review of May 22, 2008–Wembley Arena, London

Originally appeared on inthenews.co.uk

by Lewis Bazley

Just as some might say the V festival is for… well, people who don’t like festivals, one look at the clearly respectable, undeniably sensibly attired crowd at Wembley Arena reveals that the target demographic for this gig might not be composed of regular gig-goers.

More’s the pity, so astonishing is the performance from the two who might have seemed the least likely residents of the Wembley stage a year ago, until the jawdropping advent of Raising Sand showed that age is no barrier to producing mood-altering magnificent music.

The band amble lazily on before Plant and Krauss appear, shuffling with camaraderie through the opener Rich Woman, before Krauss’ fiddle-playing on the bluegrass second track, Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson, sends us down to the bayou for the moment.

The material’s hardly that which made Plant famous, or indeed that with which he graced the O2 stage last year, but the rock god still holds the mic like he’s commanding the stage at the Filmore, with any notion of inappropriate posturing forgotten when a countrified rendition of the Black Dog riff surfaces. While the slow-burning version never reaches the explosive heights of the original, it’s majestic nonetheless.

Krauss offers a spellbinding, Patsy Cline-esque solo turn from Krauss on Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us and the vocal marvel of the one-time Union Station singer’s voice can’t be overstated. She shifts her tone accordingly with the song with consummate ease and when she offers a jealous refrain with Plant and co backing subtly on Through The Morning Through The Night, it’s hard to ignore a lump slowly rising in your throat.

The sound of the Midwest echoes across the London stage throughout, even when they break into Fairport Convention’s Matty Groves, wistfully defined afterwards by Plant as “Sandy’s song”, a reference to the lost greatness of Sandy Denny.

The continually swaggering Plant offers a glowing intro for producer and country great T Bone Burnett and the guitar ignites like a Lindsey Buckingham riff, before Krauss provides a mystical and siren-like rendition of Trampled Rose.

Down To The River To Pray - from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack - is a moment of intense magic, with Krauss’s clear voice ringing out over the stunned venue, while Plant and friends add delicate backing to her a capella beauty. It’s melancholy and sounds as if its from another age, and even atheists can feel a touch of God ring through the north London night.

Album favourite Killing the Blues follows before Plant introduces the “profound piece of pain” that is Townes Van Zandt’s Nothing, swirling and shimmying like a raging delta demon.

He talks of Sandy Denny again and while the anticipation is briefly broken by a cry from the crowd of “Robert, I love you!” - to which he replies “Well, you waited a long time to tell me!” - the new version of Battle of Evermore, their classic Tolkien-flavoured duet from Led Zeppelin IV is otherworldly, heart-stopping and altogether wonderful.

The four mesmeric minutes of Please Read the Letter somehow provide a perfect encapsulation of love and loss while Gone, Gone, Gone (Done Me Wrong) is vivid and alive through Krauss’ lilting refrain.

They retire to a standing ovation but the house lights stay down and their reappearance is met with a shout of “Going to California!”. Plant shares a laugh with his band at the mention of another classic cut from 1973 before replying “He said ‘You’re at the wrong gig’”.

His candour is loveably disingenuous however, as they roll into a wailing, weird and wonderful version of When The Levee Breaks, lacking in John Bonham’s monolithic drum sound but as tumultuous as befits a gig of such splendour.

The clamour might be growing for a full Led Zeppelin reunion tour after their one-off show in 2007, but if Plant can keep making such beautiful music with Krauss, it’s hard to see how - or why - he’d stop.

Originally appeared in Record Collector Magazine June 2008

by Jonathan Wingate

Even Robert Plant’s staunchest fans could not have predicted the commercial and critical success of Raising Sand, the astonishingly adventurous album he recorded last year with bluegrass queen Alison Krauss. Jonathan Wingate meets a man on a mission to embrace the new and discover unchartered musical territory: “I’ve got music running through my veins, so if you really are in love with what you do, then thank God…otherwise you could end up on a dreadful treadmill.”

Robert Plant bounds into the opulent North London offices of his management company with a decidedly out-of-date looking mobile clasped to his ear, apologises for being 15 minutes late for our interview and ever so politely asks one of the staff if he could have a cup of tea with some evaporated milk. ||Continue reading||

Review of May 22, 2008–Wembley Arena, London

Originally appeared on independent.co.uk

by Andy Gill

The staging is distinctly understated: save for a gold curtain that unfurls before the closing number, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’s show is almost completely devoid of visual distraction. Just a few rugs, a discreet curtain backdrop, and a couple of modest screens either side of the stage.

Even the band have the low-key demeanour of upscale bouncers. But although they don’t make any flashy moves it’s sometimes hard to tell whether it’s Buddy Miller or Stuart Duncan that’s picking out a specific guitar solo they have the lived-in look of great character actors. Bassist Dennis Crouch bears a resemblance to the late, great Peter Boyle; and bandleader T Bone Burnett could be a riverboat gambler from some Anthony Mann Western.

The important thing is that they’re all masters of their instruments, none more evidently than drummer Jay Bellerose, a constant blur of movement as he employs a wealth of techniques to draw every last breath of drama out of each song. This isn’t drumming, it’s inhabiting the songs so intimately that they burst vividly into life, whether he’s dashing off a frisky second-line shuffle behind Burnett on “Bon Ton Roulay”, driving the bold, dynamic shifts of a bluegrass “Black Country Woman”, or draping cloths over drumskins to dampen the beats on a slow, sultry “Black Dog”.

Then, of course, there are Plant and Krauss themselves, a pairing whose unlikeliness is still evident in the occasional slight twinge in their harmonies. But all the best musical couplings have this kind of unexpected eccentricity about them, and this one works magically, from the sly warmth of “Rich Woman” to the rockabilly “Gone Gone Gone”, reaching its apogee on a tremendous “Please Read the Letter”.

For much of the show, Krauss leaves the violin duties to Duncan to concentrate on singing. And what a voice she has! Her keening wail on “Trampled Rose” is spine-tingling, quite supernatural in its haunting purity, while her delivery on “Sister Rosetta Goes before Us” and “Through the Morning, Through the Night” stands as testament to the one-inch-punch emotional power packed by the gentlest of voices. “Down to the River to Pray” gets a particularly warm reception, too.

Plant, meanwhile, proves there’s more to his game than the shriek of yore, with the warm vocal caresses of his harmonies interspersed with more rousing bonhomie on “Fortune Teller”, before he dives bravely into the maelstrom of despair that is Townes van Zandt’s “Nothin’”. A pertinent reminder that sometimes, some music demands to be taken seriously.

(Rated 5/5)

Review of May 22, 2008–Wembley, London, UK

for Uncut Magazine

By ALAN JONES

“Good evening” says Robert Plant, flinging back a mane of tangled hair from his face, early on in tonight’s extraordinary show. “And welcome to. . .” he goes on, and pauses. “Well, I don’t know what it is,” he says then with a smile that before it’s finished turns into a grin, and a big one at that, visible evidence of a man clearly enjoying what he’s doing, even if he can’t put a name to it. “But you’re welcome to it,” he adds, “whatever it is.” ||Continue reading||

Review of May 22, 2008–Wembley, London, UK

Originally appeared on thisislondon.co.uk

By Pete Clark, Evening Standard

Beauty and the beast: The odd but fascinating pairing of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

Robert Plant took the stage with his latest collaborator Alison Krauss. The contrast between them was so extreme as to be almost shocking.

Plant has still not troubled the barber shop after all these years, although the still plentiful locks surround a face that is a palimpsest of a life lived in the fast lane.

He sports a loosefitting black shirt and red, rock ‘n’ roll pants (as they are known in the business). She radiates a sweetly innocent air and wears an almost demure light blue dress. One wonders where on earth the two of them could ever have bumped into each other.

After a matters of moments, one is glad that they did. What the pair of them have cooked up is a glorious mish-mash of American and British roots music of every persuasion.

There is country & western and gospel, folk songs and old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll. And they are not too precious to play swooning pop songs.

The backing band, under T-Bone Burnett, is one of the finest I have ever heard, sounding like they have been together for many years.

Particularly noteworthy are guitar player Buddy Miller, drummer Jay Bellerose and Dennis Crouch on double bass, bald head and jacket and tie.

The highlights are many and various. Fortune Teller and Please Read The Letter are sublime adult pop, while Burnett’s tour de force on Bon Temps Roulez captures the unquenchable spirit of Old New Orleans.

Krauss takes a lovely solo turn on Down In The River To Pray, eventually joined by three grizzled males on backing harmonies.
A song called Nothing by Townes Van Zandt gets the full Plant treatment, including a muezzin-like howl that comes from nowhere and raises hairs from fine to coarse.

Plant makes the occasional introduction, playing compliments hither and thither, particularly to the late Sandy Denny who is duly remembered with a burst of Matty Groves.

A strong male voice makes itself heard from the audience: “Hey Robert, I love you.” The response is immediate: “You waited a long time to tell me!”

When The Levee Breaks duly arrives as an encore, as does a bouquet of flowers. Plant graciously accepts the applause. And the flowers.

Review of May 8, 2008–Cardiff International Arena

Originally appeared on aloud.com

by Christina Cromeyer Dieke

Several people are perusing the streets of Cardiff Thursday afternoon wearing Led Zeppelin shirts. A wall in an alleyway corner bears a shiny new graffiti of a crashing blimp. Anyone could overlook these hints of Zeppelin-mania as everyday displays of following for the epic band. Today, however, their presence in the Welsh capital marked the arrival of the lead singer himself: Robert Plant is in town. The Golden God, Old Percy, rock n’ roll extravaganza personified… endless characterizations have been used in reference to one of rock’s greatest frontmen. Tonight, however, tales of hotel-bashing and groupies galore have no place, as Mr. Plant walks onto the stage not with Page, Jones and Bonzo, but with American bluegrass queen Alison Krauss. The unlikely duo are touring Europe and the United States following the October 2007 release of their critically acclaimed collaboration album, Raising Sand. Fusing folk/bluegrass, the root of Krauss’ work, and the blues, deeply embedded in Zeppelin music and Plant’s solo work, the album brought together two artists with very contrasting backgrounds but a shared pursuit of eclectic portfolios. Legendary producer T-Bone Burnett handpicked the songs and musicians, and the album quickly became the best-selling piece of both Krauss’ and Plant’s career (excluding the latter’s Zeppelin LP’s, of course). ||Continue reading||

Originally appeared in The Guardian (UK)

by Sylvie Simmons

Robert Plant would rather spend his 60th birthday singing bluegrass than touring with Led Zeppelin. He tells Sylvie Simmons why leaving his comfort zone took balls

Robert Plant is smiling. A big, happy grin, the same one he had earlier, through almost the entirety of his show with Alison Krauss, the 36-year-old American bluegrass singer and fiddle player. “Sorry about that,” he says, “but it’s just so much fun. It’s just the revelations, I think, that’s what the smiles are about - like, ‘We can do it.’ I mean, could you ever imagine, with my supposed background?” ||Continue reading||

Review of May 13, 2008–Le Grand Rex, Paris

Originally appeared on Thundercrack Playlist

by Neil

Concerts can usually be described in one of three ways: poor, good and excellent. Once in a while though a gig comes along that’s so good that excellent doesn’t do it justice. Nothing does it justice. Last night was one of those gigs. Absolutely mind-blowing. Opened with the excellent ‘Rich Woman’ and the gig kept on getting stronger. The three songs that Alison sang on her own early on (Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us, Through The Morning, Through The Night and Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson) was one of the best sequences of songs I’ve ever seen. Having never seen her live or listened to any of her own stuff I was absolutely blown away by her voice. ||Continue reading||

review of May 7, 2008–Manchester Apollo

Originally appeared in the Guardian (UK)

by Dave Simpson

Any project that can place a Led Zeppelin reunion on hold would have to be extraordinary, and Robert Plant’s unlikely hook-up with American bluegrass singer Alison Krauss is proving to be just that. Their live show is even better than the Raising Sand album of lost treasures of American song. “I had a revelation,” chuckles Plant, “which was brought together with the help of Grey Goose vodka and lots of books about Greek tragedies.” Everybody laughs, but seconds later are stunned into silence by Krauss’s crystal delivery, all devastation and longing. It is that kind of night.

This certainly isn’t the Robert Plant show. One of rock’s greatest showmen - and scourge of Holiday Inns - is often content to sip tea and just listen to his talented new partner. When the pair’s voices come together, their chemistry is obvious in shared glances. When the stick-legged, long-haired Zep frontman wails into Fortune Teller, we are left in no doubt that he still possesses the tonsils - and presumably the loins - of a genuine rock god.

However, songs ranging from playful rock’n'roll to Townes van Zandt’s haunting Nothin’ (which Plant says “exemplifies the pain at the heart of the American singer-songwriter”) are a world away from Zeppelin, though Krauss’s violin assumes the same importance here as Jimmy Page’s guitar does in the group. Long-coated Raising Sand producer T-Bone Burnett is also a major player, unleashing torrents of guitar and looking like he stepped from an 18th-century gunfight. When the band crash into incredible banjo-twanging remodels of When the Levee Breaks and The Battle of Evermore, there is a reminder that Plant’s Zeppelin story may have another chapter. But on this form, the world will have to wait.

Review of May 7, 2008–Manchester Apollo UK

Originally appeared on Guardian.co.uk

by Kitty Empire

The pairing of Plant and Krauss as explorers of America’s musical roots reveals why another Led Zeppelin reunion can wait

Most people expected Robert Plant to saunter on to a British stage this summer, shake his helterskelter hair and belt out Led Zeppelin songs. With one deliriously successful gig under their belts, the feeling was that Zeppelin would reprise their reunion. The money was on the table. Arenas were poised. Private jets were ready to scramble.

Few people could have foreseen that the explosive introduction to Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog’ would, in fact, be coaxed out of a banjo rather than ripped from Jimmy Page’s guitar. Or that, as the sun finally shone, a heavy rendition of ‘When the Levee Breaks’ would be ushered in by the blare of two fiddles.

In pop, there is often talk of pressure when a band need to follow a successful album. But the plight of Coldplay is as nothing compared to the hundredweight of hassle from several continents bearing down on Plant, the man keeping Led Zeppelin on ice. The rock Titan has chosen to ignore the clamour of millions of fans so he can tour Europe and the US with a God-fearing, bluegrass princess and some mandolins and autoharps. ||Continue reading||