SEPTEMBER 7 - TEEN CLUBS BOX 45, GLADSAXE, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (SATURDAY, EARLY SHOW, 5:30pm)
Billed as Yardbirds. Support from Fourways and Bodies. It is rumored that all Scandinavian dates were supposedly recorded by Page for playing for record label. The setlist most likely include: The Train Kept A Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, As Long As I Have You medley incl. Flames, Dazed And Confused, White Summer, You Shook Me, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You, Pat's Delight, How Many More Times, Communication Breakdown and For Your Love.
SEPTEMBER 7 - BRONDY POP CLUB, NORREGARDHALLEN, BRONDBY, DENMARK (SATURDAY, LATE SHOW, 7:30pm)
Billed as The Yardbirds. Support from Day Of The Phoenix, The Eyes and Ham. It's strange how both September 7, 1968 shows were advertised as starting at 19:30pm.
SEPTEMBER 8 - FJORDVILLA CLUB PARAMOUNT, ROSKILDE, DENMARK (SUNDAY, 6:30pm)
Billed as Yard Birds. Support from The Ladybirds, an all girl topless go-go dancing team, and Beauty Fools.
SEPTEMBER 8 - REVENTLOW PARKEN, NYKOBING LOLLAND, DENMARK (SUNDAY, 7pm)
Support from The Beatniks and The Ladybirds. The setlist most likely included: The Train Kept A Rollin', I Can't Quit You Baby, You Shook Me, Dazed And Confused and How Many More Times.
SEPTEMBER 12 - TIVOLI GRONA LUND, STORA SCENEN, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (THURSDAY, 9:30pm)
Billed as Yardbirds.
SEPTEMBER 13 - INSIDE CLUB, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (FRIDAY)
Billed as Yardbirds. Support from Atlantic Ocean. (Other resources claimed that the band was supported by Hep Stars.)
SEPTEMBER 14 - ANGBY PARK, KNIVSTA, SWEDEN (SATURDAY, 8:30pm)
Billed as The Yardbirds with Kenneth Staggs and Hayati Kafe.
SEPTEMBER 15 - LISEBURG AMUSEMENT PARK, STRJARNSCENEN , GOTEBORG, SWEDEN (SATURDAY, 7:30pm)
Billed as Yardbirds pop band.
SEPTEMBER 17 - KLUB BONGO, MALMO, SWEDEN (TUESDAY) (unconfirmed)
SEPTEMBER 18 - GOTEBORG, SWEDEN (WEDNESDAY) (unconfirmed)
SEPTEMBER 20 - KONSERTHUSET, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (FRIDAY) (disputed)
SEPTEMBER 21 - KONSERTHUSET, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN (SATURDAY) (disputed)
SEPTEMBER 22 - BERGEN, NORWAY (SUNDAY) (discredited)
SEPTEMBER 23 - OSLO, NORWAY (MONDAY) (discredited)
SEPTEMBER 24 - OSLO, NORWAY (TUESDAY) (discredited)

Led Zeppelin First U.K. Clubs Tour
October 4, 1968 - December 20, 1968

OCTOBER 4 - MAYFAIR BALLROOM, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND (FRIDAY, 8pm)
Billed as The Yardbirds (featuring Jimmy Paige). Support from New York Public Library, Junco Partners, and Downtown Fraction.
OCTOBER 15 - UNIVERSITY OF SURREY, GUILDFORD SURREY, ENGLAND (TUESDAY)
Billed as The Yardbirds.
OCTOBER 17 - LAFAYETTE CLUB, WOLVERHAMPTON, WEST MIDLANDS, ENGLAND (THURSDAY) (unconfirmed)
OCTOBER 18 - MARQUEE CLUB, LONDON, ENGLAND (FRIDAY, 11:30pm)
Billed as The British Debut Of The Yardbirds. Support from Sleepy.
OCTOBER 19 - MOUNTFORD HALL, UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND (SATURDAY)
Billed as The Yardbirds and reported in the press as their last appearance. mentioned that this will be the last appearance of the band as "The Yardbirds" and that they will be known as "Led Zeppelin" from Sunday, October 20, 1968 on.
OCTOBER 25 - UNIVERSITY OF SURREY, GUILDFORD, SURREY, ENGLAND (FRIDAY, 7:30pm)
Billed as Led Zeppelin for the first time! Band's official debut. Despite the "New Yardbirds" poster, all media references to this gig list the band as "Led Zeppelin".
OCTOBER 26 - BRISTOL BOXING CLUB, BRISTOL, ENGLAND (SATURDAY) (disputed)
Supposed to be Exeter but not confirmed and still disputed if happened. Support from The Deviants. The show was truncated due to the rowdy audience.
NOVEMBER 9 - THE ROUNDHOUSE, CAMDEN, LONDON, ENGLAND (SATURDAY, 10:30pm)
Billed as Yardbirds now known as Led Zeppelin. Support from John Lee Hooker, The Deviants, John James, Tyres and DJ Jeff Dexter. The 11/9/68 Roundhouse gig questions whether the gig was actually played on that date, and has 11/11/68 as a possible date. However, it has been noted that the band did in fact play the Roundhouse the day Robert Plant married Maureen - on 11/9/68. An advertisement also exists with 11/9/68 as the date of the Roundhouse gig.
NOVEMBER 16 - INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MACHESTER, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (THURSDAY)
The band provided support for John Fahey.
NOVEMBER 23 - STUDENTS UNION, UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD, SHEFFIELD, SOUTH YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND (SATURDAY)
NOVEMBER 29 - THE CRAWDADDY CLUB, RICHMOND, ENGLAND (FRIDAY)
Billed as Led Zeppelin (formerly Yardbirds).
DECEMBER 10 - MARQUEE CLUB, LONDON, ENGLAND (TUESDAY, 7:30pm)
Billed as Led Zeppelin (nee The Yardbirds). Support from Bakerloo Blues Line.
DECEMBER 13 - BRIDGE PLACE COUNTRY CLUB. CANTERBURY, KENT, ENGLAND (FRIDAY)
Billed as The Yardbirds on handbill, Led Zeppelin on advertisement.
DECEMBER 16 - BATH PAVILION, BATH, ENGLAND (MONDAY, 7:30pm)
Support from Yellow Brick Road. Led Zeppelin performed as a raplecemnt for Jeff Beck Blues Group (which was a headliner) after they cancelled. The setlist most likely included: The Train Kept a Rollin', For Your Love, I Can't Quit You Baby, As Long As I Have You, Dazed And Confused, Communication Breakdown, You Shook Me, White Summer/Black Mountain Side, Pat's Delight, Babe I'm Gonna Leave You and How Many More Times.
DECEMBER 19 - EXETER CIVIC HALL, EXETER, DEVON, ENGLAND (THURSDAY)
Support from The Deviants and Empty Vessels (who went on to become Wishbone Ash). This was a Christmas Ball for Exeter Art College.
DECEMBER 20 - FISHMONGERS HALL, WOOD GREEN, LONDON, ENGLAND (FRIDAY, 7:30pm)
Billed as Led Zeppelin (formerly Yardbirds). Support from Closed Cell Sponge.

 

Led Zeppelin First U.S. Tour
December 26, 1968 - February 15, 1969

DECEMBER 26 - DENVER AUDITORIUM ARENA, DENVER, COLORADO (THURSDAY)
Opened (and unbilled) for Vanilla Fudge and Spirit. The band's name did not feature on advertisements.

WARNING! Some sources reported that tape of this show exist and may currently be in the hands of a tape hoarder. Possibly whole show was recorded but a very big care must be taken with these reports.

Led Zeppelin Database email update

DECEMBER 27 - SEATTLE CENTER ARENA, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON (FRIDAY, 8pm)
Led Zeppelin and Floating Bridge (both unbilled) provided support for for Vanilla Fudge.
DECEMBER 28 - PACIFIC COLISEUM, VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA (SATURDAY, 7pm)
Led Zeppelin and The Trials Of Jason Hoover (both unbilled) provided support for Vanilla Fudge.
DECEMBER 29 - PORTLAND CIVIC AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND, OREGON (SUNDAY, 7:30pm)
Opened (and billed as Special Guest: Led Zeppelin, featuring Jimmy Paige) for Vanilla Fudge.

DECEMBER 30 - JOHN F. KENNEDY MEMORIAL PAVILION, GONZAGA UNIVERSITY, SPOKANE, WASHINGTON (MONDAY, 8pm)
Opened for Vanilla Fudge. Billed erroneously as Len Zefflin.

Recording Includes: The Train Kept A Rollin' [ 2:23 - cut ] >> I Can't Quit You Baby [ 5:36 ], As Long As I Have You (<< Fresh Garbage, Bag's Groove, Mockingbird..) [ 8:08 ], Dazed And Confused [ 9:28 ], [ cut ], White Summer [ 6:42 - cut ], How Many More Times (<< The Hunter..) [ 14:43 ], Pat's Delight [ 6:47 - cut ].
Source: Incomplete fair to good audience recording. 56 minutes.
Details: The show starts off with some distortion but clears nicely. Guitar and bass slightly upfront with the vocals and drums pushed back slightly but not to the detriment of enjoying the show. Clearly the recording equipment, a Norelco cassette recorder with internal microphone, was unable to cope fully with the loudness of the performance. It was reported that the taper sat next to the mixing desk in the front row.

Bootleg LP Reference(s): Alpha & Omega (Rock Solid Records) & The Final Option (Rock Solid Records & The Swingin' Pig Records)

Bootleg CD Reference(s): Gonzaga 1968 (no label - matrix is same as title), Gonzaga '68 (Capricorn Records), Lifetime Guarantee (Empress Valley Supreme Disc), Lifetime Guarantee Revisited (Empress Valley Supreme Disc), Spokane Washington 12/30/68 (Zeppelin Digital CD-R), Things Began To Happen (Beelzebub Records CD-R), & Yardbirds Fame (Tarantura2000)

Bootleg DVD Audio Reference(s): Lifetime Guarantee Revisited (Empress Valley Supreme Disc)

Comments: The only known recording of Led Zeppelin live available from 1968. The recording itself is quite good for the era and gives a glimpse of the raw power of the group only three days into their first ever US tour. Robert comments on how cold it is in Spokane and how the equipment had to be heated up with portable heaters and his voice is absolutely amazing ... he hits the highest notes imagined with no effort! Jonesy and Bonham are incredible and Jimmy's playing is wonderful too. The songs are played shortly and compactly, meaning more energy. The Train Kept A Rollin' sounds like the Yardbird's version before it evolved into the blistering Zeppelin version. We can only imagine the audience seeing this then-unknown group for the first time.

Led Zeppelin Database email update

 

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