Led Zeppelin fans have something to celebrate. More than four decades after the band played their last show in Denmark, 13 minutes of footage from the gig was unearthed.
Videos by American Songwriter
The footage was taken by Lennart Ström, a fan who attended the 1979 show, which served as a warmup for the group’s set at Knebworth.
“The gig the night before was, according to the papers, a disaster due to the electric failures that the laser had brought,” Ström told LedZepNews. So there were generators standing in the alley we passed before going in… So we were of course concerned about the gig.”
Given that, Ström decided to bring “the Super 8 camera to test a new film that would work indoors.”
“It was no problem getting the camera in,” he recalled. “It was quite small and I think I had it in my trousers on my back. Filming wasn’t that often done in those days. They looked more for audio equipment.”
Where Has the Led Zeppelin Footage Been for 46 Years?
Ström told the outlet that he kept the film in a drawer for the last 46 years, though he did show it to a few pals “who went nuts” over the recording.
He first publicly mentioned its existence last year when he left a comment on a podcast’s website.
Since then, the footage has been scanned by Reel Revival Film and color-corrected by The Pink Floyd Research Group. It has also been matched with an audio recording from the show.
Ström managed to catch bits of songs including “Stairway to Heaven,” “Whole Lotta Love,” and “Black Dog,” as well as a clip of Jimmy Page’s guitar solo.
Led Zeppelin Disbanded Shortly After the Show
After wrapping their final show in Denmark, Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham traveled to the U.K. While there, they headlined two concerts at the Knebworth Music Festival.
Afterwards, they set off on the Tour Over Europe, playing several concerts in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland. Bonham died in 1980, before the group could set off on their planned North American tour.
Photo by Pete Still/Redferns
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.