Five years gone….
Yes five years ago today lucky fans from across the world converged on to the 02 Arena in London to witness the live return of Led Zeppelin for one night only in memory of Ahmet Ertegun.
Of course though the wonder of the Celebration Day film, in recent months millions of fans worldwide have been able to share in the magic of  that glorious night.
To mark the occasion, reproduced below are some thoughts from fans present on the night plus the press reaction at the time and the reflections …

Fed up with receiving the same old tired gifts for Christmas each year? Why not give your loved ones a nudge in the direction of the TBL ordering page and get them to invest on your behalf –let them really know what you want for Christmas or you may well end up with novelty socks and boxers yet again. Alternatively just treat yourself!
Here is a round up of TBL Product on offer this Christmas –all orders will be processed and dispatched as received.
TBL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEA 1:
THE TBL 2012 MAGAZINE …

Rejuvenation in Cologne: Wednesday June 18th 1980 -Photo by Tom Locke.
The magnificent city of Cologne, a mixture of hustling German efficiency and enthusiastic tourism, looks dull and hazy as our train rolls into the station on a June, Wednesday morning. It’s in the vicinity of the square that surrounds the impressive Cologne cathedral that the reality of what Tom and I are actually doing here really hits home.  Along a side street adjoining the square are a row of blue and red bill posters, each proclaiming the same message: “Lippman, …

 
Led Zeppelin Feather In the Wind –Over Europe 1980 -Compiled by Dave Lewis
The already much acclaimed new book is the perfect read this summer:
Chronicling the final days of Led Zeppelin in greater detail than ever before – setting the scene with the build up to the tour, combining on the spot reports of the gigs from the time and retrospective views from those that were there both out front and backstage. Includes an in depth gig by gig analysis of the 14 shows, full bootleg, memorabilia and statistic appendix section and illustrated …

John Bonham would have been 63 on Tuesday May 31st – the above photo is one of my favourite of John – not least because I was lucky enough to take it. It captures him receiving one of seven awards presented by Michael Palin (on the right) to three quarters of Led Zeppelin on the afternoon of November 28th 1979 at the Waldorf Hotel in London.
Surprisingly and somewhat ironically, Bonzo lost out to Phil Collins as top drummer. John was somewhat irked by this. Jason told me a story recently …

It’s gearing up to be a TBL summer of mass consumption with an outpouring of new TBL product due. Firstly Tight But Loose issue 29 is ready to go. This first issue of the 2011 subscription is another action packed affair. The magazine will be distributed over the next few days.If you are a 2010 subscriber your subscription ended with issue 28.
Now is the time to re subscribe!
All the details of how to subscribe can be found on the TBL Subscriptions link at the top of the TBL home page.

TBL …

It was great to be back in the vacinity of those May daze of 1975 this week when a visit to the London Trade Book Fair took me back to Earls Court. Coming out of the tube and seeing that grand old building come into view is like catching up on some much missed distant relation. It will be a shame of this monument to so many historic occasions is allowed to disappear under the bulldozer in the name of so called progress.
I was at the fair with my good …

Progress on the book I have been compiling titled  Feather In The Wind- Led Zeppelin  Over Europe 1980 is ongoing and we are now commencing the design stage with a view to publication in late May/June.
Here’s what the book is all about:
In the summer of 1980, Led Zeppelin undertook what would be their final tour –a low key 14 date trek across  Germany, Belgium, Holland, Austria and Switzerland.
With a radically streamlined stage presentation and set list, the aim was to get back to being a working band after all the …

Led Zeppelin performing Achilles Last Stand -Mannheim, July 3rd 1980. Photo by Tom Locke. Taken from the forthcoming book Feather In The Wind – Led Zeppelin Over Europe 1980.
Another couple of intensive weeks spent in the year 1980 and on tour with Led Zeppelin.
No bad place to be of course but that’s how it’s been here recently as I wade on with the Over Europe book. Progress is good and there has been a lot to cram in. Recent highlights have been an interview with an important player in the …

Bob Harris with Robert 2008
The bearded man I was sat across from last Tuesday lunchtime at the Heights bar in London, was directly responsible for enlightening myself and thousands of other Led Zeppelin fans, via his announcements from the TV screen on Tuesday and Friday nights back in the 1970s.
He was the man who introduced the stunning sequence that accompanied the premier of a new Led Zeppelin track on the evening of Tuesday, March 20th 1973. ‘’It’s the band’s use of dynamics’’, he said in that calm whispering tone, ‘’And …