55 Years Ago, Led Zeppelin Performed Rare Song Live for the First and Only Time
55 Years Ago, Led Zeppelin Performed Rare Song Live for the First and Only Time
Geca FloresMon, May 4, 2026 at 1:40 AM UTC
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Led Zeppelin created a string of remarkable moments that fans still remember today.
Celebrated for being one of the pioneers of hard rock and heavy metal, the quartet made a mark in the music scene by introducing notable hits such as "Stairway to Heaven," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Kashmir."
Besides their timeless hits that generations still enjoy today, one of their most unforgettable feats came 55 years ago.
On May 3, 1971, Led Zeppelin pulled off something even their most devoted followers rarely witnessed.
At the height of their explosive rise, the rock band left the audience stunned during the opening night of their European tour.
In preparation for their fourth album, Led Zeppelin IV, the four-member group, consisting of original members Robert Plant on vocals, Jimmy Page on guitar, John Paul Jones on bass and keyboards and John Bonham on drums, delivered spectacular shows in Denmark, Italy and Switzerland, among others.
Interestingly, it was in Copenhagen where the group delivered a performance that fans remember as one of their most unique and rare moments.
At the time, Led Zeppelin reportedly did a two-hour show in front of 4,000 fans, performing a mix of fan favorites and new material such as “Heartbreaker,” “Dazed and Confused” and “Stairway to Heaven,” among others.
In their 13-song setlist, the band performed “Four Sticks,” a powerful and rhythm-driven rock song from their 1971 album.
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Robert Plant of the rock band Led Zeppelin, March 2, 1973 in Copenhagen, Denmark Jorgen Angel/Redferns via Getty Images
It was the first and only time that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees played the track live.
The group rarely played the song because of its highly complex percussion, with John Bonham using two drumsticks in each hand, making it notoriously difficult to perform live.
In a report cited by Ultimate Classic Rock, Page previously revealed what inspired them to create “Four Sticks.”
"[Bonzo] had been to see Ginger Baker’s Air Force and he came in and he was really hyped about it” the guitarist told Mick Wall in his 2008 Zeppelin biography When Giants Walked the Earth, adding, “He liked Ginger Baker, but he was like, 'I’ll show him!' And he came in and he picked up the four sticks and that's it, we just did two takes of it. Because that's all we could sort of manage. But it's astonishing what he's doing. He'd never employed that style of playing before. I can't even remember what it was called, what the working title was. But it was sure as hell 'Four Sticks' after that. Bonzo just took it into another stratosphere."
However, in 1972, bandmates Page and Plant recorded a different version of “Four Sticks” as part of their experimental sessions.
The duo created an orchestral version of the legendary piece with the Bombay Symphony Orchestra and used traditional Indian instruments such as sitars, tablas, sarangi and a wind instrument called shehnai.
Four decades later, “Four Sticks” was re-released as part of Jimmy Page’s project to remaster the entire Led Zeppelin catalog, which took them two years and "hundreds of hours" to review every tape.
Related: World’s First True Rock Supergroup Started Historic Reunion Concert 21 Years Ago
This story was originally published by Parade on May 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
