Led Zeppelin was around for a few years, but they started out way back in 1968. The hard rock outfit would only last until 1980, but their legacy as one of the greatest rock bands of all time is still recognized and felt today. For only being together for about 12 years, that kind of longevity is impressive. And unless you were there to witness them in all their glory, it’s hard not to wonder what it was like to see Led Zeppelin live, or at least consume media about them decades before the internet was a thing.

Luckily, quite a bit of old-school media from the early 1970s has survived into the 2020s. And that includes some very nostalgic footage of Led Zeppelin from the year 1971.

The Led Zeppelin footage in question is in 16mm. For those who might be too young to know what that is, 16mm film was the go-to gauge of film used for decades in the 20th century for everything from home movies to concert recordings to full-on cinematic films.

This ain’t no iPhone footage, people. The clip of Led Zeppelin performing in 16mm film is grainy, foggy, jittery, and overall not the best. The audio is a mess. But man, is it nostalgic. And despite the limitations of the technology of the time, Robert Plant’s vocals are still transcendent. You can take a look at the clip below.

Led Zeppelin’s Houston, Texas Show in 1971 Is a Little Piece of Music History Worth Remembering

The above Led Zeppelin footage was recorded on August 26, 1971 at Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas. And the show itself almost didn’t happen.

According to lore, the show was actually supposed to take place the day before. However, according to an announcement made shortly before the event, Led Zeppelin’s whole load of equipment got stuck somewhere in Portland, Oregon. It would have been impossible to get everything to Texas in time, so the show had to be postponed a day.

Thankfully, the set got to take place, and even got properly recorded in 16mm. The show went on for a whopping two hours at a bruising pace. They started out with a killer rendition of “Immigrant Song”. The band tore through 11 tracks before ending with “Whole Lotta Love”. Naturally, two encores took place, which included closing performances of “Communication Breakdown” and “Thank You”, the latter of which came complete with an organ solo. Ah, what a time to be alive.

Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage