More words have been written about Robert Plant than would fill a biography about the ancient, wizened Methuselah himself. In fact, Plant also has more sobriquets attached to his name than probably any other frontman in rock history.
However, this Son of Stourbridge seems to have left them all in his dusty trail with a return to his musical roots at tonight’s Royal Albert Hall show.
Since refusing to play along with a full Led Zeppelin reunion tour, it’s now ten years gone since the band’s final one-off gig at the O2. Plant instead opted to ramble on a musical path less travelled.
As champions of Americana – Plant is to receive the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 – Plant’s band shaped folk, early blues and rock ‘n’ roll into this evening’s performance. They artfully blended in some classic Zeppelin songs, too.
With a new album Carry Fire to promote, Plant’s Space Shifters opened with the ambient, percussive New World as joss sticks wafted out their fragrant scent from the front stage. The folk of May Queen upped the ante as did the eastern riff to Carry Fire, with excellent support act Seth Lakeman regularly joining in on violin.
The excitement levels went into overdrive as the acoustic strum of Zep’s That’s The Way thrummed out of the speakers. A stomping version of Gallows Pole also proved that a 69-year-old Plant still has the vocal power to rattle tooth fillings.
Noted for having a sharp ear for a cover tune, Plant’s choice to play British folk legend Richard Thompson’s House Of Cards proved to be a winner as the band traded lush solos.
However, a storming take on Zeppelin staple Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You stole the show. Played with a flamenco twist from the magic fingers of guitarist Liam Tyson, Plant really let rip as the song built up to a momentous climax. In doing so, he proved himself to still be head and shoulders above his vocal contemporaries.
As with all great performers, the best was saved to the end when the legend introduced pretender Chrissie Hynde to the stage to duet on the countrified Bluebirds Over The Mountain. Then a seasonal 2000 Miles brought this encore to a joyful ending.
For the final encore, and with a vocal drenched in reverb, Plant reached down to the very bottom of his musical soul to howl the immortal rock lyrics ‘you need coolin’, baby I’m not foolin’, as Whole Lotta Love chugged its explosive riff around the hall.
Possibly the defining song of Plant’s musical career, the power of his voice remains the same as he shrieked ‘way down inside… you need lurrrrrve.’ This Kidderminster Kid finally left the stage with everyone’s ears melting.