Led Zeppelin Tour 1972
Led Zeppelin – Sydney
This was Led Zeppelin’s only Australian tour. Portions of the Sydney Showground concert were filmed for GTK and appears in the “Down Under” segment of the Led Zeppelin DVD released in 2003.
The Sun-Herald, 5 March 1972, p109
By David D. Bryant
The Led Zeppelin concert at the showgrounds last Sunday must rate as one of the best ever held in Sydney – but, if the crowd had not stormed the fences, it could have been the worst.
The official attendence figure was 27,000 but senior police officers at the concert estimated the crowd at “at least 30,000”. According to showground officials the three stands used last Sunday have a maximum capacity of 25,000 – so whatever way you look at it the ground was dangerously overcrowded.
Despite the fact that there were no seats left at mid-day and no standing room by 1.30pm., people were still coming through the gates at 2.30pm. The overcrowding that existed before the fences were stormed must never be allowed to occur again because next time someone could be killed in the crush. Once capacity is reached the gates should be closed.
Showco Sound System
Jands (Additional) System
2 x RCA W Bin c/w 2 x JBL K140
2 x JBL 4550 c/w 2 x JBL K130
2 x JBL 2350 Horn + 2480 Driver
2 x JBL 2355 Horn + 2440 Driver
2 x JBL 2356 Horn + 2480 Driver
8 x JBL 2402
12 x Jands 150w Power Amplifiers
System Crew
Philip Storey
Eric Robinson
Paul Mulholland
David Mulholland
Tour Details
16 February – Perth – Subiaco Oval
19 February – Adelaide – Memorial Drive
20 February – Melbourne – Kooyong Tennis Courts
27 February – Sydney – RAS Showground
29 February – Brisbane – Festival Hall
Set List
1. Black Dog
2. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
3. Going To California
4. Heartbreaker
5. Immigrant Song
6. Since I’ve Been Loving You
7. Stairway To Heaven
8. Tangerine
9. That’s The Way
Gallery
All photos © Jands Pty Limited. Click to enlarge
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- Jands sidefill system
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- Jands sidefill system
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- Showco system
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- Showco system
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- Sound check
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- Showco system
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- Robert Plant
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- Crowd
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- Showco mixer side of stage
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- Showco mixer side of stage
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- Led Zeppelin on stage
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- Rusty Brutsche
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- Crowd jumps fence
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- Robert Plant
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- Sydney crowd
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- Led Zeppelin – Sydney
Links
ABC – Led Zeppelin pics uncovered after thirty years
Wikepedia – Led Zeppelin Australasian Tour 1972
LedZeppelin.com
I was 21 and saw Zeppelin in the flesh! It was an easier Australia in those days and it was the old Sydney and Zeppelin that were unbelievable! Thank god I was there!
Was overcast, even drizzling rain. Arrived in an overpacked Kombi (very cliche but true) smoking all the way in. No tickets, we grinned and walked passed the ticket guy fast as he frantically grabbed for a ticket from whoever may have had one. I slipped a $5 bill into his pockets for his efforts. Five bucks to see Led Zeppelin seemed more than fair.
Just after 2PM and I swear the sun broke through like a spotlight over the stage as they walked on. A mass of people jumped the racecourse fence from the power of the Immigrant Song kicking off as we looked on stunned.
A few hours later they finished their umpteenth encore (contrary to set lists) and left the stage to enormous applause. What a show and of course we had never seen anything so dynamic and powerful back in ’72. Simply amazing and one of their best (acknowledged years later by Page and Plant) concerts ever.