The Amazing Zig Zag Concert was a rock concert held at The Roundhouse on April 28, 1974 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Zig Zag Magazine. Described as "one of the gigs of the decade", the concert "has taken on legendary proportions over the years" and featured Michael Nesmith with Red Rhodes, John Stewart, Help Yourself, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers and Starry Eyed and Laughing. The concert was recorded, but was not issued until 2010, when it was released as a 5-CD boxed set. Arrangement The Concert was underwritten by Tony Stratton-Smith, founder of Charisma Records, who had just taken over Zig Zag Magazine from its founder Pete Frame, although Frame remained with the magazine as a writer. The selected acts were favourites of Frame and the other ZigZag journalists; John Tobler, Andy Childs, and Connor McKnight. Andrew Lauder arranged and paid for Vic Maile to record the concert. In addition to the 5 acts featured on the CD release, Bristol folksinger Aj Webber, also played, but his performance was not recorded. Originally Chris Darrow and Kilburn and the High Roads were also slated to appear, but Darrow was out of the country, and Kilburn canceled their appearance due to a scheduling conflict. Reception In Ptolemaic Terrascope, Phil McMullen described the recordings as "a vitally important document in the overall scheme of things" and "unashamedly" admitted that the Terrastock festivals "were directly influenced and inspired by the now legendary Zig Zag Benefit Concert" and concluded "It doesn’t get any better than this”. In Record Collector, Kris Needs said the 5CDs "capture rapturously-received sets" "The sound is immaculate, that amazing atmosphere dripping from every whoop, holler and pin-dropped hush" and gave it a 5-star rating CD boxed set The recording of the concert remained unreleased until 2010 when Tony Poole (formerly of Starry Eyed and Laughing) edited and remixed the tapes. The 5 CD boxed set was issued on Tobler's Road Goes on Forever Records label, October 11, 2010. CD1 - Starry Eyed and Laughing This is the earliest released recording of Starry Eyed and Laughing, featuring their original drummer, Nick Brown, who left the band only a few weeks after this concert. Eight of the songs performed at the concert appeared on their eponymous debut album with new drummer Michael Wackford, released in October, 1974. ZigZag's Pete Frame was later to become their manager. Track listing Excluding