”One publishes a splendid Led Zeppelin magazine doesn’t one” – The TBL 2 meet HRH, July 21st 1982.
Seeing the announcement of the Princes Trust concert due to be staged later this year with Eric Clapton headlining, reminded me of my experiences at the 1982 Princes Trust Rock Gala staged at the London Dominion Theatre.
This was the night Robert Plant performed on a London stage for the first time since the demise of Zep. My good friend Tom and I were there on the evening of July 21st 1982 to witness …

The TBL 2 GF and DL meet with another fully paid up member of the Black Country Communion – Marble Arch London July 5th 2010
Last Monday was a bit of a whirlwind day as aside from the evening’s Them Crooked Vultures gig, Gary and I had a lunchtime rendezvous with Glenn Hughes.
This was to conduct a follow up interview with Glenn regarding the Black Country Communion album. As he had been on the phone from LA back in February, Glenn was a fantastic interviewee.   Accommodating, friendly, lucid and incredibly positive, …

Set List: Mind Eraser/Dead End Friends/Scumbag Blues/Elephants/Highway 1/Gunman/Nobody Loves Me/Bandoliers/Interlude With Ludes/Caliulove/You Can’t Possibly Begin To Imagine/Daffodils/Reptiles/Warsaw/Encore New Fang
Them Crooked Vultures took what may, or may not be their last UK  bow last night at a triumphant finale at London’s Brixton 02 Academy.  As Josh Homme noted, it brought the band full circle as it was here last August that the Vultures first announced themselves at a low key support slot to the Arctic Monkeys.
There was nothing low key about this Brixton return – a benefit show for TCV friend, …

DL with a fully paid up member of the Black Country Communion –  London June 29th 2010
Let’s get this one out of the way.  England’s exit from the World Cup was indeed a bitter pill to swallow. I know we were poor overall, but I can’t help thinking if the goal that never was had been rightly allowed it might have all been a different story. It’s all history now though and we are left with the aftermath, the recriminations and inquests.  Can’t get too excited about the rest of …

The TBL Limited Edition Earls Court 35th anniversary T. shirt is now available.
Be sure to be seen in the coolest T. shirt of the summer
Positive feedback so far for this essential TBL accessory:
”It looks fantastic and quality is superb.  Will definitely wear with pride!  I have a unique t shirt that I wear to gigs and have done since ’93.  This will be retired in favour of the Earls Court t shirt” -Carl Jacobs/UK
The T shirt is a Fruit of the Loom Super Premium quality white shirt with the Jimmy …

 
Above – On stage  Cologne June 18th 1980 – Photos copyright Tom Locke/TBL
To mark the 30th anniversary of the beginning of the final Led Zeppelin tour, this special TBL archive extract takes us back to the hot and steamy summer night of June 18th 1980. A night of rejuvenation that I was lucky enough to witness at very close quarters.
Being in close proximity during five of the gigs, there was a real sense of rejuvenation among the band and entourage. Even if the performances were an uneven blend of the …

Above: Cologne June 18th 1980:  A pensive DL after realising that nothing was going to shift those posters and thoughts of  an ebay nest egg  30 years on fading fast…
World Cup Update June 18th:  Oh dear…Bonzo was right after all…football is a load of bollocks – when it’s played like that.  An uterly dismal performance tonight that leaves us hanging on for a win on Wednesday or it will be all over. Yes we have been here before -1986  and 1990, but we really are running out of time and …

Twenty years ago today on Monday June 4th 1990 I awoke with the prospect of a couple of Robert Plant gigs ahead over the next two nights. These were the London dates Robert was playing in support of the Manic Nirvana album.
Tickets were sorted, arrangements made – I was going with my good friend Terry and a couple of the boys I worked with and planned to hook up with Gary Foy and the TBL crew in Hammersmith..
The good lady Janet was pregnant and our first born was due in …

Just listened to the John Bonham Story on BBC 6 Music. A Brilliantly put together documentary with moving and perceptive comment from a variety of family, friend’s and fellow musicians.
Dave Grohl’s no frills narration allowed the story to flow easily. From John’s early days there were comments from Bill Harvey, Dave Pegg and Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward.  Robert fondly recalled his first meeting -‘’You are pretty good but you would be better with me as drummer’’, and the hilarious story when the door handle fell off the Band Of Joy’s …

 
TBL 26 is now out on the streets – all subscribers’ copies and orders up to today have been distributed. UK subscribers should now have received their copies and overseas orders are on their way. This issue has already reached out to Zep fans in the UK, USA, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador, Indonesia, Israel, Malta, France, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Russia. I know – I packed every one!
The message needs to keep spreading as I know there are many fans reading this that have yet …