On this day 17 July

 The challenges of the live gig

1977 17 July On This Day Led Zeppelin at Seattle Kingdome
♪  Theremin Solo (Led Zeppelin at the Seattle Kingdome 1977) YouTube

• 1966 The Yardbirds - Dunbar, Scotland at Victoria Ballroom
• 1970 Led Zeppelin - Essen, Germany at Grugahalle
• 1973 Led Zeppelin - Seattle, WA at Seattle Center Coliseum
• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Seattle, WA at The Kingdome

1970:
Author Chris Welch said of the show in Essen that Jimmy Page gave up trying to play the acoustic set because of all the noise. Robert Plant flat out told the audience to shut up.

Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin    Essen, Germany   17 July 1970 

1973:
The show began with an announcement: "Led Zeppelin has asked if we can get a few things straight here tonight. Nobody around here digs any fireworks - please cool the fireworks!"  

1977:
Four years later to the day, Plant was still asking for people to cool it with the firecrackers.  There was also monitor difficulties during the acoustic set, Jimmy Page broke a string, and paramedics were hauling people off for treatment. Fun times.

Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Seattle Kingdome 1977

Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin at Seattle Kingdome 1977

On This Day 17 July

Technical difficulties

1977 17 July On This Day Led Zeppelin at Seattle Kingdome
♪  Theremin Solo (Led Zeppelin at the Seattle Kingdome 1977) YouTube

• 1966 The Yardbirds - Dunbar, Scotland at Victoria Ballroom
• 1970 Led Zeppelin - Essen, Germany at Grugahalle
• 1973 Led Zeppelin - Seattle, WA at Seattle Center Coliseum
• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Seattle, WA at The Kingdome

1977 Led Zeppelin at Seattle Kingdome

1977 Led Zeppelin at Seattle Kingdome

1973:
Robert Plant starts the show by asking for people to cool it with the firecrackers.

1977:
Four years later to the day, Plant is still asking for people to cool it with the firecrackers.  There was also monitor difficulties during the acoustic set, Jimmy Page broke a string, and paramedics were hauling people off for treatment.

2015:
I had technical difficulties of my own, so no additional comments or music On This Day.  Sorry!

On This Day 18 May

In 1977 on this day Led Zeppelin played in Birmingham and in 1985 The Firm played in Birmingham - different countries on different continents, though. And of course, on this day in 1975 Led Zeppelin played the second of five sold-out nights to 17,000 fans at Earls Court Arena, London England.

In 1977 On This Day Jimmy Page was in one Birmingham or another

• 1967 Yardbirds- Versailles, France
• 1968 Yardbirds - Lewiston, Idaho at Casey's
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Minneapolis, Minnesota at Tyrone Guthrie Theatre
• 1973 Led Zeppelin - Dallas, Texas at Dallas Memorial Auditorium
• 1975 Led Zeppelin - London, England at Earls Court Exhibition Centre
• 1977 Led Zeppelin - Birmingham, Alabama at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Arena
• 1985 The Firm - Birmingham, West Midlands, England at NEC Arena 
• 2006 Scarlet Page photo exhibition opening, "Your Child", at the Proud Gallery in Camden

♪  Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin 1977, Birmingham AL  YouTube

Jimmy Page - 1975 May Led Zeppelin at Earls Court

John Paul Jones & Jimmy Page 1975 May Led Zeppelin at Earls Court

Robert Plant & Jimmy Page - 1975 May Led Zeppelin at Earls Court

Jimmy Page 1975 May Led Zeppelin at Earls Court

Jimmy Page on Theremin - 1975 May Led Zeppelin at Earls Court

Jimmy Page 1975 May Led Zeppelin at Earls Court

On This Day 26 April

Led Zeppelin played day two of a two day engagement at Winterland on 26 April 1969.

1969 26 April Led Zeppelin at Winterland

• 1968 Yardbirds - Cincinnati Convention Center, Cincinnati OH
• 1969 Led Zeppelin - Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
• 1985 The Firm - Joe Louis Arena, Detroit MI
• 1995 Page & Plant - Market Square Arena, Indianapolis IN

Theremin

According to Dave Lewis' Led Zeppelin: The Concert File (a book every Zep fan should have) this show was Led Zeppelin's biggest of their career to date. Jimmy Page was now using the Theremin during Dazed and Confused.

The Theremin was invented by Léon Theremin. An electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact, two metal antennas sense the relative position of the musician's hands and send electronic signals to an amplifier based on the position of the hands. The distance from the antenna determines frequency (pitch) and amplitude (volume). Higher notes are played by moving the hand closer to the pitch antenna. Louder notes are played by moving the hand away from the volume antenna.

Because of the way the Thermin is played, the musician must actively control the rests (space between the notes) as well as the notes themselves.  The Theremin is an instrument well suited for a musician like Jimmy Page who has always been concerned with visual arts as well as musical, and who understands the value of light and shade.

Jimmy Page plays Theremin 1975 03 February MSG 

Lev Termen (Léon Theremin) demonstrating Termenvox, c. December 1927