Led Zeppelin & Portishead: Video

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You know you want to watch. First up, Zep:

Led Zeppelin – “Whole Lotta Love” (Live at O2 Arena, 12/10/07)

The first thing one notices is: so many dudes, and so much bald. Anyone with a fetish for paunchy bald guys with a lot of money would be in heaven at this show. But then, that riff starts up, sounding even on this cell phone camera like it’s being played by the finger of God, and you remember what the fuss is about. Wait, where’s my hair going and why am I so flabby around the middle?

Quick, before we get too old, let’s watch Portishead:

Portishead – Unknown New Song (Live at ATP 2007, 12/7/07)

Well! Now that’s… noisy? Actually, after a minute, the clanking industrial drums become kind of hypnotic, and singer Beth Gibbons’ voice is still powerful, both delicate and anguished. It’s a catch-22 for bands like this: the reason they gained such enormous adoration was their boundary-pushing innovativeness, but then how do you progress and continue to innovate without losing what made you special? Apparently by out-clamoring Nine Inch Nails. Hmm.

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PLEASE—BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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