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ROBERT PLANT NEW INTERVIEW VIA DIGITAL TODAY SINGAPORE/ DOWN UNDER TBL TOUR WATCH CALL OUT/ECHO AWARDS/ ROGER BERLIN’S ZEP MUSEUM/HOUSES 40TH ANNIVERSARY COUNTDOWN

20 March 2013 12,911 views One Comment

robert_plant singapore

Here’s a new interview with Robert Plant via Digital Today Singapore conducted by Kevin Mathews ahead of his Sensational Spaceshifters date at the Timbre Rock & Roots music festival on Thursday.

Yes, he’s now officially in town. The voice behind Led Zeppelin will be performing, quite aptly, at Timbre Rock & Roots music festival. We were worried he’d strain his voice prior to his set on Thursday night, but Plant didn’t seem to mind, judging from our long and quite candid chat. Read on.

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YOU’VE HAD OVER FORTY YEARS OF MAKING MUSIC, WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST MEMORABLE TIMES?

Well, forty years is a lot of days and months, a lot of shows and experiences — just the process of growing, maturing and being influenced by an ever-changing world of music. It’s an absolute miracle at the age of seventeen — when I made my first record — it was an ego moment for me, but I was still working on the blacktop out on the streets and had no real direction other than my love for black American blues music and also the beginning of the development of that West Coast American psychedelic movement which was strong and focused and I was in the heart of industrial Britain trying to develop a style.

So my most glorious moments are the moments I learned the most and surprised the most. Thanks to my relationship with various guys and women down the line, I’ve travelled through Morocco a lot, picked up a lot of musical ideas from great Moroccan musicians. I’ve been in West Africa with the Sensational Space Shifters and we travelled to Timbuktu and played with fantastic musicians there. So I know very well that entertainment is entertainment — it is what it is. To me, selfishly and primarily, I must entertain myself so I must learn and experience other cultures and music so that I’m not just a guy at the front of the stage singing, singing, singing.

(Points to a picture of Paul Simon) There’s somebody here that’s done the same thing. He had the hat on at the time. But you’ve got to get out into the world to learn and there are great achievements and big accolades and gongs and medals and you meet Presidents and Kings. The most important and crucial things for me is the things I have learned. And how I’ve tried to incorporate it into myself as a guy and as a person.

I WANT TO TRY TO TAKE THE FLIPSIDE OF THAT BECAUSE YOU’VE HAD YOUR CHALLENGES, DIFFICULTIES AND TRAGEDIES IN YOUR LIFE. WHAT IS THE PROCESS YOU TAKE IN ORDER TO OVERCOME THESE?

Very interesting question but not one I can really answer. I don’t know. I think what I do when I’m overwhelmed or when things are too big for me, I just keep moving. Try to take it in, try to come to terms with the stuff, the difficulties. You see, for anyone involved with theatrical and dramatic art, you could hide within your persona. So you could be dead inside, (but) when the lights go down, something happens.

So, there’s been a lot of extremes but I think you have to be big and you have to be big for other people, family and friends. So I just try to plough on. Maybe that helps me to survive. I think what I do when I’m overwhelmed or when things are too big for me, I just keep moving.

IN VERY RECENT TIMES, LED ZEPPELIN HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE TOP ROCK BANDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. BUT IN THE `70S, THERE WERE A LOT OF CRITICS WHO HATED THE BAND. THERE WERE MANY COUNTRIES THAT WERE OBJECTING TO THE BAND’S MUSIC AND LIFESTYLE. AND NOW YOU’RE BEING FETED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA IN THE USA. WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS CHANGED?

It’s so very easy to generalize and I think the media in the `60s and `70s was controlled by more right wing elements and also I think the age gap between the artists and the critics — the people who generated media — was too large and I think the right wing media warlords didn’t want anybody to start rocking the boat and that was a fact.

Through it all came Dylan. Brilliant and eloquent, so powerful in his lyrics. So many different artists were able to bring that to the forefront and you see what happened is that all the old guard disappeared and died and the new guard was brought up listening to us. And listening to our generation. You could have meaningful conversations with the King of Sweden during a period of time when you get an award from very, very focused people. Most of these guys whom I’m playing with here (points to Rock & Roots poster), we played at the award ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize about seven or eight years ago.

You meet people and you realise that music is a panacea; it has to have some positive effect. I read books and I occasionally watch movies and dream of projects I’d like to do outside of music. But for the controllers of our world, I find out that I’m older than them now. It’s basically that thing there, that kind of paranoia and fascist element that didn’t want any hippies, the youth to be affected by the process.

But we’ve moved into another world now. So we look at it and marvel at what’s going on now, two generations below me. It was strange. I have been in so many countries, for example in Bulgaria, the President came on stage to introduce me because he knew my generation of people had to listen secretly to the music for fear of going to jail. Now, what is that all about? But we know what that was all about. Why was he on stage that night? To curry favour with the electorate. He wanted to be seen beside the old rebels and we weren’t rebels — we were about peace and love and sexual innuendo. We have to thank the neurosis of the warlords for giving us this reputation thirty to forty years down the line, I guess, in those countries. Whether he got any extra votes — that President — I don’t know. You get a lot of keys to a lot of cities now but I think they’ve got a room full of them in each town. Take them out, put them on a cushion and you get Presidents, Mayors and Prime Ministers and stuff – it’s quite comical.

AS A SOLO ARTIST, WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MUSIC?

The answer to your first question, I want to learn and to know and I want to try — and I’ve had great moments and flourish when it’s work amazingly tangentially well. I think the essence of Led Zeppelin shines through in that. Like in what John Paul (Jones) is doing, opera, at the moment. So, people just use you as a springboard to jump off on and I enjoy projects. I’ve been very lucky to be in a very prolific environment for a long time.

ARE YOU GOING TO DO ANY LED ZEPPELIN SONGS AT YOUR ROCK & ROOTS GIG?

Of course, yeah! I’m not going to do any spoken word or Shakespeare! And there will be nothing by Showaddywaddy and The Police. I’d like to think there’d be some Rod Stewart songs in there but probably not. I know we’re supposed to be part of the machinery — that’s part of entertainment — but it will be blisteringly something else.

THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF TALK CIRCULATING ABOUT THE LED ZEPPELIN REUNION FOR A LONG, LONG TIME AND THERE’S SOME QUOTES FROM YOU

(Mock snores) Since my funny comments, I’ve not heard from anybody. What do you think of that? You’re not getting your scoop!

ANY MESSAGE TO YOUR FANS IN SINGAPORE?

Well, I’ve knocked on the door several times, trying to get in. What happened? The President giving me a gong, a King says “You’re my friend” and the doors open in Singapore. How does that all work out, I don’t get that. I haven’t taken a drug in thirty-five years. Maybe that’s it. They checked my medical records. Well, I’m here now and I end up glorious and happy with my friends and I think we’re going to have a great time. I’d just like to know why I was never able to get in in the first place? What’s the difference between me now and me then? Here we are, we are going to have a wonderful time.

By Kevin Mathews

(Timbre Rock & Roots is on March 21 and 22 at Fort Canning Green. Plant plays on Thursday night. For more information, visit http://www.rockandroots.com.sg/

Interview link via http://www.robertplant.com/

Here’s the you tube interview clip:

Robert Plant Presents Sensational Spaceshifters TBL Tour Watch call out:

If you are attending any of Robert’s forthcoming dates in Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, we very much welcome your tour watch reports and photos for use on the TBL site and magazine. Send reports and pics via the usual Dave Lewis email – davelewis.tbl1@ntlworld.com – you can also use the Contact Us link above.

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ECHO International Lifetime Achievement Award:

Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones are scheduled to be in attendance at the ECHO Awards in Berlin on Thursday night to accept the latest Led Zeppelin accolade – the inaugural ECHO International Lifetime Achievement Award . Robert Plant is of course unable to attend as he is performing in Singapore.

German based TBL subscriber Wolfgang Seidel has been in touch to inform me that the whole ceremony will be shown on German TV (ARD-Das Erste first German television) at 20.15h central European time, 19.15 GMT.  Wolfgang advises that if you can’t get that station, try the lifestream on www.ard.de or go to (right after the show) www.ard ->mediathek->sendung verpasst-> donnerstag or do->20.15-> Echo 2013

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Roger Berlin Led Zeppelin Museum Archive:

roger berlin 2

Renowned German based Led Zep collector Roger Berlin has been opening his incredibly impressive  archive as a museum for Zep fans. His collection of Zep magazines etc is truly staggering. Here’s a couple of local press reports of his activity:

http://www.lr-online.de/kultur/Boom-der-Rockmuseen;art1028,4155083#formular

http://www.musikmarkt.de/Aktuell/Features/Privatsammler-als-Archivare-der-Rockgeschichte-mit-Videos

roger berlin 1

To view more see link at

http://www.rogerberlin.de/pdf/001MagazineohneBilder.pdf

http://www.rogerberlin.de/volume1970.html

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Led Zeppelin Feather In the Wind -Over Europe 1980 – Bargain price offer:

over europe pics promo

Staying in Europe…don’t forget the Led Zeppelin Feather In The Wind Over Europe 1980 book (which extensively chronicles their final tour which ended in Berlin July 7th 1980) is still available at a special bargain reduced price. If you have yet to indulge…now is the perfect opportunity…

The ordering link is here:

http://www.tightbutloose.co.uk/?page_id=9965

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Houses Of The Holy TBL 40th Anniversary Countdown: 8 days to go…

Keep an eye on the TBL Facebook page and twitter feed for the daily countdown to the 40th anniversary of the Houses Of The Holy album

OTHAFA Japan sleeve (1)

Japanese Over The Hills And Far Away pressing via Nick Anderson collection

And finally:

This preview of Hats Off To Led Zeppelin’s appearance at the Alban Arena in St Albans this Saturday (which I’m hoping to be at) was written by my daughter Sam for the Herts Advertiser newspaper she works as a journalist for –keeping up the family tradition…

HATS SAM

Until next time…

Keep listening, keep reading…

Dave Lewis/Gary Foy

March 20th , 2013.

if you are reading this and have yet to link with the Tight But Loose Facebook page be sure to request/add us. The TBL Facebook is another key part of the TBL set up with updated stories/additional pics etc to keep you on top of the world of TBL.

To view additional photos and TBL info be sure to hook up with the Tight But Loose Facebook page (add us as a friend) at

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1611296783

Also follow Dave Lewis/TBL on Twitter – LedzeppelinTBL

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One Comment »

  • Ed-Washington DC said:

    Plant’s such a ranconteur, spinning his yarns with grace and deadpan humor, with a grounded earthiness that belies his legendary standing in the business. I could listen to the man for hours. Sometimes I think his flirtation with a professorial gig might’ve been right in his wheelhouse, given his ability to charm a room.

    As to the Houses of the Holy depiction, I only recently learned that the rock formation was Durcan Castle in Ulster, something not readily apparent to those of us over here. I also learned that Van Morrison has an upcoming gig at the local resort there, which makes me want to visit even more.

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