TO ELEVEN
EVERY NIGHT
IT REALLY MAKES
LIFE A DRAG....
Led Zeppelin :
Old Refectory,
Southampton University,
Southampton, UK
01/22/73
PRESS REVIEW
For two days,
Southampton
was blessed with
the presence of
the world's top rock band.
On the first,
it was the turn of the town,
with
Led Zeppelin
blowing the minds of
2 1/2 thousand fans
at the Gaumont.
But the next day,
our heroes came
to the Union,
and played to us
in the Black Hole
of Calcutta,
or Old Refectory
as it is
sometimes known.
The Gaumont concert
had been pretty tight,
but not as good
as 1 would have expected
from a band
that had been on
the road for the
past two months.
But all my doubts
were dispelled
the next day.
I don't know
if it was the atmosphere,
or just being right
at the front of
the audience,
but the Old Ref.
concert was just fantastic.
There's no other
word for it.
They enjoyed it.
and we enjoyed it,
and that's what matters.
As usual,
they were a bit slow
to warm up
in fact
"Rock and Roll".
"their opening number,
was very rough,
and the next,
"Over The Hills And Far Away "
a track from
Houses From The Holy
wasn't much better either.
"Black Dog"
followed,
and the audience joined in
instantly on the
ah-ah, aaah chorus,
whereas it took
the Gaumont audience
a couple of goes
to get it right.
Zeppelin,
were beginning to cook.
"Misty Mountain Hop"
and
"Since I've Been Loving You"
came next,
giving
John Paul Jones
a chance to show
us his dexterity
on the keyboards.
Until
"Since I've Been Loving You"
Jimmy Page had been churning out
the riffs to make
the numbers boogie,
but on this one
he gave us his first solo,
very fast one second,
and slow the next,
getting everything
out of each note.
Just to watch him
moving his fingers
up and down the fretboard
made very me very envious
he must have some natural gift.
"Dancing Days"
and
"The Song Remains the Same",
two new numbers
were the next,
the first,
a straight rocker
very much in
the Zeppelin style,
and the second.
a longish complex number,
starting and finishing
with some low
tempo-melodic guitar playing,
and connected with a
heavy rocking bit
and a superb
organ solo from
John Paul Jones.
The next number
Robert Plant
dedicated to the manager
of the Gaumont
"Dazed and Confused".
This, a track from
their first album,
was used as a showpiece
for Page's long guitar solo.
For part of this
he used a big bow,
and the highlight
was when he hit
the strings and got
the note to echo
back to him.
When he'd been playing
for about 10 minutes,
the rest of the band
joined in and stretched
the number out
to about 25 minutes.
Next was a beam of clear,
white light,
as Plant called
“Stairway to Heaven".
Plant’s vocals,
which had been a bit hidden
by Page's guitar before,
came through beautifully,
the song gradually rising
to the peak of that superb
rocking ending.
That got everybody
on their feet,
and shouting for every
number under the sun.
Plant said
how much they'd
enjoyed the gig
and then they proceeded play
"How Many More Times",
the first time they'd done it
for 2 1/2 years.
But you'd never have known it,
it was so tight.
Straight into
"Communication Breakdown",
and then it was all over.
See you again,
they said,
and a very knackered goodnight.
This was the only gig
they recorded on the whole tour
because they reckon the acoustics
of the old Ref are good
and after the show
Jimmy Page said
there would probably be
a live album
later this year.
Let's hope so
it'd be a great souvenir
of a great show.
-JOHN CLARK.
(University of Southampton / Wessex Scene)
2. Over The Hills And Far Away
3. Black Dog
4. Misty Mountain Hop
5. Since I've Been Loving You
6. Dancing Days
7. The Song Remains The Same
8. The Rain Song
9. Dazed And Confused
(incl. Let That Boy Boogie,
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care,
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love,
Let's Have A Party,
I Can't Quit You Baby)
3. Heartbreaker
4. JPJ Keyboard Solo Intro /
5. Thank You
6. How Many More Times
7. Communication Breakdown
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