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After their formation in 1968 and the release of their first album in January of 1969, Led Zeppelin were fast becoming a powerhouse of a band. The group had started their first US tour at the end of 1968 and were traveling heavily. The arrival of a new venue in Toronto called The Rockpile in 1968 coincided well with planning and the venues status as an old masonic temple fitted the bands aesthetic perfectly.

Ritchie Yorke was living in Canada at the time, working for the Toronto Telegram as their resident rock reviewer as well as The Globe and Mail. After being showed the first Zeppelin album, Ritchie had written an early review for the band, predicting the groups success, in contrast to numerous negative reviews by other music writers of the time.

This championing of Zeppelin allowed Ritchie to become friends with the band and opened several opportunities, including the chance to MC and introduce the band at the February Rockpile show.

A review of the show soon appeared in The Globe and Mail where Ritchie again sang high praise of the concert, claiming fans “expected a lot and few were disappointed. Considering the group was only formed a few months back, it’s remarkably tight and together.” The show was evidently a great success for all involved as the band returned to The Rockpile in August. A recording of the concert, with Ritchie’s introduction still exists on Youtube.