Where were you in 1972 when Led Zeppelin played its only Melbourne show?

THE weather threatened to spoil the party, but Led Zeppelin’s concert at Kooyong — its only concert in Melbourne — rumbled across the suburbs in 1972. Were you there?

Led Zeppelin played at Kooyong on February 20, 1972. Picture: HWT Library

THERE was some nervousness around when legendary rock band Led Zeppelin played in Melbourne for its only appearance 1972.

It wasn’t the band’s wild reputation or how concertgoers might react that caused the consternation. It was the weather.

Led Zeppelin’s only concert tour to Australasia hit Melbourne on February 20, 1972, in the middle of what remains the wettest month since 1856 and three days after a thunderstorm that delivered a flash flood that turned central Melbourne streets into rivers.

And here was one of the biggest bands in the world about to play the open-air stadium at Kooyong.

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Singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones hit the stage midafternoon on what had been a fine day.

A section of the crowd at Led Zeppelin’s Melbourne show on February 20, 1972. Picture: HWT Library

“Many fans saved themselves the price of a ticket and listened to the music from outside the stadium,” The Sun reported the following day.

“Several others saved themselves the price of a ticket by jumping over fences to get into the arena.”

A fluky wind hindered the band’s sound early, but the subdued crowd warmed up quickly once the band’s sound engineers sorted the wall of speakers and amplifiers on the stage.

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The sound of the show carried for miles, The Sun said.

Led Zeppelin powered into a two-hour set that included The Immigrant Song, Black Dog, Stairway to Heaven and Whole Lotta Love, but were interrupted by what The Sun said was a brief cloudburst.

Robert Plant performs at Kooyong in 1972. Picture: HWT Library

Fans dived for jackets and umbrellas and the band retreated in fear of an electric shock as the rain fell.

When it was over, the generally peaceful crowd applauded and screamed for more — no doubt with ears ringing.

But Led Zeppelin jetted out of Tullamarine the next day for Auckland, and never again played a concert in Melbourne.

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