Review | Robert Plant with Saving Grace at Portsmouth Guildhall: 'This legend’s not done yet'
‘Legend’ and ‘icon’ are words bandied around these days almost to the point of meaninglessness.
But if someone can live up to those lofty epithets, it’s Robert Plant. As the frontman for the world-conquering Led Zeppelin, laying down the blueprint for rock and heavy-metal in decades to come, he became, and remains a revered figure.
Since Zep’s dissolution, he has trodden a musically diverse path, exploring sounds from across the globe.
For the past six years, he’s been performing with the band Saving Grace, who delve into roots and blues music. But they only released their debut, all-covers, self-titled album in September.
From the off it’s clear that while Plant may be the ‘name’, this is very much a band project – he routinely steps back to give others the literal spotlight.
And he shares lead vocals with Suzi Dian. While many of his fans may like to hear another album with Alison Krauss, who provided him with a post-Zep highlight on their two albums together, Dian is more than equal to the task of being Plant’s current female foil.
They play everything from folk standards – a mandolin-led duet of The Cuckoo, to Neil Young’s For the Turnstiles from the under-rated On The Beach, featuring a haunting cello solo from Barney Morse-Brown, via the blues of Blind Willie Johnson’s Soul of a Man with banjo player Matt Worley singing the lead, and a balladic version of Moby Grape’s It’s a Beautiful Day Today. And of course there’s some Zeppelin too.
However, the songs are arranged to suit the current band, not simply retread past glories. You can hear the recognition sweep across the room as the start up a reworked Ramble On – now featuring a stunning accordion solo from Dian.
Plant is in chatty mood, and often telling us about his connections to the songs and referring to the passing of time. However, it’s more like a trip through his musical psyche than an elegiac look back from an artist towards the end of his career.
As I Roved Out, with its roots in the 17th century, gives the whole band a chance to shine – fully exploring their dynamic capabilities, shifting from quiet to loud with ease.
Plant may not quite cut the strutting, preening rock god of yore, but this more relaxed, avuncular figure seems happiest when revelling in the talents of his bandmates.
That voice may have lost some of its range – but the arrangements are tailored to that, and he’s still faring better vocally than many of his peers.
Dian gets to take centre stage in a plaintive take on Gillian Welch’s Orphan Girl, opening with the barest of backing before Plant joins on backing vocals. It’s spinetingling stuff.
The main set finishes with Led Zep’s Friends, bringing the packed, previously seated house to its feet.
But of course there are encores. They return for more Zep – The Rain Song, and it’s the first and only time that Plant takes the centre stage alone. He’s definitely still got it.
They finish with Everybody's Song, originally by Low – a band Plant previously covered with Krauss. It brings the house down.
This legend’s not done yet.