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In 1968, Led Zeppelin played together for the first time. Just weeks later, they were shocking Scandinavia
Led Zeppelin’s first rehearsal was tentative as the four musicians worked out what to play, despite their later reputation for instant musical chemistry. That changed when they launched into the Yardbirds’ “Train Kept a Rollin’”, a moment John Paul Jones and Robert Plant remembered as the band finding its distinctive force.
Within about a month, the group played its first concert in Scandinavia, where Jimmy Page said they had had only around 15 hours to practise together. The performances fulfilled a contractual obligation left over from the Yardbirds and served as an early test of the new line-up; the article says the band won over the audience before going on to rapid international success.
In short
- Led Zeppelin’s first rehearsal began with uncertainty.
- “Train Kept a Rollin’” helped the band find its sound.
- Their first concert followed in Scandinavia about a month later.
Explained simply
Led Zeppelin was formed by guitarist Jimmy Page after the Yardbirds, his previous band, broke up. He recruited singer Robert Plant, bassist and keyboard player John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham; the four brought different musical experience to a new group.
Their early Scandinavian concerts were arranged to fulfil a commitment made under the Yardbirds’ name. The band’s first shows helped establish how the new line-up worked in front of an audience, before it went on to become internationally successful.