February 25, 1972
Auckland, NZ
Western Springs Stadium
Immigrant Song,
Heartbreaker,
Black Dog,
Since I've Been Loving You,
Stairway to Heaven,
Going to California,
That's the Way,
Tangerine,
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,
Dazed and Confused,
Moby Dick,
Whole Lotta Love (medley incl. Let That Boy Boogie, Hello Mary Lou, Let's Have a Party, Going Down Slow),
Communication Breakdown.
Zeppelin had come from Australia, and in keeping with a number of rock acts who've played there, they didn't have much of a time there. A harrowing raid on their motel in Perth had obviously left it's mark on a still-shaken Jimmy Page at the small party quickly arranged for them the night they arrived. You sensed they were going to play this one through on alcohol before getting back to Sanity. "Australia was really pretty s-----," said Page as his eyes wandered around the room -- the occasional groupie grooving to Sha Na Na (Sha Na Na?), the inevitable media people whom Raymond tactfully remembered to invite, and John Bonham filling the intermittent silences with amusing and loud imitations . . . a chick with "Merlene" knitted across her breasts, was arranging "interviews" (EMI's delightful press liaison girl Louise told me Merlene was "a strange person who read poetry in Wellington -- 500 miles away") and it was later dutifully reported that Merlene had scored two out of four.
There had been some publicity on how there would be live animals jumping through hoops, but all that had sort of been forgotten what with all the mind-food fighting for a hold in our heads. But suddenly there was a lion on stage: Plant. I mean we all read the rock magazines over here and the record companies sportingly release just about everything with half a reputation, but we didn't realize that Zeppelin were so loud -- specifically Plant doing the jungle intro to "Immigrant Song." And then Page hitting those chords...most of us had seen Townshend a couple of years before (just about the time the Who were breaking in America) and we'd always thought that was the way to play chords. But Page has moved along with the times -- and weren't we lucky to see him. On the other side of the world. Wow.
I'll skip the way they put the concert together -- it was exactly the way we expected they'd fill three hours and doubtless exactly the way they'd done it many times before. Suffice to say they played excellently, relative to their records and relative to reviews on how they'd played in the past.
It was really quite a significant evening for New Zealand and for New Zealand rock. On record there are a few bands that still have it over Led Zeppelin for my taste, but working simply on what I have to work on, I can't really see there being much better live rock around -- possibly because Zeppelin came here with a definite mystery thing where say the Stones have been exposed both live and on record live: Zeppelin haven't done anything live and they refuse to be filmed (Two detectives accompanied the NZBC film crew around Western Springs to ensure the cameras would never swing round onto the stage).
This was the best music concert I've ever been to. It was awesome music ....and loud. News reviews the next day reported the band could be heard 5 miles from the Stadium.
woww. what a rage. we travelled by train from wellingbone for the zep gig. I believe the train which was a zep spec was due to be invaded by the mob at waiouru???? didnt get any sleep all weekend. heeps of pillow fights on the way up .The carriage was a riot. then the concert.....say no more .
Another excellent show! A very unusual thing happens during Dazed And Confused just prior to Jimmy's bow solo, he starts playing a section of the then unreleased The Song Remains The Same! No two versions are ever the same and it's great to hear this surprising inclusion. Furious Communication Breakdown is played as a closer to delight of rowdy and audience.
Type &fmt=18 at the end of the URL for high quality sound and pix!
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9:45Immigrant Song ~ Heartbreakerby Conneyfogle1,850 views
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