The British Are Coming! The British Are Coming!

Rock has invaded our airwaves, and so have the British. Looks like The Beatles were only the beginning of the so-called British Invasion. Have you tuned in your radio lately? The sounds of Elton John, the Rolling, Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Pink Floyd flood the airwaves. Not only have these bands been on your radio, they have also brought their acts to a city near you. In the last couple of years, these British rock stars have taken all of their rock star presence to their fans. Most, if not all, of their tours have been critically acclaimed and widely received by the public. Notably, one of the aforementioned bands had a larger than life concert last night. Last night, April 30, 1977, Led Zeppelin held a concert with an estimated record of 76,229 rock lovers in attendance. The concert was held at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan as the end of the first leg of their 11th North American tour.  

The band was hailed as one of the greatest rock bands of our life time since 1971 with their hit single “Stairway to Heaven.” Since then, the band has worked tremendously and against a couple of personal setbacks to bring energy into the studio, and to their performances. The show at the Pontiac Silverdome last night is a testament as to what kind of band Led Zeppelin is. The number of attendants shattered the record The Beatles held previously. Adding yet another divide between the type of British rock in the 1960s and what we hear today.

The road leading up to the Silverdome was full of cars blasting the band’s previous hits in their car radios. It was a sight to behold to see that many music fans all gathered into one place to enjoy the night. Led Zeppelin began the night with the song “The Song Remains the Same,” and ended with “Trampled Underfoot.” Towards the end of the set list they rewarded their loyal fans by having a Jimmy Page solo followed by “Stairway to Heaven.” The audience went even more wild while they listened in to one of the best rock songs to date. Of course, not everything went well as often happens when there is a rock concert. There were those who were left outside of the concert and tried to cause a disturbance, but that is commonplace for a concert of this magnitude. Understandably they did not want to miss the show of a lifetime, and surely enough that is exactly what that concert was.