Robert Plant and the Band of Joy - The Roundhouse, London, October 29, 2010

1st Band of Joy, with Plant (middle) and Bonham (front)

Musically, Robert Plant has been around the block. He and drummer John Bonham were picked out of a band called Band of Joy by a certain guitarist to play in a band that I'm sure a few of you may have heard of.

That band broke up after reaching cult status, and afterward Plant performed in the Honeydrippers, reunited with Jimmy Page in a group curiously named Page and Plant, recorded and toured with the Strange Sensations for a half dozen years or so, and then at the request of  renowned record producer T-Bone Burnett, recorded an album called Raising Sand with country music singer/violinist Alison Krausse of Union Station and did a world tour in support of the album, which won multiple Grammy Awards. Raising Sand was a mixture of blues, folk, country, and R&B and seemingly was a relevation to Plant.

Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, two of the remaining members of that cult band, planned a reunion album and tour but were unable to convince Plant to join them. The Led Zeppelin reunion now appears to be all but a broken dream to many.

Plant on the other hand, seems to have awakened in a huge way to other forms of music. I saw him about 13 months ago in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park during Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Plant walked on stage unannounced during Buddy Miller's set and perform two or three songs. Plant recently recorded a new album of music with a group called he decided to call Band of Joy. It's not like he's trying to forget that other band he's identified with, he's still performing songs first done by them, but with a twist. Plant is simply returning to the his roots, his new roots.

Here's a great sounding show recorded way back earlier this week at the Roundhouse in London. Check out Robert Plant and the Band of Joy.



Like always, either stream it or download it for later by clicking on the Divshare logo.

Led Zeppelin - After the 2007 reunion

After Led Zeppelin broke up following John Bonham's death on September 25, 1980 due to alcohol related causes, the remaining members went their own way for a few years. The Live Aid benefit concerts in 1985 enticed Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones to reunite and the show was a total failure. There were problems with Page's guitar, the monitors weren't working and Plant's voice was extremely hoarse. They tried again for Atlantic Record's 40 year anniversary concert in 1988 but the feed from Jones' keyboards was lost and the performance suffered because of a shouting match between Page and Plant just before they got on about whether or not to play "Stairway to Heaven".  Led Zeppelin pretty much died that day.

Page and Plant finally made nice in 1994 and did a show called Unledded for MTV, (a television station that actually played music at the time). It got great reviews and the two decided to tour to support the CD release of the show. Jones was not informed of the others getting together. At the press conference that was called to announce a Page/Plant tour, Page was asked where Jones was. Page replied that he was outside, parking the car. The next year, in 1995 Led Zeppelin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When Jones took his turn to accept the trophy he turned to the other two and said "Thank you, my friends, for finally remembering my phone number". It could've been an outtake from Spinal Tap.

Ahmet Ertegun, the founder of Atlantic Records passed away shortly after going to a Rolling Stones show in 2006. He was held in such high regard by everyone in the industry that the three surviving members of Led Zeppelin tried once more to bury the hatchet and have a reunion show at Ertegun's memorial concert on April 17 of 2007. This time the show went extremely well, with Page and Jones expressing interest in another tour with perhaps some new material.

However, immediately after the show while the Gallagher brother from Oasis banging on Plant's door calling him the "real F@(king thing",  Plant stormed out and went to a pub down the street where he proceeded to drink four beers and half a bottle of vodka.

Here's a show from Zeppelin's happier days, recorded off the soundboard at a show in Dallas on March 5, 1975.