Led Zeppelin, Kooyong Stadium, Melbourne

Setlist (from 93, 66, 57, & 51 minute audience recordings):

Immigrant Song, Heartbreaker (incl. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)), Out on the Tiles (Intro)/ Black Dog, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Stairway to Heaven, Going to California, That’s the Way, Tangerine, Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, Dazed and Confused, Rock and Roll, Whole Lotta Love Medley (incl. Sing a Simple Song, Boogie Chillun’, Let’s Have a Party)

The Sunday afternoon Melbourne show at Kooyong Stadium was covered fairly extensively by the press. Once again, the familiar theme amongst the reviewers was the overwhelming decibels of the band’s sound system. The concert was performed before 12,000-plus fans at the stadium usually reserved for tennis tournaments. The cover of the first edition of “The Concert File” by TBL’s own Dave Lewis with Simon Pallett has an incredible behind-the-stage panoramic shot of the group on the Melbourne stage (the photo had originally been published in Go-Set magazine – March 4th).

The show was reviewed in The Sun (Feb. 21st) in an article titled “The sounds of a Zeppelin.” The reviewer mentioned that the group had “gotten off to a disappointing start,” but said they improved as the concert progressed and by the end of the show “the audience was clapping and screaming for more.”

Sally Aurisch of Go-Set magazine (March 4th) concurred with The Sun’s reviewer in her piece titled “Melbourne A Slow Start But a Wild Finish.” She wrote that initially “the acoustics of the stadium were against them,” but “towards the end of their acoustic set Zeppelin had the sound licked, and from then there was nothing but build-up.”

Aurisch’s review also included the following highlights:

“Page’s guitar work became faultless, as he strutted and walked around the stage, and for some reason, reminded me of Chuck Berry, when he used to goose walk across the stage, with his guitar slung low.”

“John Bonham and John Paul Jones must also rate mentions as far as the music goes, because they were an integral part of the sound. Page and Plant, however, dominate the visual thing, so it’s these two you remember when you leave.”

“By halfway through the two hours the group played, the audience was hooked, and by the end of the concert when you looked around all you saw was a moving sea of bodies, and bodies jumping up and down against the sky.”

“The last two numbers after the (ten-minute rain) break were probably the best of the day, with the wind coming up adding another aspect to Zeppelin’s driving music, and to Plant’s antics in his skin-tight jeans. A great concert that ended with the crowd going wild.”

February 20th, 1972: Kooyong Stadium, Melbourne

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