ROBERT PLANT PRESENTS SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS AT COLSTON HALL BRISTOL – DEFYING GRAVITY AND CHRONOLOGY/DL DIARY UPDATE
Robert Plant Presents Sensational Space Shifters – Colston Hall Bristol Thursday August 29th, 2013.
Set List:
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You/Satan Your Kingdome Must Come Down/Tin Pan Valley/ /Spoonful/Black Dog/Another Tribe/Going to California/The Enchanter/ Four Sticks/Friends/ Fixin to Die/ What is And What Should Never Be/ Whole Lotta Love (including Who Do You Love). Encores – Big Log, Rock And Roll. Above pic by DL for TBL
What a night…
Great crowd – very enthusiastic and a cross section of ages.
From the start, Robert was totally compelling – Babe I’m Gonna Leave You set the template with Skin’s delicate picking leaving the space for the singer to hang on to those oh so familiar lines.
Tin Pan Valley was a similar statement of intent. Justin Adams strident chording adding the required animation to what has almost become a signature SSS statement.
Throughout the show, Robert was at his bantering best making references to the time Zep performed in this very hall back in 1969 .’’The floors look older’’. Before a masterful Spoonful he noted ‘’we ain’t gonna fuck it up’’ and indeed they didn’t. His description of their intentions to defy gravity and chronology was also entirely appropriate.
Black Dog brought Juldeh to the fore effectively while Going To California was as eloquent as ever. Of the other Zep insertions , Friends was full of 70s swirl (‘’we’re from the 70’s’’ as he put it matter of factly), Four Sticks crashed and burned and What is And What Should Never Be packed the required dynamics.
Whilst the Zep throwbacks are always welcome, this was no retro fest. For me, the real highlights came via excellently delivered material from his solo catalogue. Another Tribe with those jaunty vocal nuances was an absolute joy as was an hypnotic romp through The Enchanter with John Baggott adding all manner of keyboard enhancements.
On the home straight, Fixin’ To Die really hit the mark, and the hybrid Whole Lotta Love into Who Do You Love lifted the roof. Encores: Big Log – the outstanding highlight of the show. Brilliantly performed and prompting memories of the innocent spirit of 1983 that really does seem like a lifetime but a second away. ‘’So that put paid to the 80’s’’ was another humorous Plant quip.
A lively romp through Rock And Roll with Juldeh in traditional dress sent the Brizzle fraternity home with a distinct smile on their faces.
In summary: This unit have moved some way since the tentative first steps in the nearby Gloucester Guildhall. There’s an engaging sprit of musical wanderlust running throughout the show delivered with a total lack of pretention. As for the singer…his enjoyment of being at the centre of it all is plainly highly infectious and the feel good factor clocks in here at maximum level.
After soaking up this latest Sensational experience I want to feel this good and inspired by Robert Plant again as soon as possible. Rather wonderfully, there’s only two days to go before that opportunity arises…
Dave Lewis – August 31st 2103.
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There’s a review here from The Independent:
More pics from the Bristol gig can be seen on the TBL facebook page
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Above pics Gary Foy for TBL
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DL Diary Update:
While in Bristol the TBL crew of me Gary Tom, Phil had an absolute ball. Things got off to a great start on the afternoon of the show when we searched out some record shops in St Nicholas Market including the excellent Wanted Records where vinyl was our purchased (Santana, Nilsson and Dave Mason amongst them).
As ever on these occasions, It was also great to meet up with so many fans along the way including Richard Grubb, Vic Morgan, Jez Firth, Gary Woollard, Jonathan Taylor, Billy and Alison Fletcher, Jonathan Taylor, Matt Bridges etc. Plus Steve Simmonds who was a winner in the Golden Lion Charity Raffle in 1981 which the Jimmy, Robert and JPJ attended as could be seen by the photo album he showed me (Tom and I were there that night)… Barry Miles who used to be in The Hamsters and played in Bedford way back..and I briefly spoke to Leigh Diane St. Clair Lovett who produced the excellent Nirvana fanzine back in the late 80s/early 90s. It’s always genuinely heart-warming to mix with fans who I’ve been in contact with for years and it’s just so inspiring to know this common bond we all share can evoke such enthusiasm, fun and laughs.
It was a great to see Deborah Bonham and Pete Bullick who relayed their latest news which includes singing a US deal with Spectra Records.
Above with Deborah Bonham before the Bristol gig.
So that’s one down, with another one to go as all roads lead to Wolverhampton on Monday. The TBL meet is at the Yates Bar which is on the corner of North Street and Queen Square across from the Civic Hall and we look forward to seeing all that can make it along.
On the strength of this Bristol experience, we are in for an absolute treat. As are those gathering for the Electric Picnic 2013 in Stradbally, Co. Laois, Ireland today. If you going -let us know your feedback.
Happy Birthday to the good lady Janet today!
Before that, there has been a 5am start to get this all up and today it’s the good lady Janet’s birthday and of course we will be out and about celebrating that. Tomorrow there’s the little matter of the Arsenal v Spurs game ..
No sleep until Wolverhampton then …
DL.
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You Tube Clips
Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
Whole Lotta Love
Until next time…Keep listening, keep reading…
Dave Lewis/Gary Foy – August 31st , 2013.
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(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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On nights tonight (sunday). Straight to wolverhampton tomorrow. C’mon Planty !!!!! It only seems like yesterday that i saw him in Hanley in ’88
Great nights entertainment, was dubious about smuggling the telescopic lens and camera into the Colston hall to capture the opening number, so regretably left the gear in the car. But the audio I recorded is exceptional – so warm and rich in depth.
Robert’s choice of numbers was excellent and thought Skin’s contribution was immense and more pronounced than previous gigs I’ve seen him at.
What a night Planty was masterful the gig was one if the best I’ve seen. Have we ever seen him so relaxed? Great to see you Dave and happy birthday to your good lady. Thursday is up there with the O2 in terms if the joy of it just brilliant
Great comments folks – he really is the man….
Thanks Dave for great report coverage ( as always ). Set-list remains pretty much as the U.S Tour,with over 50 % LZ content.Inevitable I guess but so much solo excellence omitted.
Certainly now seems nothing likely on the horizon for 2014 which is a tragedy really.Still got Sabbath to look forward to on December 22nd though !
What a night Bristol was, never have I seen Robert Plant so relaxed and happy in his surroundings and his music, a total masterpiece of a gig,the mans power, range and class shone through and the band were excellent, a joy to experience and confirmation in my view that it’s good to move on and do things in a different way sometimes, Led Zeppelin were always my favourite band and always will be, but we are not I am afraid the same people we were in the 70’s so credit to Robert for moving on with new ideas and reworking of what for some of us are our favourite musical moments of the last 40+ years, His voice has been the soundtrack my life and I am sure many others too and on the evidence of Thursday night that is never going to change.
Happy Birthday Mrs. Lewis! Have a great day the two of you…
Well…Bristol. What a night! The evolution from the HMV Forum in July last year to now is astonishing. Where the early SSS were more loose than tight, now we’re witnessing a well oiled machine with focus and purpose – never more amply demonstrated than the opener, Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You which is so powerful and dynamic, yet delicate and fragile. Light and shade.
Robert’s delivery on this was a statement of intent for the night – we’re here to blow the audience away. And they did. Utter commitment and at times sheer attack in that voice we know so well. First (of many) goosebumps of the evening! Physically he seemed much more in shape than at some points over the last year or so (penalty of good living and contentedness I guess) and vocally he was stratospheric.
Highlights? Discussing in the car we came up with two or three, which became four or five, then six or seven to the point we gave up. The whole night was superb. Special mentions for Big Log (totally unexpected) and WIAWSNB, Babe, California, Tin Pan Valley (“Like This!!!” – Love it!), Enchanter and Fixin’. But really it’s impossible to choose.
One of THE great nights, as our Mr.Lewis is fond of saying..!
As an aside, I saw Gary from his balcony vantage point and I was almost distracted by his new friends…he must introduce us some time 😉
Great to catch up (briefly) with the TbL crew and the family who came all the way from Stoke on Trent (didn’t get your names sorry!) in the pub, hope you enjoyed it!
And onto the homecoming on Monday – see you there!
Best to all
Rich
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