The Pianist Got Hammered at Jimmy Page’s ‘First-Ever Paying Gig’
Guitarist Jimmy Page is most known for forming the rock band Led Zeppelin with Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham. While Page’s fame reached new heights in the 1960s, the guitarist started playing music gigs at a young age. According to Bob Spitz’s 2021 biography Led Zeppelin: The Biography, Page’s accompanying pianist got drunk at the guitarist’s first paid gig.
Jimmy Page played with a pianist for his first paid gig
In Led Zeppelin: The Biography, Spitz writes that Page’s “first-ever paying gig” took place “at the Epsom Comrades Club.”
Those in attendance were an older crowd, and for this reason, Page planned to play alongside a pianist with more performing experience.
According to Spitz’s biography, Page and the pianist’s setlist included, “Cliff Richard’s ‘Move It,’ which was a staple of every band from Penzance to the Orkneys; ‘Red River Rock’ to show off Jimmy’s chops; a couple of Elvis tunes; and a sampling of lightweight pop hits of the day.”
Aside from the older crowd, Page’s friend Dave Williams was in attendance along with two girls named Anna and Gillian who were meant to be Page and Williams’ dates.
“It was a pretty sketchy affair,” Anna said in Led Zeppelin: The Biography. “The club was bare bones, a few tables with chairs around them, a bar at one end, and a little dance area. The band wasn’t bad. Jimmy seemed to know what he was doing.”
The pianist got drunk during the performance
While Page had high hopes for the performance, it did not turn out the way he originally planned. According to Spitz’s biography, the crowd did not care much for the setlist Page played.
Instead, those in attendance realized the piano player with Page could play older music, such as “World War II pub and patriotic songs” that let the concertgoers waltz.
With this realization, the crowd started putting in requests so they could dance, which led to the pianist getting drunk during the performance.
“And every time he fulfilled a request, someone in the room bought him a pint. Slowly but surely, the pianist got smashed,” Spitz writes.
The pianist ruined Jimmy Page’s post-concert plans
Not only did the pianist getting drunk change the course of Page’s first paid gig, but it also disrupted the plans Page had for after the show.
According to Led Zeppelin: The Biography, Page and Williams planned to hang out with their dates alone at Williams’ house.
“Jimmy and I both fancied Anna,” Williams said in the biography. “So we drew straws to see who would take her home. The other guy was responsible for getting the pianist into a taxi.”
It turns out Page lost against Williams. Not only did Williams get to hang out with Anna after the gig while Page was responsible for the pianist, but Williams went on to marry her.
