This was the first series of concerts performed by the band since their
shows at Knebworth almost a year before. Singer
Robert Plant was reluctant to tour the United States, and the band wanted to avoid some of the negative press attention that had dogged them in the United Kingdom, so as a compromise Led Zeppelin manager
Peter Grant decided to schedule a short European tour. He hoped that being on the road again would rejuvenate Plant's enthusiasm for touring and eventually inspire Plant's desire to tour the U.S. again. The band performed rehearsals for the tour at the
Rainbow Theatre and
Victoria Theatre in London, and then at
Shepperton Studios,
Middlesex. However, some on-stage problems were experienced. The 26 June show at
Vienna was interrupted during "
White Summer" when Page was struck in the face by a
firecracker. The organizer stepped up and talked to the audience, and asked the person responsible to come to the stage to have a word with him. After a delay, omitting "Black Mountain Side", Page and the band returned to play "
Kashmir" and the rest of the show. The 27 June show at
Nuremberg came to an abrupt end after the third song when
John Bonham collapsed on stage and was rushed to a hospital. Press speculation arose that Bonham's problem was caused by an excess of alcohol and drugs, but the band claimed that he had simply overeaten. The tour's poster listed a second concert at Berlin, on 8 July, but this show was never performed. The final full-length concert Led Zeppelin played until 2007 was on 7 July, with "
Whole Lotta Love" being the closing number at this gig. In an interview, bass player
John Paul Jones recalled of this tour: ==Recordings==