50 years after the legendary Led Zeppelin concert at St. Matthew’s Baths in Ipswich, often described as “Suffolk’s Greatest Gig” a limited-edition A2 poster featuring photographs taken at the concert has been published by Nigel, with the profits going to the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices.
The pictures were taken by Nigel, who at the time was working as a director/cameraman for a film producer based at Hadleigh. The negatives remained in his attic for nearly 30 years until a bootleg of the concert was discovered which put the gig in the spotlight. At the time it was thought that no pictures of the gig existed until Nigel revealed he had taken his Olympus OM-1 camera and a roll of Tri-X along. Some of the pictures featured on the poster have never been published before.
The band had just returned from touring Japan and the USA and came to Ipswich to fulfil a long-standing booking in support of their 4th album. Described as a very intimate gig, the swimming pool had been boarded over and the pictures show just how small the stage was for one of the world’s biggest bands.
The band are depicted at various stages during the concert with Jimmy Page playing a double-necked Gibson guitar and later playing his guitar with a violin bow. There is also an acoustic set with the band members sitting at the front of the stage with the audience standing within touching distance of the rock legends.
The poster also has the set list from the night which changed from gig to gig. The Ipswich list features new songs promoting their 4th album including the first outings of Stairway to Heaven, and two very rare encore performances of Weekend and Gallows Pole.
This limited-edition poster costs £20. It is also available by post at a cost of £24.85 to include First Class Signed For service. All profits will go to EACH.
Further details can be found at www.nigelrea.co.uk/photo_16949892.html