AboutMike Caldwell Expertise Fortunately, or unfortunately, there are no Led Zeppelin questions I can't answer. My immediate specialty (or proclivity as it may be) has to do with concert performances and lyrical interpretations.
Experience Countless hours of biographical research and personal interaction with relevant individuals. Avid contributor to Led Zeppelin newsgroups since 1997 (check Google groups!)
Publications Bullseye News Magazine. The Vapid Voice.
Question QUESTION: Did Zeppelin always have the limosines with the entourage and the police cars guiding them to the venues? Even in the early days?
ANSWER: The limousines didn't really happen in 1969, they started riding in them after that year, however. Police escorts didn't happen very often, never in the early days. In later years, some cities were very cooperative with offering police escorts, some weren't. For example, in Greensboro, 1975, there's a story about rowdy fans trapping the band and keeping the limos from leaving. Not having police escorts there, Peter Grant himself had to jump into the driver's seat of the lead vehicle and speed away, running red lights, etc. The police motorcade shown in the film was actually from Pittsburgh, not New York City, as the film makers wanted us to believe.
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QUESTION: Has Led Zeppelin ever used a tour bus?
Answer Briefly in the North American tours of 1968/1969, when they were touring with other acts (like Vanilla Fudgea and Iron Butterfly), they rode in a bus. As early as 1970, they were already flying on commercial flights from town to town, and after that of course, private jet.
