Gig Review #1.

ROBERT PLANT AND THE BAND OF JOY OLYMPIA THEATRE, DUBLIN, 1st NOVEMBER 2010

Robert Plant last appeared in the Olympia in 2005 on The Mighty Rearranger tour with his band The Strange Sensation.  Since then he has scaled even greater heights in this, a veritable late career renaissance. His collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss on 2007’s Raising Sand garnered him widespread critical acclaim and five Grammy’s. And that on the back of a triumphal Led Zeppelin reunion in London’s 02 that brought worldwide speculation of a full reunion and world tour. Despite the obscene amounts of money on offer and a willing Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, Plant quashed all the rumours, opting to continue with his flourishing solo career.

This time around, Plant has resurrected the name of his very first band – The Band of Joy, which he formed in 1966; which at one point included John Bonham on drums. It is clear however, that this current incarnation, bears little resemblance (bar Plant it features none of the original members).  Plant has assembled a new band with some of Nashville’s finest including Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller and Daryl Scott.

A full house in Dublin’s Olympia jostles for space and a better view. Crackly strains of Son House and Robert Johnson waft through the air as if from some ancient gramophone hidden in the house PA. There is a sense of anticipation in the air. People are rushing from the bar in order to get a prime spot.

Robert Plant and The Band of Joy arrive on stage almost covertly; there is no dimming of house lights. It’s clear from the outset that Plant is in excellent voice. Although he may not be able to scream whole lotta love anymore, his voice has aged well. It has become softer in tone, less shrill and piercing than it once was. It’s also clear that The Band Of Joy is an especially accomplished group of musicians. Buddy Millar’s guitar is at once thick with fuzzy tones and yet still with enough clarity to allow him inhabit the ground somewhere between rock and country. Patty Griffin’s distinctive down homey twang is the perfect foil to plant’s majestic and emotive palette. The musicianship on display is quite astounding with each player switching to several different instruments and all singing leads. It’s quite amusing to see the eternal front man plant take a back seat at times.

Opening the proceedings with a stomping version of Down to the sea complete with Plant’s trademark eastern handclaps, and utterly beautiful group harmonies, it’s a sign of what’s to come.  A superb cover of Richard Thompson’s “House Of Cards” shows how far Plant has come from his 1980’s mediocrity and how much his musical maturity suits him. A brilliant and unexpected version of “Monkey” by Low with Plant and Griffin’s haunting duet complete with almost whispered vocals is a highlight.

With any Robert Plant gig, there are always the numerous Led Zeppelin t-shirts to be seen. The band plays six Zeppelin numbers, all in utterly different incarnations to the originals. An almost unrecognisable “Misty Mountain Hop” with a completely reworked yet brilliant guitar riff by Buddy Miller and stunning backing vocals by Griffin has the audience on their feet. An excellent version of “Tangerine” is quite suited to the band of joy considering its origins in the hills of wales on the folky Led Zeppelin III.

Midway through this mixed bag is the highlight of the entire show - An astonishing acapella version of “In My Time Of Dying” which captures the raw beauty and searing emotion of the original, it’s a jaw dropping version that has the audience almost spellbound. The house is utterly brought down with a shudderingly brilliant version of ”rock and roll” that still has the pure adrenaline rush of the original but with The Band of Joy’s distinctive country folk stamp. A group acapella of the Grateful Dead’s “and we bid you good night” wraps up the entire evening nicely.

An utterly enjoyable experience with a music legend and one who in recent years seems to be going from strength to strength. The key to his recent success may be his relaxed maturity, no longer pandering to the Led Zep hordes and embracing his inner muse. The few disappointed Zeppelin fans who expected The Songs Remains The Same may be missing the brilliance of seeing the great man achieve a second career peak.