Warwick University, Coventry
Set-List:
Set: No Quarter/Shine It All Around/Black Dog/Freedom Fries/Morning Dew/Heartbreaker/That’s The Way/Takamba/Tin Pan Valley/ Babe I’m Gonna Leave You/Tall Cool One/When The Levee Breaks
Encores: The Enchanter/Whole Lotta Love
All The Kings Horses listed on set list but not performed.
Reviews
This from the TBL Guv’nor Dave Lewis.
The small student hall venue was surprisingly compact with three differing levels making for an excellent atmosphere.
Robert And The Strange Sensation took to the stage to a radically remixed drum’n’ bass version of Shine It All Around.
The intense new work out of No Quarter made for a compelling start to what was a hugely enjoyable show.
Some initial observations: It was evident throughout that this line up has a real chemistry about them – the most cohesive
unit Plant has worked within for many years. Black Dog was a pure joy – sung with real intent and purpose but with a slight tongue in cheek approach that added real warmth to the old warhorse. Heartbreaker was similarly applied with Skin and Justin hamming it up. Their dual guitar roles seem more clearly defined this time out and Justin’s shapes and poses are an added visual attraction.
It’s the words from Plant ”This is from our new album” that will be the real stimulus in the coming months . Freedom Fries kicks out with venom, Takamba delights with it’s off beat rhythms and best of all there’s Tin Pan Valley. Regularly ignited by Plant’s ”Like this!” vocal prompt it carries a dynamic and dramatic presence that was totally captivating.
The small surroundings gave rise to some good rapport between Plant and the audience with cries of ”Where’s Jimmy” effectively delt with by a smart one liner or two.
On the home straight Babe was the surprise highlight sung with real conviction, Tall Cool One rocked out in the spirit of the King, while the stripped down revamp of Levee retained all the grandeur of the original. The crowd pleasing Whole Lotta Love was the inevitable finale. Before that another selection from the new album The Enchanter – a massively atmospheric trip hop work out was yet another delight.
On the journey home it was a memorable comment Plant made over twenty years ago that revolved in my head. ”It’s still today’s work and tomorrow’s plans that give us all a reason for being – rather than having been”. That statement summed up the whole evening.
This from Paul Harper
So through pure self indulgence off we went to Warwick University last night for the second night on the trot of Mr Plants very mini UK tour. I have never been to the uni for a concert before and was somewhat surprised by the layout of the hall, smaller than Liverpool and with the satge much smaller and the hall on 2 levels to view. Ground floor full on or upstairs looking down onto the stage like a bear pit.
I took the downstairs slot and my friend he stayed upstairs so that we could try to get different pics but also our own viewpoints.
Not as crushing as Liverpool or as hot and sweaty but tighlty packed. The crowd went ballistic when Robert came on.
The set list started very much the same as Liverpool with a fantastic No Quarter, this version has to be heard. Into Shine it all around, growing all the time.
Black Dog so different but with a great call and response form him and us. AAhh aah aaahhh etc
Morning Dew Heartbreaker Freedom Fries Tin Pan Alley replaced All the Kings Horses tonight.
Takamba, I still need to hear this on the album to be sure if I like it.
Thats the way, another lovely moment faithful to the original version.
Babe I’m gonna leave you was fantastic, similar to the Page and Plant version of 98 his voice was spine tingling. He hit all the notes tonight for the sceptics out there.
Tall Cool One again dedicated to the man from Tupelo Mississippi, rampant again. The crowd liked that.
When the levee breaks is another that you need to see and hear, as I said before the floodgates opened and this is in your face and you want it to be. Brilliant!!
Encores were The Enchanter and of coure the place erupted with Whole Lotta Love.
Anothergreat gig, the band as tight as canbe, Robert in good humour, great form and to the reviewer inthe US magazine whosaid he was a crooner with a paunch then if this was crooning I really want to see him rock. hearing yet to return to normal and I tell you all this touring is tiring
This from Jonathan Taylor
In the intimate setting of Warwick University Students Union, the Strange Sensation delivered a set of verve and intensity that seems to be becoming par for the course for this band.
Right from the atmospheric opening “No Quarter”, these days a hybrid of the Unledded version and Moroccan beat, Plant and the band locked into a groove that lasted through to closer “WLL”. The really pleasing thing about this gig was that I left the venue wishing I’d heard more of the new songs; Plant has, as he said in Austin, rediscovered his Muse, and the new songs were simply enthralling, with some incisive lyrical content. If the rest of “Mighty Rearranger” is this good, Robert Plant is as relevant as he’s ever been.
Other highlights: The aforementioned “No Quarter” and the sharecroppers’-blues feel to “Levee”, which went right back to it’s roots last night.
As for the band…well, these guys smiled so much last night; they’ve made original new music together, and it shows. Billy Fuller looked noticeably more at ease than he did back at the Ashton Court festival, and contributed some fluent bass-playing; Justin Adams takes the whole show to North Africa with both his playing and his movement; John Baggot’s keys both underpin and fill out the stage sound; Clive Deamer is that rare beast, a subtle drummer, who knows when to ease back and when to thunder; and Skin…I’ve said it before in these pages, but it bears repeating…the guy’s a magician. Robert himself uses the maturity,richness and tone of that voice so well these days. Collectively, led by the best frontman in rock, they’ve grown into the roles and become arguably the best band that solo Plant has ever worked with, and when you consider Dunnery, Sibun, Boyle, Johnston, Jones et al that’s high praise indeed.
In short, an evening of old wonders and new treasures, offering real hope for the future…which I suspect is just the way Robert likes it. The Strange Sensation choose the paths where no-one goes, and they ask no quarter….
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