STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN AT 51/ SIMPLY LED IN BELFAST – IT WAS 21 YEARS AGO/ LZ NEWS/DL DIARY BLOG UPDATE
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN AT 51 – TBL 51st ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL:
51 years ago this month on March 5 1971 Jimmy Page strapped on a newly acquired Gibson double neck guitar and played the first chords of a new lengthy composition in front of an audience for the first time.
The occasion was Led Zeppelin’s opening date on their UK tour at the Ulster Hall Belfast.
The song was Stairway To Heaven…
So here’s a celebration of this 51st anniversary of a special song.
TBL Archive Special Part 1:
Belfast and Stairway To Heaven -it was 51 years ago…
March 5 marked the 51st anniversary of the milestone Led Zeppelin performance at the Ulster Hall Belfast
Here’s a review from TBL 15 of the then newly surfaced Belfast March 5th 1971 tape:
March 5th tape ensures this historic night will never be forgotten
Led Zeppelin on stage at the Ulster Hall Belfast, March 5th 1971. Photo G. Irwin.
Led Zeppelin’s decision to visit Belfast as part of their spring 1971 UK tour was heralded as a very brave move back in 1971. Few rock artists included it on their intinery due to the escalating political situation and threat of rioting. Earlier in the year T.Rex had pulled out of a planned appearance in Belfast. The Zeppelin concert itself was played out to the background of far off Friday night disturbances in the troubled parts of the city.
Until recently the only recorded remnant of that Irish visit was their March 6th date at Dublin’s Boxing Stadium. Now in a perfect piece of timing, a very rare recording has emerged of the Belfast Ulster Hall show. It was captured by one Norman Hanna – 20 years old at the time. He smuggled-in a newly purchased Phillips cassette recorder and taped the show some two thirds of the way back with the cassette machine positioned on the floor.
Unsurprisingly this newly discovered tape has been negotiated into the hands of the ever enterprising Japanese label Empress Valley and will probably have emerged by the time you are reading this as a deluxe four CD set containing the Belfast and Dublin shows.
The set will include a fourteen page booklet with photos and press cuttings from their Irish shows. This includes reproduction extracts from the review of the show featured in the Northern Ireland newspaper City Week.
Of the fifteen UK dates that comprised the Spring ’71 Back to the clubs tour only the aforementioned Dublin show and the officially released April 1 BBC In Concert recordings have emerged until now. This Belfast recording is therefore most welcome.
The tape recording quality is fair to good for the time – a little distorted and with occasional interference but mostly very listenable.
The most striking aspect of hearing it is the sheer force and determination in their playing. This opening night of their ’71 campaign was their first gig in over five months -the longest lay off so far in their career. It followed an eight week period of intensive recording sessions for their fourth album conducted at Island Studios and on location at Headley Grange.
It’s evident they were itching to air the newly recorded material in a live setting. Before those historic premieres we hear them storm through the then customary Immigrant Song/Heartbreaker opening.
Witnessing this in the Ulster Hall must have been extraordinary. Plant extends the vocal shrieks and the Page solo is just completely out there. Off mic you can occasionally hear the excited babble of Irish accents from the crowd. Then it’s a relaxed run through of Since I’ve Been Loving You. Plant on absolute peak form attaining the high pitched notes with ease. Black Dog is the first of the new songs employing the opening riff of Out On The Tiles. It’s back to the greatest hits for a no-nonsense, compact, Dazed And Confused.
,
More history making follows: Stairway To Heaven live performance number one. A straight rendering slightly tentative with Page playing the unfamiliar, but soon to become more than familiar, tune on the newly acquired Gibson double neck guitar. It suffers slightly here due to cuts and a high pitched sound from the original recording.
Evidence that the softer side of their playing as deployed on Zep 3 would still be present on their forthcoming album was duly demonstrated by the performance of the new Page/ Plant composition Going To California.
The more familiar Zep 2 standards What Is And What Should Never Be and a powerful Moby Dick take us into the finale – the now expected Whole Lotta Love medley including Let That Boy Boogie, Honey Bee and The Lemon Song.
The encores are just plain shattering. A thrashing Communication Breakdown followed by the debut live performance of Rock And Roll – then known as It’s Been A Long Time. A final welcomed bonus brings this historic recording to an end. There’s quite a delay before they get around to performing and it’s evident they are trying to work out what to play. They opt for a rarely played post 1970 version of Bring It On Home performed in a unique delivery sans vocals and harp in the final section.
“If everybody was like this to each other every day there would be no problems,” Plant can be heard to inform the audience just before the second encore. A nostalgic and relevant comment of the times.
Which is exactly what this Belfast discovery represents. It’s a true document of the band at a crucial moment.
Flushed with the massive success of the past, fresh from a welcomed lay off and enthused by the studio sessions that provided yet more new on stage impetus, this is prime 1971 Led Zeppelin.
In short, this tape is a brilliant reminder of how good they were at that stage of their career. Freeze-framing a period when they were receiving deserved mass popularity and acclaim at a time when they were also producing some of their most powerful and vital work.
Incredibly it all happened 30 years ago. The Belfast people haven’t forgotten. Thankfully, the emergence of this tape will make sure they never do.
Remembering Led Zeppelin at the Ulster Hall 1971: Recalled by those that were there…
“The concert was absolutely unbelievable, I was 15 years old and so close to my idols. I was in the seats behind the stage. It is just a moment of great posterity for me in terms of the age I was and seeing the band I loved. I also saw Zeppelin at Earl’s Court but it could never match the intimacy of that night in the Ulster Hall.” Noel Thompson, now a BBC Newsnight reporter.
“It was brilliant. In those days nobody played Belfast unless they were Irish like Taste or Thin Lizzy. To see Led Zeppelin was so enjoyable. It put Belfast-on the map. Stairway To Heaven did not stand out on the night, but I later saw them perform it to 100,000 fans at Knebworth. A lot different to the 1,500 who saw it in 1971.” Mervyn Jones, now a Belfast Councillor.
“When I heard Stairway performed that night I knew it was something special. We were in the front row of the balcony. Whenever I hear that song the memories of that night in Belfast come flooding back to me.” Trevor Haslett, Killinchy
……………………………
The way we were…March 1971
Here are some of the events that were happening 51 years ago as Led Zeppelin toured arund the UK….
LED ZEPPELIN 3 WAS STILL IN THE UK TOP 30 ALBUM CHART.
GEORGE HARRISON WAS AT NUMBER ONE ON BOTH THE SINGLES AND ALBUM CHARTS WITH MY SWEET LORD AND ALL THINGS MUST PASS
THE ROLLING STONES KICKED OFF WHAT MANY CONSIDERED WOULD BE THEIR FINAL UK TOUR AT BRISTOL’S COLSTON HALL
IRON BUTTERFLY, THE BAND ZEPPELIN SUPPORTED ON THEIR FIRST US TOUR, ANNOUNCED THEY WERE DISBANDING
THE UK WAS EXPERIENCING ITS FIRST MONTH OF DECIMILISATION AND STILL IN THE THROES OF A GENERAL POSTAL STRIKE
NEWLY RELEASED ALBUMS INCLUDED NICK DRAKE’S BRYTER LATER, THE FACES’ LONG PLAYER AND SOFT MACHINE FOUR. NEW SINGLES JUST OUT INCLUDED JOHN LENNON’S POWER TO THE PEOPLE, DEEP PURPLE WITH STRANGE KINDA WOMAN AND BOB DYLAN’S IF NOT FOR YOU
CHOICE GIGS OF THE MONTH INCLUDED CURVED AIR AND GENESIS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX FOR 62 NEW PENCE AND HAWKWIND AND THE PINK FARIES AT THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON.
ON TV ATOMIC ROOSTER AND LEON RUSSELL WERE GUESTS ON BBC2’S DISCO 2 WHILE THE ANDY WILLIAMS SHOW INCLUDED RAY CHARLES, ELTON JOHN AND CASS ELLIOT
NEW FILMS AT THE CINEMA INCLUDED LOVE STORY STARRING RYAN O’NEAL AND ALI MACGRAW AND BARBARA STREISAND IN THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT.
IN FOOTBALL, FOLLOWING THEIR GIANT KILLING FIFTH ROUND 3-2 VICTORY OVER LEEDS IN THE FA CUP, COLCHESTER WERE BEATEN 5-0 BY EVERTON IN THE SIXTH ROUND. IN THE SAME ROUND ARSENAL DEFEATED LEICESTER 1-0 IN A REPLAY ON THEIR WAY TO SECURING THEIR CUP AND LEAGUE DOUBLE.
……………………
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN AT 51:
Back in 2011 I conducted a poll amongst TBL readers to determine the favourite live version version of Stairway To Heaven…here’s the results:
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN: THE TBL 40th ANNIVERSARY POLL:
Today we celebrate what is arguably their greatest song by announcing the results of the TBL Stairway To Heaven 40th Anniversary Poll
And the winner is….
Many thanks for the great response to the Stairway To Heaven At 40 Poll.
We can reveal that the fans choice for the greatest version live version of their greatest song is……..
Earls Court May 25th, 1975 – the DVD version
This is the version that was produced by Jimmy Page and can be seen and heard on the 2003 official Led Zeppelin DVD
In second place…
Madison Square Garden July, 1973 – the Song Remains The Same soundtrack version
Fans have displayed great loyalty for the official original live version as produced by Jimmy Page for The Song Remains The Same soundtrack album.
In third place…
Knebworth August 4th, 1979
More lasting affection for one of the most celebrated of Zep appearances.
In fourth place…
Long Beach June 27th 1972 – as produced by Jimmy Page for the How The West Was Won live album released in 2003.
In fifth place…
BBC Paris Theatre In Concert April 1st 1971 – officially released on the BBC Sessions album in 1997
Here is the complete Top 20 listing of the favourite live versions of Stairway To Heaven as voted by readers of the TBL website
1: Stairway To Heaven – Earls Court May 1975 DVD version
2: Stairway To Heaven – Madison Square Garden July 1973 –
From The Song Remains The Same soundtrack album
3: Stairway To Heaven – Knebworth August 4th 1979
4: Stairway To Heaven – Long Beach June 27th 1972 as released officially on
How The West Was Won
5: Stairway To Heaven – BBC In Concert April 1st, 1971 – as released officially on the BBC Sessions set in 1997.
6: Stairway To Heaven – Earls Court May 24th, 1975
7: Stairway To Heaven – 02 Arena December 10th 2007
8: Stairway To Heaven – Berkeley September 14th 1971 – from the Going To California bootleg.
9: Stairway To Heaven – LA Forum June 23rd 1977 – from the For BadgeHolders Only bootleg
10: Stairway To Heaven – Berlin July 7th 1980
11: Stairway To Heaven – Knebworth August 11th 1979
12: Stairway To Heaven –Madison Square Garden February 12th 1975
13: Stairway To Heaven – Vienna March 16th 1973
14: Stairway To Heaven – Jimmy Page ARMS Royal Albert Hall September 1983
15: Sairway To Heaven – Seattle Kingdome July 17th 1977
16: Stairway To Heaven – Belfast Ulster Hall March 5th 1971
17: Stairway To Heaven – LA Forum June 3rd 1973 from the Three Days After bootleg
18: Stairway To Heaven – LA Forum June 21st 1977 from the Listen To This Eddie bootleg
19: Stairway To Heaven – Zurich June 29th 1980
20: Stairway To Heaven – Budokan Japan, September 23rd 1971
And here is the winning choice: Stairway To Heaven as performed by Led Zeppelin at Earls Court – May 25th 1975
I recommend you take 10 minutes and 27 seconds of your time to marvel in the glory of this astonishing performance on YouTube:
View it at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxfniXCwrJA
Clock the genius at:
00.36: The camera pans on to Jonesy as he plays the plaintive keyboard opening.
At 3 minutes 18 – and Robert’s ‘’Baby baby’’ pleading.
At 4. 06 – Robert’s spontaneous ‘’Priceless’’ after the ‘’Do you remember laughter’’ line.
4.30 – Bonzo’s timely entry.
5.23 – the line ‘’You head is humming and it won’t go –in case you don’t know’’ accented by Bozo’s bass drum.
5.31 – Robert’s moving ‘’Dear PEOPLE can you hear the wind blow and did you know – OUR stairway lies on the whispering wind’.
5.48 – the first crescendo as Jimmy hoists the Gibson double neck high
and then on into what must be one of the finest pieces of live performance in their history.
6.14 – as Plant clusters around Jimmy as he switches necks for the scintillating solo.
7.22 – as the pictures crossfades to Robert banging the tambourine totally lost in the world of Led Zeppelin.
7.51 through to 8.59 as Page delivers a sublimely lyrical solo that again has Plant lost in the music and John Bonham…dear John, behind it all totally on the groove – this sequence brings a lump to my throat every time.
9.00 – the final glorious run in.
9.38 ‘’Never roll people …please don’t make me roll’’.
9.49 – the camera captures Jonesy in that Spanish jacket…
10.02 – Robert’s sings the final line we all know so well and it echoes across the eerie wastes of Earls Court…and into eternity…
Led Zeppelin – Stairway to To Heaven Earls Court
…And that is the greatest live performance of a song that has been now been enthralling us for 40 years – as voted by TBL web readers.
Postscript 2022:
Stairway To Heaven – still the pure essence of Led Zeppelin
Long may it reign…
Dave Lewis – March 2, 2022
TBL Archive 2:
SIMPLEY LED BACK TO BELFAST – 21 YEARS GONE:
This TBL Archive feature looks back to the events that took place on the 30th anniversary of that first airing of Stairway To Heaven.
21 years ago popular tribute band Simply Led came up with a very clever idea – they decided to book the Ulster Hall in Belfast to perform a special anniversary concert 30 years ago to the very day Led Zeppelin had staged that opening night of their UK tour when Stairway To Heaven was first played – and in the very hall that first echoed to the sounds of what would become such an iconic composition.
I was invited to go over to cover the event for TBL – it was a fantastic success. There was a genuine sense of history in being in the vicinity where Led Zeppelin had performed all those years ago. Simply Led played superbly and the people of the city were incredibly friendly and receptive. The comment from one fan afterwards ‘’Thanks for bringing Led Zeppelin’s music back to Belfast’’ said it all.
There’s always a poignancy about reflecting on this occasion as sadly, Simply Led’s drummer Paul Kelvie passed away in 2006 and last year Andy Adams also sadly passed away.
So this piece is dedicated to the much missed Paul who 21 years ago along with Eddie Edwards, Keith Lambert and Phil Eldridge reunited the Led Zeppelin fans of Belfast in fitting style –all in the very place where Stairway To Heaven was first performed live. It was a unique occasion and I feel so privileged to have been in attendance…and this is also dedicated to the late equally much missed Andy Adams…
Remembering Led Zeppelin at the Ulster Hall
Belfast Re-unites Under Simply Led
March 5th 2001: Another cold Monday. Another journey. Today I’m bound for Belfast to celebrate a very special Zeppelin related anniversary. For 30 years ago on this very day Led Zeppelin took a Trident Hovercraft across the Irish sea to perform what would be their only concerts in the Emerald Isle. On the evening of Friday March 5TH 1971 they performed their opening show of the so called “Back to the clubs tour” at the Ulster Hall, Belfast. During their set that night they unveiled a new composition due to appear on their forthcoming fourth album. It was called Stairway To Heaven. Five million radio plays later…
30 years on the London-based tribute band Simply Led have hit upon a very novel and ambitious idea. Tonight they will perform a special anniversary tribute concert at the Ulster Hall – scene of that history making evening for Led Zeppelin back in 1971. Particularly ambitious when you consider this is only their second gig together.
Tribute bands of course are now an accepted part of the live gig scene. Any half renowned or much missed ex-mega group has anything up to half dozen would be copyists trouping up and down the pub circuit. Zeppelin are well served and I have immense respect for the likes of Fred Zeppelin, Whole Lotta Led, Boot Led Zeppelin Let’s Zep who pack ’em in week in week out.
Simply Led’s Belfast plan, as I said, is massively ambitious, and they have done their homework. Singer Keith Lambert had come over a month back to launch the idea at a press conference which garnered much local coverage. Ticket sales have been brisk with already 600 sold. Bass and keyboardist Eddie Edwards assures me they have rehearsed intensely to do the real thing justice on the night. For my part it’s an opportunity to support Eddie, a long-term TBL associate (notably his Song Remains dissection in TBL 13) and spread the TBL word in a new territory. Despite the foot and mouth scare and the freezing weather, the flight out of Luton goes to plan and I meet up with the band around mid day. It’s great to see Andy Adams (pictured here with Eddie) is in tow to lend them a hand and we walk down with Eddie to view the Ulster Hall in the afternoon. Morale is well high by this time – ticket sales have exceeded all expectations with a good chance of over 1,000 likely to witness the show.
As we walk around the balcony of the grand hall it begins to get exciting. There is a genuine sense of history about the place which is smaller than I expected and one of the most impressive venues I’ve ever seen. The vantage point over the stage up on the balcony is superb and you can’t help thinking how incredible it must have been to have viewed the original 1971 show from up here.
Eddie and his boys are understandably more than nervous as they arrive for the soundcheck and run down extremely competent versions of Heartbreaker and The Wanton Song amongst others. Paul let me get behind the drum kit and it was a big thrill to look out at the view John Bonham himself would have had on that night of 30 years ago.
Andy and I set up a display and stall in the foyer and head over to the pub for some pre -gig banter with the local Irish contingent already in. Everyone is really friendly and so keen to witness tonight’s celebration. Over at the Ulster Hall a couple of hundred fans are snaking their way around the hall eager for the doors to open.
There’s already a great sense of occasion in the air. Original 1971 promoter Jim Aiken comes over to view the scene. “This is so special to be witnessing this again,” he tells me. “I can remember how excited we all were to get them here at the time. Nobody apart from Rory of course and a few others bothered to play Belfast. We still talk about the night Zeppelin came…”
It’s a wonderful cross section of fans who mill around the foyer. The elders who remember that momentous night 30 years ago, some bringing their off-spring’s to hear the songs that made such a troubled place at one with itself all those years back. There’s also lots of younger fans in attendance not even born when Zeppelin played their final gig in 1980. It makes for a very boisterous atmosphere and from the moment Simply Led take the stage and chug into the Immigrant Song/ Heartbreaker double whammy that was a staple part of the ’71 Zep set, well that sense of occasion is duly shared by band and audience alike.
I must say that in the weeks leading up to the gig 1 had my doubts that they could pull this off convincingly. It’s a pleasure to be proved so wrong. A combination of this being the right anniversary at the right time in exactly the right place makes the next couple of hours an absolute joy.
This is no mere tribute concert. This is an event and Simply Led rise to the occasion.
Highlights: Guitarist Phil Eldridge’s fluid Gibson work during Over The Hills, Keith Lambert’s pleasing ad-libs (“Acapulco gold”) and pre-’73 high vocal register, Paul Kelvie’s drumming superb throughout the show – as good a Bonham-inspired performance you will see this side of Michael Lee. Eddie Edwards strong feel for Jonesy’s musicianship evident in a compact No Quarter and an ambitious and suitably emotional Stairway. Finally a rousing Whole Lotta Love and Rock And Roll brings to a close a striking performance. Throughout it all I couldn’t help thinking that right here in this very hall exactly 30 years to the, moment Led Zeppelin were making history. I’m sure it was an emotion shared by many in attendance. The atmosphere as the crowd spill into the foyer is a joy to be part of. It’s more than evident that Simply Led have captured the spirit of Zeppelin very well indeed.
Back stage the band themselves are justifiably triumphant. “They’ll never believe this back home,” says Eddie. And I guess unless I’d witnessed it myself I’d probably have been of the same opinion.
As I mentioned earlier the fundamental reason this all came together was the location and timing. Coupled of course with Simply Led’s enthusiasm, musical prowess and sheer determination to pull it off.
Belfast was a very special gig for any band back in those troubled times of ’71. For a band of Led Zeppelin’s stature to come and perform here was a real event. On tonight’s turnout that gesture way back in ’71 has obviously not been forgotten by the people of Belfast.
The whole evening is wonderfully summed up by the excited comment of one of the elder generation of Zep fans here tonight.
“Thanks for bringing Led Zeppelin’s music back to Belfast,” he tells Andy on the way out. It’s an accolade echoing throughout this historic venue. And that’s some accolade for a tribute band playing only their second gig,
Simply Led have every reason to feel very proud of themselves because tonight in Belfast they paid homage to a very special concert in Led Zeppelin’s history.
And in doing so they reunited the people of Belfast just as the real thing had done on a similar cold Irish night 30 years ago. It was simply remarkable.
Dave Lewis, March 6 2001
Simply Led Belfast March 5th 2001 -Paul Kelvie, Eddie Edwards, Keith Lambert, Phil Eldridge
With thanks to Eddie Edwards and Keith Lambert
Dedicated to Paul Kelvie 1961 – 2006 and Andy Adams 1961 – 2021
Check out Eddie Edward’s superb dissection of various Led Zeppelin releases at
http://www.thegardentapes.co.uk/
……………………
LZ News:
Here’s the latest round up from LZ News:
Led Zeppelin
- Previously unseen photographs of Led Zeppelin performing in Mannheim, Germany on July 2, 1980 have been published online for the first time. The photos were taken by Andy Acevedo Jr, who was stationed in Germany with the US Air Force at the time.
Robert Plant
- Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England which will take place on June 22-26, it was announced on March 4. The announcement wasn’t a surprise, however. Plant hinted at performing at this year’s Glastonbury festival with Krauss in a BBC radio interview on November 23.
- A competition is being held where people can win tickets to Plant and Krauss’ upcoming US tour dates. The Tunespeak contest can be found here. The competition will close on May 13.
- Robert Plant’s April 23 show with Saving Grace in Middlesbrough, England has been rescheduled to April 25.
Upcoming events:
2022 – “Robert Plant: A Life In Vision,” a photo book edited by Dave Lewis, will be published.
March – Jimmy Page’s two new fine art photo prints will be released.
March 29 – The Walmart-exclusive editions of three Led Zeppelin albums will be released.
April 8 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Bexhill, England.
April 10 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Folkestone, England.
April 11 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in London, England.
April 14 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Hull, England.
April 15 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Scunthorpe, England.
April 16 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in York, England.
April 19 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Bewdley, England.
April 20 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Rhyl, Wales.
April 22 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Liverpool, England.
April 25 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Middlesbrough, England.
April 26 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Halifax, England.
April 27 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Stockport, England.
April 29 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace in Aberystwyth, Wales.
May 1 – Robert Plant will perform with Saving Grace at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival in Cheltenham, England.
May 7 – The Black Country Beats exhibition at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, which is set to include Robert Plant’s career, will open.
May 13 – The Tunespeak competition to win tickets for Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ US tour will close.
June 1 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Canandaigua, New York.
June 3 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Saratoga Springs, New York.
June 4 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Forest Hills, New York.
June 6 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Clarkston, Michigan.
June 7 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Chicago, Illinois.
June 9 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Indianapolis, Indiana.
June 11 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Columbia, Maryland.
June 12 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
June 14 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Cary, North Carolina.
June 16 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Atlanta, Georgia.
June 17 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee.
June 22-26 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England.
June 26 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at BST Hyde Park in London, England.
June 29 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark.
July 1 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Hamar, Norway.
July 2 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Bergen, Norway.
July 5 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Rättvik, Sweden.
July 8 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at Cactusfestival in Bruges, Belgium.
July 10 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at the Royal Park Live festival in Baarn, Netherlands.
July 14 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at the Lucca Summer Festival in Lucca, Italy.
July 16 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at JazzOpen Stuttgart 2022 in Stuttgart, Germany.
July 18 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Sopot, Poland.
July 20 – Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform in Berlin, Germany.
September 4 – The Black Country Beats exhibition at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, which is set to include Robert Plant’s career, will close.
October 5 – The French translation of “Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin” will be published.
Early 2023 – “A Whole Lotta Music: Life To My Ears,” the memoirs of Tight But Loose editor Dave Lewis, will be published.
2023 – A remastered and expanded 30th anniversary edition of “Coverdale–Page” will be released.
The complete Led Zeppelin News email goes out periodically. To receive it sign up here:http://tinyletter.com/LedZepNews
Led Zeppelin News Website: Check out the Led Zeppelin news website at
DL Diary Blog Update:
Wednesday March 2:
Thursday March 3:
World Book Day:
Today (Thursday March 3) is World Book Day – as my world has revolved around books for as long as I can remember here’s a couple of vintage reviews of some of mine…
Update here…
Early last week I developed a severe cold and feared the worst. At the end of last week I subsequently tested positive for Covid.
Since then I’ve been in bed self-isolating. Unfortunately I haven’t escaped with just mild symptoms. The cold has lingered on, I’ve had headaches and constant achiness plus a loss of taste and smell –and generally feel very run down.
I am not looking for sympathy or advice as I know many people have been and are in a similar situation.
I do think for my own wellbeing I need to take a break and I won’t be posting on Facebook for a while. I will try and keep the TBL website postings going though it won’t be every week – perhaps bi weekly or monthly – I will just have to see how I feel moving on.
Like I said, for now I think it really is time I stepped away from things for a while as it’s all got a bit too much. I also need to be supporting Janet with her ongoing leg immobility situation and surgery ahead.
Fundamentally I need to try and regain my physical and mental strength which at the moment is well shot.
Thanks for listening and for all your support.
Dave Lewis – March 9 , 2022
Until next time, stay safe and stay well…
Website updates written and compiled by Dave Lewis
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Dave, hate to hear of you getting Covid! I came down with it just before New Year and it wiped me out for quite a while. Take your time getting better, take good care of yourself and Janet, and we’ll be here for you.
This post was another rich vein of nuggets, for which we thank you. (Sorry I haven’t been checking in… am at the end of a long process of moving out of my old apartment. I’d forgotten how demanding it is!)
Best wishes and prayers for you and Janet!
– Ralph S.
Hey Dave…Don’t worry mate, you will get there, keep safe & rocking of course…cheers…Paul.
Great article Dave, Stairway is the crowning achievement of the first phase of Zeppelin and perhaps the highpoint of their career. It’s quite unlike anything else they did, particularly in terms of the lyrics which fit the song perfectly (with apologies to Robert Plant who may disagree with that these days!). Good luck with your health, I know it gets harder as we get older.
Dave
Take care of yourself and the good lady Janet. Priorities matter. And remember your world wide TBL fan base will be here upon your return. We’re not going anywhere.
Best wishes.
Ditto Steve Hall’s comments. Look after yourself Dave – Hope you feel refreshed and recharged after a long and much needed break. Best wishes to you and Janet.
Hi Dave – take care, take your time, be strong and be back when you feel for it. Best wishes and thoughts.
Get well soon! A world without TBL is a little grayer than one with. Take care of yourself
Hi, Dave – fully understand your reasons for stepping back for a while. Your (and Janet’s) health must always come first – as important as any news about Zep is to us ‘nerds’, nothing can take the place of health and happiness.
Take good care of both of you, mate, and come back to us once you’re fully fit!
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