In 1970, Led Zeppelin embarked across a tour of the South in America. Long hair was pretty unpopular in the late ‘60s and even 1970. The authorities appeared to be building up a head of steam over what they believed to be happening with the current movement within the musical manifestation of the time. They seemed intent to keep audiences seated.

Indeed, news reached us of the unthinkable – the audience had been tear-gassed at a show at the Forum in LA, California, the very State where one assumed there was a liberal outlook to change. However, the South already appeared to be taking a far tougher right wing stance.

At the end of a rousing show, albeit one where the audience had already been somewhat intimidated by the police, the band went backstage to the dressing room fully prepared to play an encore for what was audibly a really enthusiastic crowd. At the point of exit from the dressing room, a burly policeman put an iron bar across the door to stop me from going out, with the phrase ‘You go out there boy, and I’ll break your head’. That night we didn’t play an encore in Nashville!

Music featured: Noshville Katz (Lovin' Cohens)