Glasgow Barrowland
Set-List:
Tin Pan Valley, Shine It All Around, Black Dog, Freedom Fries, 7 + 7 Is, Going To California, Another Tribe, What Is And What Should Never Be, Hey Joe, Mighty Rearranger, Four Sticks, Gallow’s Pole
Encore: The Enchanter, Hoochie Coochie Man, Whole Lotta Love
Reviews:
This from Stephen Pollock
There’s always a great atmosphere at the Barrowlands and as Plant put it 3 songs in “We’ve being dreaming of playing here since Detroit”. Plants voice sounded even better than last time he came here off the back of “Dreamland”. I thought the band were tighter last time round, but maybe they have just got a looser approach to the music now. Usual
Plantations about “This next one is our Christmas single” and numerous jokes about Max Bygraves playing the same venue next week. All in all a great gig. But musically where does he go from here?
This from David Bruce
Concert was amazing, and lived up to all expectations of it. He’s got someband, and one hell of a voice for someone whose “peak” was a decade before I was even born!
This from George Clarke
A couple of Glasgow stereotypes were in evidence with torrential rain outside, and a raucous audience inside, as Plant & Co took the stage at this atmospheric old venue, which Robert has previously championed as his favourite in the city.
As ever, the audience bridged the generations, and seemed enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the new material, as well as for the old standards.
I’m not convinced about Tin Pan Valley as a set opener, but it was well received and Shine It All Around was a clear sing-along crowd favourite.
The reworking of Black Dog makes for an almost playful atmosphere on stage, and was introduced as ‘a Max Bygraves song that Phil Collins also does’. I’m sure I heard a reference to Listen to this Eddie, and the Glasgow crowd were only too eager to raise the roof during the call and response sections.
In fact, it was a night of much audience participation, not least of all when a stray bra found its way onto the stage!
Freedom Fries was introduced as ‘the Christmas single’, as Plant sipped from what looked like a mug of tea.
The acoustic widdling and tuning that preceded Going to California sounded like something right off a USA ’77 bootleg and ,with the audience bathed in green light, the acoustic guitars stayed out for a welcome rendition of Another Tribe. There was a slightly surreal moment for me, mid-song, when a total stranger with a Fife accent hugged me and attempted to sell me a motorbike.
One of my highlights of the evening, What Is and What Should Never Be, then followed. It’s always a delight to hear this song get an airing, irrespective of which post-Zep incarnation is delivering it, and Robert expressed his amazement that the song is now 36 years old.
Another Max Bygraves classic ,Hey Joe, preceded Mighty Rearranger, which was probably the best received of the new songs. Powerhouse versions of Four Sticks and Gallows Pole closed the set as Robert wished us a Merry Christmas and departed.
When he re-emerged for the encore he confessed that they weren’t actually Max Bygraves songs, and expressed his pleasure at the fun the guys are all having on tour.
It was at this point that the phallic imagery of the stage set first struck me, with Plant standing upright and erect, centre stage, flanked on either side by a big pair of dangling mirror balls!! Just thought I’d point that out.
The grandeur of The Enchanter filled the room before a magnificent night’s entertainment was brought to an end with a tasteful reworking of Whole Lotta Love, with some of the ‘freak out’ section sounding remarkably like the 1969 recorded version of the song.
This may have been a Robert Plant gig, but hearing those thunderous, timeless riffs in Whole Lotta Love and Four Sticks reminded me of what a clever little fellow their absent creator was.
I must say that this was one of my most enjoyable Zep related experiences, and the depth and texture of the band’s sound really benefits from the fact that they are a six piece group, rather than a four or five piece.
A great night out.
With Halloween beckoning there were a few strange post concert sights around Glasgow city centre, as I witnessed things like Batman and Robin emerging from, a taxi and Harry Potter arguing with a policeman!
Perhaps scariest of all were the guys in the bar who were very elaborately dressed up as rock group Kiss. Well, at least I thought they were guys until each and every one of them stood up and walked into the ladies toilet. That’s a recipe for disaster for anyone who mistakenly tried to get amorous with them!
This from Rob Baker
Just got back from seeing a truely fantastic show from the lads. Just to say that I think finally they should call themselves just The Strage Sensation as the rest of the members of the band are just as good as robert and bring in those brilliant influencies from the bands that they have played in. From the off they held the audience captive with the way that they performed. For me the most amazing thing was that everyone up there was totally happy, which in turn made everyone enjoy themselves just that little bit more. Finally, thank you to The Strange Senation. Robert, don’t let anyone talk you into doing anymore zep reunions cos theres so much more for you to do with the brilliant band that you have created.
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