I’ve done some pretty crazy things over the years in pursuit of Planet Zeppelin … zipping off to see Plant at the Hammersmith Odeon three hours after the birth of Samantha in 1990 is definitely up there in the “What on earth was I thinking of?” category … as was the decision to fly over to Istanbul to see the last two nights of the Page & Plant Eastern European tour.

For it was ten years ago today on March 5th 1998 that the Foy’s and myself landed in Istanbul to take in the two Page & Plant gigs at the Bostanci Center.

A crazy notion not least for the threat of Turkey being amidst the projected air strikes that looked to be kicking off in the Gulf war conflict earlier that year. This prompted one wag to predict a title of The Human Shield for the inevitable bootleg.

Luckily those issues had all calmed down by the time we landed.

It was an eventful trip considerably livened up by the presence of big New York fan Dardo Simone (Dardo where are you now? Get in touch!) and a case of mistaken identify involving the tour bus. I’d need to be under the influence of several pints to tell the full story and I’m saving that for my memoirs anyway. Suffice to say it caused some stress.

“One day we’ll be able to laugh abut this” I seem to remember was one comment made at the time.

It took a while…

Was it all worth it? But of course – despite everything the gigs were great and it set up a truly mad month of March that saw us take in the Shepherds Bush gig, and the filming Top Of The Pops and TFI Friday all in the space of three days.

Can it be really ten years ago?… It’s a daunting thought when you think god willing, that in ten years I’ll be nigh on 62 … and for that matter Robert 70, JPJ 72 and Jimmy 74.

My how time the wheel roles on …

Haven’t played the Clarksdale album in a while, but I’ll be digging that out this week and reminiscing on that period of silly Turkish hats (that was you GF!), rimmed T-shirts and leather trousers, When I Was a Child and Most High…Most High…

Elsewhere its been back to normal on the football front with Spurs 4-1 defeat at Birmingham, oh and while we are on the subject, the boy Adam has pointed out he needs 4 goals now for 100 in four seasons not five as I previously stated!

TBL 20 text has been ongoing – amongst the listening pleasure there’s been the pre-fame Zep compilation that I’ve just caught up with titled Your Time Is Gonna Come – The Roots Of  Led Zeppelin 1964-1969,  excellent fare with various JPJ/Plant/Page pre Zep rarities and more – all housed in a very informative fold out sleeve.

Right I’m off to find my vinyl copy of Walking In To Clarksdale “It may turn out to be one of the most durable and ultimately satisfying albums of their entire career” I stated in my review back in TBL 13.

I’ll let you know  how it sounds…

Finally…In the retail world we had one of our busiest Saturdays of the year last week – the day before Mothers Day, and I can report from the front that Raising Sand was in big demand as a prime CD present alongside the likes of compilations such as Best Mothers Day Album In The World Ever and the latest Michael Buble and Donny Osmond albums.  The crossover of that album shows no sign of abating.  Given all the Robert preferring to tour with Alison as opposed to tour with Zep rumours – as somebody pointed out to me recently Alison has taken on (unwittingly and unfairly) something of a Yoko Ono role in the saga.   Although who knows, there may be more twists and turns to it all yet…