4 year BPD member Slash This writes to us:
Throughout the course of his 20-song set, Plant often looked at singer/guitarist Patty Griffin, guitarist Buddy Miller and multi-instrumentalist Darrell Scott and repeated the word "yeah" off microphone, sensing it was going to be what he called "another scintillating evening" from the opening notes of the opener Cindy, I’ll Marry You Someday.
For the most part he was correct, especially on slower, groove-riddled numbers like Angel Dance with Scott on mandolin.
While Miller, Griffin and Scott shone when taking the lead vocal on Trouble, Love Throw A Line and A Satisfied Mind respectively, Plant seemed to enjoy and excel in these still new musical waters on numbers like the fine Please Read The Letter and the winding, deliberate rendition of Richard Thompson's House Of Cards.
And Plant also managed to deftly saunter through material from his Led Zeppelin period by reworking and retooling many of those numbers. This was especially true of Ramble On and Houses Of The Holy, the latter with the Jimmy Page hook still audible but surrounded by a sweet, roots-y feel that got a standing ovation from many.
Also going over just as nicely was a Sun Studios-era rockabilly romp through Rock And Roll with drummer Marco Giovino finishing with the same drum intro the late John Bonham did on the original
It was obvious from the beginning fans wanted their Zeppelin fix, but like his choice to opt out of a reunion tour following the widely praised one-off 2007 London show, Plant does what he wants.
After a crawling version of Gallows Pole - far different from the original foot-stomper - Plant and company returned for a short encore that ended with all six doing an a cappella version of And We Bid You Goodnight.
After the show, Plant admitted to me that there had been a few miscues, particularly when his last hit Tall Cool One came across at best as average and Satan, Your Kingdom Must Come Down took a while to heat up. It wasn't that way for me. Overall, I felt that it was a very good night indeed.
Thanks for writing to us, Slash This.
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