The band return from England where they top the Melody Maker Poll Awards, dethroning the Beatles after eight years. A press conference is held the day before the show, with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Originally slated for June 27th, the band turn down an offer of $200,000 and re-schedule the summer American tour, to appear at the Bath Festival.

Two shows are scheduled: 2pm & 8pm, where Robert Plant also pays tribute to Jimi Hendrix who had just died. The evening's performance is widely considered one of their best ever.

PRESS REVIEW: LED ZEP $200,000 U.S. SELLOUT GIG

Led Zeppelin finished their American tour with around 200,000 dollars worth of business at the big Madison Square Garden where they nearly filled the first concert and completely packed the second. They were the only act on the bill and so each member earned himself around 30,000 dollars (after deductions) for just under six hours work.

But work it was - second show received such audience reaction, comparable with the Stones at their Madison date, that several long encores were done by the group.

They introduced several things from the new Led Zeppelin Three album, including one number with Jimmy Page on acoustic guitar and John Paul Jones on electric mandolin.

Backstage it was quiet, everybody looking forward to departing to England the following day. Paul Jones, ex-Manfred Mann, chatted to John Paul Jones. Paul Jones is in New York for the opening of his British hit play, 'Conduct Unbecoming'.

Robert Plant was talking about buying a horse for his wife he has one himself! — Noel Redding was a backstage visitor. Lord Sutch was around, attended the con cert, but apparently couldn't make it backstage. It isn't too matey right now between the Zep and his Lordship over the Sutch album. Apparently there was a misunderstanding, with the Zep thinking they were doing rock oldies with Sutch as a favour, but with Sutch adding new lyrics and different titles. [R.M., Oct. 1970 / Ian Dove]

PRESS REVIEW (EVENING SHOW): LED ZEPPELIN: RHYTHM, HYPE & EVERYTHING RIGHT

NEW YORK - Led Zeppelin's records have, for the most part, turned -me off.  Admitting their general excellence as players, I was still unable to find little of lasting value in their slavish adherence to their by-now well-known psychedelic formula. Accordingly, I was prepared for a facile performance from the Zep at Madison Square Garden;  and expected to leave after half an hour. But Led Zeppelin blew the stuffings right out of my preconceived notions.

In brief, everything that has ever been right with live rock and roll is right with Led Zeppelin in concert. The first hour of their two and a half hour set consisted mostly of album cuts and single hits; here  Page, Plant, & Co. revealed an amazing ability to improvise meaningful and effective electronic sound, a pure,  unattached sort of creative flow that, I'm sure, left many of the Zep's teenybopper fans completely bewildered. Plant in particular astounded me with his free-noise vocal contributions.

After some slightly lackluster acoustic material and a John Bonham drum solo that brought down the packed house, the group got into the best extended live rock playing I have ever heard anyone do, and that includes the Stones. Plant would start the audience clapping on a beat, and the entire group would trust us, 30,000 pairs of hands, to keep the beat while they improvised against it. And it worked, time and time again, building a sense of ritual participation and pure gut-level joy while Led Zeppelin ripped through an improvised, seemingly eternal medley of old rock and blues songs. More heartfelt cries  for encores were never heard (though M.C. Scott Muni turned the calls for more into a cold ritual).

They finished with "Blueberry Hill" No fooling. Long live rock and roll!
[-Larry Hutchinson, ROCK, 11/70]

PRESS REVIEW: With no fatigue showing following a gruelling six-week U.S. tour, Led Zeppelin filled the Garden for their second show. Saturday (19). With a good crowd for the first show, the group grossed over $200,000 and were the only act on the bill, unless you count disk jockey Scott Muni's minimal duties in introducing the group.

The second concert finished in just under three hours, with no sign of lagging enthusiasm from either audience or group. Drummer John Bonham walked off with the top ovation with his long feature, "Out on the Tiles" but the difference in the reaction to other members of the group was marginal.

The group flies off in several directions, covering the progressive and the rock world - "Blueberry Hill" yet, by Robert Plant. An undoubted assist is Plant's visual appeal which works on the assumption that a moving target is harder to hit.

This time round, the quartet featured a quiet time with Page doing an acoustic bit and a set with just Plant and John Paul Jones on electric mandolin. (J. RADCILIFFE, SEPT. 1970)