Desert Mayhem: Inside Led Zeppelin's Controversial 1977 Arizona Concert 

Preach man!

Hell Yeah bruh ...... 😅

Absolutely! 👍

It's not that I disagree with you. You just sound like a fart!

Just in case, personally I love everything A.I. does. Are we good, A. Dawg ?

Thanks for watching John. I just posted an LA FORUM 1977 series, Episode 1 of 3 if you wanna check it out! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IfBpNsbF1yE.htmlsi=hU5PcR5mR2UiY7kc

Dome is one of those words than we you're narrating can sound like Dom, i always try my best at this. English is not my first language but Zeppelin is my favorite band :) Thanks for watching!

It must have been a shock to witness this first hand. Question David, was the sound at the venue OK or was it too loud bouncing all over the Activity Center? Thanks for watching!

Yes, imagine the dehydration risk too for both the audience and the band! Thanks for watching!

H addiction

@@kevinnsevinn799 Oh wow, nowt his, I had no clue! Thank you so much Kevin!

Yes Robert, it was the best move, i'm sure they were already dehydrated constantly...

Yes, too hot to play outdoors July in Tempe, even at night. It’s an obvious choice to play indoors over heat issues with that many young people.

Right, and pushing 30, and being pushed by guv Grant: = burn out = increased chemical intake. Where the fk was Bonham's minder the day of his demise??

7 25 1980 outdoors Phoenix municipal stadium. Black sabbath, blue oyster cult, Molly hatchet. I sold 3000 hits of purple dragon blotter. It was hot took about 8 hrs at $3 a hit. Molly hatchet played and just as black sabbath started playing NIB a hug summertime desert thunder storm blew in and lots of hail lightning wind. They shut it down sent everyone home. But blue oyster came back to phx memorial collisium 30 days later when I went to exchange my ticket stub for the new concert, the tickets I traded product for from the nice girls in the parking lot were fake. The ticket lady kept my three fake stubs. They got me into the original concert I thought they were real.

Hey Richard, i'm shocked that you said Oakland paled in comparison to Tempe indoors, but you know, i understand, because Zeppelin and Daylight just don't mix well. Thanks for sharing how you purchased tickets, i pictured a small movie in my head, making these is a labor of admiration for the band so having actual fans from the 70s share their impressions is very valuable! Thank you very much for watching!

So lucky!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Thanks Jose, I’m shocked that you’re shocked? Lol. Just curious, have you ever attended an outdoor-daytime concert? Given the choice, would you rather attend an indoor concert, at a venue that holds say 14k, in a controlled environment, where you’re about 75 feet from the stage, and there is a light show included? Or attend an outdoor concert, during the heat of a July day, with no shade, in a venue that holds over 50k fans, and you’re at least 300 feet from the stage, looking West, with no light show? In my opinion, having attended 4 or 5 of the Day on the Green concerts, it’s not even close. In 1977, I was 19 years old, seeing my idols play for the first time, I know you discuss the bands’ faults that night, but for me, it was like seeing God (okay, maybe not THAT big), but I was star-struck man, they could have butchered every single song, I didn’t care, because I WAS SEEING LED ZEPPELIN !!!. Keep on posting…

Oh no i definitely understand the conditions at Oakland being Hell lol, it's just the iconic status of THAT show given the circumstances. I hate outdoor gigs sound wise cause its Hard to get a proper mix unless you are Paul McCartney or Metallica with TODAY'S systems hehe.

@@richardburke7339wow what a great story! I was born in 94 so it's impossible to see their live, still I'm envious!!

Or maybe he just dehydrated. It can really screw anybody! Thank you for watching, stay tuned for more!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories I was at the show, Page could barely hold his pick.

Wow what a story! Would love to hear anything and everything about that encounter Only if you are will to share！

That is awesome! Also, like most of us Jimmys, Jimmy Page is with a "y", not "ie". 👍

Oh sure! Robert Plant as your personal baggage porter! What a load of BS😏

BULL$HIT!

@@TroubleToby3040 That's cuz he made the whole thing up

Hey Mike! You are right playing an A/C venue is best, the thing is because they played Oakland in daylight i think it was down to the promoters. Money always makes the world go round but yeah, glad they didn't play Sun Devil Stadium on the 20th. Always glad to read your comments man! Hope you are doing great!

I was in Tucson that summer. 116 degree days. Phoenix is always hotter than Tucson. Whose going to fry in full sun to see them?!

Those are some hot Tempe tures...

Never understood the love for 4-27-69, its a great show no doubt, but the show the night before on the 26th is one of the best shows they ever played. It completely blows the 27th out of the water.

great list I agree

@@tedwojtasik8781 I’d be happy with either or. April 26th definitely takes the cake tho

The greatest band from the 70s, and these retrospectives show there was always magic at their shows, one way or the other. Thanks for watching!

So said Steven Tyler. Nice grab.

Oh man this Roger Waters info is amazing, didn't know this. I'm thinking he mimed some parts on his last tour? I saw him live, now you make me question the show haha (i was given the ticket as a gift thankfully)- Love the Pink Floyd insights, it's really a learning curve for me. Glad you enjoyed tThe Eagles moment hahahaha. Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan and a huge Zeppelin fan. I’m still perturbed that some of my fellow Bay Staters (Massachusetts natives) got rowdy and trashed the old Garden approximately one year before I was born (I was born in January 1976). Lip syncing is where I draw the line (luckily I saw Pink Floyd without Waters in 1994 and David Gilmour flubbed a lyric on Keep Talking that night but his guitar solos that night were amazing and the late Rick Wright played the keyboards like he had been reborn).

Paul Stanley of KISS lip synced for over 5 years of Kiss final years.

Don Henley and Roger Waters are both jerks. Neither was even close to being the best vocalist in their respective bands. Meisner was way better than Henley and Gilmour WAY better than Waters (Wright was better too).

That's right Joe. What a coincidence right? The very last Drum Solo!

I was at the Saturday show in Oakland. Didn't care for the set list.

Yeah that could be, but hey they played Oakland in daylight so, you never know haha. Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories The San Francisco Bay is right next to the Oakland Coliseum so 100+ temps are unusual in July. Arizona not so much. BTW, I missed the '77 Oakland shows. Begged my parents to let me attend, but they didn't think it was a good event for 13 year olds to be attending 😉

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Average highs in Oakland in July are low 70s... quite comfortable!

Paul this is a GREAT topic, you are correct. It's quite a mystery why they never returned. Need to check it out! Thanks for watching!

@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Have you seen the photos that were recently found of Led Zeppelin's Salt Lake city show at the Salt Palace in 1973. I seen it on "Led Zeppelin News. It looks like Jimmy Page mostly played his cherry red Les Paul with the B bender. It was on a local news station in Salt Lake. Albuquerque was mentioned as another Zeppelin show where there is no video or photo like the show in Salt Lake.

Yes man i saw them. Fantastic stuff. Will definitely talk about this show!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories I believe there is some video as well, although I am not too sure.

My Pleasure Daniel, be sure to stay tuned as i will do more of these! Thank you for watching!

You Too Gabriel, thank you always!

So awesome. I would have loved to have seen any of those gigs.

Thank you for not mentioning the Grateful Dead.😅

NICE.

Born and raised in Detroit 1962 I too was a HUGE KISS fan and seen them many times at Cobo in the 70’s & 80’s and met them a few times. The Rockets were a great band from Detroit. Two of the members are the original Detroit Wheels of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, Jimmy McCarty ( guitar ) and Johnny “the Bee” Badanjek ( drums ) I could never understand how the Rockets never made it big unlike Kid Rock who I think totally sucks

Huh, what a coincidence. My brother and I were at that very same concert, and it was our first concert ever as well.

I saw The Rockets open for KISS on the Alive 2 tour. The following year, a band named New England opened for KISS. Both were at, the now defunct, Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium. Affectionately called "The Aud".

@@leemelone6482 Loved the Rockets but poor Dave Gilbert, their vocalist, was hopelessly coked out of his mind. He kept missing shows on tours, wouldn't show up for days, and finally dismissed from the band. He wound up being a drywall installer and died of heart failure at 42 years old,.I believe. A sad, tragic story. I knew his former gf, who was a bartender at The Southside Roxy in Toledo, where I grew up. He was a mess. Sad because he was apparently a really nice guy and I saw the Rockets dozens of times as headliners and openers. They always delivered the goods. Their cover of "Oh Well," smoked.

@@kennymik1509 he was at the 79 Ad Kiss show.,too. We drove n from Canada for it.

Haha, i know...but hey, money makes the world go round, just ask their Oakland 1977 show in daylight...Thanks for watching!

I like that your comment speaks both the reality of the show but also how much you appreciate their music. It's quite an objective statement, thanks for sharing!

Oh man, black roads you mean? It's like this here where i live and yeah, it makes the heat much worse. I can't imagine these thunderstorms you mention, when they happen you gotta take cover, really! It was dangerous for them at Tampa 1977, there were thunderstorms going on in close proximity, it's a miracle it didn't happen while they were playing or hit someone at the stadium. You're right that the summer is not the best for English musicians, but hey, they seem to enjoy it to some degree, maybe the thought of COLD winters made them stand it? ....and money. Thanks for watching!

I was in Arizona that year, though in Tucson. 116 degree heat during the day. It was searing! Phoenix is always hotter than Tucson.

I need to revisit the St. Paul show, 1973 is a place i'm obsessed with since a teenager. Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Yes. You can first tell Bonham maybe on something on No Quarter but the interplay between him and Jimmy is so cool. It’s like Jimmy’s keeping him together, the timing is off but entertaining. Jimmy was either pissed or taken a qualude himself lol. The end part of the show is hilarious but entertaining. I applaud them just for getting through it and still make the whole thing interesting. Page pulls off some amazing dynamics. The audience loved it.

Tom you were there? Awesome. Yes Tampa seems to have been quite a rough gig Weather wise but musically they were rocking hard on Nobody's Fault But Mine. I actually like that show, i talked about it on my Making of Presence Episode 2 video! Thanks for watching!

You got that right @SPINNING A lot of rock stars with addictions have got out on the road and then due to circumstances can't score the drug they are addicted to and go into withdrawals......brutal. Page clearly struggled on that '77 tour with his heroin addiction, he had lost a lot of weight and probably had trouble maintaining his habit. It seems he tried to substitute whiskey for heroin and that never goes well. I think Page was dope sick on some of those tour dates and it's amazing he could play at all. Page is a sweet guy and just slowly became addicted back in '75 and by '77 the damage was severe. I saw a few bands in '77-'78 that had the same problem - Aerosmith, Sabbath, Stones, all of them had really bad nights due to drug addictions.

Led Zeppelin carried a lot of weight on their shoulders. They kept some sanity within the camp by keeping doors closed...the more i look into it, i believe it was the best call to keep the Legend status intact. Thanks for watching!

It was a rough night. I hope the first 7 songs see the light of day, we need to hear them! Thanks for watching!

Not just that bootleg but, the story of Mike Millard and how he recorded shows at the Forum.

Challenge accepted on Eddie. Will make that happen man :) Thanks for watching! I think they were tired by July indeed. The out door arenas in August was not a good idea.

@@Greenhornet204 that's how some call it. what's wrong with it?

Hahah, yes they hit that extra red light. When i'm writing this i can see a movie running in my head. I can feel the 1977 vibes, it was a WILD and Crazy year!

Maybe Mahavishnu Orchestra? hehe

Agree. We are all curious to hear those first 7 songs. These would confirm the physical conditions of the players that evening.

Matt, i can't get enough of Jimmy's solo, i'm a sucker for Tape Echo and Analog Delay units, the sound of the UNIVERSE! Thanks for watching!

I believe you and this is a great topic. Most references i've seen through the years state this as a 707. So was it a custom 707 that ended up being a 720?

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories United Airlines didn't want to be seen as "back pedaling" by ordering competing 707s after already ordering DC-8s. At that time (late 50s) these were the first long-range (coast-to-coast) jet airliners being offered by sale in the USA and competition for orders was very fierce. Airlines were eager to replace their maintenance-heavy piston-engined airliners with these new-fangled jet airliners. Boeing was ahead of Douglas in the race to the jet age regarding airplane availability and sales. Fascinating chapter in commercial aviation history. United was looking for a shorter-range airplane to also replace piston-engined airliners in shorter-range service to supplement the forthcoming DC-8s. The Boeing model that became the 720 was originally the 707-020...a slightly smaller, lighter weight version of the available 707-120. It was still being developed. Boeing's other eventual 707 models were the -220, -320 , and -420. Simply put, differing in engine choice, length, and flying range. The "20" designation was Boeing's internal designation and was replaced by the 2-digit customer code. So 21=Pan Am, 22=United, 23=American, etc. Boeing capitulated to United and the 707-020 became the 720-020. The specific airframe in question was part of the United Airlines order and was designated a 720-022. The 720 was a successful airliner during the 60s but was eventually replaced by less fuel-thirsty shorter-ranged airplanes like the 3-engined 727 during the early 1970s. Some lasted into overseas airline service in the 1980s and a couple soldiered on into the 2000s as engine testbeds, one in Canada and one in Phoenix, Arizona. In the 20-teens there was actually a plastic model kit available of this tour aircraft along with other versions for Elton John and the Bee Gees. They were relatively expensive ($40) maybe...wish I had picked one up. Still available online, search "Roden Boeing 720"...the kits are out there. At least you can see photos of the kits that were available.

Hey Dave! That's a great observation yes. Jones and Bonzo where ready. I guess they knew this would be a short gig somehow? I like the way Page starts off with no rhythm section, it's a cool variation. These July shows have a weird vibe...Thanks for watching!

Mike thanks so much for your kind words. It definitley makes my day to read you feel as if you're back in that era. When i work my scripts i take my time, listen to some hit singles from this period to really get into it. Being a historian is a job i take serious :) More concert retrospectives coming up! Hope you have a great weekend!

Thank you very much for watching!

While i understand what you mean, in context, it was Wish You Were Here the album they promoted and i've also seen several entries under this category. The music though, i can sure say it was an extended Dark Side of the Moon intention yes. Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories I was at the opening night of a five-night stand at the L.A. Sports arena and in all the advertising leading up to the shows there was no "Wish" references-only "Darkside". They did however play two or three songs that would eventually be on "Wish" under different names.

I was at the Floyd show, they started with wish you were here and then did Dark side and maybe Echoes at the end for an encore but it was a show to behold one of the best shows I've ever been too and I was at the 77 Led Zeppelin concert in Tempe

You catched the April 12th 1977 date, Awesome! Thanks for watching!

Hey Ed, that's great stuff you were actually at the venue for this show. As far as the 1975 date, there are promoter records that state Sun Devil as the chosen stadium. If you have Tempe Diablo Stadium that opens up a new door of speculation because there seems to be a mismatch of official notes. Your suggestion makes sense but the one thing that makes me think is the capacity at 9558. But of course we can trust Dave Lewis, but again....the capacity at Tempe Diablo doesn't add up you know? HeheThank you for watching, stay tuned for more!

The seating for Tempe Diablo Stadium is correct for baseball capacity in the stands. You also need to figure in the field capacity for a concert as well. The stadium held many concerts in the 1970s. Including Grand Funk Railroad, which I attended in 1975. The tickets for the canceled Zeppelin show read Tempe Stadium with the address located at 48th street between Broadway and Southern Avenue, not ASU Sun Devil Stadium. I have the ticket if you wish to see it.

I think Ed is correct about Diablo stadium. Its a little baseball stadium, but they can put people on the field as well as the stands. In 1988 I saw Pink Floyd at Phoenix Muni Stadium which is an equally small stadium not far from Diablo. We sat on the lawn and it was a fantastic show. The various cities used to do a lot of shows at the little stadiums but not so much anymore.

@JeffDosch I have a picture of the ticket from this show and it clearly has the location of Diablo Stadium on it. I saw Grand Funk there a few months before on June 22nd 1975

@JeffDosch footnote when concerts were held at Diablo, it was dubbed 'Feyline Fields', no doubt referring to concert promoter Barry Fey.

Incredible right? And nowadays we have Don Henley singing live....charging what, 500 bucks? lol.

Yes, Tempe was a small gig really after the Kingdome, quite the contrast right. You saw Petty in 87' wow so cool. I need to check the Stones gig you mention, do you know if there's a boot recording? Oh man i didn't knew about Dylan!!! What! Jimmy maybe have been Confused, but let me tell you, after listening to all the Achilles versions from 1977 for my Presence episode, the lights really knocked him out. I bet his eyes were quite sensible to brightness you know? it was 1977 after all...Thanks for watching!

I'm still puzzled at this Guitar Tech and soundcrew....or maybe Jimmy couldn't be advised on his tone back then? Thanks for watching!

Wow! Could you share it with the community? You can watermark it and share it :)

Please do share that photo!

Well they wrote Good Times Bad Times to begin with right? I find the yin yang aspect of the band fascinating, they were humans, no backing tracks no Hotel California. They lived it. The idea of this retrospective was to also showcase the Good :) Thanks for watching!

I love live Dead from 71-77. The band was amazing during this period. Some of my fav live shows ever.

Thanks for tuning in Charlie!

Thank you very much for watching!

Yeah, it's a wild move, but hey....they played Oakland with daylight so you never know!!

I recommend you visit Tempe, AZ in July.

I need to check that March 21st, 1975 show. Seattle was always a second home for Zepp! Thanks for watching!

This is why i revisit them. Achilles was troubled, anyway you look at it!

My condolences.

What caused the explosion?

You witnessed their last days in America, a historic date. Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories thank you very much

I appreciate that! Thanks so much! My coffee maker says thank you as well!

When he WANTS to be good he is great but when he just shows up...yeah not the same :)

To each their own...For me...Clapton can never be overrated. Page and Beck clearly followed the template put down by CREAM. And not only that but Clapton wrote the book on "A Les Paul thru a Marshall" sound. His tone on the Bluesbreakers Beano album is still coveted to this day for a reason. Plus Clapton WROTE SONGS. Real songs. When someone can write Layla, Badge, Let it Rain, Sunshine of your Love, Tears in Heaven, and many others, theres no way he can be overrated. Anyone playing an electric guitar in a "rock-blues" style owes EC a debt they could never repay. BB King, and Jimi Hendrix thought pretty highly of Clapton. AND unlike Jimmy Page, Clapton continues to work. Now granted, hes 80 now, and doesnt play the same as he did when he was 25, but at least he has experimented with more styles and grew as a songwriter and as a singer. I would love to hear anyone who slags Clapton play in the pocket as well as he does.

Thanks for watching Jeff! Hope you enjoyed it!

Fair enough, i take your recollection serious. The warning signs were there. I think the tour was VERY long and if they continued into August, i sense another form of tragedy happening. But yes, The best band from the 70s! Thanks for watching!

Awesome! Thank you!

That sucks, i can only imagine the feeling....the world lost the greatest rock and roll band of the 70s that day :( Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories yeah they where crying for days not to mention that Bonzo was dead

Neil Diamond yes, he crushed it on sales ticket. ZZ Top like you said were huge, unfortunately it's not as visually documented as we would like. This is a good topic for a video actually, early day ZZ Top, they rocked hard. Funny how they became "famous" until 1983's electronic sound, i mean these guys were killer players for almost a decade by then!

Thanks man. Tempe 1977 coming up with the stats and details ESPN style :)

NICE!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Hey have you heard of a band called La Chinga? They do a great song called Dawn of Man that borrows the No Quarter riff :)

I have nota! Need to check them out. Funny name though.

Page had more than a passing fascination, if you buy Crowleys house he performed the spell which accidently released the demons, buy his magic robes etc and books you are into it in and big way and I believe Page getting into heroine partly was because he was following Crowleys footsteps

P.s When Gisnts walked the earth is a great zep book regarding Page and his Occult interssts

Jimmy was fighting for his life on Achilles, his guitar lag behind the band must have given Robert nightmares later on. But they pulled it off in the end! Thanks for watching!

Sympathetic maybe, i just know that playing shows takes a toll on you, can't imagine a massive tour like this. Even if you take out substance from it....man it's soul crushing to say the least. The guys from Metallica have mentioned this, money is never enough compensation.

That was at Diablo Stadium

A pair of virtuosos! Thanks for watching!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories all those boots you hear jonsey belting out he parts. he was as hard working as any of them. it must have been a competition. whos more professional. lol

Agree, mistakes are part of the craft, how you react to them. Being a 70s Rockstar like them WAS not easy. Playing the Same thing for 40+ nights, takes a toll on the mind.

Stopping cold would have been scary haha. But yeah....i hope the complete TEMPE recording surfaces one day. I'm sure the first 7 tracks were solid.

Cheers to you for witnessing a historic show despite the bad stuff! Thank you for watching, stay tuned for more!

Chicago was a turning point yes, and i mean, the whole tour was just DANGEROUS. The sort of people they had working for them, not the best management choices.

Thanks for watching! This band is all about dedication. I like studying there craft from many angles!

Haha you got it! I just thought, geez, what a double feature that was, no way i'm going to THAT Rod and Air Supply show hahahah.

Thanks for watching Brett! My pleasure!

Glad you enjoyed it man, it's great to know a life long fan and scholar like yourself can see a new angle in these videos. I agree, Jimmy's solo intro on Kashmir was a badass thing to do, and it works. This July portion of the tour holds a special vibe, good and bad! But it's Led Zeppelin, the greatest rock band so it works!

@@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories Always enjoy your work man top notch job always !!!

Glad you enjoyed my commentary on the recording. Developing "bootleg ears" is a skill right? We collectors know. Tempe has always fascinated me.

Not bad but the way he did it was not cool. This is the same man who expected Fripp to pay him MORE than the rest of the Crimson cast on the last reunion tour. I admire Belew's guitar innovations but as an employee he certainly has a strange attitude...

It was quite the complicated concert indeed! Thanks for watching!