Led Zeppelin: Live at the Bath Festival(1970)

movie - first aired/released 1970-06-28 - 84 min

Music, Documentary

Directed by Peter Whitehead

The band wanted to capture the show for posterity, but Whitehead was under the impression he would make a documentary. He and cameraman Ernie Vincze captured the majority of the footage shot that night. In the spring of 1970, he would go on to edit a 42 minute rough cut of the footage using temp audio recorded by the film crew, as Led Zeppelin, unhappy with their performance, refused them access to the multi-track recordings. Whitehead then planned to film Led Zeppelin at the Bath Festival. Unfortunately due to heavy traffic entering the showgrounds, he and Vincze weren't able to film the band's arrival via helicopter, but proceeded to capture moments in the audience, backstage, and at the show itself. Whitehead would produce a B&W workprint of this footage in summer 1970 and also hoped to film the members at home, but upon receiving no input from the band, the project was shelved.