On This Day in 1980, Led Zeppelin Played Their Last Ever Show With John Bonham

Led Zeppelin has a plethora of moments that exist as major landmarks of their career. However, out of all of them, the most notable and tragic one is the passing of John Bonham in 1980. On September 25, 1980, Led Zeppelin’s drummer, John Bonham, passed away at 32 years old. Bonham accidentally passed away from a pulmonary aspiration, which was brought on by a day of very heavy drinking. Subsequently, Led Zeppelin broke up in respect for their drummer and, more importantly, friend, John Bonham.

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Prior to Bonham’s passing, Led Zeppelin was one of, if not the biggest, band on the planet. Consequently, in 1980, the band was on a tour of Europe. The tour consisted of 14 dates in West Germany, Brussels, Rotterdam, Vienna, Zürich, and West Berlin. Matter of fact, their stop in Eissporthalle, West Berlin, would be their last ever show as a full unit, as it was their last tour date and the last concert they performed while John Bonham was still alive. That concert transpired on this day, July 7, 1980.

John Bonham’s Last Show and the End of an Era

On this day in 1980, Led Zeppelin performed West of the Berlin Wall in Eissporthalle. It was their final tour date and, unbeknownst to them at the time, their final show with John Bonham. Their setlist included Zeppelin classics such as “Black Dog”, “All My Love”, and “Stairway To Heaven”. Reportedly, they finished their show with a 17-minute rendition of their 1969 single, “Whole Lotta Love”.

This show is very significant for a multitude of reasons. Not only did it mark the last show of Led Zeppelin’s original line-up, but it also, in a sense, marked the end of the music that dominated the 70s. As history shows us, the hard-nosed and sharp-toothed sound of the 70s took a back seat when hair-metal and rock-pop ruled the charts in the 80s. That being so, the death of John Bonham and the break-up of Led Zeppelin, in a way, marked the changing of the guard. It wasn’t just the death of John Bonham, but also the start of the decline of 70s rock ‘n’ roll.

Following their final show and the death of John Bonham, Led Zeppelin, consisting of Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and Bonham’s son, Jason Bonham, did not get back together for a full-length show until 2007. Prior to this, members of the group collaborated on one-off concerts and other projects every so often.

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