TFI Review - Better Late Than Never

[Tony Gassett <Tony.Gassett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Plant And Page - TFI Friday Session, Riverside Studio, London UK 27th
March 1998

We're getting to feel like old hands with this TV show recording stuff!
Once again another pub meet before the kick off. Except this time a bit
of confusion about which pub in the Hammersmith to gather at - it
changed names years ago, didn't it Issac McHelicopter!!! - just to keep
us on our toes. After a short dry and thankfully this time warm wait
outside the studio in the late afternoon, we're in. Lightly dismissing
the usual restriction on the audience having to be 28 or younger. 

After 10 minutes or safety instructions, which wouldn't be out of place
in a kindergarten and 'always look happy as you never know when you're
on camera' spiel we're shown into the floor area, where various stages
are set-up. Correctly spotting Jimmy's pedal board from a choice of
three stages we jockey for position and wait for the red light to go on.

This show is recorded 'live' about a hour before it's transmitted -
maybe to counter the hosts Chris Evans tendency for colourful language.
After a lengthy warm-up by the floor manager i.e. gives us reactions
based on a scale of ten, recording starts. After watching the intro on
an overhead monitors, the boys are announced to mega-applause, hit the
stage and straight into Rock And Roll. The energy between band and
audience is incredible, a storming version of this old war-horse and
we're clapping along, headbanging and bouncing up and down like there's
no tomorrow. Three minutes later the first number's over and we're left
to wait to the end of the show for the new single to be performed. 

The time is mostly spent watching the antics of host 'Ginger' with
various guests on the monitors and moving back and forth from the Page
and Plant stage for a massive mobile camera rig to be moved about the
various stages. After the final scramble for the front of the small
stage, the boys are interviewed by Ginger in the upstairs bar area and
then come back to our area for the closing number. Another excellent
live version of Most High is greeted with rapturous applause - all the
band obviously enjoying the crowd reaction. 

Outside after we filter back out into the daylight, new boy Phil Andrews
slips away virtually unnoticed and  Robert Plant drives his grandson
away in a big Merc. Jimmy kindly waits around to sign autographs before
making his escape., and Charlie Jones has a quick chat with some of us
about the summer touring schedule.

So at the end of the third consecutive day of Page and Plant activity
it's back to normal life. Okay we'll be sitting in front of VCR's many
times, showing those not lucky enough to be there where we standing on
the playbacks. I've already seen it twice already before writing
this!!!!

Tony Gassett - March 28th 1998.