DAVE LEWIS DIARY: KNEBWORTH SATURDAY AUGUST 4 1979 – 33 YEARS GONE/OLYMPICS LONDON 2012/ZACRON 1943 -2012/LOOKING AHEAD
The anniversary of Led Zeppelin at Knebworth always resonates that little bit more when it falls on the actual days –as it does this year. Saturday August 4th –just writing that date sends a tingle of excitement because that is the day when it all occurred back in that field just outside Stevenage all of 33 years ago.
Today I, and thousands of other fans will no doubt be thinking back to that glorious day in the summer of 1979 when finally, after all the waiting, Led Zeppelin were back doing what they did best – performing live on stage. With each passing year, the Zep Knebworth legacy grows that little bit more important as they really were some of the days of our lives. I’ll certainly be harking back to that remarkable day and I aim to hook up with fellow Bedford Knebworth compatriot later to recall that celebrated blind date in the company of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham
Have a look on the Tight But Loose Facebook pages to see the Knebworth saga unfolding today
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Absolutely loved the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony. It was one of those truly iconic television moments that you felt really a part of. Danny Boyle did this country proud. And hey there was even a massive piece of global advertising for TBL via the number plate seen on the mini that arrived in the stadium prior to the first musical sequence. Just something Danny and I cooked up! You gotta love it!
It was while watching the ceremony that I began to regret not doing anything about getting tickets. So began a bit of a mission that resulted amazingly, in us being lucky enough to be at the Olympic Park right where the action is.
At short notice and thanks to the immense kindness of Michaela and Ian, we enjoyed a simply wonderful day at the Olympic Park on Wednesday amongst good friends. We watched the Synchronised Springboard Final which China won –Team GB an admirable 5th. The atmosphere around the Olympic Park was just incredible – such a feel good factor everywhere . It was great to share this with the good lady Janet and the boy Adam and his friends Josh and Aran plus Tom Jacky and Phil H. It was of course also great to meet up with the Milton Keynes crew of Michael, Ian, Dan and Charlie – as can be seen in this communal pic.
The Lewis three – London 2012.
All in all being at the Olympic Park was a life affirming experience.
This Olympic Games has galvanised this country of ours in a way that few surely could have envisaged. Sebastian Coe’s epic opening speech in which he said ‘’When our time came we can tell our children and grandchildren that we did it right’’ has proved to be spot on….certainly on the evidence of what I was lucky enough to witness last Wednesday we are getting it absolutely right…and there is still a week to go…oh bring it on!
Of course there was no getting away from it…here’s the shadow of the Zeppelin over the Olympic Park – they must have known I was coming!
Is it a plane?. Is a bird?……no…appropriately enough it’s an airship over the Olympic Park!
More pics on the Tight But Loose Facebook pages.
It was sad to hear of the passing of Zacron – aka Richard Drew the fine arts designer responsible for the iconic Led Zeppelin III sleeve. I met him on a few occasions and he was a genuine eccentric charchter and very proud of his Zep association. His early 1970 photo shoots for the band members as used on the back cover sleeve were also very striking.
With Zacron at the Led Zeppelin Memories & Music Exhibition launch at Knebworth House August 2008 – photo by Cliff Hilliard.
One downside of my work load this year has been the delay in producing the second edition of the Led Zeppelin Then As It Was At Knebworth book. This has been impossible to fit in the schedule this year and I am now aiming to get to it early in 2013 with a spring publication next year. I’d like to apologise to all who have pre ordered the book. All pre orders have been logged and will duly receive the lowest individual numbers of the books run.
In between all the Olympic activity, the TBL wheels has been grinding on. The Rod Stewart feature is a nigh on wrap and work on TBL 33 is now high on the agenda alongside another TBL project that may be very significant – more on that soon. Also looking ahead, there’s the publication of Barney Hoskyns’ new book Trampled Underfoot -The Power & Excess of Led Zeppelin. I’ve been liaising with Barney on this for over two years and having seen a proof of the book, he has done a very admirable job. I’ll be interviewing Barney for the new TBL magazine – his story of the making of this book will be an eye opening one.
It’s a busy month here too with a lot of forthcoming birthdays –the boy Adam will be 17 next Thursday (happy birthday young man!), and there’s further birthdays for mother in a law Betty, and the good lady Janet and then mine in early September.
On the playlist; well Led Zeppelin at Knebworth unsurprisingly –Phil T’s great Aug 4 audience version. A fair bit of Rod (try The Faces Ooh La La – short but very sweet) and the soundtrack to the 1960s film Alfie by Sonny Rollins. This relaxed jauntiness of the themes with Kenny Burrell on guitar has provided a perfect backdrop to the London 2012 vibe with its evocative capital feel.
Right…it’s time to wallow in some prime Knebworth nostalgia. Firstly a pic and hey, look who turned up at the Knebworth car park asking the way to the stage! I was happy to oblige with directions of course…just another TBL service…
Here’s some you tube clips that recall the atmoshere of the day…..the final one is the Bedford three of me, Tom and Dec’s on the spot reaction to Led Zeppelin arriving on stage at Knebworth around 9.40 pm on the evening of Saturday August 4th 1979. Be warned -it get’s a bit manic!
Excited?…Just a little…. but but many of you reading this will know exactly why…
To think of it all again…and we do.
Dave Lewis
Saturday August 4th 1979.
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I remember August 4, 1979. I was 15 years old and it was my first concert ever. I think about that day often and am glad that there is finally footage of the show. I only wish I had enough money that day to purchase a t-shirt, poster and/or programme. Would be nice to have today. Unfortunately, and I don’t know why they did this, but the gate keepers took BOTH halves of my ticket. Would REALLY loved to have had that to keep.
Thanks for the memories, Dave. I appreciate it.
Mark
It’s not a Cherokee Range Rover. It’s a Jeep Cherokee. Range Rovers are British, Jeeps are American.
Evelyn they get in everywhere!
Tim was a great pic
What about the picture in today’s paper of Jimmy Page with Jessica Ennis !
Re The Olympic games. I saw the Hockey earlier in the week and everytime when a penalty corner was announced they played Kashmir! 🙂
…and nice to hear the snippet of “Trampled Underfoot” during the Opening Ceremony.
Yes its a Cherokee Range Rover
Is it an old style Range Rover ?
Dave, What is Robert driving in that picture?
Kirk
that day meant everything to me, seeing them was amazing i cried when they came onstage it was very emotional. the most important rock band ever, it is a tragedy that they are still not around………..i miss my band……………paul webber
I said it in your great Knebworth book, Dave, but it’s perhaps worth repeating that this was arguably the last great concert of the rock era. An event of seismic importance in the changing musical landscape that was the late 1970’s. The reappearance of Led Zeppelin was a profound reaffirmation of the dominance of rock in that decade, at a time when short haircuts and the three minute pop tune had become the style du jour. That hallowed field was the last hurrah for a band that, more than any other, had come to define the core values of a generation of serious music fans. At the time, Knebworth was the highlight of the summer of ’79. Now, some 33 years later, we are only beginning to appreciate its profound significance. It now stands for so much more than any of us, band members included, could have envisaged back then. One other final thought – those of us truly blessed to have been there had witnessed the greatest two nights of rock drumming in history. God bless you Bonzo.
The Bedford Three Experience – hearing the bedlam of the crowd. STILL a spine tingling listen!
Mark
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