Re: Battle of the Bands - Led Zeppelin v Stone Roses page 146
Very much of the Zeppelin generation and a fan in my late teens.
Zeppelin are the best live band I've ever seen. Problem is they hardly ever toured. Can remember having to camp out in St Ann's Square (I think) to get tickets for Earls Court. Saw them again at their last gig at Knebworth 79. Those were probably the only UK opportunities to see them in this country in six years. I know they played at what is now the B&Q next to Lancs Cricket Club in 72 or 73 but (more fool me!) I hadn't really listened to them beyond dismissing 'The Immigrant Song' as poor man's 'Budgie'.
Zeppelin were never played on radio. We only had Radio 1 and it was beyond contempt. The DJs around then like Dave Lee Travis still invoke the same sort of disgust in me as Roy Keane does. They were played a bit at clubs - usually 'Whole Lotta Love' and later 'Trampled under Foot' but they weren't bigger in the rock clubs than Deep Purple, Sabbath, ELP, Floyd, Montrose, Yes, Free, Hendrix, Doors, Neil Young, Groundhogs, Cream. I'm thinking really of the Hardrock -which is again that B&Q on Greatstone Road and later;Jillys near the blood bank (Gore Street). So most people would never come across Zeppelin.
A couple of times after I had my hair cut I ventured to what I would call more mainstream clubs like Pips and Placemate 7. The idea of hearing Zepplin there is just so far fetched as to be unthinkable - I've no idea what they played - probably Stylistics - totally dire. Students Unions played better music and had some decent live bands but hardly any girls in the 70s.
There was a BBC documentary on the Seventies which seemed to suggest T-Rex dominated the scene during the seventies. That is total garbage. I'd say the Osmonds and Partridge Family were bigger in that market. Everything was targeted at kids approaching pubescence or albums played through headphones like Tubular Bells in box rooms at the top of the stairs. The seventies were not fun, they were self indulgent serious music for hippies (me) or some formulaic dance music at a disco.
How many of those spotty kids listening on their headphones went on to play football professionally? Probably loads of them and we went for years without qualifying for World Cups. I blame Tubular Bells, J.R Tolkein, and Meddle - the long side.
ed. Show me a decent City player or any other club's player for that matter born 1958? Ok Gary Owen is the only one I can find. Pink Floyd, Yes and Led Zeppelin ruined football and I blame them for us losing to Luton.
But seriously Led Zeppelin weren't that influential at the time. They certainly were the best of those bands looking back. They should have played live more often. Same was true of most of those bands. The upside was the kids probably a year after me rejected the lot and Punk was born. I was never a punk but the music that came with it was the best we've ever produced. If the 70s hadn't been so dire we'd have never had that explosion.
I like the Stone Roses first album, I like Led Zeppelin, I like Sibelius 5th Symphony. The Stone Roses were probably most influential on the bands immediately following them. Zeppelin's fans for next 10 years probably hid their albums in favour of London's Calling and Never Mind the B...ks
