Orthenau Halle - March 24, 1973

Submitted by srapallo on
March 24, 1973
Offenburg
Germany
de
Setlist

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,  The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love (medley incl. Everybody Needs Someone To Love, Turn On Your Love Light, Let That Boy Boogie, (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby), Heartbreaker.

Note

Press Reviews: GIANT ROCK SPECTACLE AT THE ORTENAUHALLE

The English Pop Group Led Zeppelin filled the Ortenauhalle to bursting point - with a big squad of security and also many security measures.

Before one could enter the 'Led Zeppelin Rock Paradise' for 12.50 German marks at the Ortenauhalle one could collect some deep insights. There were guards with clubs, dogs barking and barbed wire. If this was alright or not by law, necessary or not, - at least these measures did not add to happy vibration for the concert goers. Approximately 10 - 12,000 rock and pop fans had found their way to Offenburg which this evening turned into the south-west German rock mecca. The reason: the rare Led Zeppelin.

Around 7:15pm there was already an enormous crowd of people assembled waiting to get into Offenburg's noble hall. There was an unbelievable amount of pushing towards the ramp which leads to the Oberheinhalle which is the leading way to the Ortenauhalle. It was here that the railing was surrounded with barbed wire to prevent people climbing their car roofs to find a way into the hall for free.

After you passed numerous checkpoints you were standing in the Ortenauhalle where the floor was literally plastered by human beings. There was hardly any space to be found. Even the balcony which surrounds the floor had people standing in 3-4 rows to get a glimpse of Led Zeppelin who did not let the audience down and drove a crowd being lethargic at the beginning to a true storm of an ovation.

Rocks (sic) and Blues were the hits of the evening. Jimmy Page 'grinded' his guitar or he let his fingers jump in fast movement over the strings to hit the audience deep into the bone with his sometime bizarre guitar sounds. Robert Plant, the lead singer, with his powerful and brilliant voice did leave a deep impact in the rows of the listening fans. Drummer John Boham (sic) and the organ, piano and bass player John Paul Jones put a solid bottom to the sound which was the foundation for the hard and impressive Rock and Blue (sic) as well as for some extravaganzas by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

If one does not pay attention to the extenuating circumstances and forgets about the thick air, the security guards, the barbed wire, etc. and is only thinking about the music one can note that this was a giant rock spectacle and in its own right was a superb event.  (Translated by E.M.K. & uli teute)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Led Zeppelin has hit. This 'youngman' has himself inspired by the music and is dancing bare-chested in the audience.
Hanwaker's own impressions (as remembered on 7-30-06)

Yes it is all true what you read in the review. It was even worse in some cases as I was on that ramp to the hall which after the barbed wire stopped was covered on both sides by windowpanes of glass. At one point the pressure among the crowd got so strong that people burst through the windowpanes and fell down some 3-4 metres causing the ambulances to rush in to their rescue. Me being 15 at that time I had never experienced such a hassle before a show and I was quite shocked.

Once inside it was obvious that they sold more tickets than the auditorium regularly held. We were packed in like sardines. I did manage to find a space in the first third of the hall and had quite a good view during the complete show. I was very much impressed by the acoustic set and of course when the bow part in Dazed and Confused happened the light show was very impressive catching his bow arm stretched out in the ray of the light.

I was at that point not familiar that Whole Lotta Love is always presented as part of a medley and I was pretty much confused by all the songs they threw in there as I had never heard them playing this. As a result I was not very amused by this Whole Lotta Love medley but nowadays I appreciate it a lot more.

The sheer volume of the music caused my ears to ring for 3 days afterwards and I was not the only one.

- uli teute

Notes

Press Reviews: GIANT ROCK SPECTACLE AT THE ORTENAUHALLE

The English Pop Group Led Zeppelin filled the Ortenauhalle to bursting point - with a big squad of security and also many security measures.

Before one could enter the 'Led Zeppelin Rock Paradise' for 12.50 German marks at the Ortenauhalle one could collect some deep insights. There were guards with clubs, dogs barking and barbed wire. If this was alright or not by law, necessary or not, - at least these measures did not add to happy vibration for the concert goers. Approximately 10 - 12,000 rock and pop fans had found their way to Offenburg which this evening turned into the south-west German rock mecca. The reason: the rare Led Zeppelin.

Around 7:15pm there was already an enormous crowd of people assembled waiting to get into Offenburg's noble hall. There was an unbelievable amount of pushing towards the ramp which leads to the Oberheinhalle which is the leading way to the Ortenauhalle. It was here that the railing was surrounded with barbed wire to prevent people climbing their car roofs to find a way into the hall for free.

After you passed numerous checkpoints you were standing in the Ortenauhalle where the floor was literally plastered by human beings. There was hardly any space to be found. Even the balcony which surrounds the floor had people standing in 3-4 rows to get a glimpse of Led Zeppelin who did not let the audience down and drove a crowd being lethargic at the beginning to a true storm of an ovation.

Rocks (sic) and Blues were the hits of the evening. Jimmy Page 'grinded' his guitar or he let his fingers jump in fast movement over the strings to hit the audience deep into the bone with his sometime bizarre guitar sounds. Robert Plant, the lead singer, with his powerful and brilliant voice did leave a deep impact in the rows of the listening fans. Drummer John Boham (sic) and the organ, piano and bass player John Paul Jones put a solid bottom to the sound which was the foundation for the hard and impressive Rock and Blue (sic) as well as for some extravaganzas by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

If one does not pay attention to the extenuating circumstances and forgets about the thick air, the security guards, the barbed wire, etc. and is only thinking about the music one can note that this was a giant rock spectacle and in its own right was a superb event.  (Translated by E.M.K. & uli teute)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Led Zeppelin has hit. This 'youngman' has himself inspired by the music and is dancing bare-chested in the audience.
Hanwaker's own impressions (as remembered on 7-30-06)

Yes it is all true what you read in the review. It was even worse in some cases as I was on that ramp to the hall which after the barbed wire stopped was covered on both sides by windowpanes of glass. At one point the pressure among the crowd got so strong that people burst through the windowpanes and fell down some 3-4 metres causing the ambulances to rush in to their rescue. Me being 15 at that time I had never experienced such a hassle before a show and I was quite shocked.

Once inside it was obvious that they sold more tickets than the auditorium regularly held. We were packed in like sardines. I did manage to find a space in the first third of the hall and had quite a good view during the complete show. I was very much impressed by the acoustic set and of course when the bow part in Dazed and Confused happened the light show was very impressive catching his bow arm stretched out in the ray of the light.

I was at that point not familiar that Whole Lotta Love is always presented as part of a medley and I was pretty much confused by all the songs they threw in there as I had never heard them playing this. As a result I was not very amused by this Whole Lotta Love medley but nowadays I appreciate it a lot more.

The sheer volume of the music caused my ears to ring for 3 days afterwards and I was not the only one.

- uli teute

Setlists

Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I've Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp,  The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love (medley incl. Everybody Needs Someone To Love, Turn On Your Love Light, Let That Boy Boogie, (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care, Let's Have a Party, I Can't Quit You Baby), Heartbreaker.

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Average: 4.6 (93 votes)

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