or G note up to A to kick in, right up until the summer of '72 and the How The West Was Won string of West Coast shows. After that it briefly appeared as an encore at all but one of the 6 Japanese shows and we have 5 recordings from the following UK shows, the last one being at Bradford on January 18th, 1973.

It was only ever going to be a set opener as long as Robert could hit those high notes, something that was getting harder as the volume and length of shows increased during Led Zeppelin's rise.

Immigrant Song was released as a single in many countries, and there are all sorts of nice (and rare) picture sleeve singles in existence. It also appeared on EP's in Australia, Mexico etc and on Atlantic compilations as well. 

The rarest is the unissued Emidisc 1-sided acetate that quotes catalogue number 2091 043 and a release date of November 27th 1970. Possibly another proposed single nixed by band and management. Among the plethora of cover versions my favourites have to be Dread Zeppelin, Trent Reznor and James Last...

ROBERT PLANT - PICTURES AT ELEVEN

"But I don't know, no I don't know, what I'm gonna do"

Could it be? Led Zeppelin had officially announced 'we could not continue as we were' on December 4th 1980. Jimmy Page took the recorded plunge first, tempted and cajoled back into work by his Kensington next door neighbour Michael Winner to produce some startling music to accompany the second (and later 3rd) film in his Death Wish franchise the previous autumn, but somehow the end of Led Zeppelin only seemed completely final when the imminent release of Robert Plant's first solo elpee was announced.

As some of you will know, if anything I've always been a 'Jimmy man' so to speak. By that, if they were both playing the same night I know which one I'd pick to go and see. That's no detriment or slight to Robert of course. He'd trodden the boards with the Honeydrippers and rediscovered the joy of being up there with a mic and a pout in 1981 across the UK club scene and assembled a group of musicians to coax and inspire his new career.

Robert appeared on kids TV show 'Tiswas' in 1981 along with Cozy Powell. They had been working together, rehearsing at Rockfield in Monmouth, preparing new songs with a view to Robert's first solo venture of original material.

Listening back some 36 and a bit years later, Pictures At Eleven is a bold yet restrained step. Giant footsteps taken inch by inch. His new guitar foil was Robbie Blunt, a local musician formerly of Bronco, Silverhead and Stan Webb's Chicken Shack. A great player, tasteful and restrained, his clean fender sound fitted into Robert's new aural jigsaw, a texture rather than a combative or juxtaposed joust. The opening bluster of Burning Down One Side is a mirror image companion to Jimmy's Death Wish opener Who's To Blame, strident riffing (way further back in the mix than Jimmy would have done...) and a confident vocal. 

Moonlight In Samosa is a nice light track showing his vocal confidence, very In Through The Out Door, before the 80's swing of Pledge Pin, complete with Raff Ravenscroft's sax figures. But it's Slow Dancer where the elpee and Robert opens up. VERY Led Zeppelin for the 1980's, its one of the two tracks Cozy Powell adds his studied Bonzo thud to, giving a power and push Phil Collins could never do. Leaning towards the future eastern textures and arrangements of songs to come, this is where Robert fills his lungs and is a Rock God again. 

Shame his voice is a bit too buried in echo and in the mix, but that's part of tentative steps, the getting confidence and swagger back. Although not performed live until the next year when Robert had enough material from 2 elpees to fashion a set, lyrics from Since I've Been Loving You and assorted blues references gave it an extra live boost. It's as close as Robert wanted to get to his past grandeur and pomposity and is certainly one of the highlights of the elpee.

Flip over to side two (you CD only people don't know what you're missing) and Worse Than Detroit is a great strident romp, complete with some lovely harmonica licks amid a twisting blues riff or two. At the Princes Trust show at London's Dominion Theatre this was debuted and certainly showed the way forward. Indeed, the sirenesque vocals at the coda really lift everything. Fat Lip is another nice albeit slightly throwaway song, held back for me by Phil Collins dull almost machine like rhythms. It's a really nice song, but the flat backing hold it back far too much for me.

Then we come to the other 'big' track. Like I've Never Been Gone is a widescreen epic, later it would be called a power ballad. Very emotional and heartfelt, it's up there with Slow Dancer as the elpee highlight, and really was a show stopper live. Shades of the future Ship Of Fools lurk in there somewhere too. It's on these more expansive tracks that Roberts vocals and lyrics really come to life and soar.  

Finally Mystery Title closes the 8 track elpee. Another fine song, like Worse Than Detroit it shows the band to be in fine shape, a great unit even without those amazing vocals. It closes Robert's first foray of new music post Led Zeppelin with a flourish, sounding almost Presence like with insistent rockabilly licks in a counter rhythm behind some deft vocals.

The 2007 edition (and the version included in the Nine Lives box) include the non-elpee track Far Post, a great song only previously available on the b-side (remember those) of Burning Down One Side plus a live take of Like I've Never Been Gone from the FM Broadcast of the Summit, Houston, Texas 20-9-83 show from the Principle Of Moments Tour. The whole set would be nice, heavily bootlegged and circulated though it is....

Love the promo video for Burning Down One Side, complete with cheesy Page 3 models and 'mystery guitarist' head wrapped in bandages a la 'Nash the Slash', a tongue in cheek riposte to those rumours Jimmy Page was back with his old sparring partner.  

For me, it's a fine set. Played it over and over and have a very strong affinity for the style and mood of the whole elpee. Do remember playing it and Death Wish II back to back several times and thinking if only the had each other on those elpees both would lift and go somewhere else. Released on Swan Song before the label's demise, it hit No.2 in the UK and No.5 on Billboard. Robert's (correct) refusal to fill a set with Led Zeppelin numbers and tour led to no live action until the following years Principle Of Moments elpee. By that time 6 of the 8 tracks formed the backbone of his set. An uncertain time, but some fine music and even better shows. 

PAGE & PLANT - UNLEDDED 2ND NIGHT AUGUST 26TH 1994

It was strange. Waking up after the euphoria of the night before, it dawned on me pretty quickly that I was going to see a second intimate Page & Plant show, the rebirth, the return. Questions and smiles. What a night. 

Of course, the shock and wonder of seeing the first performance of the collaboration could never be repeated, we knew (mostly) what to expect. But in a way that made it all the more exciting and added to the mouthwatering anticipation.  A morning back at work before changing into (different than the gig before) clothes for the second Page & Plant gig in as many days. How often can you say that?!

Alan Cousins and I arrived well before 5 at the Pier opposite Festival Hall.A larger crowd was gathering, even more familiar faces smiling in the sunshine. Dave Lewis, Howard Mylett (RIP), Gary Foy, Billy Fletcher, Tim Ellock, Luis Rey, plus the motley bunch I managed to get onto Jimmy's personal guest list thanks to him and felicitated by Rex King. And many more faces, friend's I'd got to know from record fairs, collecting, my Early Days & Latter Days magazine, my bands, assorted gigs and experiences. Being a friday, the guest list was bulging, it was the hottest ticket in town. The Dancing Days London Convention crew reunited for all the best reasons. 

The tension and nerves some 24 hours before was gone, those here for the first (only) time were feverishly asking how Thursday night was, but don't tell me what they played. But did they do Kashmir? The usual dance! Getting in took longer, the checks and security was tighter. One thing comes to mind, no bootlegs have emerged from these shows, even 25 years later. 

Spotted Hugh Cornwall, ex-Stranglers guru near Aerosmith's Joey Kramer before things kicked off. As I and many others suspected, noone had any idea where they were sitting the night before or what they were wearing. Tonight I'm 2nd row far right, Simon P next to me. I spotted myself 3 times on the DVD edit, once from Thursday and twice from the second night! It feels like tonight is the real thing, by that I mean that they're confident with what's recorded but this is when it lifts somewhere else again.

The basic set is the same, What Is And What Should Never Be is swapped as opener with Thank You and some PA howls disturb the mood and finesse. It was when Najma appeared for the east meets west glory of The Battle Of Evermore that the evening broke open. Without the inital shock of the previous night it was easier to take in, enjoy and celebrate. Beautiful arrangement, even better tonight. Gallows Pole was strident and powerful, lifting as Michael Lee kicked it up a gear or two. And, as with last night, we then get a breather. 

The next part of the set was as Thursday and equally magical. Rain Song was the summer of our smiles, delicate and glorious. The newly stately blues of Since I've Been Loving You filled the studio and reminded us of their immediate British roots, those long lost days of Duster Bennett, Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall, that Led Zeppelin took those pure, simple days and moved the mood and style so much further. 

I remember Jimmy's tasteful ad libs, those out but in time and key flurries drawing forth a roar of approval and ringing cheers and applause. These are the moments that make it so right.

The closing triplet, the Bombay two step and Kashmir close the main set. Kashmir is astounding. Simple. 

The version on the DVD is so from this night. Comfortable and happy the first night is in the bag, they stretch and bend, move and shift. Before the extended coda, Jimmy's incessant blats of sound push the band to extraordinary cross rhythms before Robert throws in some Black Dog ad libs and the Egyptian Ensemble challenge the western strings and solid rhythm section to a mad frenzy that causes utter chaos. It's the perfect moment, the nadir of the collaboration and, as all these things tend to be, a unique inspired flash of genius. 

They depart, and we can't quite believe it. One of those moments, inspired and sublime, in front of our very eyes. Then a few minutes later they're back for another bring it all down lovely That's The Way. Now the actual business is done there's a feeling of being among friends, of celebrating their music and all that has brought all of us to this point in time and space. No one wants it to end. Just when we think it's all over there's a dimming of lights and scurrying onstage and the premiere of Wonderful One, a new lilting composition underpinned by a deft drum loop. It's a lovely song, drifting back into an otherworldly time, full of English symbolism and deference. We get two runs at it, both light but neither really spot on judging by their collective glances and eye contact. Still near magical mind you.

Off again and that MUST be it, surely. But,as is the way of these recordings, there's more. A second That's The Way is just lovely, sounding just how it would have done on that Snowdonian hillside up where they call it Golden Breast. And to cap it all a back to its' roots Nobody's Fault But Mine, just filmed in that slate quarry, to close a remarkable brace of performances. 

We filed out, almost startled by the fresh air and headed for a pub to stare, laugh and try and make sense. It was that fresh, that amazing, that celebratory. 25 years on I feel such affinity and affection for those days, those recordings and all of us that were lucky enough to share the experience. 

Tempered by the missing John Paul Jones, it was still a positive and remarkable way forward. Strange as it may sound, the fully fledged tour that followed may have been amazing in its' own way (I certainly witnessed some brilliant performances and moments) but these two nights in Studio 2 were unique and unrepeatable. The DVD and broadcast are only the tip of the iceberg, believe me!

PAGE & PLANT - UNLEDDED

In 1994 the World of Led Zeppelin was in a state of flux. Robert's solo career was on a high, his latest elpee Fate Of Nations was his finest to date, and featured the kind of widescreen folk arrangements that would both lean back on the legacy and legend of Led Zeppelin and look forward to the remarkable Unledded project. Jimmy had rebuilt his career and legend in the post Zeppelin years, and was rising again. 

After the disappointment of no post Remasters reunion he finally grabbed the ball with both hands and recorded the Coverdale Page elpee with the former Deep Purple and Whitesnake frontman. It was a shock, not least because of press led and fuelled feuds between Robert and Coverdale. Jimmy, for his part, used the project as a vehicle to showcase and celebrate the guitar styles he invented, pioneered and played with such joy and celebratory ease.

As 1993 drew to a close, Robert was approached by MTV to record and perform the final 'Unplugged' show. Despite the pride in his own songs he knew he just performing those wouldn't be enough, nor would playing Led Zeppelin material without (at the very least) his old sparring partner. 

The Coverdale Page US Tour scheduled for the late summer of '93 had stalled amid rumours of poor ticket sales and management and internal squabbles. A lucrative stint in Japan just before christmas was arranged and were to be the only 7 live shows they played. 

Jimmy and Robert met in Boston where Robert was playing. Jimmy later remarked "he had 3 guitarists all trying to be me and I could do what the 3 of them did by myself!". Further meetings aiming at a collaboration were agreed, and Jimmy went off to prepare for the Japanese shows. 

At the time the rumour was Jimmy's working with Coverdale was an insult aimed at Robert, but true or not it was certainly a contributing factor in the 'reunion' process. So in 1994 the collaboration was on. In February Jimmy took loop rhythm tapes from French producer Martin Meissonnier to Robert at rehearsals in Kings Cross, London and the two way olive branch was grasped. It worked. 

Using Robert's Fate Of Nations rhythm section Michael Lee and Charlie Jones they performed an enthusiastic 5 track set at Buxton Opera House at the Alexis Korner tribute on April 17th.The 2 untitled 'new' tracks showed a musical affinity and confidence within the new set up. 

From that point on an array of musicians were auditioned and assembled, and with the MTV special confirmed, the idea of both a western string section and middle eastern, and as it turned out Egyptian orchestra was floated and rehearsed into shape.

Rumours were strong and varied throughout the summer. Our second Led Zeppelin Fan Convention in London 'Dancing Days' was awash with what was going down, and even Jason Bonham couldn't (or wouldn't) shed any clear light on the activities during his more than welcome appearance over the weekend. True to form, the warm response and great attendance over the 3 days convinced me that at least within the fan fraternity all was well and enthusiastically positive. 

In July we kinda knew something big was building, getting closer. For me, the biggest negative, the greatest sadness was the omission from the project of John Paul Jones. I think the politics of Robert and Jimmy reuniting and reworking Led Zeppelin material was enough of a quagmire and headache, and Jimmy in particular was so pleased to be working with Robert again he almost agreed carte blanche to whatever vision and format his singer suggested. Understandably Jonesy was unhappy at the rebuff. I love his wry observation "I was with Diamanda (Galas) waiting to go onstage and their MTV thing came on the TV. It amused me they had 2 people covering my parts on Thank You. Then I went and played the gig". Go Jonesy!

Politics and conspiracy theories aside, Page & Plant spent much of August filming new material in a variety of exotic settings, from jamming in the Djemma El Fna square in Marrakesh to the Corris Slate Quarry within a slate's throw of Bron-Y-Aur. 

From the week commencing Monday August 22nd LWT Studios were readied for set up, rehearsal and finally two evenings of filmed performance for the cameras and an invited audience. 

It was indeed 27 years ago that the first performance took place, but it could have been 27 hours ago!. I remember the tension, the stress and the rumour building up to it. A couple of weeks before the show it became clear that several of us weren't lucky enough to secure invitations. 

There were a lot of irate calls and emotional conversations then for sure, and things did unravel a bit. Finally, thanks to a carefully but critically worded letter from my lady at the time Janet, I got a call from Rex King who offered me 9 tickets for each night, from Jimmy's own personal allocation,  for some of the 'key' Zeppelin fans who I knew that were unlucky to have not been invited. On the spot I did what I could and it was all set for Thursday. It was a nervous pre-gig meet on the banks of the Thames as old friends and co collaborators met excitedly to almost check with each other it was really happening. 

Finally, Paul, Julian, Eddie, Alan, Simon and the rest of us shuffled our way through the obviously tight security, including two metal detectors!, and were shown to our seats. We were told to wear the same clothes for both shows for continuity and we would be sitting in the same seats. Both of these comments were unfounded! Ended up a few rows back dead centre on the 1st night, waiting excitedly for it all to kick off. 

To be honest, the two nights kinda mould into one as I think back. The sheer unbridled excitement of the first night was something else, I remember most of us couldn't actually believe we were there and it was actually happening. It must have been just after 8, we'd been in there for a couple of hours from the queue to our seats, when they were introduced and strolled onto the stage. The set looked fresh and vibrant, the band nervous and ready. 

Thank You started with a quiet, almost apologetic start and was okay. The new arrangement, especially Jimmy's second solo, lifted the whole place and you could hear the roar of relief as Robert's tambourine sketch brought it to a close. 

What Is And What Should Never Be continued the theme of Led Zeppelin II (Robert had been leaning heavily on the Brown Bomber during his Fate Of Nations shows) and again was nervous. Jimmy fluffed the slide solo and started over, and furtive glances betrayed the pressure and edge buzzing around the studio. 

And then it got serious. Indian vocalist (and soon to be another Robert squeeze) Najma Akhtar joined the fray for a wonderfully reworked The Battle Of Evermore. A beautiful quintessentially English playlet on the 4th elpee, what it loses here is largely recovered by Najma's haunting eastern harmonies and the light, deft arrangement. With Nigel Eaton's grinding hurdy gurdy and additional bhodran percussion, it's wonderful. The first standing ovation of the evening. It's left us all in a bit of a state of shock to be honest. Hardly unplugged, certainly undrugged (!), and definitely unleashed. The new direction, same pictures in a different frame, is so evident already. Najma exits stage right and the rest remain for an expected reworking. Gallows Pole starts with measured chords from Jimmy on the acoustic 6 & 12 string Ovation twin neck and respects the studio arrangement adding Porl Thompson on Banjo before the really enthusiastic Michael Lee gets the hoedown started with his best syncopated work. Phew! The sudden stop gives way to a burst of joy from us followed by lots of onstage smiles and nods. Rehearsals were obviously on the ball, and the confidence is now coursing through their collective veins.

Then a brief break. Again, we're in shock. Excited murmers and chat all round, all looking for familiar faces and expressions for confirmation.  Before we get time to settle they return with a gorgeous Rain Song, the string arrangement swirling around Jimmy's spot on acoustic figures. The sound, I have to add, is perfect. Crystal clear, balanced and loud enough without being oppressive. The delicate coda that Jimmy pulls off effortlessly and magnificently is one of those lump in throat moment's I'll always remember. 

The ovation you can see on the DVD and the knowing pride filled nod from Robert says a million things. In fact I'm sure I glimpsed a 1 second clip of myself as the camera swings along the crowd!  A sweet sounding and reverential Since I've Been Loving You is lifted by some inspired Les Paul figures and a winsome, widescreen string arrangement.

And now we truly head east. Dedicated to 'the original drummer who played with four sticks in his hands', the Egyptian Ensemble add authentic rhythms and tones to Four Sticks and Friends, both played in the spirit of those recently (officially) unearthed Bombay experiments. 

All bets are off, and the journey is truly heading for the unknown. The counter rhythms balance perfectly against the Western riffs and tunings, the perfect collaboration of influences and styles. This is no mere greatest hits package, no strumming through it all acoustically and taking the dollar. This is new, exciting, groundbreaking. Emotionally fulfilling and draining all at once. 

And now comes the icing on the cake. Jimmy unveils a new instrument. A Transperformance Les Paul, complete with computer tuning and retuning buttons. He claws upwards across the strings, heavily phased, to produce an otherworldly drone, an eastern call to arms. The moment Robert begins 'oh let the sun beat down upon my face'  the roar and energy lifts dramatically. Glorious stuff. The new arrangement is something else, just as the familiar monolithic riff has everyone swaying and floating they pause for the Egyptian Ensemble to open the rhythm and mood before hauling back into the song. Call and response, watching, listening, answering. True live music on and over the edge between different seemingly unmixable musical cultures. And it works. Gloriously.

The coda is remarkable and we're all in Nirvana. The knowing smiles say it all, and there's magic in the air. I felt so privileged, so lucky. After a long standing ovation we're all left waiting to see if that's it. Finally they return for a beautiful That's The Way, a strange yet completely fitting encore after what we'd just experienced. And that's it. Outside,on the way to a nearby pub before the journey home there's a mixture of disbelief and joy, so many beaming faces and so much laughter. Wow. Back inside they're running through new tune 'Wonderful One' in preparation for tomorrow night. 

Ah, tomorrow night. When all will be revealed...