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Rick Pearson's rating
, Robert Plant is a king on the country road
By
Rick Pearson
3 Sep 2010
If only more musicians would grow old like Robert Plant. Acknowledging that heavy rock is best left to the kids (regardless of how brilliant that Led Zeppelin reunion was), the 62-year-old has retired the leather trousers, buttoned up the shirt and embraced the more stately environs of country-rock.
His collaboration with Alison Krauss on 2007’s Raising Sands earned him six Grammy Awards and his re-formation of Band of Joy is a similar triumph.
The group, which Plant started with Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham but now includes country singer Patty Griffin and legendary guitarist Buddy Miller, have a self-titled album out later this month and came to the HMV Forum for “our first concert for 43 years in this town”.
Plant still stalks the stage with the microphone stand like a man searching for gold with a metal detector but played a convincing country crooner for this two-hour show of highlights old and new.
A cover of Richard Thompson’s House of Cards was wrapped in warm harmonies from his all-singing band, while All The King’s Horses was decorated with Darrell Scott’s undulating pedal-steel guitar figures. Elsewhere, Plant strapped on a washboard for the knee-slapping rockabilly of Central Two-O-Nine.
Thrilling versions of Gallows Pole and Rock and Roll, however, proved that he could still call on that air-raid siren of a vocal when needed and is choosing the country road by choice rather than necessity.
A joy by name and a joy by nature.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
