Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven 1984 Phil Collins On Drums

[fishwithfredo]

At one point in Page's solo, Plant turns to the band, gives them a hard stare and tries to use his tambourine to force everyone back on the beat. It's just a guess, but it's possible Page and Collins were having trouble hearing. They appear to be chasing each other. This could also explain Page's baffling solo.

[witcherysyles1]

This is Farm Aid, to help people in Africa, so that's why they all did it.

[daverow49]

Negative comments on a live performance? How sad you are. Knowing the history of these guys, you should show the utmost respect. Sure criticize their hair and their playing because that is so easy to do. I ask you, "were you there?". If not go away because you will never understand.

[foxmulder900]

I personally don't think this is a bad performance. They have definitely done better, Page missed a few notes, and the drums were out of sync for a second. Considering they hadn't even been a band for 4 years and they were just jumping back into it with drummers which they had never rehearsed with, this seems like a show that I'm sad I missed!

[Orion579]

First off - why did they need 2 drummers?

They already had a drummer and Phil Collins just wanted to push his career with the glory of performing in both England and the US, and playing with Zep. He was not needed.

Second - Plant was already enjoying his successful solo career and was not even thinking of getting back with Zep at the time.

Third - Page is mostly sloppy live anyway even though he is my favorite guitarist (studio).

[jalphonso2]

@Orion579 lol..Phil didn't need to push his career..he was alreadyat the top. If you don't understand why they had 2 drummer and why Zep performed, then you never understood the event at all, and what it meant to millions of people and the bands that got to play that day..lol lol

[nintendomissions]

@Orion579 bonham died in 1980, so at this point they didnt have a drummer

[1250am]

@Orion579 Phil Collins had already contributed to Plant's first two solo albums. Plus Phil 's career was already in overdrive in both solo and Genesis format. In my opinion I think he just wanted to jam with a legendary group for a charitable cause. 100% agree otherwise

[tamalexis]

Page had 23 too many , Mr. Wiggles !!

[FPSsousa]

Sea of people at the end

[KeKeKedhvsc]

8:03 plant cuts page off, LOL

[SRNF]

sounds great but mullets are kinda weird to look at.

reupload this in a higher quality someone please. 

[gahloot]

I saw this live back then and we all thought they sounded like rubbish!The difference is you are now hearing them 30 years after the fact,so yeah they sound good compared to how they would now!We expected more back then!

[SRNF]

@gahloot you are 32 now and you saw them live when you were....5? Bullshit troll

[gahloot]

@SRNF Not my real age Einstein!Duh!

[justatrymusic]

to bad here he could not push on the hight nots..

[I3lindGuardian]

What are any of you talking about? The drums sounded awesome, the only bad part is Jimmy Page's solo, other than that I have no idea what all the fuss is about

[bleekblock]

They should not have knocked J.F.K. Stadium down.

[strawhouse65]

I'm nlt sure that you can blame collins for that dreadful guitar solo

[pjclayton666]

I've seen Zep, and more recently RP in Kavarna with the strange sensation, also seen Page and to be honest if any of you armchair critics had the chance to do a one off like they did in 85,,,you'd screw it far more than these guys...God bless rock and roll!!

[HughieDixon]

A brave effort but they'd not really done anything since Bonham died. Collins didn't really know the breaks intimately. They didn't even properly rehearse.

[dannylampkin]

Page's solo was BAD! He missed key notes and Even when plant started singing again he was off key also,i just think it was a gig they would rather forget and instead of just holding there hands up and moving on they have looked at Phil as a scape goat for there Bad performance and big ego's,but by bringing it up they have brought it to everyones attention bad PR Management also.Shame...Its still a GREAT song tho.

[Alowishius]

According to a documentary on live 8, led zeppelin has been trying to block this footage from being shown, and blame it on phil collins. But to me the guitar sounds off at the start so they shouldn't blame it on phil, poor bloke had a long day xD

[Bluesmeup]

Cool that you have this video! It was in 85 by the way!

[taynuilt1]

None of them come out of this looking too clever. This is a good post, because Zep have moved to ban any further tv broadcast of this performance in almost every country of the world

[9875a]

I can understand why people would be such assholes regarding Page's playing, but you must remember, he is at his finest in the studio, considering he was once one of the greatest studio musicians in Britain, but you can't just bitch about his playing, you must remember he spent a lot of time fucked up on coke and booze.. He just kinda was out of it all through the '80s, whether he was high or not.. But he is definately back to the good ol' days with his playing, nowadays.

[yzertuzzi]

I actually don't understand why most of you think they suck. Why did you watch the video? They sounded pretty great for being live. But hey I'm already a fan.

[Melbournite]

@yzertuzzi I just watched a doco on band aid and it turns out that Led Zeppelin themselves thought this performance sucked. They blamed Phil Collins for it but after watching this, the drums werent their biggest problem. Still good though but I can imagine Zep could be heaps better. Definitely not Phil Collins' drumming that was a problem though, he's got chops from what I can see in this vid. :)

[stevedrums]

@Melbournite Phil has said in interviews that he was trying to communicate with Tony Thompson so they wouldn't get in each other's way but that he felt Tony wasn't interested in what Phil was playing. He also thought that Tony was "auditioning" for a Zeppelin reunion - if that were to take place. Finally, Phil said that he would have walked off if he could have quietly, but couldn't obviously. I was at Live-Aid and at the time it sounded fine, but Page had a rough night.

[ceazea]

I do not disagree with that. Page's playing was hack. . I have only seen him play good 1 time in the past 30 years and that was the last reunion show. HOWEVER, as much as Phil is my musical idol and Genesis is the music of my life he was NOT prepared. And if you do not believe me I will pull up an interview where he talks about this very show and how bad he was. Tony Thompson (RIP) was a bad ass drummer. Listen to Power Station (Some like it hot) and you will hear why Zep picked him!

[PADDYPOWER118]

he is phill collins rocks dude =D

[weescruffy]

Phil Collins is NOT a better drummer than John and Jason Bonham! :P

[TheDensley7]

@weescruffy Yes he is, miles better.

[smilzomagro]

@weescruffy Sure, he is totally different!!

[EverythingAutoDealer]

If this wasn't typical of a Led Zepp Performance, it would have been more painful to watch. Hell they sounded like this after 3 months on the road!. Exhibit 6004; Jimmy Page is NOT "The greatest Guitar player ever." The guy couldn't play live Mott The Hoople. Jimmy Page couldn't roadie for John Petrucci, (Dream Theater.)

[TheDensley7]

@EverythingAutoDealer Yeah, listen to his "solo" man. It sucks monkey bollocks.

[dongtingwong]

Sure would have been nice if Jason Bonham was on drums.

[ontherush77]

@dongtingwong Don't blame Phil, he's way better than both Jason and John thats just what happens when an already shabby Led Zeppelin ask him to play Stairway to Heaven without any rehearsal

[rael1999]

Ouch !! Poor Old Phil he must cringe when he see's this....at least he had the excuse of Jet Lag to blame wonder what excuse Jimmy came up with for that solo !

[brui4ns1]

I was there and Phil sounded fine with the rest of Zep. But for those who disagree, Phil played a solo set, and in a duet in the England part of Live Aid, then flew the Concord to Philly, came straight to this portion of Live Aid, played his own set, then with Zeppelin....In the history of the world there is a grand total of 1 person who has ever even attempted anything close to that....Phil Collins. Excuse me if he wasn't perfect.

[emaculate]

@brui4ns1 Him and nugent. He went lion hunting in Africa, then flew 18 hours by plane then took a helicopter strait to the stage at cal jam. That was the first time any musician ever made 1 million dollars for a single show...... BALLS!!!!!! He still had lion blood on his shoes.

[ceazea]

And you will never see a show where Phil's drumming is so out of place then this one. I believe Tony Thompson was in Rehearsals with Zep for a reunion and you can see what happens when you are not prepared for a show.

[MNori]

@ceazea noboy ws prepared for ths show and thompson is clearly trying to compete with Phil (in a real competition he wolud certainly loose). Plant was touring with Collins and wanted him, Page wanted Thompson. Typical "divas" argument. And remember, Phil flew from London to Philadelphia to play.

[ceazea]

@MNori You are correct. They each had different preferences in drummers. Plant was in Phil's camp. Phil reinvented Plant 2.0. My understanding is that they rehearsed WITH Tony Thompson before this show. As I also understand it it was to be a tour with Tony Thompson that never manifested. Phil got behind the kit and realized that they had been rehearsing and he was way out of place so he backed off a lot and let them play. There is no excuse for Page. He has sucked all but one reunion.

[TheDensley7]

@ceazea They were out of place. Page played like a two year old, Collins had his shit together. Zep are a bunch of fucking arseholes.

[ceazea]

July 1985