Led Zeppelin Newcastle City Hall 30th November 1972
A year after my first live Zeppelin experiences our heroes were back out on tour in the UK again. This was the first show of their 24 date UK tour. The tour sold out in four hours: a total of 110,000 tickets, which was some sort of record at the time. The 1972 tour consisted of stops at concert halls around the UK and also included two nights at the massice 6000 seater Alexandra Palace in London. It was Zeppelin’s longest ever UK tour, and included two nights at the City Hall on 30th Nov and 1st December. I can’t recall how I got tickets for this gig; I guess I must havd queued at the City Hall. However we did get them, we had pretty good seats, about half way back downstairs, on the first night. All tickets for the tour were £1, which was very reasonable, particularly given the popularity of Zeppelin at the time. I went along with three mates, a couple of whom had been at the Sunderland show the year before. We were all excited about the show; Led Zeppelin were at this point the biggest band in the world, and they had a lot to live up to.
It was, as the previous year, an amazing show, but I must admit I don’t have the same strong memories of this concert as I do of the two 1971 gigs I attended. Maybe thats because it was my first time seeing the band in 1971, maybe those shows had a slight edge over this one; I don’t know. They were introduced by promoter Tony Smith with a simple “What can I say – Led Zeppelin!”. Robert plant apparently wore silver shoes, although I don’t recall this. In those days, the City Hall would sometimes let people sit at the back of the stage behind the band, and this happened at this gig, with around 100 lucky people being allowed to pay on the night to take their place on some raised steps just a few feet away from the band. Stairway to Heaven was dedicated to Roy Harper who was in hospital at the time. The set included four numbers from the new album: Over the Hills and Far Away, The Song Remains the Same, the Rain Song and Dancing Days.
Set list: Rock and Roll, Over the Hills and Far Away, Black Dog, Misty Mountain Hop, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Dancing Days, Bro Yr Aur Stomp, The Song Remains the Same, The Rain Song, Dazed and Confused, Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love (including Let the Boy Boogie, Lets have a party, Goin Down Slow, the Shape I’m In), Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker, extended Melletron introduction into Thank You.
Wish I’d gone both nights.
Thanks to John for jogging my memory on some of the details of this concert, and for the photo of the tour advert.
11 Sep
Vintagerock's Weblog. 
Posted by Allan Orrick on September 11, 2013 at 8:41 am
I was one of those lucky people sitting on the steps leading up to the organ on one of those nights, although I can’t remember which one.
The band, apart from John Bonham, occasionally turned round to face us, but couldn’t spend all night facing us and not facing you!!!
Posted by vintagerock on September 11, 2013 at 8:58 am
Hi I remember sitting up there once for Neil Young and for Lindisfarne on another ocassion. It was a great view actually Peter
Posted by Jim Moore on August 17, 2022 at 7:08 pm
Remember that gig well. Was at Newcastle uni at the time and tried to get tickets for my wife and I plus my sister and her husband in the Uni bar on the second night. Managed to get two tickets which we gave to my sister while we stood outside and listened with a host of others around the stage entrance doors. Happy days
Posted by vintagerock on August 18, 2022 at 11:38 am
Great story Jim. Thanks for sharing. You were very kind in giving up the tickets for your sister and her husband! As you say happy days. Their like will never be seen again Peter
Posted by Oxycera on March 5, 2023 at 10:42 pm
Cannot remember much of the gig apart from Robert repeating the line ‘my brain hurts’, referencing a Monty Python sketch.
Posted by vintagerock on March 6, 2023 at 12:40 pm
Your memory is better than mine! I can’t recall that at all Happy days Peter
Posted by Oxycera on March 6, 2023 at 1:28 pm
Perhaps it was the year before but don’t think so as I’d only just started at Poly in 71 and it was a while before I attended the Zeppelin gig, if my memory is correct.
Posted by vintagerock on March 6, 2023 at 1:48 pm
Who knows!? Time is a funny thing. I wish I had a videocamera in the 1970s… Or even took a tape recording. Cheers Peter