Jimmy Page Live Concert Video
Nassau Coliseum Oct. 28, 1988
I posted this video on Youtube years ago, after downloading off of Dimeadozen. I attended the Outrider concert the following night in Worcedeter, MA, but that’s a story for another day.
The Outrider album is… ok. The playing is great which the big thing. After two Firm albums, and a bunch of shaky performances, I was delighted that Jimmy got his chops back and came out swinging.
The Outrider tour was fucking incredible. For the first time since 1980, he was playing Led Zeppelin, along with a couple Firm songs, some Death Wish 2 stuff, and and Yardbirds tune (Train Kept A Rollin). It’s interesting to note that Robert Plant was also touring at this time, and he too was playing Zep tunes for the first time since the breakup.
This is a home shot video with matching audio. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, at all. This is totally something you can listen to in your car as you’re going to work, or at your desk. It’s really really great.
If you’re one of the people who teeth because I do not think the Firm was impressive, watch and listen to this show, and see what impresses me, Jimmy Page-wise.
His touring band was Jason Bonham on drums, Durban Laverde on bass, and John Miles on vocals. John Miles had sung for the Alan Parsons Project (Stereotomy), and he sang ably.
I will do a podcast about the Outrider tour fairly soon, in which I will spend time talking about the whole post Firm timeline, and how Jimmy got his groove back. For now enjoy the amazing document from one of rock’s greatest guitarists.
Jimmy Page Rochester 10/25/88
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Great video, I’d not see any live footage from the tour, and I only have one bootleg, on vinyl no less, that I bought 20 odd years ago so this was a welcome surprise. As you say, it was great that Jimmy had got his chops back but my only real beef is the setlist. At the tail end of the 80s Zeppelin’s reputation was flying high again so why Jimmy thought the average gig attendee of the time would be interested in solo cuts for a 6 year old soundtrack to a pretty average film I’ll never know.
Thanks for the comment, Ross. I think that he eased into Zeppelin tunes, in his Outrider tour for a couple of reasons (and this is just conjecture). First, Robert did it, so after 8 years, they were going to play their tunes again. Second, even though the Death Wish 2 songs (and even the Firm tracks) can’t hold a candle to Zep, they’re his babies, and he’s proud of them. I’m not a huge Who’s To Blame or City Sirens fan. I would have rather heard Jam Sandwich or Hypnotizing Ways off the soundtrack, but I didn’t get a say. It was a great fucking tour, even though the backing band was a bit wooden, and 22 year old Jason Bonham wasn’t (in my opinion) ready to fill Dad’s shoes. I respect Jimmy for having Jason in his band, though. Showed heart. I’m glad you like the video. Have you listened to the show I posted in my podcast? I shared the whole show, and the sound is incredible. Give it listen. Thanks again. I hope you stick around.
I’ve always assumed the two of them had very differing attitudes to their back catalogue; Robert, certainly at the start of his solo career was shying away from Zep and try to keep moving musically, where as Jimmy is naturally very proud of their achievements, indeed seems weighed down somewhat by the past, which is why I ponder the mere smattering of Zep tunes on this tour.
Sure, he is no doubt proud of the Death Wish tracks, maybe he even privately admits the project dug him out of a deep, deep hole at the time, but surely he must also know what people really want to hear. Then again fast forward to the Teenage Cancer trust gig in 2002 and he plays the violin solo! With the best will in the world playing a fairly atonal dirge to non-partisan fans smack somewhat of hubris.
I didn’t quite grasp that the other link was a different gig so I’ll give that a listen when I get the chance, many thanks.