The massive gig Jimmy Page didn’t enjoy: “I didn’t feel happy at all”
For any rock star, the ultimate goal is to perform in stadiums across the world. While the heart of the genre may have been born in intimate, sweaty clubs, once a band reaches the heights of The Beatles in the 1960s, the thrill of playing to vast crowds becomes irresistible. Yet, despite being part of one of the most sought-after groups in the world, Jimmy Page recalled finding little enjoyment in powering through Led Zeppelin’s sets at Knebworth.
After coming off of albums like Physical Graffiti, though, there’s a good chance that even the biggest stage in British history wouldn’t have done them justice. Make no mistake, Zeppelin were glorified gods by the time they reached the late 1970s, and despite looking like completely normal people, they seemed to be ready for war every time they got on that stage together.
Just look at how they sauntered throughout their performance at Madison Square Garden in The Song Remains the Same. Most people had already known ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ as one of the standout tracks on Led Zeppelin III, but as soon as Page kicks into that solo, it’s like the entire group was given steroids before the tune started, being equal parts emotional, precise, and batshit insane throughout its runtime.
And by the time that Knebworth rolled around, the group already had a handful of tunes that warranted that level of spectacle. There was no way ‘Kashmir’ was going to go over as well without millions of people in front of them, and though it was still a newer song, ‘Achilles Last Stand’ had the size and scope that warranted a massive stadium hearing every single note.
That is if all of the technical sides go off without a hitch. Around this time, there had already been signs that the wheels were falling off Led Zeppelin, but around this time, Page also started to lose control of his drug habits, and when trying to get his family together to see him perform, he started to feel ill when going up onstage.
The guitarist certainly understood the magnitude of the gig, but he didn’t mince words about his internal feelings, either, saying, “I didn’t feel very happy at all, and I wasn’t well on the second weekend. For me, it was that thing of getting families in position. My parents had split up, and they both had different families and the other the next. It was fantastic, though, the reality of it.”
While Page could at least look back and appreciate how grandiose things had become, it wasn’t like there weren’t some problems ahead. Looking back on those gigs, there’s usually one underlying question behind it every time someone plays: Where the hell are you supposed to go afterwards?
Though Queen were at least able to bow out gracefully by playing their final shows with Freddie Mercury at Knebworth, Zeppelin would be marred by tragedy before they could pick the momentum back up when John Bonham passed away. Page could still play to the best of his ability, but underneath all of the spectacle of their live shows, the group may have slowly been coming apart.
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