Rock and Roll is Here to Pay, cont. part 94

In the last post, Simon Napier-Bell on the Music Biz, I mentioned Peter Grant and tough managers. I thought I'd add this little anecdote. This is paraphrased from a review of a bootleg of the Led Zeppelin gig in Memphis TN on April 17, 1970. I do have a proper cite somewhere but I don't feel up to re-reading my nice print books yet.

While in Memphis, Led Zeppelin were made honorary citizens and given the keys to the city. During the How Many More Times medley, the audience began to go yipshit. Plant was later interrupted onstage by the announcer twice during the medley, making an appeal to the audience to get off the chairs and rails. He joked about the chairs being for the hockey games held at the venue and carried on.

Backstage during the show, Peter Grant was held at gunpoint backstage by the promoter. The promoter demanded that he pull the band offstage to avoid an audience frenzy. Grant reportedly responded, "You can't shoot me, ya c*nt. They've just given us the f*cking keys to the city!"

Yeah, tough managers. Rock & Roll!