Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin's incredible appeal could guarantee a sell-out crowd of rebels or wannabees, but that talent and the generally hospitable demeanor of Robert Plant notwithstanding, the band was not among Bill Graham's favorites. Hedonistic and heavily protected by a personal security force of epic, in pounds and punching-power, proportions, the band was famous for leaving damaged digs and damsels in its wake. This performance in Oakland is memorable for a behind the scenes brou-ha-ha that sent some Graham staff to the emergency room and lawyers noble [Graham's] and oleaginous [Graham's take] opining over the proceedings. In the end, the band returned for the second night's performance in the fashionably late timeframe their fans had come to expect, and Graham and his people had their justice. In a sad footnote to this concert, Plant's young son died suddenly and unexpectedly a short time later, and Led Zeppelin cancelled the balance of their American tour.\n\nDay[s] on the Green were special events designed by Bill Graham in the early 1970s to satisfy both fan interest and escalating financial demands from the bands. Huge outdoor 'sets,' the first theatre-like event was staged at the Kezar Pavilion in May, 1973 but future concerts, renamed Day on the Green, soon moved to the Oakland venue. Very successful both economically and artistically, Graham staged seven or eight of these festivals each spring and summer for a number of years.