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Robert Plant interview with Esquire Magazine


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Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere. From nme.com:

Led Zeppelin’s lead singer, Robert Plant, has spoken out for the first time about his experience at the band’s O2 reunion gig last year (December 10).

The ‘Golden God’ - in a just published interview - said they were just as good on the night as they were in their prime.

Speaking to Esquire Magazine the morning after the show (December 11) Plant said: “It was ramshackle, casual, nervous, overblown, a little self-indulgent – it was all the things we ever were. We were the genuine thing last night.”

He added: “We’re not some ambivalent dross that pours into the charts by being some sort of valium for the middle-aged. It was a very decent and exciting visitation.”

Revealing further details about the event Plant admitted he did not warm up before gig saying: “We did two songs at a soundcheck the day before, and they were pretty hot. But yesterday [December 10] I had to keep very, very quiet. I didn’t want to talk. I just lay in a dark room playing my little ukulele, going: “If I was in Mali, it wouldn’t be like this.”

After the gig Plant had only one thing on his mind, grabbing a drink.

The singer said: “I was trying to find the special brew. My children are always embarrassed when I get on the Tenant’s Super, and the other guys, well none of them drink. So I just had a drink, gave everybody big hugs, saw my family, took in a bit of, I guess, nostalgia.”

Plant also revealed that the whole evening seemed like a bit of a blur saying: “In the middle of all that effort, there were so many little flashbacks that I didn’t expect. I couldn’t put a form to a lot of it: it was just there. I thought: this is really cute, all these fucking old blokes huddled round John’s [bonham] son.”

Concluding the interview Plant remained adamant that a world tour would not happen saying he wanted to concentrate on his project with Alison Kraus.

He said: “I really enjoyed playing with my friends [Led Zeppelin], and we are a lot closer because of it. But the responsibility, the whole deal…it’s a whole different thing to what I’m doing with Alison.”

Plant then continued adding: “I was singing the same, better, last night. I could go to certain places. But with Alison, it’s not about that. It’s about being comely. That’s where I’m bound.”

http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/34301

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Concluding the interview Plant remained adamant that a world tour would not happen saying he wanted to concentrate on his project with Alison Kraus.

Before reading this, I was slightly ticked off at Plant for not making a irrefutable statement about touring with Led Zeppelin. He plays coy with the media and people get their hopes up. But here it is folks. I take this as a definite "no its not going to happen" Its sad but I'm not crying. I am really hyped about future projects with the Strange Sensation. If that doesnt happen, then I'll be crying in my beer.

Loved what he said about lying in a dark room with his little ukulele. What a way to deal with a stressful situation. :lol:

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Concluding the interview Plant remained adamant that a world tour would not happen saying he wanted to concentrate on his project with Alison Kraus.

Before reading this, I was slightly ticked off at Plant for not making a irrefutable statement about touring with Led Zeppelin. He plays coy with the media and people get their hopes up. But here it is folks. I take this as a definite "no its not going to happen" Its sad but I'm not crying. I am really hyped about future projects with the Strange Sensation. If that doesnt happen, then I'll be crying in my beer.

Loved what he said about lying in a dark room with his little ukulele. What a way to deal with a stressful situation. :lol:

Not to dump on Robert like I have seen some do on here, but his reasoning here bothers me a little. Specifically, I am confused when he refers to the "self-indulgent" aspect of the O2 show. My OPINION regarding this is that Robert is able to do these off-the-wall side projects because of his notoriety related to his association with Led Zeppelin.

I think the "self-indulgent" part of what Robert does are these projects that may not necessarily be commercially viable were it not for Robert's willingness to lean back (ever so lightly in some cases) on his Zeppelin pedigree. Robert is able to do things HE WANTS to do because of his prior association and success with Led Zeppelin. Having watched the RP/AK Crossroads show, the highlights for me were the reworking of the Zeppelin tunes... not necessarily Robert and/or Alison's take on the obscure roots pieces chosen for the album.

I would imagine that performing Zeppelin tunes over and over again must be tiresome and boring for him, but I don't necessarily think avoiding Zeppelin like the plague is the answer. Let's hope that he is willing to find a comfortable middle ground that will satisfy both his creative needs and our wishes as Zeppelin/Robert Plant fans.

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This interview took place on December 11th.

More recently, during the Madison Square Garden interview, he said "Who knows what's around the corner?"

I think that's a little more open-ended myself.

:)

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He added: "We're not some ambivalent dross that pours into the charts by being some sort of valium for the middle-aged".

This reminds me of something he said in Nov '94 concerning Page/Plant tour speculation: (paraphrased):

"Why can't we just be like some wonderful amorphous mass that comes and goes?"

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Not to dump on Robert like I have seen some do on here, but his reasoning here bothers me a little. Specifically, I am confused when he refers to the "self-indulgent" aspect of the O2 show. My OPINION regarding this is that Robert is able to do these off-the-wall side projects because of his notoriety related to his association with Led Zeppelin.

I think the "self-indulgent" part of what Robert does are these projects that may not necessarily be commercially viable were it not for Robert's willingness to lean back (ever so lightly in some cases) on his Zeppelin pedigree. Robert is able to do things HE WANTS to do because of his prior association and success with Led Zeppelin. Having watched the RP/AK Crossroads show, the highlights for me were the reworking of the Zeppelin tunes... not necessarily Robert and/or Alison's take on the obscure roots pieces chosen for the album.

I would imagine that performing Zeppelin tunes over and over again must be tiresome and boring for him, but I don't necessarily think avoiding Zeppelin like the plague is the answer. Let's hope that he is willing to find a comfortable middle ground that will satisfy both his creative needs and our wishes as Zeppelin/Robert Plant fans.

Isn't that what he's doing now in a sense with his musical projects and the O2 show?

I don't know if LZ has a future but you stated is the reason I don't see, for example, a world tour happening. I don't know him but I sense that he is into exploring new avenues and challenges, not living or re-living the past.

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Not to dump on Robert like I have seen some do on here, but his reasoning here bothers me a little. Specifically, I am confused when he refers to the "self-indulgent" aspect of the O2 show. My OPINION regarding this is that Robert is able to do these off-the-wall side projects because of his notoriety related to his association with Led Zeppelin.

I think the "self-indulgent" part of what Robert does are these projects that may not necessarily be commercially viable were it not for Robert's willingness to lean back (ever so lightly in some cases) on his Zeppelin pedigree. Robert is able to do things HE WANTS to do because of his prior association and success with Led Zeppelin. Having watched the RP/AK Crossroads show, the highlights for me were the reworking of the Zeppelin tunes... not necessarily Robert and/or Alison's take on the obscure roots pieces chosen for the album.

I would imagine that performing Zeppelin tunes over and over again must be tiresome and boring for him, but I don't necessarily think avoiding Zeppelin like the plague is the answer. Let's hope that he is willing to find a comfortable middle ground that will satisfy both his creative needs and our wishes as Zeppelin/Robert Plant fans.

but he's not avoiding Zep like the plague. the fact that he plays Zep tunes in all of his outings since the mid 80's is proof of that. not playing as Zeppelin is different than not playing Zeppelin period. if Plant toured with Zep, it would be the same songs every night, played pretty much the same way. with his various solo bands, Plant can rearrange the Zep tunes with new instruments and new people, something fresh and different. he can't do that with Zep. it's not Zep that he gets bored of, it's playing the same songs over and over the same damn way every time... he played these songs the Zep way for 12 years straight, I'm sure they get old. but playing them the Plant way seems to liven them up and changes every few years. people wouldn't go for that at a Zep concert.

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Isn't that what he's doing now in a sense with his musical projects and the O2 show?

I don't know if LZ has a future but you stated is the reason I don't see, for example, a world tour happening. I don't know him but I sense that he is into exploring new avenues and challenges, not living or re-living the past.

I think that's a lot of what Robert is about. He's not one to stay stuck in the past. It's not that he denies being in Zep or that it was a part of his career, but he brings it into what he's doing in a contemporary way - as Zephyrus said below. With whatever band he's working with, the Zep tunes are rearranged. The Crossroads show is a prime example of how Levee and Black Dog are completely reworked. I think for Robert doing those songs, he has to make it "new". Likely if Zep were to tour, they'd do the songs fairly close to how they did them. That's not to say they wouldn't make some changes but I don't know if they'd be reworking them as Robert has done.

but he's not avoiding Zep like the plague. the fact that he plays Zep tunes in all of his outings since the mid 80's is proof of that. not playing as Zeppelin is different than not playing Zeppelin period. if Plant toured with Zep, it would be the same songs every night, played pretty much the same way. with his various solo bands, Plant can rearrange the Zep tunes with new instruments and new people, something fresh and different. he can't do that with Zep. it's not Zep that he gets bored of, it's playing the same songs over and over the same damn way every time... he played these songs the Zep way for 12 years straight, I'm sure they get old. but playing them the Plant way seems to liven them up and changes every few years. people wouldn't go for that at a Zep concert.
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Not to dump on Robert like I have seen some do on here, but his reasoning here bothers me a little. Specifically, I am confused when he refers to the "self-indulgent" aspect of the O2 show. My OPINION regarding this is that Robert is able to do these off-the-wall side projects because of his notoriety related to his association with Led Zeppelin.

I think you've mis-interpreted what he means by self-indulgent. The band always had a healthy ego and the sheer scale of the production is by its nature self-indulgent. It's not necessarily a bad thing or a criticism - they are big and they know it. It's part of the aura that surrounds Led Zeppelin. Just look at TSRTS - the fantasy scenes are pure self-indulgence.

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Apologies if this has been posted elsewhere. From nme.com:

Led Zeppelin’s lead singer, Robert Plant, has spoken out for the first time about his experience at the band’s O2 reunion gig last year (December 10).

The ‘Golden God’ - in a just published interview - said they were just as good on the night as they were in their prime.

Speaking to Esquire Magazine the morning after the show (December 11) Plant said: “It was ramshackle, casual, nervous, overblown, a little self-indulgent – it was all the things we ever were. We were the genuine thing last night.”

He added: “We’re not some ambivalent dross that pours into the charts by being some sort of valium for the middle-aged. It was a very decent and exciting visitation.”

Revealing further details about the event Plant admitted he did not warm up before gig saying: “We did two songs at a soundcheck the day before, and they were pretty hot. But yesterday [December 10] I had to keep very, very quiet. I didn’t want to talk. I just lay in a dark room playing my little ukulele, going: “If I was in Mali, it wouldn’t be like this.”

After the gig Plant had only one thing on his mind, grabbing a drink.

The singer said: “I was trying to find the special brew. My children are always embarrassed when I get on the Tenant’s Super, and the other guys, well none of them drink. So I just had a drink, gave everybody big hugs, saw my family, took in a bit of, I guess, nostalgia.”

Plant also revealed that the whole evening seemed like a bit of a blur saying: “In the middle of all that effort, there were so many little flashbacks that I didn’t expect. I couldn’t put a form to a lot of it: it was just there. I thought: this is really cute, all these fucking old blokes huddled round John’s [bonham] son.”

Concluding the interview Plant remained adamant that a world tour would not happen saying he wanted to concentrate on his project with Alison Kraus.

He said: “I really enjoyed playing with my friends [Led Zeppelin], and we are a lot closer because of it. But the responsibility, the whole deal…it’s a whole different thing to what I’m doing with Alison.”

Plant then continued adding: “I was singing the same, better, last night. I could go to certain places. But with Alison, it’s not about that. It’s about being comely. That’s where I’m bound.”

http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/34301

great :D

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After the gig Plant had only one thing on his mind, grabbing a drink.

The singer said: “I was trying to find the special brew. My children are always embarrassed when I get on the Tenant’s Super, and the other guys, well none of them drink. So I just had a drink, gave everybody big hugs, saw my family, took in a bit of, I guess, nostalgia.”

What the heck is "the Tenant's Super" and could it be true that neither Page nor Jones drink anymore? Not even a beer? :o Hmm, that makes me thirsty... :beer:

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Funny, I've never enjoyed reading what Robert Plant has to say.

I always get the feeling that he either doesn't want to accept or doesn't understand

the magnitude of Led Zeppelin.

He definitely doesn't embrace it, like Page or Jones do.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing Plant bring up Alison Krauss everytime he's talking about Zeppelin lately.

We all know your touring with her, give it a rest already.

I still love ya', Robert. But your a pain in the arse.

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Funny, I've never enjoyed reading what Robert Plant has to say.

I always get the feeling that he either doesn't want to accept or doesn't understand

the magnitude of Led Zeppelin.

He definitely doesn't embrace it, like Page or Jones do.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing Plant bring up Alison Krauss everytime he's talking about Zeppelin lately.

We all know your touring with her, give it a rest already.

I still love ya', Robert. But your a pain in the arse.

Well, he and Alison have a new album out and they are preparing to go on tour so it's not such a stretch that he'd be talking about it constantly. It's called promotion. :)

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Well, he and Alison have a new album out and they are preparing to go on tour so it's not such a stretch that he'd be talking about it constantly. It's called promotion. :)

I understand that. My point is that there's no need to keep comparing it to Zeppelin.

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He doesn't. It's just that he keeps getting asked to tour with Zep when he has new music with Alison that he wants people to hear. Maybe if we let him get Alison out of his system he'll see the light and we'll get a tour.

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I understand that. My point is that there's no need to keep comparing it to Zeppelin.

I don't know that he does that. I do know that when he's interviewed, he's asked LZ reunion rumors.

I imagine it can get quite irritating considering there are no concrete plans for more LZ shows in the immediate future whereas he has a current album and tour to promote that is happening now. :)

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Looks like it is a lager (available all over).

http://www.thebackpacker.net/worldbeers/te..._worldbeers.htm

I found it listed online (as I don't drink either).

R B)

Ah, you're right. I found this entry in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennents

Now I know what to keep stocked in case he drops by for a beer. :drunk:

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I don't know that he does that. I do know that when he's interviewed, he's asked LZ reunion rumors.

I imagine it can get quite irritating considering there are no concrete plans for more LZ shows in the immediate future whereas he has a current album and tour to promote that is happening now. :)

“I really enjoyed playing with my friends [Led Zeppelin], and we are a lot closer because of it. But the responsibility, the whole deal…it’s a whole different thing to what I’m doing with Alison.”

Plant then continued adding: “I was singing the same, better, last night. I could go to certain places. But with Alison, it’s not about that. It’s about being comely. That’s where I’m bound.”

This was the day after the show and he can't stop yapping about "Alison".... whatever.

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“I really enjoyed playing with my friends [Led Zeppelin], and we are a lot closer because of it. But the responsibility, the whole deal…it’s a whole different thing to what I’m doing with Alison.”

Plant then continued adding: “I was singing the same, better, last night. I could go to certain places. But with Alison, it’s not about that. It’s about being comely. That’s where I’m bound.”

This was the day after the show and he can't stop yapping about "Alison".... whatever.

Love?! :wub:

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I think you've mis-interpreted what he means by self-indulgent. The band always had a healthy ego and the sheer scale of the production is by its nature self-indulgent. It's not necessarily a bad thing or a criticism - they are big and they know it. It's part of the aura that surrounds Led Zeppelin. Just look at TSRTS - the fantasy scenes are pure self-indulgence.

Oh I TOTALLY understood what he meant... My opinion was that the true self-indulgence was Robert's foray into all these things that, were it not for Zeppelin, would probably not achieve the level of success that comes along with the tag "of Led Zeppelin fame" attached to it. He is able to go off and play instruments in the desert, play obscure roots numbers with Alison Kraus, and bring together any band members he would like to play with due to the fact that he was in Led Zeppelin... and have these things be almost guaranteed a certain level of success.

To your point though... yes I do understand that Zeppelin was considered by some to be over-the-top in that department with the ongoing solos and whatnot, but think about the creative depths that Robert is able to explore because he doesn't NEED success on those projects... definitely a little self-indulgent.

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Funny, I've never enjoyed reading what Robert Plant has to say.

I always get the feeling that he either doesn't want to accept or doesn't understand

the magnitude of Led Zeppelin.

He definitely doesn't embrace it, like Page or Jones do.

You are, I believe, way off the mark. I honestly think Robert is very protective of Led Zeppelin and all it stands for. You only had to read the Uncut interview in September to know how highly he rates them (the best). The fact that he doesn't want to tour is not an indication that he has no idea of how Led Zeppelin means to many people - he is fully aware of that and he wants to keep the legacy intact. I can only applaud him for not chasing the easy money.

I'm getting a little tired of hearing Plant bring up Alison Krauss everytime he's talking about Zeppelin lately.

We all know your touring with her, give it a rest already.

Why the hell should he? His current project with Alison has been in the making a lot longer than the O2 gig. How the hell do you think he feels when he's trying to promote an album and tour and he still gets the same questions about Zeppelin when that's obviously not where he wants to go?

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