Robert Plant and the Band of Joy
Birmingham Symphony Hall
Concert review by Ian Harvey

Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant brought nothing but joy to his “homecoming” concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall.

The singer has resurrected the name Band of Joy from the pre-Led Zep Midlands blues outfit he formed with drummer John Bonham in the 60s, but last night’s sell-out concert was way more than just the blues.

Instead the hall rang out with the sounds of his other musical love, American roots music – from rockabilly to soul, gospel to country and bluegrass to rock, Plant’s inimitable vocals floating over the top.

“Welcome to another peculiar evening with the Band Of Joy,” he smiled, looking around the venue and adding “Don’t be intimidated by the environment.”

The sound throughout was stunning, with Angel Dance featuring a spellbinding five-part vocal harmony, something which was to be repeated to great effect throughout the night.

Plant showed he is still the master of pulling rock star shapes . . . he invented many of them, after all.

House Of Cards was awe-inspiring, while Please Read The Letter, from his Grammy Award-winning Raising Sand album with Alison Kraus, took on a harder, darker edge live, this time with Patty Griffin sharing vocal duties.

Plant recalled going to various blues gigs in the 60s at Birmingham Town Hall, particularly Blind Gary Davies, whose Twelve Gates To The City he then sang.

The star, smiling and genial throughout, was even happy to step to the back of the stage and provide backing vocals on three occasions to let Griffin and guitarists Buddy Miller, and Darrell Scott take over lead vocals and a well-deserved share of the limelight.

And then there were, of course, the Led Zep “covers”, complete reinventions of songs like Misty Mountain Hop, Houses Of The Holy, Gallows Pole and Rock & Roll that saw a battery of instruments from mandolin, banjo, pedal steel guitar, double bass and washboard paint familiar classics in whole new colours, the effect both eerie and mesmerising in turn.

The evening ended with just the voices of all six band members entwining for And We Bid You Goodnight and, after an hour and forty minutes, that is precisely what they did.