Imagine Robert Plant showing up to one of your gigs and joining you on stage...

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Saintman2884 said:
Yeah, his son Karec had become sick with a pretty serious viral infection while his father was on-tour and died while at hospital and Plant's first wife sent him a letter breaking the awful news. The band itself was actually staying at a very posh French Quarter hotel which I still think exists and by that point, unlike previous 70's U.S. tours, lets just say Zeppelin's 1977 U.S. tour was a mixed bag, and that might be too nice of a characterization. While they still put on some great shows in Detroit and Seattle's Kingdome, their "Day on the Green" 1977 concert in Oakland saw Peter Grant and John Bonham beat the hell out of one of Bill Graham's roadies, who had supposedly slapped Peter Grant's young son earlier after picking up a sign backstage. Graham called the cops, arrested Grant and Bonham for assault and battery. This incident probably also was also the sign of increased tensions between Graham and Grant over Grant's rough, rowdy managerial style and the two had never been the best of friends. Eventually, charges were dropped but the 1977 "Day at the Green" show in Oakland turned out to be Zep's last-ever show in U.S. with original band (a pre-metal Judas Priest was actually Zep's backup band at that show and reportedly, Lynyrd Skynyrd gave one of their greatest shows ever this same day).

If you go back and watch fan videos on YT of many Zeppelin shows during the 76-77 time period, you'll probably notice that Plant spends a lot of time sitting down on a stool or chair and isn't that same demonstrative, powerful "rock god" of 1973-74 and that's due he and his wife getting involved in a near-fatal car wreck in Greece about 18 months before. The injuries Plant suffered were so severe that more then a few doctors told Plant while he may walk again, his mobility would be significantly limited. By the late 70's, its a bit of a minor miracle Led Zeppelin didn't break up before Bonham's death. Plant and Page weren't ever the best of friends but by 1978-79, their personal and working relationship had turned sour again and John Paul Jones had to do yeoman's job keeping the ship afloat. Plant had felt that the band had achieved all it was ever going to and with musical trends changing with advent of punk and new wave of British metal scenes calling out Zep's musical/creative integrity, Zeppelin didn't seem to fit too well in a rawer, meaner music U.K./U.S. music scene of the late 70's/early 80's.

And as talented and gifted of a lyrical genius Robert Plant is, hes not Roger Waters where he had the lyrical chops, cynicism, and creativity to "react" to.the punk scene with Animals and The Wall. Plant is a great lyricist, but could he or Page radically change the band's perception, mood, and songs to reflect a darker, grimmer sociopolitical reality like "Dogs", " Pigs", "Sheep", " Another Brick in the Wall pts. 1-2", "Run like Hell", "and Comfortably Numb" like Floyd did? No.
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Not only do I remember those details about Zeppelin already being in New Orleans when the news about Karec came out, but I have a cousin and some friends of his who managed to sneak in that hotel and my cousin had his buddy take a photo with him and Robert in the hotel hallway. I remember him telling me how cool Plant was when he ran into their group and conversed with them for quite a while. It’s been decades since I saw the photo, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
 
Bill said:
Not only do I remember those details about Zeppelin already being in New Orleans when the news about Karec came out, but I have a cousin and some friends of his who managed to sneak in that hotel and my cousin had his buddy take a photo with him and Robert in the hotel hallway. I remember him telling me how cool Plant was when he ran into their group and conversed with them for quite a while. It’s been decades since I saw the photo, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
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Your cousin and his buddies got a rare treat indeed but I suspect this friendly conversation or talk happened before he found out his youngest son had died because that loss, understandably, devastated him and this is just MO, but I suspect his first marriage falling apart in the early 80's may have been connected to Karec's passing and subsequent grief. His closest friend in the band was John Bonham due to their shared working-class, Black Country roots and them being high-school friends. Bonham was also the only Zeppelin member to attend Karec's funeral afterwards. Again, after such a devastating loss, its a miracle Plant ever wanted to be a musician again or that Zeppelin recorded one more album or played further shows in U.K. or Europe again. After the 1977 tour ended, the band didn't see or hear from each other for almost a year-and-a half.
 
Saintman2884 said:
Your cousin and his buddies got a rare treat indeed but I suspect this friendly conversation or talk happened before he found out his youngest son had died because that loss, understandably, devastated him and this is just MO, but I suspect his first marriage falling apart in the early 80's may have been connected to Karec's passing and subsequent grief. His closest friend in the band was John Bonham due to their shared working-class, Black Country roots and them being high-school friends. Bonham was also the only Zeppelin member to attend Karec's funeral afterwards. Again, after such a devastating loss, its a miracle Plant ever wanted to be a musician again or that Zeppelin recorded one more album or played further shows in U.K. or Europe again. After the 1977 tour ended, the band didn't see or hear from each other for almost a year-and-a half.
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As I recall the photo of Robert and my cousin was taken two days before the report of his son’s death.
Yes, Bonham was Plant’s closest friend in the band having known him and worked with him since their Band of Joy days. Bonham was the one who convinced Plant to rejoin the band when he initially felt he was done with the limelight.
 
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Grumpy Old Manatee said:
Likely just looking to steal music from smaller artists. The Beatles are infamous for such practices.
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Naw, those days are gone but I'll bet most folks don't realize that a large share of Zep's songs (and hits) are not their own.....Personally I liked the music they wrote it went from dark, midevil prog rock to country folk stuff.....my cousin who is a blues purest....absolutely hates LZ.....
Bill said:
I remember when the Zeppelin concert in the Dome was canceled when Plant got the news about his son’s death. That was going to be my chance to see LZ in person. 😢
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Same here, the only reason I was allowed to go at 13 was my folks trusted my friend's brother.....never saw them live.....
 
sfidc3 said:
Naw, those days are gone but I'll bet most folks don't realize that a large share of Zep's songs (and hits) are not their own.....Personally I liked the music they wrote it went from dark, midevil prog rock to country folk stuff.....my cousin who is a blues purest....absolutely hates LZ.....


Same here, the only reason I was allowed to go at 13 was my folks trusted my friend's brother.....never saw them live.....
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same here I had a ticket. The only great band from that era I never saw live
 
faceman said:
same here I had a ticket. The only great band from that era I never saw live
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While at dinner last night, Freebird came on. Just made me think about this thread. That's not even my favorite Skynrd song; and, God knows, by the end of the '70s, no one really cared if they heard that or Stairway to Heaven ever again. However, I couldn't help thinking how amazing it would have been to have been lucky enough to have heard Freebird live between '73 and '77.
 
Madmarsha said:
While at dinner last night, Freebird came on. Just made me think about this thread. That's not even my favorite Skynrd song; and, God knows, by the end of the '70s, no one really cared if they heard that or Stairway to Heaven ever again. However, I couldn't help thinking how amazing it would have been to have been lucky enough to have heard Freebird live between '73 and '77.
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I'm not a huge LS fan and IMO Freebird isn't in the top 5 of my favorite songs of theirs but you have to admit.....the lasting legacy of that song is really incredible......almost all of the music shows I've been to you here at least once......someone screaming "Freebird".......

Amazing.....
 
sfidc3 said:
I'm not a huge LS fan and IMO Freebird isn't in the top 5 of my favorite songs of theirs but you have to admit.....the lasting legacy of that song is really incredible......almost all of the music shows I've been to you here at least once......someone screaming "Freebird".......

Amazing.....
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Freebird is on Mt Rushmore Mon Frere
 
sfidc3 said:
......someone screaming "Freebird".......
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It wasn't me, I swear. For the longest time now upon hearing that song, my first thought has been Jenny slipping on the balcony railing in platform shoes high as a kite amazingly managing not to swan dive. Forrest Gump kinda ruined that song for me. It's just too cliche of a "radio play" (that and Sweet Home Alabama) to call it a LS favorite song. But the build-up to the guitar solo in the right frame of mind still hits you.

Of course, hearing Robert Plant do Black Dog live would be amazing even today. But that and Stairway are just too overplayed, I think, to reach for on your playlist time after time when you're listening alone anyway.

I guess they're golden oldies now.
 
sfidc3 said:
I'm not a huge LS fan and IMO Freebird isn't in the top 5 of my favorite songs of theirs but you have to admit.....the lasting legacy of that song is really incredible......almost all of the music shows I've been to you here at least once......someone screaming "Freebird".......

Amazing.....
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The live version of Freebird from Oakland in ‘77 is pretty great.

 
So I knew that the Skynyrd plane went down in Mississippi, but TIL they were on their way to a concert at LSU. Anyone here have tix for THAT concert that they didn't get to go to?
 
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