Rock and Roll, Sick Again, Over the Hills and Far Away, In My Time of Dying, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Trampled Underfoot, Moby Dick, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, Heartbreaker.
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Click here to view the North American '75 Tour Programme (flipbook) |
Press Review:Led Zeppelin Bring on the Light and Sound
LED ZEPPELIN brought its unprecedented sound-light spectacle to the Spectrum Saturday night, overwhelming a sell-out audience of some 20,000, with close to three hours of "heavy-metal" rock'n’roll.
The four-man British band - in the midst of an Ameri¬can tour, which will reportedly gross in excess of $5 million – has been preeminent among rock’s high-energy supergroups for almost six years. Now, augmented by a system of lighting and amplification higher in wattage than any mounted previously. Led Zeppelin seems to have outdone itself in sheer mind-zapping gut-wrenching intensity.
The keystone of that intensity – and of Zeppelin’s music in general - has always been the protean guitar playing and consummate blues-rock songwriting of leader Jimmy Page. Apparently recovered from an injury sustained before leaving Britain, when a train compartment door slammed on his left ring finger, Page is extraordinary as ever, and Saturday night he pulled off his virtuoso repertoire of searing, pinpointed licks, and apocalyptic chordings and classic guitar-hero postures with undaunted elan.
Lead singer Robert Plant, he of the sensual swagger and honey-blond charisma, provides the visual and musical offset to Page’s dominance. As usual, his singing – a trademark blend of shriekwail and heartbroken crooning – grew more commending as the night progressed (and in his customary note-for-note sparrings with Page’s guitar), while the steady throb-and-pound of drummer John Bonham and bassist – occasional keyboardist – John Paul Jones anchored the music’s unsettling modulations.
Performing a cross-section of new, recent and old material, Zeppelin assaulted its audience with such destructo-anthems as Dazed and Confused, Rock and Roll, the softly lyrical set-ups and explosive resolutions of Stairway to Heaven and No Quarter, the unfamiliar yet engaging dynamism of several songs from their upcoming Physical Graffiti LP. A highlight of the concert was Bonham’s masterly fifteen minute drum solo – worthy of the standing ovation it received – with its other-worldly synthesizer effects.
As for the unprecedented staging, the mammoth sound system, as promised, provided superb separation, mitigating the nitro-volume with compelling clarity, the lighting – an awesome network of stagebound and remote spots – evoked startling, vividly hued, richly varied visual atmospheres, although the much-heralded laser beam played (from where we sat) an indeterminate role. (M. Damsker / The Bulletin)
Rock and Roll, Sick Again, Over the Hills and Far Away, In My Time of Dying, The Song Remains the Same, Rain Song, Kashmir, No Quarter, Trampled Underfoot, Moby Dick, Dazed and Confused (incl. San Francisco), Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love, Black Dog, Heartbreaker.
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Click here to view the North American '75 Tour Programme (flipbook) |
Press: "Led Zeppelin sold out the Spectrum in two hours of box office activity, for a better than $150,000 box office with an $8.50 top ticket." [Feb. 1975, A.B].
Press Review:Led Zeppelin Bring on the Light and Sound
LED ZEPPELIN brought its unprecedented sound-light spectacle to the Spectrum Saturday night, overwhelming a sell-out audience of some 20,000, with close to three hours of "heavy-metal" rock'n’roll.
The four-man British band - in the midst of an Ameri¬can tour, which will reportedly gross in excess of $5 million – has been preeminent among rock’s high-energy supergroups for almost six years. Now, augmented by a system of lighting and amplification higher in wattage than any mounted previously. Led Zeppelin seems to have outdone itself in sheer mind-zapping gut-wrenching intensity.
The keystone of that intensity – and of Zeppelin’s music in general - has always been the protean guitar playing and consummate blues-rock songwriting of leader Jimmy Page. Apparently recovered from an injury sustained before leaving Britain, when a train compartment door slammed on his left ring finger, Page is extraordinary as ever, and Saturday night he pulled off his virtuoso repertoire of searing, pinpointed licks, and apocalyptic chordings and classic guitar-hero postures with undaunted elan.
Lead singer Robert Plant, he of the sensual swagger and honey-blond charisma, provides the visual and musical offset to Page’s dominance. As usual, his singing – a trademark blend of shriekwail and heartbroken crooning – grew more commending as the night progressed (and in his customary note-for-note sparrings with Page’s guitar), while the steady throb-and-pound of drummer John Bonham and bassist – occasional keyboardist – John Paul Jones anchored the music’s unsettling modulations.
Performing a cross-section of new, recent and old material, Zeppelin assaulted its audience with such destructo-anthems as Dazed and Confused, Rock and Roll, the softly lyrical set-ups and explosive resolutions of Stairway to Heaven and No Quarter, the unfamiliar yet engaging dynamism of several songs from their upcoming Physical Graffiti LP. A highlight of the concert was Bonham’s masterly fifteen minute drum solo – worthy of the standing ovation it received – with its other-worldly synthesizer effects.
As for the unprecedented staging, the mammoth sound system, as promised, provided superb separation, mitigating the nitro-volume with compelling clarity, the lighting – an awesome network of stagebound and remote spots – evoked startling, vividly hued, richly varied visual atmospheres, although the much-heralded laser beam played (from where we sat) an indeterminate role. (M. Damsker / The Bulletin)
January 7, 2009 11:51pm Patrick Dickson
When the concert started a bunch of us ran to the stage. A huge security guard decided he would keep a five foot radius circle clear in front of him with his back to the stage,. If you ventured into this area he would grab you and send you flying.
Page was wearing his stars and planets black outfit. The band kicked ass with Kashmir, which had not yet been released on Physical Grafitti. The band kicked ass the whole night and we were standing right there at the front of the stage, although we had to keep an eye on the psycho security guard. I got the five dollar ticket from a buddy that owed me 25 bucks. What a deal. Yea baby!!!
I swore that night that I would name my first born child after Jimmy Page. Well, my daughter Page was born in 1988. Led Zep, no words can suffice. They rule.
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My very first concert...
February 17, 2009 8:31pm Anthony T. Bicos
Well, we got there (to our seats) bout 30 minutes before the lights went down - no small feat after driving from central Jersey (all nine of us) in a mammoth Plymouth station wagon after missing the Philly exits and getting near halfway to Pittsburg before recovering our "sense of direction" - after all it was the 70's if you catch my drift. Anyhow it was a good thing the band took the stage late or we might have missed something. Ultimately I missed not a sight, sound or song - my initiation (at 17 yrs old) that night into the trenches of live rock n' roll was epic to the point of no return - the trajectory of my adult life to follow was inexorably stamped out during what followed...
My mom (bless her heart) had paid for my ticket for my birthday that January 31 - our "gang" slept out at the local mall for tickets in the freezing cold and so I got the whole sacrificial teenage experience from the word go through the final note. Driving into town with the gang seemed surreal with Phillys' symbolism of the Revolutionary War and the iconic Buildings of Freedom all lit up on the skyline. The "kids" I was with were the dangerous type but took great care of me. Nobody else was as "cosmic fueled" as we were; the stars were quite aligned for us all.
There is absolutely no way to adequately describe what all went down that night in the Spectum - my whole body shook from my perfect seat part way up the risers about a third of the way back - I could see and hear every detail of sound, stage and crowd without even turning my very "expanded" head. And when the lights finally came back on some three hours later we could not physically leave our seats till most everyone else had filed out. I left a huge part of my young soul winging around that stadium that fine night. Just was lucky I figure now. Thanks again... A.T. Bicos
PS: What happened to the comment from the gal who also spent her 17th birthday there that night? She should get a hold of me...
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I Was There
October 24, 2010 2:04pm Steve Kline
I was at this show ,got tickets at ej korvettes in springfield pa rode a bike up there to get them ,i remember crashing the doors and running back to the ticket area they sold out in minutes ,we sat in section 79 at the spectrum ,,,it was a great show but we were smashed from parting at least i can say i saw the original Led Zeppelin
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security
October 27, 2010 8:33pm nj/cal. mark
i was very very lucky to see this show 5th row center (my Choosing). I Remember Robert and Jimmy Getting invovled W/ Security Personnal For Pushing Around some of The Fans in The First Row. I remember Robert Swing his Mic At The Bullies (Security). I Thought at the Time it Was Quite Gallent of These Two, Sticking Up For The Fans against The People Who Are Watching Out For Them Or Were They Just Taking Care of the Spectrum's Interest. Well, What Ever. Great Show and Hats-off to The Boys For The Fan loyality.
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Philadelphia
October 29, 2010 2:03pm DogCow
Why did LZ seem to avoid Philadelphia? The Spectrum was a modern facility and larger than many arenas that were played. The city of Pittsburgh had a ten percent amusement tax the routed many bands past the city. I saw many bands at the Richfield Coliseum or Blossom Music Center for that very reason.
They played the Capital Center, MSG and Uniondale. Philadelphia seems deliberately avoided.
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spectrum...feb.,8 1975 ...PHILLY
November 27, 2007 11:50am JIM MANNO
show started 1 hr.late...but it was worth the wait...zepp played for what seemed like 5 hrs.
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Concert description
March 17, 2008 3:09pm Argenteum Astrum
Plant's voice has pretty much healed while Page's finger has definitely healed! The performance doesn't crawl like other 1975 shows, it runs! Trampled Underfoot is proof of this. Plant adds a few new lyrics to The Song Remains The Same and at the start of The Rain Song. Page enters late for the bow section in Dazed And Confused but ends the song with a new riff. Whole Lotta Love is an abbreviated version without the middle section. It goes straight into Black Dog with Plant singing most of its original lyrics. This show is also the one where rowdy audience made its appearance that caused Robert comments: "Can we advocate that people stay in their seats? It's not very pleasant to see situations like that right under your nose, so can we all keep cool!"
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Over 50 m80s being thrown.
September 28, 2017 9:54pm Joseph Schaffstall
Over 50 m80s being thrown..none stop stage rushing..playing physical graffiti which I had never heard blew me away.
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I was one of those guys in
September 22, 2020 5:05pm patrick dickson
I was one of those guys in the front row dealing with the one security guard who was nuts. Your comment about Robert getting pissed at the guy brought it all back. I remember some of the other security guards asked the dude why he was hassling everyone. You had to keep one eye on the band and one eye on the security guard. Well worth it though.
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LOL, you are absolutely right
September 25, 2020 10:59am patrick dickson
LOL, you are absolutely right. I was right in front of the stage near the center. One security guard was nuts, he had his back to the stage and if you got too close to him he would grab you and hurl you about. I had to keep one eye on the band and one eye on him. The other security guys were laughing at him and couldn't figure out what his problem was. You are the first person I have come across who also witnessed that nonsense. Robert was cool as hell for standing up for the audience. Great concert, never forget it.
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Greatest Rock and Roll band back then!
May 30, 2015 9:35pmJohn W.
17 years old, long haired freak I was. I was there, my friend Dave and me roamed the arena. Will never forget, saw some great bands pass thru the Spectrum, Zep was the Best. Rock and Roll Baby!!! I'm 58 now and still remember, Rock and Roll, opening song. The place was electric!!
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Broad Street Bullies
April 29, 2016 10:09pm Sherman Smith
I might be biased going to the Spectrum over 300 times but i really like this show. Great crowd and the band responds, my ild tape has somebody throwing up during No Quarter and the taper .........................................ing oh shit all over the recorder, ahh the good ol days in Philly. I wonder if Bobby Clarke and the boys were at this show? Lord Stanley!!!
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