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Thunder from the gods: John Bonham’s three best performances of ‘Moby Dick’

Sun 16 March 2025 17:30, UK

Despite his untimely passing in 1980, John Bonham only needed just over a decade to prove himself to be an exceptional drummer, and the glue that ultimately held Led Zeppelin together through the late ‘60s and 1970s. A brilliant time-keeper and master of bombastic showmanship, he may have lacked the same sense of musicality that other noted drummers at the same time possessed such as Ginger Baker, or a jazz flair like Buddy Rich, but he was the ultimate rock drummer. There’s few who can question that.

There are so many examples of his brilliance, but one moment when he was always allowed to flourish in live performances was during the song ‘Moby Dick’. A song that opens with a full band blues riff, it only takes a minute or so to descend into Bonham playing his heart out for however long he desired. His drum solo on this track would sometimes be for only six minutes, and sometimes it could last up to 30.

The recorded version of the track made it onto Led Zeppelin II, and it’s a fine example of his prowess that rarely gets to be seen on record, but it’s largely on the live performances where he is in his element. Originally known as ‘Pat’s Delight’, named after Bonham’s wife, they began performing it in concerts in 1968, and it was a regular feature of their live set throughout the band’s existence.

Surprisingly, there are very few official recorded versions of the song, despite it having been played approximately 300 times in concert. However, when performances of his moment in the spotlight were committed to record, they were undeniably special, and a moment that fans of the band no doubt hotly anticipated.

If we’re to rank the best performances of the track, Led Zep’s Royal Albert Hall performance in 1970 has to be up there as one of Bonham’s finest moments. Going on for 15 minutes, we see him at his most primal, bringing in gongs and bongos at various points as the crowd is left in relatively stunned silence. Aside from the occasional whoop when he changed things up, you could hear a pin drop at points where he plays with the dynamics and brings his strokes down to a quiet level, only to lash out like a maniac seconds later.

The fourth of five shows that the band played at Earl’s Court in 1975 is another fine example of Bonham’s brilliance, but it’s something of an endurance test. This rendition clocks in at a whole half hour with Bonham almost becoming at one with his drumkit at points, but again, we’re treated to the full repertoire and his range of ability is a marvel to behold.

But finally, you to give credit to the original studio recording where he is on absolute top form, and while it doesn’t have the same level of showiness due to it only being a little over three minutes, it’s a perfect way for the band to give a nod to Bonzo and his drumming excellence. Despite rarely ever being the same twice, ‘Moby Dick’ stands high as perhaps one of the finest drum solos to ever be created.