Hertfordshire has welcomed many music legends for big shows and festivals, but some iconic artists have played far more intimate gigs in the county.

Here are seven music legends you didn't know played in Herts.

1. Bob Marley – Hitchin and Hatfield

In 1973, reggae icons Bob Marley and The Wailers embarked on a UK tour for their latest album Catch a Fire, making two stops in Hertfordshire.

The first of those was a visit to Hatfield Polytechnic on May 2, now known as the University of Hertfordshire.

In a special feature to mark 50 years since Marley's shows in the county, Hatfield resident and show attendee  Keith Dean admitted that "no one had heard of the Wailers", while another concert-goer Garry Jackson said he "had really not experienced anything like it before".

The Comet: Bob Marley.Bob Marley. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

The Hatfield performance would be followed up with a show in front of a packed crowd at Hitchin Town Hall on May 19.

Dorrel Haynes was among those in attendance, and she described seeing The Wailers as a "privilege".

"We already knew all about the Wailers from Jamaica before he came here, so it was really exciting," she said.

"It was about the same time Desmond Decker and Stevie Wonder also came to Hitchin to play – as it was quite a small town then, it really put Hitchin on the map."

Exactly 50 years to the day since Marley's Hitchin show, a poignant tribute show was put on to remember the event.

2. David Bowie – Welwyn Garden City

On September 12, 1966, a relatively unknown 19-year-old rocked up to perform at Welwyn Garden City's Woodhall Community Centre.

The Comet: David Bowie.David Bowie.

His name was David Bowie.

It wouldn't be his only visit to the town, as on April 14, 1967, he would be back for a gig at the Ludwick Youth Centre, the same day his single The Laughing Gnome was released.

Bowie would, of course, go on to be one of the most successful, much-loved, and influential artists of all time, and a true music legend.

3. Led Zeppelin - Welwyn Garden City

You know the Waitrose store in the centre of Welwyn Garden City? Well that used to be a music venue, and it once hosted one of the greatest rock bands ever.

On April 8, 1969, Led Zeppelin played at The Cherry Tree as part of their UK & Scandinavia Tour.

The band who had formed just a year earlier and released their now iconic eponymous debut album in January 1969, where already earning rave reviews and did the same for their Welwyn Garden City show.

The Comet: Led Zeppelin.Led Zeppelin.

Rock & Folk writer Bruno Ducourant praised singer Robert Plant for "owning the audience", and this happened in more ways than one for show attendee Tony Dawson-Hill.

"I was standing at the bar during the interval when this person pushed in front of me," he told the Welwyn Hatfield Times.

"He turned round and said 'sorry but I’m on in a minute'. It was Robert Plant. Not many people can say they were pushed out of the way by Robert Plant."

Although we now know the band as Led Zeppelin, they did go by another name that night, with Tony adding: "I seem to recall that they were actually billed as The New Yardbirds."

4. Fleetwood Mac  - Welwyn Garden City

A year prior to Led Zep's Cherry Tree show, another legendary rock group pitched up in Welwyn Garden City.

To promote the release of their second album, Mr Wonderful, Fleetwood Mac embarked on a tour that saw them play at King George V Playing Fields on September 6, 1968.

It wouldn't be until 1977, following a switch to Warner Bros. Records and the release of album Rumours, that the band saw commercial success, and they never looked back.

To this day, Fleetwood Mac's popularity endures.

5. The Velvet Underground – St Albans

By the time The Velvet Underground played at St Albans City Hall on December 2, 1972, things were coming to a close for the legendary group.

The Comet: The Velvet Underground.The Velvet Underground.

Considered one of the most influential bands of the 1960s, their 1967 album The Velvet Underground & Nico - with the Andy Warhol banana cover - is iconic, but with frontman Lou Reed having quit in 1970 things quickly went downhill.

Their St Albans gig was for the new album Squeeze, but that would be their final album, as The Velvet Underground called it quits later that year.

6. AC/DC – St Albans

It would be a few years until the Australian rockers truly established themselves, but they clearly enjoyed St Albans in the early days, playing City Hall twice.

They first appeared at the venue on August 7, 1976, before playing it again on March 14, 1977 as a stop on their Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap tour.

The Comet: AC/DC.AC/DC. (Image: PA Images/PA Wire)

7. The Clash – St Albans

1977 saw the punk revolution sweep the UK, and The Clash were at the forefront of the movement.

The band, led by the legendary Joe Strummer, rocked St Albans City Hall on May 21, 1977, as part of their White Riot Tour to mark the release of their debut album.

The Clash played hits including Police and Thieves, I'm So Bored With the U.S.A., and Career Opportunities, with a grainy recording of the show still available to listen to today.

The Comet: The Clash.The Clash.