21:00, Black sea arena packed, 10 000 audience members awaiting the legend. 21:10, Robert plant appears on the stage and the audience can not contain their excitement, whooing, screaming, waving hands. Going to California starts to play and everyone’s hooked, for every loud note Robert Plant pulled, the audience applauded, praising the legendary voice Plant has maintained over so many years. The crowd energy was that of a hard rock concert.
The audience ranging from 6-year-olds to 70 all united for a rock celebration., screaming on top of their lungs and dancing to the folk elements of Robert Plant’s new album and legendary Led Zeppelin hits. A very common phrase to hear was “my dream has finally come true”. Lots of audience members came to the concert wearing Led Zeppelin shirts, with hopes that Plant would perform classic Zeppelin hits and he did not disappoint.
The rock titan with golden avalanche of shoulder-length blond curls had regal swagger, alluring the audience with brutal looks and his magnetic charisma, flipping his microphone stand jauntily, smirking and teasing with the old moves of a well-deserved legend.
Robert Plant, the rock dinosaur is not a prisoner of the past, in fact, he is creating music for the future, embracing the world music, electronica, and country. Songs from Plant’s latest album Carry Fire, recorded alongside the “Sensational Space Shifters” Plants backing band since 2012 sparked lots of emotions. The new album was inspired by the sounds of the American blues, English folk, and African and Arabic traditions.
To the middle of the concert, the band ventured into an atmospheric, ballad-like instrumental intro employing a gently descending chromatic chord progression of the beloved “Baby I’m Gonna Leave You”. Plant played around with timeless Led Zeppelin hits, and the crowd loved it.
Plant and Sensational Space shifter brought distinctive Creole-fiddle flavor to”Gallows Pole”, the final encore number blended a couple of generous sections of the Willie Dixon-inspired “Whole Lotta Love” with “Bring It on Home,” making it an epic finale to an epic night bringing out the hard rock vibes everyone longed for.
