What more could you ask of someone like Robert Plant ? Legendary frontman of a band carved in capital letters in the history of rock, generational hero and eternal icon, therefore a free agent, determined to doggedly pursue his passions – from blues to folk, from spirituals to psychedelia – not caring about the amazing nine-figure proposals that were delivered to him to reform Led Zeppelin : all promptly thrown away in the name of a granite coherence. More than a singer, a highlander , a shaman, who behind his thick hair and swaying gait still maintains the same proud spirit as always. But above all: a voice that is still prodigious, considering the 76 springs he carries on his back. And this observation alone – partly unexpected – makes the evening we are going to tell about special. And yet – strange to say – for the writer it was the first time live in the presence of the ex-voice of Led Zeppelin. It may have been chance, it may have been the distrust for projects apparently distant from that imaginary (but in reality not too much), as was this one, in the company of Saving Grace and the angelic Suzi Dian. An intimate project, linked to Anglo-Saxon musical traditions, with instruments such as banjo, mandolin and light percussion in the foreground to recreate ancestral atmospheres, suspended between dream and reality.

Half an hour before the start, the splendid Sala Santa Cecilia of the Auditorium is already packed and full of anticipation, one of those places where it is a pleasure to listen to music regardless and which will once again provide a powerful and crystalline sound . We glimpse some elderly Led Zeppelin fans with regulation t-shirts, but also many young people, just like him, Robert Plant, someone who by definition will never grow old, not even at 100 years old. Like Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney . Also restoring his (eternal) youth is a show that takes him back to his origins, a journey into the fairy-tale and dreamy atmospheres of the British countryside .

That universe rich in stories and legends, in which, right in parallel with the rise of Led Zeppelin, the folk revival of historic groups such as Pentangle and Fairport Convention blossomed . From there, Plant sets out again for a cartography of sound feelings that goes beyond borders, ranging from his beloved Wales to the Mississippi Delta. Sharing this emotional transfer with him , first of all a vocal partner and multi-instrumentalist of the highest level like the young Suzi Dian, to whom Robert will humbly yield the center of the stage several times, as in an ideal generational handover: her celestial voice will add depth and dynamism to the songs, creating moments of pure magic. Then, the group: Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone and acoustic guitars) and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic and baritone guitars, cuatro). An ensemble that took its first steps alongside Fairport Convention in some live dates in the United Kingdom.

Let’s get this straight: there will be very few traces of the glorious Zeppelin era , in a crowded setlist of songs that embrace different styles and influences dear to Plant, in particular his eternal passion for British and American folk, the West Coast of the 60s , spirituals and traditional blues , including classics by Gillian Welch, Neil Young , Moby Grape and Low and many others.
The revisitations of some traditional songs shine , such as the pressing “The Cuckoo” and the intense “Gospel Plow”, for two voices with Dian, the song that inspired the more famous “Keep Your Eyes On The Prize”, performed, among others, by Bob Dylan , Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen . The Low cover, “Everybody’s Song” (from ” The Great Destroyer “, 2005), is also moving , with the thought that inevitably runs to the memory of Mimi Parker.
Plant appears affable, he talks to the audience without any kind of diva, like in a pub over a beer. “I’ve been on stage for 60 years… but don’t applaud, please, there’s no particular merit – he jokes, blunting the ovation – But I want to say how wonderful it is to be here, in this remarkable city , with these wonderful people around me”. It’s clear that he cares a lot about some songs, like the cover of “It’s a Beautiful Day Today”, by Moby Grape “an American psychedelic group from the 60s … how many of you know them?”.

The old lion of West Bromwich can still roar, even if he is criticized for not reaching the high notes of his golden days. But the interpretation… damn if it is still there! His voice is only slightly hoarse, but it is still powerful, in tune, expressive, and he can still fly, like in the days of the magical Airship. By the way, yes, I agree, the courage to reinvent oneself, to not give in to nostalgic temptations and to have boldly dismantled the hard-rock mythology of the 70’s , but when “Rain Song” starts, with those soft guitar embroideries in the background and that fairy-tale and unparalleled singing, the tear is inexorably lurking, just like when, from the thick acoustic textures of the set, other hidden jewels of the Zeppelin era emerge – transfigured and almost unrecognizable – such as “Friends” and “Gallows Pole”, both from chapter “III” of 1970. “Gallows Pole”, the first of the two encores, ideally condenses Plant’s two souls, being the reworking of a traditional (“The Gallis Pole”, performed by Red Gerlach, a friend of the legendary Leadbelly) that he transformed together with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John “Bonzo” Bonham, and also containing fragments of the epic “Black Dog” in the lyrics.
So to say goodbye, after an hour and a half of show, Robert Plant sings us a goodnight lullaby, in chorus with his buddies, for the very sweet “And We Bid You Goodnight”. Tender is the night, if the one resonating in your head is one of the most beautiful and unmistakable voices of rock. To be preserved as a UNESCO heritage.