who's the chubbo playing bass under the pic of Mick?

* yawn *

I dig the music..not the wrinkles.

Chris Squire from Yes.

I dig the music..not the wrinkles.

I dig the music..not the wrinkles.

Thats a shooooooort setlist! Hope it was worth it!

I dig the music..not the wrinkles.

yeah who's the other dude playin bass? Was he playing when JPJ was playing keys or something?

sorry about the multiple posts. I don't see an option to delete.

Cheers

I dig the post button

Actual Complete Setlist:

Good Times Bad Times
Ramble On
Blacl Dog
In My Time Of Dying
For Your Life
Trampled Underfoot
CUSTARD PIE (Intro)
Nobody's Fault But Mine
No Quarter
Since I've Been Loving You
Dazed & Confused
Stairway To Heaven
The Song Remains The Same
Misty Mountain Hop
Kashmir

Whole Lotta Love
ROCK AND ROLL

hey captain *yawn*, do you have any idea how *yawn* posting *yawn* is? not to mention, the entire earth hates you and your kind. keep masturbating to your tears, douchecock!

hey captain *yawn*, do you have any idea how *yawn* posting *yawn* is? not to mention, the entire earth hates you and your kind. keep masturbating to your tears, douchecock!

THEY DIDN'T PLAY IMMIGRANT SONG?!!?!?!

that makes it an automatic rip-off.

hey i heard this rumour that jesse as is digs the music but not the wrinkles.

THANKS A LOT FOR THE PICTURES THEY ARE GREAT !!!! MICHAEL

they may be the gods of rock but 10,000 dollars for a ticket isn't worth it for me but at least the set list was pretty kickass i like how its 1 am in england and 7 here in the states haha the show JUST happened

they may be the gods of rock but 10,000 dollars for a ticket isn't worth it for me but at least the set list was pretty kickass i like how its 1 am in england and 7 here in the states haha the show JUST happened

I'm gonna be the average BV poster and say "they suck" because I truly think they do.

enough already. sure they were great. innovative. a music for a generation, but let's face it, it's totally impossible for any of today's youth (unless they are Amy Winehorse or such)
to ever even dream of seeing them.

it's like trying to see the stones.
yeah sure, i don't know who your are but i can't shell out $250, or $1000 to see a show, nevermind what $10,000.

so great. really who gives a shit if i get to see a couple of famous folks walking on the red carpet or a set list.
i'd rather just listen to some of their tunes

it's nice to do a benefit, but all this celebrity elite bullshite is sickening.

oh great paris hilton was on the guest list. what did she suck her way into the show?
pop culture is filth

I would be absolutely disgusted if Paris Hilton actually went to this.

biggest group in history hands down let the detractors be silent

the beatles

Wished I coulda been there. I will be at the tour when it comes to town. AND, I will be purchasing the dvd when it comes out!!!

Anyone criticising Led Zep is ignorant and knows nothing about music.

Anyone judging them based on their age, is ignorant.

Anyone unable to at least say thank you for posting these images (I read only one) so soon after the concert is selfish and rude, and a product of our shit culture without morals and simple common courtesy.

So, thanks for posting these images!

I realise most of you must be only 10 yrs old and/or have an IQ of 6, but, 30 happens...

Yeah, it is a drag, but things become "clear(er)".. and if given the choice, when you become older and have lived through your school systems without being shot, you will realise it and never choose to go back where all was so unclear.

Yes, being poor sucks...but so does being rich. We can't have everything. Choose what is most important to you...

Cliche as hell, but money does not bring happiness, it is true...it only brings *security*

80% of suicides are among the wealthy. Fact.

People who critise Paris Hilton becasue she had sex and it was on tape, are hypocrites.

She should be criticised for being an absolute talentless, trash, uneducated, embarrassment.

Pop culture DOES suck. Shallow and without substance.

Have fun, and stop being so damn angry!

PS: The "masturbating while in tears" was funny..LOL

ciao from Italy

....and once from Brooklyn! hah

WOW! You don't have to be young to "Rock n Roll!", to be able to do a gig and blow the crowd away beyond anyones immagination today, confirms what most fans allready know, Led Zepelin are not, and never have been just another rock band, they truely are a legend.
In treating the fans to a present day "live" ceromoney of rock n roll,raising money for a worthwile cause,and giveing so much enjoyment,insperation to so many, I salute you Led Zeppelin. Histroy remembers the greats,and no doubt my childrens,childrens,children will here the name "Led Zeppelin"
I say "Good an ya fellas" and "well done", and to any knockers,I pitty you, for if you don't know now, you never will,know the meaning of "Rock n Roll"

"FREE BIRD"!!!!!

i love zeppelin. i just my room redone with the swan song guy on the wall and led-zeppelin above it. im kinda ticked that they didnt play immigrant song. im only 13 but i play drums and i sware to god that i can play misty mountain top, immigrant song, and most of over the hills and far away. so there u go i would have died to be at that concert. R.I.P JOHN BONHAM, 1980.

Hey kyle you say you can play misty mountain top....haha its hop buddy. Thanks for pics wish I could have been there.

anyone who listens and follows the history of rock and roll-you should be thankful and proud that Led Zeppelin and Jason Bonham love the music and their great fans and supporters so much------ they(not to forget A.E.atlanticrecords) they put on this ass kicking history making show God Bless Led Zeppelin and God Bless Our Troops in the mid east!!!!!!!!!!1962

HEY THIS IS LED ZEP DAY! VH1 CLASSIC HAS BEEN PLAYING THEIR DVD'S ALL DAY AND THE AIR IS THICK WITH LED ZEP FEVER. HAVING BEEN A BIG YARDBIRDS FAN I SAW THE WHOLE PROGRESSION FROM YARDIES TO ZEP. THE PICS OF THE EVENT ARE REALLY GOOD MICK AND PAUL WERE THERE A VERY HISTORIC DAY IN ROCK N ROLL. THE DVD WILL BE A GROOVE! ROCK ON KIDS LATER.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY

I thought i heard thunder tonight!

thanks alot for the pics

Hey superman-I own over 15000+ songs and not a single one is Led Zep sold my Led Zep collection in 77 after I saw them put on the worst concert I saw in 77. I learned quickly that Led Zep was just an average band of the time. While an average band in 77 might make you cream in your pants today it didn't do sh*t for me maybe I would have liked them more if they kept their shirts buttoned and weren't as high as a kite. plenty of great bands before and after and they weren't all influenced by Zep. But heck that's just my opinion! You have yours.

If only someone would have assassinated the Gallagher brothers, it would have been a perfect evening.

the "chubbo" playing bass under the picture of Mick Jagger is Chris Squire of YES - the best rock bass player ever.

i got the bootleg already

Wow... someone actually posted that Led Zep is an average band. I never thought i'd see the day... how can they be average... I don't think an average band would have made as much money as they did or be as popular as they are... the average band would not have a lottery system with over a million entrants in order to get a chance to buy a $200 ticket for a concert that has media coverage by over 70 nations.

the average band maybe has one hit in their lifetime and has a tiny taste of fame...

and unless this is like Hendrix back from the dead... i dont think you have the right to call a band that made more money on one tour than you'll make in your lifetime "average" so unless your an acclaimed successfull rockstar... you cannot say LED is average...

let me put it into plain english this way for all detractors to understand:
Led Zeppelin: World-wide fame, girls, and riches, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and other awards and influenced and entertained millions
Detractors: Losers... single... living with their mom... no accomplishments... no prospects... no one will remember who when your dead and gone

and getting rid of a record collection from one bad concert... that's probably the dumbest thing i heard since the all you can eat steak bar in India.

and 15000+ songs that are probably downloaded on an ipod from your moms computer means nothing... no one's impressed... go to the micheal bolton, amy grant, and Bread blogs and post that nonsense
its guys like you that led to elton john playing the Harley Davidson 100th anniversary party.

although led zep technically stole all their early material, they have to be one of the top 10 most important rock and roll bands ever. fuck the haters, you're so full of your own shit that your friends hate you.
i hate most of that setlist myself, but the truth is they brought it in a way that almost nobody ever has. no band today can even remotely touch their fire; that's the problem with everything going on now. it's all very sterile, contived, lacking the only thing important in rock, which is, for lack of a better word, mojo. the last time we saw any of that was the grunge scene.

I'm sure this will be first of many shows over the next few years.

Yeah, they're definitely geezers and they play geezer rock. But I'm still going to try damn hard to get tix if they ever play Seattle. Or anywhere on the west coast, for that matter. This isn't Van Halen or the Police (both of which I skipped and glad of it). It's Zep, man.

john paul jones looks amazing for his age, jimmy page looks like he will die soon G-d forbid.

Do you think Led Zep reads blogs?

it amazes me that there are even people in this community who can say something negative about Led Zeppelin. I really think it's more for the attention than the sentiment.

As for the setlist being short, how do you know how long each song went? Those are ALL songs I'd love to see them jam on...

For those lucky enough to have seen this live I envy you, and I hope those rumors of US shows turn out to be true.

Hmm, wow. I find it truly dismaying that detractors of LZ and/or the show, and boosters of LZ and/or the show are equally illiterate. There's not one cogent, reasoned or at minimum adult comment among these nearly fifty.

Essentially, I've learned Zep sucks because they have wrinkles, or sucked because they played a "bad" show, or they rule because they made a lot of money and got laid.

Good job, dummies.

ROCKING FCKN ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAMER OF THE GODS!!!!!
HER MAJESTY MIGHTY ZEPP!!!!!!!
Pagey my boy,,,, They left ya with the Yardbirds and ya never looked back!!!!
LEGENDARY Thanks 4 the photos
ZEPP thank you for the heavy soundtrack of my generation.

anyone who's ever heard tall cool one should not be able to look at robert plant the same
Its' like Brian Posean said about George Lucas when talking about the new Star Wars movies ...
It's like you had this favorite uncle who one day at a picnic just comes up behind you and puts his penis on your shoulder.
Mr. Plant ... I do believe your dong is on my shoulder

I tried and tried... but alas, I could not get win a ticket. I spent the entire Dec. 10th day trying to get some work done, but found myself completely distracted and derailed by the goings-on in London.

Old loves die hard.

Glad the celebs enjoyed it !

Jeff Beck's lookin' good!!!

Wonder what he's got in the parcel???

'Bout ten ki's of high grade Morroccan for Percy maybe?!?!?

Percy & Pagey're always sneakin' of to North Africa NEway!!

As for the short setlist comments. When I saw Page and Plant in 98 they played approximatley 22 or 23 songs. I doubt they were jammed out as the setlist was up about an hour and a half after start time. They said they would play 2 hours...I could be wrong. I don't see what the fuss is in the respect that Page and Plant toured together not that long ago and they just added JPJ. I am sure it was a great show though.

Jagger's girlfriends are finally starting to look old.

They're starting to look old, but you'd still hit it.

anon 745....john paul jones' importance to the band must not be understated.

Remember Bonham, the hairband in the 80's?

I think it's funny that they keep saying this will be the only Led Zep reunion gig. Wait until the money starts knockin' and Paris Hilton starts knockin', that'll change things. Makes a man feel young again. They're at MSG in 2008 as sure as Jimmy Page sleeps in a Pentagram!

hi, anyone know where this show might be available for download? unbelievable setlist. i sure hope they come to the states.

cheers zep fans!

I'm 46, so I'm old enough to have been in high school when this band was still very active. However, by the time I was in my mid teens, I got to thinking they were kind of overrated and pompous and I got really tired of the whole bloated arena rock culture that surrounded them; they were one big reason, back in the day, that I got interested in punk (and, of course, I was not alone in that).

Led Zeppelin had some good songs here and there, but listening to them was kind of like a guilty pleasure by 1977. Really cool people did not admit that they listened to Led Zeppelin.

I'm not saying that's right (nobody should listen to a band just because they are hip or cool); it's just kind of funny that they seem to have this legendary, super-cool status now (?) when back then, I don't think anybody would have considered them a great band comparable to The Beatles (which seems to be what people are doing now). And even for people who really went for that heavy blues-influenced rock/early HM, Led Zep just weren't on the same level as, say, Hendrix or Cream.

I think it's insane that people paid these prices for Led Zep tickets, but of course most of the people who paid the really high prices must be rich (unless they robbed someone).

To the person who seemed to be saying that rich people have the same chance of being miserable as poor people, that was a joke, right? (Do you really think people shouldn't be getting angry? Personally, I think they're not angry enough.)

Anyway, onto a lighter subject... The most interesting thing about Led Zeppelin, in my opinion, is that their lead singer once almost married Najma Akhtar.

Rock on, LZ. Rock on.

I hate the new Radiohead! OASIS FOREVER!!!

I hate the new Radiohead! OASIS FOREVER!!!

I hate the new Radiohead! OASIS FOREVER!!!

I hate the new Radiohead! OASIS FOREVER!!!

I hate the new Radiohead! OASIS FOREVER!!!

I hate the new Radiohead! OASIS FOREVER!!!

I can't wait for the OASIS REUNION!

I am sure half of those celebs are fans. They only went because of the event, not the music. Complete and utter bullshit if they do not tour for their real fans to see them.

To suggest that Led Zeppelin sucks is just incredibly naive. Clearly anybody who says that has no idea how innovative they were or how influential they've been. Age shouldn't be a factor in appreciating their music either. I was born 6 years after Bonham died and they broke up and I still list them as one of my all time favorite artists.

Missohio, when you call Led Zeppelin arena rock it sounds like you're comparing them to somebody like Journey or Van Halen. They're clearly not part of to that genre. They may have been pompous; that comes with being one of the best bands ever. Calling them overrated, however, exposes your own ignorance. Suggesting that punk, which requires no musical talent, was the alternative you sought for Led Zeppelin only proves your lack of any musical intelligence.

And another thing, Cream is better than Led Zeppelin? Are you fucking serious? They had probably 5 good songs at most. Led Zeppelin had 10 GREAT albums.

Sorry missohio, that comment was directed at RS. I'm an idiot and didn't realize the name goes below the comment.

Led Zeppelin Rock!!

There is nothing wrong with not liking Led Zep just like not liking another band and it doesn't mean you are a fan of MIchael Bolton.

Plan and simple not a fan of what most of led zep influenced (ie hair bands, Van Halen, metal bands, Black Sabbath, Guns N Roses type bands etc...) heck I'm not much of a fan of blues although do like some of the early type blues. Secondly, Plant's annoying vocals especally live when it cracked and popped were another big part of why one would hate them.

Fully understand why one would like them but they were not and are not my cup of tea. Yeah I listen to some bands that were influenced by them but those bands also had other influences which is why they appeal to me.

signed Prog, art rock,Psychedelic,folk rock, space rock,brit pop, shoegazer,Electronica, experimental,Avante Garde, Canterbury, Indie,shoegaze,jazz, classical, fan!!!

Oasis reunion....LOL...gime a break noob. They are a good band w/ good songs and all but cmon...get real.They arnt even that old of a band to have a reunion. Instead of "reunion" try "just another tour." If u wana talk reunion try somthin like THE BYRDS or BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD. then the word "reunion" would be used properly...... TY LED ZEP!!

I wish the Kinks would reunite. Given how bad Dave is doing lately, I just don't think it's going to happen. I'd love to see Ray, Dave, and Mick together on the same stage again.

I liked (really liked) Led Zep for a while, had all the albums, blah blah blah. Then I read the part in the Bill Graham book about how one of their tour people maimed a BGP employee for no reason at an Oakland show. The entire tour covered for this atrocity (evidence shows the band members knew what was going on.) Disgusting, they deserve every bad thing that happens to them, hopefully it's a lot.

Paris Hilton just got out of jail recently and is on probation with an active CRIMINAL RECORD. How was she able to enter the UK? Inquiring minds wnat to know.

Every Oasis tour is a reunion, and the next will RULE!!!

NME.com has a bunch of video.

Damn they sound good...

the "chubbo" playing bass under the picture of Mick Jagger is Chris Squire of YES - the best rock bass player ever.

---

wow are you retarded? GEDDY LEE!!?

Idiot.
Rush ftw

the dudes from oasis don't deserve to be there, zep rules end of story. hate on this :o

Everyone's so jealous of Oasis! Dang!!

OASIS=BEST BAND IN THE WORLD.
ZEPPELIN=#2

:)

"Do you think Led Zep reads blogs?"

Led Zep reads The Financial Times and account statements.

Far out

I can only hope for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd tour in 2008....I can die happy!

It's quite alright Jesse as is about the multiple posts and delete. Concerning your comment about the wrinkles, maybe someday you will get past the physical, maybe get a brain, and maybe post an intelligent comment somewhere. And maybe, just maybe, you will get old too...if you are lucky.

What a collection of photos!?!?!?!?
O boy o boy o boy...............
This concert was a miracle.......
After all thiese years.........

I'm happy to see the rest of them,together and Jason bonham,cool keepen it in the family,I wish they would of done:1.Bon Au Yaur 2.In the light 3.Battle of Evermore with a exotic female singer to counter point Roberts verses to ccol!!looking forward to seeing the DVD,OH John Bonhams brother has a good book out on him just came out check out aazon.com or Borders books U.S.A. Last wish and or request is that they do a concert in Oakland ,California,because San Francisco could'nt hold enough people unless it was the new Giants Stadium,Yes would be a good opening act for them in the same vein :} Be Well Smitty

Thanks to Keith Moon for the name Led Zeppelin, and the BEST BASS PLAYER IN THE WORLD "IS" JOHN ENTWISTLE..............THE WHO ROCKS!!!LED ZEPPELIN ROCKS!!! PINK FLOYD MASTERS!!!!

Hello,for some people to see this concert would be the highlight of their life,I agree,I love Led Zep and they are my favorite band and they always will bebut the highlight ofmy life was meeting Jesus Christ and knowing he loves me and only wants the best for me and YOU!!!!

On their WORSE day no current band could, would, will EVER come close to playing as good as LedZep. Todays music for the most part is CRAP of which most is sampled from the greats anyways. Todays music is packaged crap from the MTV types selling sex, not music and talent.

OK now these boys are together and we have Genesis back, Yes is about to go on their 40th annv tour in 08, Van Halen is out there again we need to get all these bands together to do a summer sour. Do a festival tour every weekend they all play a 2 hour set. That would rock.

hey it's great to know that all those celebrities were at the show! that made my LIFE.

less important news: NME reported a possible 3-night Led Zep @ MSG rumor ---anyone know if this is complete bull?

what a fat lump of lard that Chris Squire is.
who let him in? long live Led Zep!

I`m pretty old too and I don't know a lot of people who made fun of Yes but went to see LZ, Genesis with Gabriel, Gentle Giant, Emerson K and Palmer and so on. To be a Led Zep fan and make fun of one of the better bass player in the world truly shows that you are hipster trash. BTW, even with my grey hair, I bet I can pick up your fat grilfriend any day of the week on the streets.

I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT. GOD I HOPE THEY DO A TOUR. I saw Plant alone and I saw Plant & PAge in 95, I also saw and met Jason Bonham in 1996 with his band Bonham. It will be the greatest thing to ever happen in rock and I can tell you that BONZO is looking down with a great big smile on his face and happy for them all.

there would be no grunge scene if is wasn't for Led Zeppelin, these guys have more mojo than the whole early 90's grunge scene put together. Remember, Led owned Seattle in the 1970's. 80,000 at the kingdome in 1977. Thank you Zeppelin, rock music owes you!

"more mojo than the whole early 90's grunge scene put together"

That ain't sayin' much.

what's grunge?

Thanks for the pics!
Led Zeppelin are mortal, their music is forever

The highlight of the show was Chris Squire.Yes was and still is the best all around band in the world.

The highlight of the show was Chris Squire.Yes was and still is the best all around band in the world.

The highlight of the show was Chris Squire.Yes was and still is the best all around band in the world.

Chris Squire was the highlight of the show.I love zep but YES is best.

This is the official end of the corporate record industry- this is it, all they've got left.

Sure, the music is excellent, the best, but it is still a resale of work we already have in abundance at home.

Led Zep is it's own tribute band.

Jimmy Page is a monster!!!

The legend of Zeppelin has been built up to mythical proportions – not even Led Zeppelin in there prime could reach but for some one to say they suck and are overrated are probably the same people who pronounce the unknown band they saw last night as the latest greatest thing since sliced bread.

(There’s a hipster doofus in every crowd or blog for that matter)

Thanks BV

Will Led Zep ever give proper writing credits/royalties to all the bluesman they,ahem "borrowed" from? I.E. ripped off!

Wow, some real ignorant people here. Zep is legendary. For those who think they're 'average'...please join us here, would ya? On Earth, that is.

It makes me very proud Virginia

I went and it was the best show ive been to! seriously i still can get over how damn great it was!!!!

um...there was a lottery for "normal people" to get 14,000 or so tickets.

can I bash the indie snobs who like to bash zeppelin? it's OK to like the most popular band in the world, I promise, your insecure friends won't think much less of you...might even be surprised

Wow i can't believe the number of you idoits who think led zeppelin suck. You guys probabaly listen to some other shit like rap or fucking techno. Sit down, listen to zeppelin, and thank god for them because they INVENTED rock and roll....well, besides the beatles. And yes, Jimmy Page is a atraight up BEAST.

Wish I could have been there. As I sit here picking my 77 cherry sunburst Les Paul standard (bought it brand new in 1977;you do the math)thought I'd share a few thoughts. Led Zeppelins music contained an element missing in todays prefab,pop driven,digitally sampled, souless slush-it created a different mood with each song. To the detractors,despite high ticket prices and high celebrity profiles,IT WAS A BENEFIT CONCERT!(i.e. the purpose was to raise money). I just hope that there will be an American tour. I'm crossing my fingers

I was "first in line" for this show and front row the entire time. This show was so hot it was unbeleivable.

NOONE can say that zeppelin doesn't still rock. Listen to the clips if you didn't have the honor of going yourself. They are amazing as well.

One earlier post asked why get there so early and that is because i wanted front row, no exceptions. Because of it I'm now on BBC Breakfast TV clips and CVC TV clips.

An amazing event and so much more.

Zep4ever

Come back Led Zepplin to walk the streets of New York straight into Madision Square Garden.We will bow our heads in glory for the greatest Rock band to walk the face of the earth in all 70 countries.Does any one remember laughter?????Did you experience the show in the 1970?????? God bless the band and its fans!!!!!!!!! Phil

Dave B: So the front section (if not the whole venue) was general admission?

Led Zeppelin recordings still have the ability to make me want to get my guitar out of its case, plug it in to a Marshall and jam along. That's a lot more than I can say for 99.9% of all of these numetal, gothrock, death metal, hair metal, thrash metal, progressive rock, this metal, that metal, my metal, your metal, etc., bands out there now that have achieved undeserved commercial success. Sure, these guys are all about ready for retirement and they are all part of that filthy rich rock star elite asshole crowd like Jagger and MacCartney and I am sure that they all have egos a mile wide. Fuggit! They were absolutely killer in their heyday and I would have given an arm and a leg to have seen this show. Rock concert ticket prices have gotten so ridiculously expensive in the past two decades that poor old working class pukes like myself just cannot afford to skip a house payment to see their heroes anymore. The prices at this show were absolutely absurd but, they were all supposedly going to charity. If Zep does tour the US,(I think it's really highly unlikely) expect the tradition of astronomical ticket prices to continue. I won't be there. If I want to hear Zep I will crank on the stereo and remeber the good ol' days when you could see the likes of Ac/Dc or whoever for ten bucks.

Gregg Orange, the good thing about astronomical ticket prices is, it keeps out riff-raff like you.

I am glad to see these guys playing again, too bad they robbed everybody for this promotional tool for their billion dollar 2008 tour.
The Grateful Dead played shows for free, bailed out their fans from jail, let people make love in the crowd, the list is long, all alive members play year round,,,,,,for their fans not a billion dollars.Also the Dead never played a bad show in 1977 like Zeppelin.NIL E PPEZ DEL....this is a backwards cause, the DEAD would have already given the show to anybody, and it would have been broadcasted on an FM station for all the fans.

Who dares to compare Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin? G.D. is an american band. Americans may have invented Rock, but the has never been a truly great american rock band.
They all are brits!

Thanks for the pictures.

Borndead, if you want to continue to buy into the fantasy of the Grateful Dead as some kind of altruistic band, you're free to, but by the late 1980s the real Grateful Dead was a megamillion dollar conglomorate who's members could barely stand each other.

Zeppelin set the standard. End of story, although the 8o's hairbands got it all wrong and Zeppelin laughed their butts off!

Page, Plant, Jones, Bonham. 4 names etched in rock music history, each with unique special talents that combined were simply the greatest powerhouse band on the planet, for years. Hands down, they can't be touched by any band that came before or after, in what they do. The record sales prove it. The concert sales prove it. The pictures prove it. This concert proved it. They were original, and all who have tried to do what they did since then are sadly just copy cats and wannabes; certainly inspired by them but never able to reach the same heights in all manners as they did. Show me another catalog like theirs that rocks with half the depth, breadth and dynamics in both lyrical and musical content. You can't. And even in their 60's they still have the magic, the musical chops, the mystery, the appeal to the masses that allows them to pull this off and keep on rolling if they so chose. I hope they do. I've been intrigued and inspired by them from day one, side one, song one, and it somehow shaped a big part of who I am inside. I feel lucky to be able to have that, and to feel the same feelings today when I hear Led Zeppelin I as I did almost 40 years ago. At this point so many years later I also feel we are ALL very lucky that Jason has become the man and drummer that he is, which is certainly the key to their current capacity. It gives us all renewed hope that they might play and even record new material again. So Hats Off to you Jason, thanks for your years of hard study and focus on being a great drummer like your dad. There's no question, you honored your Dad in a way that he would be very proud. But now it's about you, so enjoy...you earned it. Good Luck all...keep rocking.

P.S. Merry Christmas!

A few years ago I once found a music reviewer from England,I don't remember his name who said he never liked Led Zeppelin,and the well known music reviewer George Starostin only gives them a grade C and thats way too generous!

I have always totally *hated* Led Zeppelin from the time I was a teenager. They truly sound like one of the worst bands or any "music" I have had the misfortune of ever hearing! They along with Queen,and Pink Floyd are the only 3 bands that I have to get up off of my chair even if I'm very tired and turn off immediately! I'm not alone in feeling this way either,I have found many other people on music review sites saying they hate Led Zepelin even some people on heavy metal sites!

Not only do many people say that Led Zeppelin stole a lot fom many old blues songs, and Led Zeppelin's terrible loud banging noise with no creative quality to it at all,and Robert Plant's common screaming,and sceaching like a retarted monkey,but they also say his lyrics are simple and ordinary and sound like a horny teenage boy wrote them! The Who,The Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix are all a Million times better! Heck even Van Halen is much better and I'm not even a fan of theirs. And The Beatles Are A *ZILLION* Times BETTER!!!!!!

It's really mindboggling to me how *anyone* can think they are remotely good much less great!

Welcome to Bass Player magazine - Acoustic and electric bass guitar tabs, chords and lessons

Bass Player magazine is your source for acoustic and electric bass guitar tabs, chords and free online bass guitar lessons, tutorials and videos for both beginner and professional.

THIS MONTH

Your current location BassPlayer.com This Month Windy City Wingman Lays Roots With Wilco

John Stirratt

Windy City Wingman Lays Roots With Wilco

By Brian Fox | February, 2005

In the family tree of alternative country-rock, John Stirratt’s roots go deep. When he got the call in 1993 to take over bass duties from singer/ songwriter Jeff Tweedy in alt-country supergroup Uncle Tupelo, he began a working relationship with Tweedy that led to Wilco, one of the genre’s greatest success stories. It

In the family tree of alternative country-rock, John Stirratt’s roots go deep. When he got the call in 1993 to take over bass duties from singer/ songwriter Jeff Tweedy in alt-country supergroup Uncle Tupelo, he began a working relationship with Tweedy that led to Wilco, one of the genre’s greatest success stories. It’s a tale marked by multiple personnel changes and high-drama record-label relations—the band was dropped from its label, Reprise, after delivering tapes for what would become 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The making of that watershed album is the subject of Sam Jones’s documentary film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.

Amid the changes, Stirratt’s warm tone and dynamic fingerstyle and pickstyle attack have formed the foundation of Wilco’s seven albums (including two with singer Billy Bragg), which have ranged from raw and rootsy (1995’s A.M.) to richly textured and intricate (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). The band’s latest, A Ghost Is Born, witnesses Stirratt at his best, especially on the loping bass-driven single “Handshake Drugs.” Stirratt’s thumpy pickstyle line—played on a flatwound-strung Hofner—forms a balanced countermelody to Tweedy’s throaty vocals. Elsewhere, Stirratt’s playing is more staid and supportive, especially on the driving “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” an homage to Krautrock duo Neu!. With Jeff Tweedy at the helm and Stirratt in the engine room, the Chicago-based six-piece is currently touring with guitarist Nels Cline, drummer Glenn Kotche, keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. When he is not touring or recording with Wilco, John plays with the Autumn Defense—a band formed with longtime friend Sansone—and with his twin sister in their group, Laurie &John.

Credit: Zoran Orlic

John Stirratt plays half the time with his fingers, the other half with a heavy-gauge Planet Waves pick. When he’s playing fingerstyle, he keeps the pick tucked under his pinkie and ring fingers so it’s easy to access. “I play with my right hand pretty close to the neck,” Stirratt explains, “and when I’m picking, I mute the strings a lot with the heel of my hand. In the studio, I put sponges or Styrofoam near the bridge to mute the strings so there’s no sustain.”

You and Jeff are the only original members of Wilco. How has your playing changed with the various lineups?

We were a four-piece in our previous incarnation, so I felt naked at times. I love having all of the musical information to feed off in this bigger ensemble. With the bigger group, my playing has gotten a lot more melodic, because in a smaller setting, my role is to just hold it down. Now I’ve got more room to move around, and I don’t have to stay on the root as much, because chances are someone else is covering it.

Wilco has always been a band of multi-instr