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Lenny Kravitz Says Robert Made Him Appreciate Playing Live


kenog

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This article is from the Daily Express (UK) of Tuesday, 4 June 2013. The LZ.com system is not allowing me to copy the link or the heading of the article over here, so if you want to see the original, search for "Daily Express" and "Robert Plant"

"The Fly Away hitmaker admits he used to pick apart every one of his shows early on in his career in an effort to improve his live sets, but his constant struggle for perfection meant he never really enjoyed playing in front of his fans because he could always spot something that could have been done better.

It wasn't until Plant joined him on tour in the early 1990s that the icon confronted him about his serious manner and urged him to lighten up and enjoy the moment.

In a candid interview on U.S. TV show Oprah's Master Class, which aired on Sunday (02Jun13), Kravitz explained, "When you go out live, no matter how much you've rehearsed, no matter how great your crew is and your sound guy, when you get up on that stage, it all just goes where it wants to go.

"I'm one that when I get off stage, I don't like it. 'This wasn't good enough; that wasn't good enough. I want better.' I used to be really hardcore about it, to the point where I wasn't having the fun that I should have been having.

"I will never forget Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin... he came on tour with me. He saw my attitude and he came into the dressing room one night and basically went off on me for being too controlling, for not having fun, for not embracing this gift, for not enjoying it for what it is, and he hit me with it and I knew he was right. That changed everything for me. He taught me to let go. It was the beginning of me letting go."

And Kravitz insists he will always be grateful to Plant for telling him like it was: "It's beautiful when somebody has the nerve to tell you straight. I prefer that, personally. I appreciate it and it causes me to grow. He really saved it for me, the whole thing of touring and playing live. He's like, 'You know, we had fun when we did this stuff. You're being too serious. You're trying to control it and make it be this thing. Just let go.' That was good enough for me."

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Let's face it - Robert walks the walk and talks the talk...and because he does = people, even other successful musicians, listen.

If Robert was a full of shit "rock god" like so many others - people would tell him to fuck off and mind his own business.

But over the years Robert has: fought the good fight, been to the Cross-roads and back again, sacrificed and lost deeply, climbed mountains, roamed deserts,

spoke and sang the Truth, been tormented and to the Abyss, been in the company of prime ministers, kings, queens, princes, and presidents, won every accolade imaginable,

made many a mistake and many a great move, his boots are dusty and re-soled with travel, his Soul has been shaken and he has shaken many a Soul...etc, etc,

Why wouldn't anyone take Robert's advice...I ask you?

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Let's face it - Robert walks the walk and talks the talk...and because he does = people, even other successful musicians, listen.

If Robert was a full of shit "rock god" like so many others - people would tell him to fuck off and mind his own business.

But over the years Robert has: fought the good fight, been to the Cross-roads and back again, sacrificed and lost deeply, climbed mountains, roamed deserts,

spoke and sang the Truth, been tormented and to the Abyss, been in the company of prime ministers, kings, queens, princes, and presidents, won every accolade imaginable,

made many a mistake and many a great move, his boots are dusty and re-soled with travel, his Soul has been shaken and he has shaken many a Soul...etc, etc,

Why wouldn't anyone take Robert's advice...I ask you?

The world is full of people who won't listen to constructive criticism, no matter how tactfully it's offered or how esteemed the giver. Kravitz, to his credit, isn't one of them.

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Let's face it - Robert walks the walk and talks the talk...and because he does = people, even other successful musicians, listen.

...That's a little too preachy for me. His hands got just as dirty as his bandmates -- people forget about that too often.

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...That's a little too preachy for me. His hands got just as dirty as his bandmates -- people forget about that too often.

Plant has not only survived but thrived in a dog-eat-dog industry for over 40 years. The way I see it, his voice and youthful good looks were gifts. Crossing paths with Jimmy Page in 1968 was a great stroke of luck for him. Making the most of his gifts and luck to maintain such a lengthy career took a strong work ethic, a willingness to take risks, and savvy. Kravitz probably made a similar calculation when he decided to heed Plant's advice.

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This is cool to hear. Kravitz has attained a level of success on his own, and it's cool to hear that he's still willing and able to take advice. When the advice comes from someone like Robert Plant, it's best to listen. I love stories like this.

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""The Fly Away hitmaker admits he used to pick apart every one of his shows early on in his career in an effort to improve his live sets, but his constant struggle for perfection meant he never really enjoyed playing in front of his fans because he could always spot something that could have been done better."

What a clown. It's rock and roll, and he's acting like a concert pianist. R&R is about cutting loose and having fun, it's neither accurate nor too precise. If it is, you get borings ass shit like Steve Vai or whatever.

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""The Fly Away hitmaker admits he used to pick apart every one of his shows early on in his career in an effort to improve his live sets, but his constant struggle for perfection meant he never really enjoyed playing in front of his fans because he could always spot something that could have been done better."

What a clown. It's rock and roll, and he's acting like a concert pianist. R&R is about cutting loose and having fun, it's neither accurate nor too precise. If it is, you get borings ass shit like Steve Vai or whatever.

The many times I have seen Kravitz live he is anything but "boring ass shit". It is way too simplistic to suggest rock n roll people should just get up there and ignore the quest for perfection. Tell Jimmy Page that that makes him a clown. Hey, it's only rock and roll Jimmy!

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