Twenty two thousand devoted rock ‘n’ roll fans braced the wet conditions of Western Springs last Friday night to witness “The greatest show New Zealand has ever seen – Led Zeppelin!”

Bus trips were arranged all around the North Island, trains came up from Wellington, others hitchhiked from the South Island and one man sailed over from the Chatham Islands – all just to be there.

As soon as the gates were opened, 22,000 people had stormed to the best positions they could find. The atmosphere was restless and eager. A man with short ginger hair and a wearing a white Led Zeppelin shirt climbed onto the stage and took one of the four standing microphones.

Suddenly, a loud voice came over the PA, “The moment you have all been waiting for ladies and gentlemen, the greatest show New Zealand has ever seen – Led Zeppelin!”

Immediate applause followed as the Zepp rocked straight into ‘The Immigrant Song;’ Plant’s long hair dripping in the rain as thousands danced in the mud till the final notes.

The concert consisted one heavy section, an acoustic segment, and a five song blast off which included legendary songs such as Moby Dick, Stairway to Heaven, Since I’ve Been Loving You, Whole Lotta Love, and Black Dog.

The concert lasted as solid two and half hours with highlights including Jimmy Page’s double-guitar in Stairway and John Paul Jones playing acoustic guitar at the same time as playing bass with his feet.

At 10:30pm, Plant thanked the crowd and left to a party with the cast of ‘Hair’. A near riot broke out after the end of the encore. The final song to be played was Communication Breakdown and the first international rock ‘n’ roll act at Western Springs was gone and no one has yet fully recovered.

Western Springs has hosted such prominent musical acts since Led Zeppelin including: Bob Marley and the Wailers, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and AC/DC in 2010.