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Photographer Neil Zlozower got to document various Zeppelin shows at the L.A. Forum from the front of the stage. He was amazed at Page’s theatrics. He clicked away with his camera as Page went up and down on the strings with his bow. Zlozower recalled, “You know, the highlight for me of any Zeppelin show was you’d always be waiting to see Jimmy whip out that violin bow and be strummin’ his guitar with the violin bow, because no one ever did that back in those days as far as I know. He was the originator. There was just always something about watching him, where it was like…c’mon, Jimmy—whip out the bow—whip out the bow—whip out the bow!”

 

 

Photographer Robert Knight had amazing opportunities to not only follow Zeppelin around on the West Coast during the 1969 tour but also hang out in Hawaii with the band. He recalled, "Since I knew the band and the promoter did not, he sent me out to greet the band as they came off the plane. I got them all to do a group shoot with recording tapes of Led Zep II in their arms. The next week was fabulous fun, as I photographed Led Zeppelin running up and down the beach and learning to surf and destroying their multi million dollar rental home with garden hoses and water fights." He caught on film Robert Plant and John Bonham playing around in the house swimming pool. When either Plant or Bonham attempted to get up on the inflatable raft, the other tried to pull off his bathing suit. Plant even tried to hang ten on the surfboard but kept falling off. He did, however, manage to sit on the board---waiting for the perfect wave?

 

 

Rolling Stone magazine’s original photographer, Baron Wolman, was able to be right up there at Zeppelin’s last 1977 West Coast show at the Oakland Coliseum. Wolman walked onto the stage before the show. It was the calm before the storm. He saw Page’s guitars lined up at the side of the stage and decided that this would be something very unique and interesting to catch on film. They were all there—Page’s acoustic guitars, the Les Pauls, the Danelectro, and the red Gibson doubleneck. So he went up to the instruments and clicked away with his camera. Wolman remembered, “The shot of the guitars just appealed to me as a great little visual—it had never occurred to me the guitarist used so many guitars during a performance. One of two or three maybe, but this was a major collection…I count my blessings that I was alive and well with my camera during those halcyon days of music and was able to record at least some of what I experienced.”


Author Ralph Hulett was at Led Zeppelin's final San Diego show, trying to take pictures in a wild crowd that was forcing its way to the front. He remembered, "People around me began to run to the front, and I followed. The band blasted into 'The Song Remains the Same' and yellow lights flashed on Page. He churned out power chords and screeching notes from his Gibson doubleneck, a bent knee holding up the guitar. I reached the barricade and looked around. A small crowd pushed against the right side by the loge wall, and some chairs clattered down. People fell as others pushed from behind. There were cries and yells, and the guards by the barricade rushed over to the little struggling throng. I saw my chance and leaped over the chairs. Now there was no turning back. I ran toward the stage, and saw Page in front of Bonham's drum set, knees slightly bent and head down, concentrating as he wailed away on his guitar."

 

 

Victoria Oliver took the 2-hour drive from her home to visit Bonham’s gravesite. She recalled the day: “The village is very remote with houses scattered amongst woodland and fields. The roads are just wide enough for one car and due to the remoteness, there are very few signs…The church stands in a small churchyard surrounded by a stone wall and an arched gate. I was surprised by the small number of graves there…John Bonham’s grave is at the back of the church and can easily be spotted by its size (6 ft. wide base by 3 ft. high). It is a double width grave and the grass is cut regularly. On our visit there were 24 drumsticks, a pair of sunglasses, a toy van, an empty tequila bottle with a rolled up piece of paper inside (I assume it was a message), a guitar pin badge and a piece of wood on the grave stone. The views from the church are wonderful, just miles of woodlands and fields with the occasional house. It is a very open space and is very peaceful."

 

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