LED ZEPPELIN AT THE O2 ARENA LONDON, DECEMBER 10TH 2007 – FOUR YEARS GONE
Photo by Donato Farace
Four years ago this weekend thousands of lucky fans 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. Millions more across the world tracked the unfolding events via texts and online reports.
It remains perhaps the most significant night in their history as fans young and old were able to see and understand either by being lucky enough to be there, or via the many you tube clips that surfaced immediately after – just exactly why this unique chemistry of musicians meant so much to so many.
For me personally it was a quite overwhelming experience not to say exhausting. I can honestly say it took months to fully get back on track –in fact for many reasons things were never quite the same around here –in much the way things were never going to be the same after I witnessed my first Led Zeppelin live concert 40 years ago.
I’ve noted before that the whole Zeppelin 02 experience has an aura of complete surrealism about it all –as if it was all some dream – and goodness knows I’d dreamed about such a thing happening for so long. But it did happen and it happened in such a way that it lingers large in millions of fans minds – not just those that were there – it‘s a moment in their history to be celebrated and enjoyed again and again for what it represented and delivered so spectacularly.
The fact that Led Zeppelin were, are and always will be the best…
Certainly this weekend it will be at the forefront of many like minded souls and while I am on the subject, may I say at this point hello to Graeme H, Pam, Jose, Tatan, The Foys, Tom Locke, Perry, Eddie Edwards, Phil Tattershall, Kam, Krys, Colin, Michaela, Jez, Scott, Brian Knapp, JR, Paul H, Nech, Danny Coyle, Mark Bowman, Gary Davies, Lee T, Paul Aspey, Billy & Alison Fletcher, Dave Linwood and many others who shared it all on that December day four years ago –I am sure you’ll be having the same thoughts as me this weekend for sure…I’ll be in London tomorrow with the good lady Janet and our good friends Terry and Marian – in between searching out some vintage vinyl via some noted record shops (JBs and Fopp) and a beer or two (or more!), there will be a toast and reflective thoughts on the events of four years ago. On Sunday -neighbours beware, there will be some cranked up Led Zep O2 aural and visual delights before and after I have been possible referee at the boy Adam’s soccer match.
Of course during the last few months our appreciation of the 02 experience has been heightened by the appearance of the soundboard tape of Led Zeppelin’s final rehearsal for the show on December 5th 2007 at Shepperton Studios.
This tells us much about the application and dedication to get it right on the night. This complete rehearsal run through is an utter joy – they run through the entire set brimming with confidence –witnessing that rehearsal must have been an incredible moment for all concerned. What the 02 was about to receive was something very special indeed.
What we haven’t had as yet –despite countless rumours, is an official 02 DVD. I am sure there are reasons involved – I personally I think it will happen…who knows when… but whenever it does it will surely be the biggest DVD music release since…well their 2003 five hour epic.
Meanwhile there are countless you tube clips to remind us of that night of nights.
While we are celebrating that night of nights, this is an appropriated moment to announce that I will be commencing the collation and research of a future Tight But Loose Publishing project – to produce a book that chronicles Led Zeppelin at the 02 Arena on December 10th 2007, in the same way as my previous books in the TBL Publishing series namely Led Zeppelin Then As It Was – At Knebworth 1979 and Led Zeppelin Feather In The Wind – Over Europe 1980.
To that end I would like to put out an initial call out to fans who have their own 02 experiences to share. If you would like to relay your personal story of attending the show for future publication in the 02 TBL book project I would welcome your input. Even if you did not attend but have been touched by it all, your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
There is no massive rush as yet so there is time to collate such thoughts – contributions can be up to 1500 words maximum. I am also looking for personal photos and memorabilia surrounding the event. All contributions will be fully acknowledged and credited.
All contributions should be sent to my email davelewis.tbl1@ntlworld.com
The aim is to produce a detailed chronicle in the same vein as the Knebworth and Over Europe books – covering every aspect of the event – it’s a crucial episode in their history which is deserving of encapsulating and I will be applying myself ahead to do it absolute justice.
More on this project in early 2012
With all that in mind…one of the key aspects of the 02 event was that it brought together fans from all corners of the globe to create a unique multi-cultural audience. All of those fans who came so far have stories to tell -worthy of capturing in book format ahead.
Here are two such examples:
The first is from Jose Manuel Parada who travelled from Ecuador. This is Jose’s story…
This sure was the trip of my smiles. What an incredible journey it has been for me going to London to such a historical event.
It’s hard to realize what I just have been part of. Since September 12th all my thoughts were about the Zeppelin show. By October 2nd the ballot came with no luck for me, so I ran to ebay’s buy it now and got my ticket with tears in my eyes. Then came the strange days when those tickets were going to be invalid, calling HG office, sending faxes to Maria and so on…Finally on October 18th came the good news telling that we could keep our tickets. What a relief.
Fast forward to 10 days before the show and all I was thinking was getting to London, with no sleep and having some outrageous thoughts in the likes of “ I hope I don’t die before the show, car crash, plane crash, heart attack, etc”, I know this sounds bizarre but that’s how it was.
By Saturday December 8th I was already checking in at The Newham Hotel (thank God the plane arrive just fine!). All I was thinking was: well, this looks real, here I am in London (freezing by the way) and will be seeing Led Zeppelin next Monday.
Then it was The Pilot Inn on Sunday and Monday afternoon, what a really great time in there getting to meet some fellow travellers from around the world and so many local people such as: Dave, Gary D., Graeme & Pam, JR, Terry, Mike, Mark, Brian, Steven, Tatan A., Martyn, Gary F., Jules plus so many others who made me feel as if I was in a local pub and for that eye thank yew. Meeting all of you was as important to me as the show itself.
Jose with Gary Davies at the Pilot Inn
and with a rather gaunt looking yours truly – it was all the worry!
Jose with Graeme Hutchinson
The vibe at The O2 was just something, the huge Mothership blimp, that billboard with some Kashmir lyrics, all the people there. Amazing.
As for the show all I can say is that I am still shocked by it. I was lucky enough to be some 20 meters from the stage, dead centre. I just couldn’t believe myself when they came out with an extraordinary performance of “Good Times Bad Times”. I was simply in awe. Jimmy’s outfit with sunglasses. Guitar God. “For Your Life” (one of my all time favourites) was impeccable. So many highlights. A truly excellent performance of “Kashmir” which saw Jason Bonham at his best. “No Quarter” and “ Trampled Underfoot” with a incredible JPJ delivery. “Dazed & Confused” with the violin bow, “Stairway To Heaven” (I lost it here too Dave), so many things I can go on forever in detail.. Great set list.
It was a night that I won’t forget. A dream came true. Acapulco Gold.
José Manuel Parada. Guayaquil Ecuador December 14 2007 -first published in TBL issue 20
Here’s another 02 Experience….
This comes from Donato Farace of Mississauga,Ontario Canada
Right from the announcement of the show, I booked a flight to London right away. I was determined to be there even if I did not have tickets to the show. I figured I should at least be there on sacred ground and feel the reverberations coming from the building.
As it turned out I got far more lucky and got two tickets to the show.
I entered the lottery at the website just like everyone else. And just like most everyone else I did not get a pass code.
I was sad that I did not get a code but certainly was not surprised. The odds of winning one of the codes was truly like winning in a lottery. My next step was to check e-bay. There was some very suspicious sellers with no feedback score, so I stayed away from them. I did however come across a seller in Australia with a high perfect feedback score and a long standing member of e-bay. Confident this seller really had the pass code, I purchased it. I was also lucky in the fact that there was no bidding involved. It was a ‘buy it now’ auction for only $250 us. I bought it, payed the seller via Paypal, and got the pass code.
I was now on the Ticketmaster UK website, entered the code, which indeed worked, and purchased two floor standing tickets to the Led Zeppelin reunion show. I was extremely excited in purchasing two tickets to the show of the century when it seemed almost impossible.
What I wanted most out of life was to see Led Zeppelin. I was 12 years old when they disbanded, so like a lot of people out there, we never got that chance. For myself it was 25 years of dreaming the impossible dream. I could not believe that I actually might be seeing Led Zeppelin perform live for an entire show.
The whole situation about the promoter and non original pass code holders was a little stressful but I felt their threat of non entry to the show was not enforceable.
So fast forward to Sunday December the 9th, my cousin (Fred) and I land in London at roughly 6 am. We hop on the Tube and head straight for the 02 Dome. We arrived at the 02 Dome and waited about one and a half hour to get our tickets that Sunday morning.
Praise our lucky stars, our two tickets were there for us with my name on them.
All photos here by Donato Farace
We had the Ahmet Ertegun concert tickets in our hand and now we were looking to line up for our floor standing spot. I could not settle for a spot other than right in the front of the Zep Men. We asked a staff member of the 02 as to where we could start a line up. They said the show was tomorrow night. We replied that we know that but we want to start a line up right now. This person thought we were crazy but said go ahead start a line over by gate F. Fred and I had wasted some time in finding gate F and two Americans just beat us by about 15 feet to this gate and a formation of a general admission line up. Nonetheless Fred and I were number 3 and 4 in this line up to this historic event. We spent just about 30 hours in this line and slept on a concrete floor (I could not really sleep) so we could be right up by the stage. If I had to, I would have camped out for a month to be that close to the stage.
Dave, I want to add how shocked I was that there was about 15 of us camped out over night to get so close. In Canada or America, I bet there would have been 500 of us. The staff at the 02 were great for letting us stay inside the dome. It was still very cold but at least we were not outside.
Oh boy, I don’t how I almost forgot to mention that I was lucky enough to get into the rehearsal that Sunday night.
Led Zeppelin are doing a last little rehearsal and sound check on the Sunday night. I noticed dozens of people ( maybe you were one of them ) walk by with a sheet of paper in their hand and are allowed entry into the arena while you hear Zeppelin playing. I figured it was some kind of contest thing and these were lucky winners allowed in to see Zeppelin rehearse. I walked closer to the entrance to get a better listen of Zeppelin playing and a staff member asks for my pass. I tell her I do not have a pass and in her sweet British accent she says ‘right you go on in’ and gives me a laminated pass for the rehearsal. This sweet lady is the nicest British person I will ever end up meeting in my life. Such a small thing she did, but the world to me.
I entered the arena to the sounds of ‘No Quarter’ and just about jumped ten feet high. It was about a half hour of rehearsal that we were able to take in. I was already in Zeppelin heaven and the show was still 24 hours away.
Monday arrives and this is it. I had not really slept the last two nights because of an over night flight, the time change and a brutally cold dome that Sunday night. None of that mattered on Monday. I new adrenaline was kicking in. All of Monday was so exciting. Hundreds are now starting to flock in. Meeting of new people from around the world. All great people of course. Being interviewed by reporters. Getting your picture taken with others and the Canadian flag. It truly was a wonderful experience. This is what life should be about. And, the show was still yet to happen.
It is time for the show. We are all here. The greatest two hours of my life was seeing that Led Zeppelin performance.
I do not need to go into detail. We all know how awesome it was.
Whenever I am asked about the Led Zeppelin reunion show, I simply say it was amazing. I do not sugar coat it because it does not need sugar coating, it truly was out of this world. Just check out Kashmir on You Tube, Wow.
The icing on the cake for myself was being up on the big video screen with my cousin Fred. This was at the end of ‘Rock and Roll’ where we were all smiles on the video screen, then it fades to black and then you see the huge letters – LED ZEPPELIN.
Led Zeppelin at the 02….an incredible experience…
Donato Farace
So thhere are just two of many many stories from the night Led Zeppelin came back- I look forward to hearing many more.
Here’s some thoughts from TBL’s Gary Foy written immediatly after the gig…
So, after all the hype, it’s done, it’s over. Led Zeppelin flew again tonight in spectacular style. Jason was simply incredible, the pressure he must have been under to turn out a performance like this must have been massive, Undoubtedly, Jimmy, John and Robert enjoyed their performance, finally laying the ghost of Live Aid and the Altantic 40th show to rest. The show lifted the legacy of Led Zeppelin to even higher ground, at no point in their career has the media taken to them as much as it has in the last few months. Should they do it again? I don’t know.. Personally I hope not. Lets leave it at this! Surely it couldn’t get better than this! Could it?
But then again, if this really is Led Zeppelin’s coda, then it’s our coda also, and can we live without Led Zeppelin? Live without the hope of just one more show…?
Gary Foy -Westcliffe, December 11th 2007
……………………………….
And finally here is a you tube clip of the opening segment of the show Good Times Bad Times/Ramble On and a short piece of Black Dog
I love this clip because being shot from the arena floor, it captures the mass excitment as they finally hit the stage -they were simply astonishing…as Ahmet put it – it is a great life – this life of music ….indeed it is…
So clock the genuis on this clip at the following points:
0.21: Jimmy leaning back in classic pose
0.45: Robert turning to the side for some top on the sound mix
1.03: Excited scream as they hit the chorus
1.11: Robert points the mic out for response
1.18: Robert spinning around to catch the mic
1.21: The first glorious solo
1.50: JPJ’s bass run
2.12: That grin from Jimmy…
220: Jason driving them towards the finale
2.40 ‘’Oooohhhyeahhh!’’
2.55: Jason’s flurry of percussion as they group around him
3.24 JPJ picking out the bass line for Ramble On
3.33: Another excited audience scream as the Robert sings the first line
3.48: Jason’s tom tom groove…
4.20: Robert kicking the mic as they hit the first chorus
4.57: Robert all smiles looking over to Jonesy
5.20: Jimmy’s solo…oh yes!
6.13: Jimmy propelling his arm in the air – the coolest rock star on the planet. Fact!
6.56: ‘’Ooohh I met a girl so fair…’’
7.47: The back drop screen fading in images of all four of them
8.35: The pan around to the fanatical audience who knew they were in the presence of history being made…
For the next nine minutes lose yourself in the glory that was all theirs…… at the 02 Arena London four years ago….
Dave Lewis/Gary Foy – December 9th 2011
o2 zeppelin
Note
Tribute band Led By Zeppelin re doing a one off gig on Saturday 10th Dec, at Homelands, Ashford TownFC, Kingsnorth Road, Ashford, Kent–
ticket info can be found on the homepage of Led By Zeppelin http://www.led-by-zeppelin.co.uk
(4 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Spot on Paul Lawrence, the whole ticketing process was a total farce. No wonder my friend John (who paid £400 for a ticket for me) swore in traditional Scottish manner when Goldsmith walked on the stage. He raised considerable doubts on Goldsmith’s parents marital state, and requested that he go away in short jerky movements. Many memories of that day, and full marks to Dave for this new project. Full support from Underground Uprising on this fantastic and very exciting news from him.
I agree with the overall ‘let down’ sentiments, but one thing that grated me, was the original statement from Harvey Goldsmith ‘dont buy tickets from Ebay as they wont be honoured’….myself and many others took him at his word and passed up opportunities from ‘non zep fans’ who won tickets only ever with the intention of flogging them on for profit….we then find that statement changes and the ebay tickets are honoured…leaving many with a nice big pre-xmas profit in their pockets…(and I know that as a fact as I ‘won’ a ticket for £3,000….the seller wouldnt accept the £125 face value)
It’s not just the lack of DVD that I feel let down by…but Harvey Goldsmith changing the goalposts for those of us who took him at his word….
Well folks, never mind, you still have ‘ Crown Vic’ coming to your local village hall in 2012.
Glad to see I am not the only person who will settle for the DVD. Tried to get tickets, knew that it would not happen, am happy that Paris Hilton got my seat, she is a bigger Zeppelin fan than I am, after all. I do not understand why Jimmy is not releasing the DVD, though. It has been four years now, come on already. Us fans helped make them who they are, the Greatest Rock and Roll band ever, how about giving back to us and showing your appreciation ? That being said, ZEPPELIN RULES !!
Greg – I take your point about the integrity and the ‘Zep live legacy’ of the band and agree to a point. I also think that one reason the band have retained and enhanced their reputation and intergrity is by refusing to flog the Zep horse to death by selling out and taking on huge world tours, releasing dodgy post-reunion studio albums, etc. I applaud their (and Plant’s in particular) approach that they must follow their own musical paths – that, after all, is why they’ve given us such amazing music over the years, together and solo. Above all, I think their decision to call it a day after we lost Bonzo sets them apart. Furthermore, I do appreciate the magnitude and ‘event’ (i.e. not just a mere ‘gig’) status of the O2 concert. I think we all here, as genuine Zep fans, appreciate and support all this. But still . . .
I maintain that Zep let down their fans. They could have done a handful of ‘events’ like the O2 – you could even get away without calling it a tour. Just a few special shows. I know there’s no way that everyone who ever wanted to would ever have got to see them, and Zep couldnt be expected to visit every country where there was demand to see them. I’m not being unrealistic. I never expected or wanted the band to compromise their princples, but there remains the feeling that they (well, one particular member of the band, really) actually need to realise what they owe their legion of fans, to understand that those fans’ support must surely have done for them personally and professionally over the years, and just throw them a bone now and again – if you see what I mean. Like Kam says, even just a reissue package or something new to get excited about. If they really, really didn’t want to do more than one show, then why not treat the unfortunate fans who couldnt get tickets to the DVD? They are, after all, only people who love LZ’s music and would love nothing more than to hear it. It’s not an unreasonable request, is it?
Unfortunately the O2 show was of a magnitude that you were ALWAYS going to get celebs and ‘less deserving’ people acquire tickets – this applies to the entire entertainment industry (not just music) where tickets are concerned.
As for there only being just the one show, I’ve spoken to several people who are not Zep fans, and they fully salute the integrity of the band (or rather RP) for not having taken it round the world (or even a few more dates). A point in case is the Stone Roses, who are now about to sell out with a world tour and ruin their legacy, and we can all think of many other ageing bands who still choose tour. The ‘Zep live’ legacy remains intact, sealed by one stunning night.
On this last point, I will readily admit to being biased as I was lucky enough to be there. My brother’s mate got lucky in the ballot (due to being on the O2 mailing list ? We’ll never know). Musically for me, it was a day that will never be surpassed in my lifetime, and for someone too young (37, and 22yrs a Zepp-head) to see them in their pomp, it’s already provided a kind perfect closure.
Dave – very glad to hear of your plans for the book. A great decision.
My TBL 30 arrived the day Dave shared all these memories with us. It was a great gift and the curious about it is that took 50 days to arrive (Brazilian mail fault) and should not be in a better day.
The O2 concert brings me mixed feelings everytime we talk, remember and specially see it – got 4 different DVD versions, for any true zep fan the official release is just the chance to see and hear it with better quality, a beautiful cover and, possibily, the fantastic last rehearsal audio as bonus. Led Zeppelin had already made history, we all know that, but with the O2 reunion they got another record in band`s career: The greatest stuppid thing in rock history !!! Let me tell you why a journalist and zep collector like me think that: the band was in peak form, the chemestry, Jason emotional performance, the sound quality, the videos, the whole concert concept, everything was so well done… to not be done again anymore.
Even to Led Zep legend should be better allow the young generations of fans to see it and feel it alive. Even to the 4 musicians, including Plant, some more shows in 2008 should put them one degree above whenever they are now.
Page himself said that the work put into this was done like a tour start. It was a lifetime experience to the zep friends that were there but it`s incridible sad that it was one night only. The least that they should have done was to set up some more dates in 2008, not a big tour, a new album, etc. Everything was prepared, everything was in the right place, the electric magic came back, it was the time to the last mothership flight – but Plant`s selfish.
I didn`t won the lottery and was told that nobody should by a code so I missed it. I had saw JPJ five months before in Bonnaroo Festival and noticed how the crowd went crazy with the Zep tunes played by Gov`t Mule, Ben Harper and superjam – the only JPJ full concert I saw. I remember talking to my friends about the great Jason work playing with UFO – I said if they come back now (then) with Jason should be amazing. That december 10th night I was talking with zep brazilians fans getting the setlist online. Just one song was wrong: somebody sent “Immigrant Song” in the middle of the show and I remember we talking how brave plant was to sing a song like that in 2007. When “Stairway” was being played I phoned my boss to let him know. Here at Rede Globo, the main south america broadcasting corporation, the first news program after the show aired that Black Dog teaser minute sent by reuters. Black Dog throughout the edition and the last report was about the gig. And guess what: I was very happy, thinking that I will see the show in 2008, somewhere in the planet, no matter where… Months after a friend of mine said: and now, after all these years, when the right time comes, we get Alison “Ono” Krauss !!!
In this 4th anniversary, after a Zep afternoon, I went to a Ben Harper show here in Rio and the band jammed “Moby Dick”. Is what we get nowadays: zep legend lives being played by others !!!
Yeah I agree with a lot of the sentiments expressed above re the O2 gig – became a bit of a celeb fest – the first time ever that Zeppelin seemed to be universally loved by the ‘in crowd’ – I think they should have looked after their real fans a bit better for this one maybe via TBL and other fanzines. Still would be great to get the DVD released sooner rather than later even though the whole thing felt a bit corporate at the time…
I could write loads on here about how great and how fortunate I was to be there. It wasn’t just a gig, it was an ‘event’…it was truly special.
My brother won tickets in the ballot, so he came over from Dallas which made it even more special.
But reading the comments on here I agree with Chris Wright (first comment). People like Mark Harrison and Bob Flux who couldn’t get tickets I feel soooo sorry for, particularly when any celeb seemed to just turn up, and judging by the comments made on here I’m not the only one that feels somewhat let down.
As die hard fans we have been treated poorly by the band, sure we don’t know the reasons why there has been no DVD release, no Zep IV remastered package etc etc etc etc when other bands like Floyd, Purple, Pearl Jam, Beatles etc etc have released carefully thought out products. Instead we get a greatest hits CD dressed as astronauts and the Mothership.
Even on Jimmy’s website the 02 clip featured was a You Tube version.
Earls Court for example, how old will the audience be that were there on those nights when a DVD is released?
They are greatest and always will be and some acknowledgment to the fans would be appreciated. Sadly I have to agree with Bob Flux’s last sentence.
As with John West, it still ‘rankles’ with me that I wasn’t there. A fan of Zep since the age of 14, an attendee at many Plant, Jones and Page solo gigs, and an almost constant listener of the band, I neglected my work for the whole day that tickets were on sale, trying repeatedly to buy some, in a heightened state of anxiety as other people at work were doing the same (I knew how sick with envy I would be if someone else got tickets and I didn’t). To be unsuccessful in my attempt to get tickets, as indeed were all my other Zep-obsessed friends, and then to hear that such legendary Zeppelin fans as Paris Hilton had somehow managed to get tickets and were taking up precious seats at the O2, left a really sour taste. Why why why did they only do one show? Why did they not sit and think, “hang on, all these people who have supported us through the years, all these people who genuinely love our music and would chew off their right arms to come to a Zep concert, why don’t we do at least a few gigs and give our genuine fans a better chance of coming”? How generous, how magnanimous, how fantastic would it have been for them to at least do that? I know there will always be people who can’t get tickets for events, and I know the band (or one member, at least, who we shalln’t name)weren’t keen to tour, but surely, surely they could have done a few more gigs?
Don’t get me wrong – I’m very, very happy for you all who were there; I really am. I think it must have been amazing. And I remain a fan of the band’s music – there never has been anything better. But many, many other bands have a much better and keener respect for their fans than LZ do (see, for example, the lack of a DVD release), and my respect for the individuals in the band has never recovered from the farce of having 20 million + people – myself amongst them – applying for a paltry few thousand tickets. Yes, it was a spectacular concert, I’m sure, but the O2 concert marked the day that Led Zeppelin let down the vast majority of their devoted fans.
Reading the reviews brings it all back to me, and it is hard to believe it was 4 years ago! Hopefully we will see an official release for the 5th Anniversary.
I remain utterly convinced that were it bot for this stroke tearing me apart I too would have been there. I would have found a way of getting in. I was COMPLETELY INCONSOLABLE that entire day, preferring to go to bed early that evening – I just couldn’t “take it” that I wasn’t there……..
Mark
Memories I’ll never forget. Thank you Mick. Thank you Mr Lewis.
I’ll be watching the “Work in progress” dvd tonight and experience the gig I couldn’t get tikets for. Still rankles with me that I didn’t get the chance to see the Greatest band of all time just one more time and to stand side by side with my lad in sheer joy and excitement. Those true fans who got tickets I salute you, regrettably there were many who got them who didn’t appreciate them on that night or any time in their career ! Lets hope for a release of this soon along with the rehearsal footage, come on Jimmy get yer finger out please, lets see this happen !
Dave, it just seems like yesterday!
It was the most memorable day of my life being able to see our heroes together with only feets away from the stage. It was also a great pleasure meeting you, Graeme, Gary, Jose, JR and other LZ fans from all over. I look forward to see you again soon!
Tatan, Jakarta-Indonesia
The opening 1/2 of good times/ramble sends the same shiver up my spine
as it did 4 years ago.Has any band come back after such a layoff and added a performance that ranks with the best from the glory years?
Thats why they were and are, the best!Anybody that was there(and i wasnt!)seemes luckier with every passing year.
Dave, delighted to hear that you have plans to put together the o2 reunion book.. I can remember not so long ago telling you to write one so I hope that had a positive influence! Sorry I didn’t get chance to say goodbye to you last weekend – a mention of our gig in your next diary would be nice! Hehe.. Cheers!
Hi Dave , was hoping this special night was next on the radar! Once I get some time I will send over details of how I got 2 tickets for this gig of a life time all for £2.69 !! ,still can’t belive it myself , but wakingup this morning on the 4th anniversary to a freezing morning ( remember how cold it was ? ) I was right back there and tonight the cats eye DVD will be blasting out . All the best , keep up the good work. Martin.
I was not lucky enough to get a ticket – but I was there in spirit ! Will look foward to the DVD
A great feature, Dave and Gary. Thank you. It has been the perfect thing to read while listening to the show.
A thousand thanks to Mark in the UK, who sent me a 2CD set of the O2 show that arrived here in Melbourne this week. Exquisite timing my friend!
Sadly, I didn’t get to see the O2 that night but this CD is abso-bloody-lutely fabulous!!!
C’mon Jimmy, get on with it. It’s been a long, lonely, lonely time since the box set…. Surely Kevin Shirley and Dick Carruthers have some spare time over the Christmas break to help you twiddle the knobs for a formal CD/DVD/Blu-ray release?
Seasons greetings to all the TBLers around the world.
Best wishes for a brilliant 2012 despite the gloomy economic clouds gathering.
Michael
The recently surfaced Shepperton rehearsal recording is stunning. It should be an official release along with the O2 concert itself.
Four years gone and still no sign of the Blu-Ray/DVD/Album(?).
Given the number of unlucky people in the ticket draw and the sheer enormity of the night, it is a big disappointment that they have not released it yet.
As you say Dave there are probably very good reasons for it but surely next year’s fifth anniversary presents itself as the first real landmark occasion to finally let it loose!
The huge number of YouTube videos hint at what a properly edited and mixed production would yield.
I still have this wild dream that it will form part of a Blu-Ray DVD box that will also include full Earls Court and Knebworth sets. Maybe that’s what Jimmy is shooting for? Only he knows!
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