Latest news with #LedZeppelin
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Phil Collins jetted across the ocean to perform in two Live Aid concerts, but it wasn't without drama
With the help of helicopters and a supersonic turbo jet, Phil Collins pulled off a series of performances worthy of a 'Mission Impossible' movie at Live Aid forty years ago. The singer and drummer participated in the benefit concerts organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to draw attention to a famine in Ethopia and raise money for relief efforts. Collins didn't perform on just one stage, but two – on two different continents. The Genesis frontman initially took to the stage in London at Wembley Stadium, where he performed 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)' and 'In the Air Tonight.' He also played played drums for Branford Marsalis and Sting. That would have been enough for most artists, but not Collins. Instead, he hopped on a helicopter to Heathrow Airport in London, boarded The Concorde to New York City, then took another helicopter to Philadelphia, where he joined superstar Eric Clapton for his set and performed three songs with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. (The Concorde was a supersonic airliner that allowed passengers to cross the Atlantic in under three and a half hours. It made its first test flight in 1969 and was officially retired in 2003.) Backstage after the London performance, Collins gave an interview in which he said he thought the first performance had 'gone very well, considering' and expressed his pride in participating. 'I'm very proud to be asked to do it because everybody's involved and it's just great to be a part of something like this,' he said. 'It's just too obvious to say it's for a good cause.' There was, however, some drama in regards to the second show, and how the multiple performances came about. Collins explained that both Plant and Sting had separately asked him to participate in Live Aid, with a UK-based promoter suggesting he take The Concorde in order to play both shows. But Collins explained to Classic Rock in 2021 that the second show with Led Zeppelin was less than smooth, in part because he neglected to rehearse with the band beforehand, and also due to the bandmates' strained relationships. 'By the time I got there, me and Robert and Jimmy playing together had become The Second Coming Of Led Zeppelin – (bassist and keyboardist) John Paul Jones was there too. Jimmy says: 'We need to rehearse.' And I said: 'Can't we just go on stage and have a play?'' Collins recalled. 'So I didn't rehearse when I got there, but I listened to 'Stairway To Heaven' on Concorde.' He said the end result was messy, partially due to the fact that co-drummer Tony Thompson 'had rehearsed for a week, and I'm about to steal his thunder – the famous drummer's arrived! – and he kind of did what he wanted to do. Robert wasn't match-fit. And if I could have walked off, I would have done, cause I wasn't needed and I felt like a spare part.' 'Anyway, we came off, and we got interviewed by MTV. And Robert is a diamond, but when those guys get together a black cloud appears,' Collins continued. 'Then Page says: 'One drummer was halfway across the Atlantic and didn't know the stuff.' And I got pissed off. Maybe I didn't know it as well as he'd like me to have done, but… I became the flagship, and it looked like I was showing off.' It ended up becoming a Led Zepplin reunion that Collins wrote about not wanting to be a part of in his 2016 autobiography, 'Not Dead Yet.' 'I didn't come here to play with Led Zeppelin, I came here to play with a friend of mine who has morphed back into being the singer of Led Zeppelin – a very different animal to the one that invited me,' Collins wrote. 'Now I'm caught up in the ceaselessly toxic, dysfunctional web of Led Zeppelin interpersonal relationships.' While his second performance perhaps did not go quite as Collins had hoped, Live Aid raised more than $125 million for famine relief. His transatlantic flight also included a very famous fellow passenger. 'When I got on Concorde, Cher was on it,' Collins recalled in the CNN original series 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World.' Cher asked Collins what he was up to. 'There's a live gig in London today and in Philadelphia,' Collins said he told Cher. 'She said, 'Oh, could you get me on it?'' Hours later, Cher joined a star-studded group of artists on stage to close out Live Aid with a performance of 'We Are the World.' Mission accomplished.
The Province
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Province
This Day in History, 1973: Somebody drops LSD into Robert Plant's drink at a Led Zeppelin concert
The British quartet were big favourites in Vancouver, but cut their 1973 show short to take Robert Plant to the hospital July 20,1973 file photo of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin at the Pacific Coliseum. Vlad Keremidschieff Vancouver Sun Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. One of the great rock 'n' roll photos in The Vancouver Sun archives is Vlad Keremidschieff's shot of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant performing at the Pacific Coliseum on July 18, 1973. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors It shows Plant in full rock god mode, extending his right arm and ending with a fist, his long flowing locks looking more like a mane than hair, his tiny vest ripped open to reveal his bare chest. An unknown editor has outlined his figure in whiteout, so that the background could be cropped out in the paper. In case the graphic artists who laid the paper out didn't understand, the editor has written three X's in the background. But the serious look on his face is a bit puzzling. Is he brooding? Is he angry? Is he dazed and confused? July 20,1973 file photo of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin at the Pacific Coliseum. Vlad Keremidschieff Vancouver Sun Probably the latter. Led Zeppelin cut their concert short that night. 'It was explained to an almost surly Coliseum audience that lead singer Robert Plant was being taken to the hospital and would we please leave in an orderly manner,' reported the Sun's reviewer Don Stanley. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It wasn't in the papers at the time, but somebody apparently had slipped some LSD into Plant's drink, which had a negative impact on his performance. July 18, 1973 Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin. Pacific Coliseum. Vlad Keremidschieff / Vancouver Sun Photo by Vlad Keremidschief / Vancouver Sun Not knowing this, Stanley ripped them. 'Their concert was terrible, unbelievably inept for the top draw in contemporary rock,' he wrote. Jeani Read of The Province was kinder, writing Plant 'fronted the group admirably for the better than two-hour set,' but said the concert 'was hardly an unmitigated triumph.' Read noted 'much of their original amazing adrenalin drive' had dissipated into 'long, slowly evolving extended versions of their blockbuster early material.' Stanley was not big on a 20-minute drum solo by John Bonham. 'Most drum solos are boring,' he wrote, 'this one was wretched.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Led Zeppelin had a long history in Vancouver, dating to the band's first appearance opening for Vanilla Fudge at the Agrodome on Dec. 28, 1968. Reviewer Jim Allan of the Columbian wasn't impressed, writing 'Led Zeppelin went over like a Led balloon.' But Brian McLeod of The Province loved the quartet he mistakenly called 'Mad Zeppelin,' noting guitarist Jimmy Page 'performs like Carlos Montoya in a 10-gallon hat' and Plant 'sings Joan Baez with affliction and affection, using the cry of a thousand banshees to punctuate his feelings.' It may seem odd to link Robert Plant with Joan Baez, but she recorded the Led Zeppelin standard Babe I'm Going to Leave You years before they did. Zeppelin soon exploded in popularity, playing two Vancouver shows in 1969 as well as single dates in 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1975. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As their audience grew, so did the wildness of their audience. At a March 22, 1970 Coliseum show, the Express (a union paper during a newspaper strike) reported 'about 50 senseless fans' vaulted onto the stage 'during the fever pitch of Whole Lotta Love.' A story about a near-riot at a Led Zeppelin concert at the Pacific Coliseum on Aug. 20, 1971. PNG On Aug. 19, 1971, the band sold out the Coliseum (17,141 tickets), leaving 3,000 fans outside. The ticketless fans tried to force their way in, resulting in a battle with police and security that left 35 fans and two police officers injured. Rather than risk a larger riot, the police let the 3,000 fans into the Coliseum. Zeppelin was supposed to play Vancouver again on June 18, 1972. But after Rolling Stones fans rioted when they couldn't get into a Coliseum concert on June 3, 1972, the city cancelled the Zeppelin show. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The promoter had already printed up posters for the show, but almost all of them were destroyed before being put up. This has made it something of a Holy Grail among Led Zeppelin collectors: the poster's designer Kerry Waghorn says copies have sold for $17,000. Kerry Waghorn's illustration of Led Zeppelin was done for a June 18, 1972 concert at the Pacific Coliseum. The image was reused by Gary Switlo of Concert Box Office for a calendar (here), but originals of the poster are exceptionally rare because the concert was cancelled and the posters were either not distributed or taken down. Photo by Kerry Waghorn / PNG Waghorn was given 150 of the posters by the promoter, but threw them out because he didn't like his illustration. Oddly, Keremidschieff's great 1973 photo of Robert Plant wasn't used with Don Stanley's review — the Sun used another Keremidschieff shot of Plant. The one with whiteout must have been used at another time. There is also a marvellous Keremidschieff print of guitarist Jimmy Page from the 1973 show playing a double neck guitar, but it wasn't used with the review, either. It's included in the online version of this story. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. jmackie@ Read More Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Vancouver Canucks Celebrity News News News
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
This Day in History, 1973: Somebody drops LSD into Robert Plant's drink at a Led Zeppelin concert
One of the great rock 'n' roll photos in The Vancouver Sun archives is Vlad Keremidschieff's shot of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant performing at the Pacific Coliseum on July 18, 1973. It shows Plant in full rock god mode, extending his right arm and ending with a fist, his long flowing locks looking more like a mane than hair, his tiny vest ripped open to reveal his bare chest. An unknown editor has outlined his figure in whiteout, so that the background could be cropped out in the paper. In case the graphic artists who laid the paper out didn't understand, the editor has written three X's in the background. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. But the serious look on his face is a bit puzzling. Is he brooding? Is he angry? Is he dazed and confused? Probably the latter. Led Zeppelin cut their concert short that night. 'It was explained to an almost surly Coliseum audience that lead singer Robert Plant was being taken to the hospital and would we please leave in an orderly manner,' reported the Sun's reviewer Don Stanley. It wasn't in the papers at the time, but somebody apparently had slipped some LSD into Plant's drink, which had a negative impact on his performance. Not knowing this, Stanley ripped them. 'Their concert was terrible, unbelievably inept for the top draw in contemporary rock,' he wrote. Jeani Read of The Province was kinder, writing Plant 'fronted the group admirably for the better than two-hour set,' but said the concert 'was hardly an unmitigated triumph.' Read noted 'much of their original amazing adrenalin drive' had dissipated into 'long, slowly evolving extended versions of their blockbuster early material.' Stanley was not big on a 20-minute drum solo by John Bonham. 'Most drum solos are boring,' he wrote, 'this one was wretched.' Led Zeppelin had a long history in Vancouver, dating to the band's first appearance opening for Vanilla Fudge at the Agrodome on Dec. 28, 1968. Reviewer Jim Allan of the Columbian wasn't impressed, writing 'Led Zeppelin went over like a Led balloon.' But Brian McLeod of The Province loved the quartet he mistakenly called 'Mad Zeppelin,' noting guitarist Jimmy Page 'performs like Carlos Montoya in a 10-gallon hat' and Plant 'sings Joan Baez with affliction and affection, using the cry of a thousand banshees to punctuate his feelings.' It may seem odd to link Robert Plant with Joan Baez, but she recorded the Led Zeppelin standard Babe I'm Going to Leave You years before they did. Zeppelin soon exploded in popularity, playing two Vancouver shows in 1969 as well as single dates in 1970, 1971, 1973 and 1975. As their audience grew, so did the wildness of their audience. At a March 22, 1970 Coliseum show, the Express (a union paper during a newspaper strike) reported 'about 50 senseless fans' vaulted onto the stage 'during the fever pitch of Whole Lotta Love.' On Aug. 19, 1971, the band sold out the Coliseum (17,141 tickets), leaving 3,000 fans outside. The ticketless fans tried to force their way in, resulting in a battle with police and security that left 35 fans and two police officers injured. Rather than risk a larger riot, the police let the 3,000 fans into the Coliseum. Zeppelin was supposed to play Vancouver again on June 18, 1972. But after Rolling Stones fans rioted when they couldn't get into a Coliseum concert on June 3, 1972, the city cancelled the Zeppelin show. The promoter had already printed up posters for the show, but almost all of them were destroyed before being put up. This has made it something of a Holy Grail among Led Zeppelin collectors: the poster's designer Kerry Waghorn says copies have sold for $17,000. Waghorn was given 150 of the posters by the promoter, but threw them out because he didn't like his illustration. Oddly, Keremidschieff's great 1973 photo of Robert Plant wasn't used with Don Stanley's review — the Sun used another Keremidschieff shot of Plant. The one with whiteout must have been used at another time. There is also a marvellous Keremidschieff print of guitarist Jimmy Page from the 1973 show playing a double neck guitar, but it wasn't used with the review, either. It's included in the online version of this story. jmackie@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Phil Collins once pulled an intercontinental Live Aid stunt, but it wasn't without drama
With the help of helicopters and a supersonic turbo jet, Phil Collins pulled off a series of performances worthy of a 'Mission Impossible' movie at Live Aid forty years ago. The singer and drummer participated in the benefit concerts organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to draw attention to a famine in Ethopia and raise money for relief efforts. Collins didn't perform on just one stage, but two – on two different continents. The Genesis frontman initially took to the stage in London at Wembley Stadium, where he performed 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)' and 'In the Air Tonight.' He also played played drums for Branford Marsalis and Sting. That would have been enough for most artists, but not Collins. Instead, he hopped on a helicopter to Heathrow Airport in London, boarded The Concorde to New York City, then took another helicopter to Philadelphia, where he joined superstar Eric Clapton for his set and performed three songs with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. (The Concorde was a supersonic airliner that allowed passengers to cross the Atlantic in under three and a half hours. It made its first test flight in 1969 and was officially retired in 2003.) Backstage after the London performance, Collins gave an interview in which he said he thought the first performance had 'gone very well, considering' and expressed his pride in participating. 'I'm very proud to be asked to do it because everybody's involved and it's just great to be a part of something like this,' he said. 'It's just too obvious to say it's for a good cause.' There was, however, some drama in regards to the second show, and how the multiple performances came about. Collins explained that both Plant and Sting had separately asked him to participate in Live Aid, with a UK-based promoter suggesting he take The Concorde in order to play both shows. But Collins explained to Classic Rock in 2021 that second show with Led Zeppelin was less than smooth, in part because he neglected to rehearse with the band beforehand, and also due to the bandmates' strained relationships. 'By the time I got there, me and Robert and Jimmy playing together had become The Second Coming Of Led Zeppelin – (bassist and keyboardist) John Paul Jones was there too. Jimmy says: 'We need to rehearse.' And I said: 'Can't we just go on stage and have a play?'' Collins recalled. 'So I didn't rehearse when I got there, but I listened to 'Stairway To Heaven' on Concorde.' He said the end result was messy, partially due to the fact that co-drummer Tony Thompson 'had rehearsed for a week, and I'm about to steal his thunder – the famous drummer's arrived! – and he kind of did what he wanted to do. Robert wasn't match-fit. And if I could have walked off, I would have done, cause I wasn't needed and I felt like a spare part.' 'Anyway, we came off, and we got interviewed by MTV. And Robert is a diamond, but when those guys get together a black cloud appears,' Collins continued. 'Then Page says: 'One drummer was halfway across the Atlantic and didn't know the stuff.' And I got pissed off. Maybe I didn't know it as well as he'd like me to have done, but… I became the flagship, and it looked like I was showing off.' It ended up becoming a Led Zepplin reunion that Collins wrote about not wanting to be a part of in his 2016 autobiography, 'Not Dead Yet.' 'I didn't come here to play with Led Zeppelin, I came here to play with a friend of mine who has morphed back into being the singer of Led Zeppelin – a very different animal to the one that invited me,' Collins wrote. 'Now I'm caught up in the ceaselessly toxic, dysfunctional web of Led Zeppelin interpersonal relationships.' While his second performance perhaps did not go quite as Collins had hoped, Live Aid raised more than $100 for famine relief. His transatlantic flight also included a very famous fellow passenger. 'When I got on Concorde, Cher was on it,' Collins recalled in the CNN original series 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World.' Cher asked Collins what he was up to. 'There's a live gig in London today and in Philadelphia,' Collins said he told Cher. 'She said, 'Oh, could you get me on it?'' Hours later, Cher joined a star-studded group of artists on stage to close out Live Aid with a performance of 'We Are the World.' Mission accomplished.
CNN
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Phil Collins once pulled an intercontinental Live Aid stunt, but it wasn't without drama
With the help of helicopters and a supersonic turbo jet, Phil Collins pulled off a series of performances worthy of a 'Mission Impossible' movie at Live Aid forty years ago. The singer and drummer participated in the benefit concerts organized by musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to draw attention to a famine in Ethopia and raise money for relief efforts. Collins didn't perform on just one stage, but two – on two different continents. The Genesis frontman initially took to the stage in London at Wembley Stadium, where he performed 'Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)' and 'In the Air Tonight.' He also played played drums for Branford Marsalis and Sting. That would have been enough for most artists, but not Collins. Instead, he hopped on a helicopter to Heathrow Airport in London, boarded The Concorde to New York City, then took another helicopter to Philadelphia, where he joined superstar Eric Clapton for his set and performed three songs with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones. (The Concorde was a supersonic airliner that allowed passengers to cross the Atlantic in under three and a half hours. It made its first test flight in 1969 and was officially retired in 2003.) Backstage after the London performance, Collins gave an interview in which he said he thought the first performance had 'gone very well, considering' and expressed his pride in participating. 'I'm very proud to be asked to do it because everybody's involved and it's just great to be a part of something like this,' he said. 'It's just too obvious to say it's for a good cause.' There was, however, some drama in regards to the second show, and how the multiple performances came about. Collins explained that both Plant and Sting had separately asked him to participate in Live Aid, with a UK-based promoter suggesting he take The Concorde in order to play both shows. But Collins explained to Classic Rock in 2021 that second show with Led Zeppelin was less than smooth, in part because he neglected to rehearse with the band beforehand, and also due to the bandmates' strained relationships. 'By the time I got there, me and Robert and Jimmy playing together had become The Second Coming Of Led Zeppelin – (bassist and keyboardist) John Paul Jones was there too. Jimmy says: 'We need to rehearse.' And I said: 'Can't we just go on stage and have a play?'' Collins recalled. 'So I didn't rehearse when I got there, but I listened to 'Stairway To Heaven' on Concorde.' He said the end result was messy, partially due to the fact that co-drummer Tony Thompson 'had rehearsed for a week, and I'm about to steal his thunder – the famous drummer's arrived! – and he kind of did what he wanted to do. Robert wasn't match-fit. And if I could have walked off, I would have done, cause I wasn't needed and I felt like a spare part.' 'Anyway, we came off, and we got interviewed by MTV. And Robert is a diamond, but when those guys get together a black cloud appears,' Collins continued. 'Then Page says: 'One drummer was halfway across the Atlantic and didn't know the stuff.' And I got pissed off. Maybe I didn't know it as well as he'd like me to have done, but… I became the flagship, and it looked like I was showing off.' It ended up becoming a Led Zepplin reunion that Collins wrote about not wanting to be a part of in his 2016 autobiography, 'Not Dead Yet.' 'I didn't come here to play with Led Zeppelin, I came here to play with a friend of mine who has morphed back into being the singer of Led Zeppelin – a very different animal to the one that invited me,' Collins wrote. 'Now I'm caught up in the ceaselessly toxic, dysfunctional web of Led Zeppelin interpersonal relationships.' While his second performance perhaps did not go quite as Collins had hoped, Live Aid raised more than $100 for famine relief. His transatlantic flight also included a very famous fellow passenger. 'When I got on Concorde, Cher was on it,' Collins recalled in the CNN original series 'Live Aid: When Rock 'n' Roll Took On the World.' Cher asked Collins what he was up to. 'There's a live gig in London today and in Philadelphia,' Collins said he told Cher. 'She said, 'Oh, could you get me on it?'' Hours later, Cher joined a star-studded group of artists on stage to close out Live Aid with a performance of 'We Are the World.' Mission accomplished.
