The Celebrating Tenth Day (The Symbols)
The Marine Messe Hall, Fukuoka, Japan – February 20th, 1996
Disc 1 (63:33): Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, Ramble On, Custard Pie, Heartbreaker, Wonderful One, The Song Remains The Same, The Rain Song, Celebration Day, hurdy gurdy solo, Gallows Pole (incl. Celebration Day), Since I’ve Been Loving You
Disc 2 (59:47): Whole Lotta Love / Baby Let Me Follow You Down / Going Down / Break On Through / Dazed & Confused, Egyptian Pharaohs, In The Evening (incl. Carouselambra), Four Sticks, Kashmir, Black Dog, Rock And Roll
Page & Plant completed their remarkable Unledded period with ten shows in Japan and five more in Australia in the beginning of 1996 before taking a long break. All of the Japan dates were recorded from the audience and released from many different sources. A majority of titles focus upon the Tokyo and Osaka dates.
But the final night in Fukuoka is the most obscure of the lot. The Celebrating Tenth Day on The Symbols is part of their series documenting the Japan shows. Like the others, it is a very clear stereo audience recording picking up all the details and nuances of the performance. Other releases of this show include Going Down To South (Pore The Sole) and Eternal Burning (Magnum 005/6) are two other titles with this show.
Like other shows this week, Page & Plant opt for a quiet beginning with “Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You.” While it has it’s bombastic moments, it’s more of a statement of their “light & shade” ethic rather than hard rock and it sets the mood for the show perfectly. And, like all performances, it includes the short reference to “Stairway To Heaven” at the end.
“Ramble On” and “Custard Pie” follows in quick succession as does “Heartbreaker,” which is played only up through the guitar solo, omitting the third verse.
“Excuse me, hello? There you are!” Plant jokes before telling them that “it’s our very very last show in Japan. Big tears from us tonight, we really don’t want to go anywhere else.” The first (and only) new song “Wonderful One” is played. It was dropped in America but reintroduced in Japan. It is quiet, contemplative, and one of the most beautiful songs Jimmy Page and Robert Plant had ever written. It’s a shame it has dropped into relative obscurity.
“The Song Remains The Same” and “The Rain Song” are played back-to-back but are not segued as in the old days. They pause to change instruments so that the latter can be played with the acoustic guitar and in the correct key. The orchestral embellishments are very pretty to hear as well.
Plant introduces the band before “Celebration Day” and introduces Nigel Eaton before the hurdy gurdy solo. “Gallows Pole” is listed as having a reference to “Celebration Day,” but it doesn’t. Page actually plays the opening riff to the Led Zeppelin arrangement of “Traveling Riverside Blues” from the BBC recording, something they never attempted live.
“Whole Lotta Love” lasts fourteen minutes and contains a very rare reference to “Baby Let Me Follow You Down.” It is one of the very few times they covered a Bob Dylan song in concert.
The Egyptian Pharaohs have their piece as an introduction to “In The Evening.” Finally, the sixteen minute “Kashmir” closes the show with two encores, “Black Dog” (minus the “Out On The Tiles” introduction) and “Rock And Roll” ending the evening. And because the Walking Into Everywhere tour two years later never made it to Japan (Plant walking away from the project), this is the final Page & Plant show in that country.
The Celebrating Tenth Day is an awkward title but a great recording of a unique show. The Symbols packaged the two discs in an old style fatboy jewel case with minimal artistic design on the front cover. The rear has a simple setlist over the Page & Plant symbol.
