Remembering Led Zeppelin’s ‘Physical Graffiti’ and the Boston Garden Riot at 45
February 24, 1975. Led Zeppelin makes waves with their sixth studio album, Physical Graffiti. But the biggest splash happened in Boston a month earlier.
Last month, we marked the 45 year anniversary of Led Zeppelin being banned in Boston–an anniversary Jimmy Page was only recently made aware of, which is hilarious. The ban was due to a riot that broke out at Boston Garden when the band announced the release of Physical Graffiti and the supporting tour.
Fans showed up in droves to wait in line overnight for the Garden box office to open. As recalled in HistoryPod‘s piece on the event, “as the temperature began to drop toward freezing, it became evident that the blue denim jeans and jean jackets worn by the waiting fans would not keep them warm.” So the lobby was opened. Then all hell broke loose.
So no Garden date for Led Zep’s 1975 tour, all because of a few (hundred) boozed up, “boisterous” fans. Still, though, an entertaining moment to look back on as we celebrate 45 years of Physical Graffiti. And over 50 of one of the band’s greatest Boston gigs.