Press Review:  Led Zeppelin Rocks 6,300 at Center

Each of the 6,300 rock fans at the Civic Center Friday night should have been aware that he or she was seeing and hearing three good musicians and one super artist in action. Led Zeppelin is by far the best rock group to light here in many moons. The reason for this was, for the most part, guitarist Jimmy Page.

Page has complete command of his instrument. He plays it loud and soft, with a pick or his fingers. He even uses a flamenco technique with his left hand and a violin bow. The instrumental styles he slips into range from raw backroom blues to Spanish to 1950s rock ‘n roll to hard rock and beyond. His is a large talent.

Robert Plant sings the blues and wails hard in a fine strong voice. John Paul Jones provides solid bass work and is capable on the organ when he switches to that instrument. Drummer John Bonham plays massive, if somewhat disjointed tubs. The blues this group performs are not for the most part traditional 12-bar blues. They are rather free form and soaring, influenced by the Black Chicago bluesmen but interpreted by three young white Englishmen.

The closest they came to an old-timey low down blues number was toward the end of the show. Jones moved to the organ, Page wailed on guitar and Plant hollered the blues like few white men can do. It was a masterful performance.

The last number before the encore topped everything. During their biggie, Whole Lotta Love, the group moved into a raunchy medley of songs dating back to the late 1950s, the early days of rock. They never played then like that at the sock hops in the school gym.

It made you want to slick back your oily black hair, jump in your 49 Ford Coupe, slug your girlfriend Mary Lou in the mouth and spend the rest of the night leaning against the wall at the corner pool hall.

For most of the show the audience, possibly because of singer Plant urging the kids remained in their seats. This was fine because fans who wanted to sit in the seats they paid for could get as much out of it as the screamers.

During the encore, things got back to normal audience-wise and one sweet young thing jumped onto the stage. She danced along with Plant for a moment and then jumped into his arms. The stage was immediately invaded by a number of young girls obviously intent on a similar experience.

The group’s ever present equipment managers hustled them off and the concert finished with a cordon of police protecting the musicians from the admiring throng. The crowd chanted for more until after the house lights came back on.

Although this chanting is standard operating procedure at rock concerts, it was justified this time.  [D. Averil / Tulsa / August 1970]