John Bonham - 100 featured drummers - I’ve seen 1966-present. Notes from an “OLD” drummer. 18 of 100
August 31, 1971 / Eddie Graham Sports Stadium
(#18 of 100 Drummers) I’ve seen and heard (Live and In Person) John Bonham – Led Zeppelin / 8/31/1971 @ Eddie Graham Sports Stadium – Orlando, Florida
I paid $5 to see Led Zeppelin with my friend Louie Simmons. (August 31, 1971) We were standing down in the pit, on the concrete floor in front of the stage. I’ve seen (many post) about others that attended this event. There are ticket stubs and bootleg recordings scattered about on the Internet.
Bonham set up on the band stand floor, “no stinking drum riser” and played the green sparkle Ludwig kit. He had the Paiste gong and tympani or two, maybe the conga drums. There’s a Led Zeppelin –Live In Houston 1971 video on Youtube. That’s the gear and setup I remember.
I heard their debut Led Zeppelin studio album when it was released. It was recorded September-October 1968. I was in Little Rock, Arkansas playing in a group called Moss County. I’ve written about this in my book “Notes of a “Young” Drummer 1966-1969”
Moss County was an interesting guitar, bass, drum rock-blues-psychedelic trio. The real feature was our guitarist Detrick (Pete) Schaffer. Without exaggeration, one of the best guitarist I’ve ever heard. At the time of this group (Moss County) Pete rivaled the best. If you were to drop Pete on stage with Beck, Clapton, Page, Hendrix…anyone…Pete would steal the show, he was so unique.
Pete played a right-handed guitar upside down, like Dick Dale and a few more. Pete’s telecaster sound through a tube amp was a wall of sound. Because he played a right-handed guitar his chords and fingering, phrasing was original and unique. During that period of time, everywhere Pete played he “blew peoples minds” he was so different. He could also “chicken pick” and play good bass. Pete was originally from Germany and Pensacola, Florida. We met in Biloxi (1968) after he had just got out of the Navy. He was a wild man.
The 1969 debut Led Zeppelin album featured such tracks as “Good Times Bad Times” and Communication Breakdown” Bonham’s playing, sound and his foot pedal artistry captured my attention right away. Moss County worked up several Zeppelin tunes. I was also a fan of Led Zeppelin II, which included Ramble On and Whole Lotta Love. In 1970 they released Led Zeppelin III, which featured Immigrant Song.
When I heard them that evening (August 31, 1971) they played Black Dog, Rock and Roll and Stairway To Heaven. Bonham also played Moby Dick.
Seeing led Zeppelin in 1971 is an event that few experienced. I know younger music fans that heard Zeppelin in later years. I’m convinced the early 70’s Zeppelin period…was their best in live performance. I have several personal reasons for that. The first is that in 1971, Zeppelin weren’t the big super rock star arena band they would become. I’ve written and vented many times about how I hate the big stage, big sound system, big lights concert.
The Zeppelin I saw, they set up very close, all on the stage. You can see various Youtube Video’s like this. Their early days, not the TV staged events. The early live concert gigs are my favorites.
Seeing John Bonham in 1971 was very impressive. I can’t say what kind of music-drumming impression it had on me. I knew he was unique the first time I heard their record in 1968. As a fan from 1967 to 1969 of Mitch Mitchell and Ginger Baker, John Bonham definitely opened my eyes to another dimension of playing the drums.
Being able to see his playing on Youtube Videos from 1968 – 1971, I’m more able to appreciate how much talent he had. (His thing was/is different from Ginger, Keith, Mitch and the rest) He was very funky and articulate. His drums were fat and he had chops, when needed.
The live performance, bandstand Zeppelin 1968 to 1972 is my favorite. All of their studio albums are special, but as I’ve mentioned, I have various issues with the Super Star Rock Stage presentation, which they incorporated into their show. When I saw them in 1971, John Paul Jones only played bass and Page had maybe two guitars and a bow.
(A personal note or two) In the late 70s, I started experimenting with 4 drumsticks. I’ve written and discussed this in previous Notes.
I think it was around 2006, I was watching the double DVD of Led Zeppelin, released in 2003. It has concert footage spanning several years 1969 to 1979. The Track Listing doesn’t have the tune “Four Sticks” but it was sometime … while watching … I thought I saw Bonham playing with 4 sticks.
Since then I’ve become aware of the Zeppelin tune 4 sticks and the bands history of recording and performance. Bonham does play with 4 sticks on the record, but it’s a completely different thing then mine. He basically holds two pair in each hand. Steve Gadd did the same thing on the Paul Simon track … Late In The Evening.
There’s also a bootleg recording of Zeppelin playing Four Sticks live. Page and Plant have recorded and performed it with a great percussion ensemble and added instrumentation. It’s a cool tune to play in 5/4 and 6/8. Very Tricky.
Bonham is famous and respected for several aspects of his playing. I’m a fan of his time, feel and his over the bar line grooves. I don’t know who ran the Zeppelin rehearsals and delegated tempos, but every Zeppelin tune is perfect.
Kashmir is a favorite.
Much has been said about the John Bonham drum sound. Bonham’s tuning and technique was really original. (His studio sound was created with various room … distant … microphone placement)… and the use of audio gates)
Seeing and hearing John Bonham at the Eddie Graham Sports arena was a once in lifetime experience. I have a couple more concert events to write about from the Orlando Sports Stadium gigs. (One event I can’t put the pieces together…it was 50 years ago) So far there have been Three Dog Night, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Most of these were in a short period of time. The Sabbath and Zeppelin gigs were very close
Next up is Kenney Jones - Faces / Rod Stewart
Notes From An “OLD” Drummer.