Robert Plant

21st December 2025

Middlesbrough Town Hall

I don't know any rock star from my spotty youth who has more chosen to disregard their not inconsiderable musical legacy, and instead embrace......well, basically stuff they like, than Robert Plant.  Led Zeppelin always had at least a couple of toes in the waters of traditional folk music, but for pretty much the last couple of decades Plant has wholeheartedly embraced the genre.

Beginning with his band Strange Sensation, moving through those collaborations with Alison Kraus, and The Sensational Space Shifters to his current venture Saving Grace.  This last named sees him working with vocalist Suzi Dian, and a troup of top notch Americana musicians.

Most of the music we were presented with here were cover versions, ranging from Neil Young and Low, to folks I had never heard of like Nora Brown and Martha Scanlan.  Indeed, Martha's Higher Rock was certainly one of the high points (no pun intended) of the evening, with Percy puffing away on his harp like a good 'un.  The band's version of Moby Grape's It's a Beautiful Day Today also shone. 

We were presented with a quartet of Led Zeppelin covers, each re-jigged to varying degrees.  Ramble On and Friends both benefited from the rather busy arrangements they were given.  Four Sticks, however, didn't quite work - the thunderous drum beat was fun, but I am not sure what the point was of bringing the song to a halt during each of the acoustic sections.  It all just felt a bit like driving with the handbrake on.

But the best was saved for the encore - a utterly sublime rendition of The Rain Song.

Plant is 77 now and, hopefully, has another 23 years of doing his thing in the tank.

Suzi Dian

Matt Worley

Barney Morse-Brown

Set list

The Very Day I'm Gone
The Cuckoo
Higher Rock
Ramble On
Soul of a Man
The May Queen
Orphan Girl
Four Sticks
It's a Beautiful Day Today
Down to the Sea
As I Roved Out
For the Turnstiles
Friends

Encore

The Rain Song
Everybody's Song

Support act Burr Island.