Back in 1973, nothing could stop Led Zeppelin. The band had just released the spiritual, groove-laden Houses of the Holy and had a voluminous back catalog of hits to draw from in concert. They were selling out stadiums every night, engaging in the kind of decadence and debauchery that made their unofficial biography "Hammer of the Gods" the template for rock books, and making more money than they could possibly spend. Since they didn't trust promoters and the technology wasn't yet available to wire money directly into their bank accounts, Zep insisted on being paid in cash, a procedure that backfired one night in New York City when the band found $203,000 missing from a safety deposit box at the Drake Hotel, where they were staying.
That's the backstory for Black Dogs, in which writer Jason Buhrmester creates a masterful scenario involving a gang of bumbling delinquents from Baltimore who decide to rob Zeppelin, largely to cover a $2000 fee they need in order to return a safe to a pawn shop owned by a born again motorcycle gang leader they stupidly robbed. Read more...
