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Robert Plant and Jimmy Page
Photo: Jørgen Angel - www.angel.dk |
Today, what those lucky few (probably
around 1,200 - 1,400 youngsters) were to witness in the small school
aula in Gladsaxe has become part of rock history. Shortly afterwards
"The New Yardbirds" changed their name and became "Led Zeppelin".
And the gig at Egegård School was the first time that now legendary
Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, John Bonham and Robert Plant played
together before an audience. Actually the group had only been formed
very short time before this - their first Scandinavian tour.
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| The speaking note of Teen Club President Lars Abel introducing"The New Yardbirds". Click on the paper to view a pdf version. |
As president of the Gladsaxe Teen Club it was Lars Abel who
had the pleasure to enter the stage and introduce the group. His old
speaking note from that evening - with some of the names of the new
group handwritten into the manuscript only minutes before he made the
presentation (a small mistake was made Plant became Plat!) - tells of
how the group had been rehearsing all afternoon at the school to the
great delight of the voluntary Teen Club work staff who were preparing
that evening's ball. Lars Abel could therefore also state that the
audience would get something that was even better than the old
Yardbirds!
When this evening has earned its place in
rock history it is of course because of Led Zeppelin's later status as
one of the worlds absolutely biggest rock legends. But when we today are
able to get an impression of the intensity and ambience of this first
evening we are primarily to thank the young Teen Club photographer Jørgen Angel.
Using his mother's holiday camera he took a number of fabulous pictures
of this first Led Zeppelin concert ever. Photos that over the years
have been used in rock magazines and shown at exhibitions all over the
world.
You may read more about Jørgen Angel - his meetings with Led Zeppelin - and his life as a rock photographer here (sorry only in Danish at the moment) or visit his homepage on www.angel.dk (in English) A larger number of his photos from Gladsaxe Teen Club can be found here.
You may read more about Jørgen Angel - his meetings with Led Zeppelin - and his life as a rock photographer here (sorry only in Danish at the moment) or visit his homepage on www.angel.dk (in English) A larger number of his photos from Gladsaxe Teen Club can be found here.
In addition to the many well known photos
taken by Jørgen Angel we have been very lucky in connection with the
creation of this web page to find a few never before published photos
from the concert on 7 September 1968. These photos were shot by one of
Gladsaxe Teen Club's other regular photographers Karsten Schmidt.
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Robert Plant was giving it all in Gladsaxe on 7 September 1968.
Photo: Karsten Schmidt. |
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John Paul Jones at Led Zeppelin's first concert on 7 September 1968 in Gladsaxe Teen Club.
Photo: Karsten Schmidt |
In Teen Club Nyt (Gladsaxe Teen Club's monthly members' magazine) in October 1968 Bent Larsen (who was the magazine's normal reviewer) gave this rave review of the new Yardbirds first concert:
"The English group YARDBIRDS had
been rehearsing their new set most of the afternoon. So when they
entered the scene they were really hot to get started and give it all.
Their performance and their music were absolutely flawless, and the
music continued to ring nicely in the ears for some time after the
curtains were drawn after their show. Let me in particular give my
praise to JIMMY PAGE who has made a great job with the 3 new men. They
really succeeded and in particular the guitar solo by Jimmy Page created
huge applause. We can therefore conclude that the new YARDBIRDS are at
least as good as the old ones were."
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John Bonham at the drums in Egegård Skole in Gladsaxe
Photo: Jørgen Angel - www.angel.dk |
