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Press Review: Led Zeppelin at the Odeon, New Street, Birmingham

It was, said singer Robert Plant, a “night of calamity” for Led Zeppelin on Saturday. It was the first of the band’s two sell-out concerts in Birmingham and their electric machine, which was supposed to produce a background orchestral sound, did not work.

But that did not worry the audience, once they had overcome their frustration at the 40-minute wait. Pop groups are notorious for being late but this was a longer delay than usual and no apology was given until half-an-hour had elapsed. Then after a cursory apology, the band played for more than two hours and the audience enjoyed every minute of it.

For, despite all the electronic failures, Led Zeppelin were superb. This 23 concert tour is designed reintroduce them to their British fans after a long stay in America. But the fans had not forgotten them and it was no wonder that both concerts were sold out in less than 1 ½ hours.

Although Plant, as singer, fronts the band, the guiding force and most talented performer is Jimmy Page, whose idea it was to form Led Zeppelin four years ago. He must be one of the world’s top five guitarists and even Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck would have had difficulty matching him on Saturday.

He insists, too, on a mixture of music. Some early work and some yet to be recorded… from heavy, sometimes pretentious, but never dull, modern rock to Heartbreak Hotel. It was well worth the wait [RN, Birmingham Post , 12/72]