May 18, 1977 Birmingham AL
May 18, 1977 Birmingham AL
May 18 Jefferson Memorial Coliseum Birmingham, AL
01 The Song Remains The Same
02 Sick Again
03 Nobody’s Fault But Mine
04 In My Time Of Dying
05 Since I’ve Been Loving You
06 No Quarter
07 Ten Years Gone
08 The Battle Of Evermore
09 Going To California
10 Black Country Woman
11 Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
12 White Summer/Black Mountain Side
13 Kashmir
14 Moby Dick
15 Guitar Solo
16 Achilles Last Stand
17 Stairway To Heaven
18 Rock And Roll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGparq_15vA
A very good show, the first during the tour’s second leg since the Silverdome show. The first few songs are heavy and played very well and really provide a solid introduction to the set. No Quarter in particular is quite good, although shorter than usual. Achilles Last Stand is very good and almost impeccable and the drama is really heightened in the solo/jam section of Stairway To Heaven. A brutal Rock And Roll caps the event.
Each metallic note of Jones’s bass line punches through the cacophonous roar as Page’s fingers race across the fretboard during The Song Remains the Same. Plant greets the crowd, saying “from one Birmingham to another” following an aggressive Sick Again. Page blazes through the guitar solo in Nobody’s Fault But Mine. As the song ends, Plant tells the crowd “this is the beginning of what is now being affectionately called the middle leg of our tour,” joking “can you imagine the middle leg of a Zeppelin tour?” He exclaims “come on, burn in hell!” at the beginning of the a cappella “oh my Jesus” section during a thunderous In My Time of Dying. There is a slight cut in the tape during the You Shook Me tease. Plant comments “I think this is gonna be a good night tonight” as the song comes to a close.
Since I’ve Been Loving You is beautifully mournful. Jones’s somber piano work sets the mood as Page shreds through an emotionally charged guitar solo, penetrating deeper into the crowd’s collective soul with each refrain. Page seems to be having a bit of trouble with his wah-wah pedal as No Quarter begins. Following a brief cut near the beginning, Jones’s piano solo develops into a fantastic hard rock jam. The band experiments with a variety of different styles and rhythms during Page’s long, wandering guitar solo. As the piece comes to a close, one of the tapers can be heard saying “you got three more minutes, y’know?” to which his partner replies “I know it, I’m gonna change it as soon as this song’s over.” Page shreds wildly as Bonzo pummels the crowd in violent bursts during the song’s outro.
Jones has recently acquired a triple neck acoustic guitar, which Plant refers to as his “secret weapon.” Ten Years Gone is a bit sloppy at times. Page’s fingers get stuck in the strings during the guitar solos. There is a brief cut near the beginning of Page’s guitar breakdown during Bron-Y-Aur Stomp. Bonzo is introduced as “the greatest rock drummer in the band” before Over the Top. Page hints at Dixie, along with his usual homage to The Star-Spangled Banner during the experimental guitar solo prior to Achilles Last Stand. Someone near the taper can be heard shouting “I got the six-pack of Schlitz!” during the bow segment, which is cut slightly near the end. Bonzo thrashes at his drums with incredible intensity during Achilles Last Stand. Unfortunately, there is a cut in the tape near the end of the song. Page blazes through a fantastic guitar solo during Stairway to Heaven. As the band returns to the stage, Plant asks the crowd “was it alright?” just before Rock and Roll crashes into motion. An excellent start to the second leg of the tour.