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Robert Plant Plays Secret London Gig!

11:10 AM GMT 02/09/2010

Robert Plant Plays Secret London Gig!

Robert Plant played an intimate warm-up show in London last night as he prepared for tonight's gig at the Forum.

Taking the stage with new ensemble Band Of Joy, the one-time Golden God and his team of Nashville sessioneers ran through a short set of songs taken from Plant's latest solo record. Now 62, he remains in fine form; the permanent glint in his eye evidence of just how much he's enjoying this latest musical adventure.

The material - a downhome set of folk-blues reinterpretations, country rarities and reawakened spirituals - is rooted in the dusty americana that served him so well on 2007's Raising Sand, except here the twinkling mandolins and plucky banjos play an even larger part in the mix. Unsurprisingly, the band are super tight, delivering the likes of Townes Van Zandt's bittersweet Harm's Swift Way, Richard & Linda Thompson's House Of Cards and the hushed groove of Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down with rustic cool.

Plant's voice eases its way into the sound, for the most part remaining tender and measured - only once does an unleashed "ooo-yeah!" hint at his heavy rock past. There's a magical quality to these tracks too - a reverence tinged with playfulness that wends its way through each tale. A beautiful, a capella version of And We Bid You Goodnight is a fitting end to a set that shows how the self-styled Black Country hippie has found a second home in the ancient backwaters of these songs. If you're headed to the Forum tonight, you're in for a real treat.

Robert Plant plays the London HMV Forum tonight.

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 11:10 AM GMT 02/09/2010

Related MOJO content:

Band Of Joy , Led Zeppelin , Robert Plant

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  • Ho and,indeed,hum. Bereft of any new ideas,Percy plaintively pillages his past.These songs were never that interesting first day,a bit like The Band of Joy,really. Still,there's always Christmas to look forward to;cosy slippers,new cardy and a nice glass of sherry while watching the Queen.

    Posted by Bill Dedalus at 1:08 PM GMT 03/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • maybe you should have gone to the forum instead Bill though i must add to be a fan and to be invited to a secret gig was special for us.

    these are special shows indeed. its not just plant's past its all our past. its a very dark journey and whilst the secret gig brightened the corners with those twinkling strings the forum show seemed so much more dark and clastrophobic with the deeper past reflecting on the zepplein past and bring out some new associations

    Posted by Anonymous at 2:55 PM GMT 03/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Bill, why are you here?? The original Band of Joy was actually pretty awesome. Check them out on YouTube. Your opinion is clearly based on a lack of knowledge.

    I saw Robert and the new Band of Joy in Austin in July. Fantastic show. I'll admit, it didn't have the chemistry that he had with Alison Krauss during their tour, but it was still a great show.

    And the best thing about it -- Robert is doing EXACTLY what he wants. THAT is something YOU have no business criticizing. We should all be so lucky.

    Posted by Jill Duncan - Denver, CO at 5:46 PM GMT 03/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Bill, why are you here?? The original Band of Joy was actually pretty awesome. Check them out on YouTube. Your opinion is clearly based on a lack of knowledge.

    I saw Robert and the new Band of Joy in Austin in July. Fantastic show. I'll admit, it didn't have the chemistry that he had with Alison Krauss during their tour, but it was still a great show.

    And the best thing about it -- Robert is doing EXACTLY what he wants. THAT is something YOU have no business criticizing. We should all be so lucky.

    Posted by Jill Duncan - Denver, CO at 5:47 PM GMT 03/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Bill, why are you here?? The original Band of Joy was actually pretty awesome. Check them out on YouTube. Your opinion is clearly based on a lack of knowledge.

    I saw Robert and the new Band of Joy in Austin in July. Fantastic show. I'll admit, it didn't have the chemistry that he had with Alison Krauss during their tour, but it was still a great show.

    And the best thing about it -- Robert is doing EXACTLY what he wants. THAT is something YOU have no business criticizing. We should all be so lucky.

    Posted by Jill Duncan - Denver, CO at 5:48 PM GMT 03/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • If I may chime in here, anything Bob turns out is probably going to be better than 90% of the crap churned out by the corporate machine. I don't understand all of the hoopla surrounding the 'Raising Sand' album (that should have went to the previous two albums he did with the Strange Sensation.) What of this new album? I haven't heard it yet but it will probably be very good. The question I keep raising is "Where the hell is the Strange Sensation?!" I have yet to get an answer (probably because I'm the only one in the room). I think Percy's mistake is/was he had something amazing, a chemistry I guess, with this band. I've been waiting (guess I'll be waiting longer) for a follow-up to 'Mighty Rearranger'.

    Posted by spaceboy at 8:08 PM GMT 03/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • RE: Jill Duncan - Denver, CO Why am I here? An excellent question indeed Jill (though perhaps not quite so excellent that it need to be asked thrice!).
    Well,my opinion is that,without his Zeppelin past, nobody would cross the road to see Robert Plant now.
    This does not mean that I think that he should be in any kind of self tribute band. Those days are gone and anyway we still have the recordings.
    But....Zeppelin were exciting and innovative. When was the last time that those terms could be legitamely applied to anything Robert did? Just because he's not as young as he was doesn't mean he can't try something new,different,interesting,even. Step forward for honourable mention Mr John Paul Jones and the rest of TCV.
    That's what I object to;and as for doing exactly what he wants,well he could want to tend an allotment but I mightn't be too interested in that either.
    But,hey,that's just my opinion.

    Posted by Bill Dedalus at 6:22 PM GMT 04/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • RE: Bill Dedalus

    Go Bill! Robert Plants' time is done. He threw down the feather years ago. He really should live his days doddering on the sheep farm as there is nothing musically sound, pure or original happening.

    Percy, you really are a wolf in sheep's clothing! Hats off to you! The line doesn't end does it?

    You deserve to be cheated in silver and self deluded in gold ....
    it really is true. You work hard in pointless futility I almost feel sorry for you.

    Not!

    Posted by Jimmy & Roy at 7:42 PM GMT 06/09/2010 Report Abuse

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  • I really like your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you create this website yourself or did you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I'm looking to design my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. appreciate it

    Posted by Bielizna Sklep at 10:42 AM GMT 20/12/2011 Report Abuse

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