What did Led Zeppelin play at their last UK show at Knebworth?

11 August 2024, 11:00

Zeppelin said farewell to their home country with two massive shows in August 1979 - but which songs did they play?

By Radio X

@RadioX

It's been 45 years since Led Zeppelin performed their final shows on British soil. Across two weekends in August 1979, the country's most successful and most respected rock band performed to over 150,000 people at Knebworth House.

The band were gearing up to release what was to be their final studio album, In Through The Out Door later that month and it would become their seventh number 1 LP in the UK and sixth in the US.

But despite their status on both sides of the Atlantic, it wasn't an easy time for the band - despite being one of the biggest rock acts of the decade, the death of Robert Plant's young son in 1977, other personal issues and an enforced exile from the UK for tax reasons had put a strain on the group.

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Alongside this, there was also the issue of Bonham's alcoholism. Always a big drinker, the drummer was finding the stress of being on the road difficult and turned to booze.

Despite all this, Led Zeppelin announced two enormous shows to take place on 4th and 11th August 1979 as part of the regular series of shows known as the Knebworth Festival. They would mark the band's first British dates since their five-night stint at London's Earls Court in May 1975.

Filling out the bill were Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes, The New Commander Cody Band, Fairport Convention (first show only) and Chas and Dave. Tickets were £7.50 and you could get a programme for 90p.

Despite In Through The Out Door set for release in a matter of days, Zeppelin kept to the crowd-pleasers and only showcased two songs from the new album: In The Evening and Hot Dog.

Instead, the setlists spanned the band's entire career: from Black Mountain Side from their first self-titled album released in 1969, through to Achilles Last Stand and Nobody's Fault But Mine from 1976's Presence.

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (Live at Knebworth 1979) (Official Video)

Both shows featured some bona fide Zeppelin classics in the shape of the awesome Kashmir and Trampled Underfoot, and the now legendary Stairway To Heaven closed the main set on both nights.

Encores on both nights included the frantic Rock And Roll from Led Zeppelin IV and the show-stopping Whole Lotta Love, from their second album.

Led Zeppelin at Knebworth House setlist 4th August 1979

• The Song Remains The Same
• Celebration Day
• Black Dog
• Nobody's Fault But Mine
• Over The Hills And Far Away
• Misty Mountain Hop
• Since I've Been Loving You
• No Quarter
• Ten Years Gone
• Hot Dog
• The Rain Song
• White Summer / Black Mountain Side
• Kashmir
• Trampled Under Foot
• Sick Again
• Achilles Last Stand
• In The Evening
• Stairway To Heaven

Encore

• Rock And Roll

Encore 2

• Whole Lotta Love

Encore 3

• Heartbreaker

Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll (Live at Knebworth 1979) (Official Video)

The second Knebworth show sported essentially the same setlist, but dropped Ten Years Gone from Physical Graffiti and changed the encore: instead of returning for a final song in the shape of Heartbreaker, the band went straight into Communication Breakdown hot on the heels of Whole Lotta Love. This was a throwback to Led Zep's very first album from January 1969.

Led Zeppelin at Knebworth House setlist 11th August 1979

• The Song Remains The Same
• Celebration Day
• Black Dog
• Nobody's Fault But Mine
• Over The Hills And Far Away
• Misty Mountain Hop
• Since I've Been Loving You
• No Quarter
• Hot Dog
• The Rain Song
• White Summer / Black Mountain Side
• Kashmir
• Trampled Under Foot
• Sick Again
• Achilles Last Stand
• In The Evening
• Stairway To Heaven

Encore

• Rock And Roll

Encore 2

• Whole Lotta Love
• Communication Breakdown

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven - Knebworth 08-04-1979 Part 19

Knebworth 1979 wasn't the end of the road for Led Zeppelin, however.

In June 1980, Zeppelin began a short tour of arenas in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. However, when they got to Nuremberg on 27th June, John Bonham's health problems caught up with him and the show ended early when the drummer fell off his stool.

The tour was picked up a couple of days later and wound up at Berlin's Eissporthalle on 7th July 1970 This would be John Bonham's final show with Led Zeppelin. On 24th September, Bonham was taken to Bray Studios in Berkshire for a rehearsal. After a full day of heavy drinking, Bonham passed out around midnight and was taken to bed. When Zeppelin's tour manager and bassist John Paul Jones went to wake him the next afternoon, they discovered that he'd died in the night. He was 32.

The band's forthcoming US tour was cancelled and on 4th December 1980, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin issued a statement: "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend, and the deep sense of undivided harmony felt by ourselves and our manager, have led us to decide that we could not continue as we were."

Led Zeppelin have reunited on several occasions - notably at Live Aid in 1985 and again for a charity event in 2007 which entered the record books as the "Highest Demand For Tickets For One Music Concert" after 20 million requests hit the O2's website. On that night, Bonham's place was taken by his son, Jason.