Robert Plant needs no introduction as one of the most invigorative musical artists of all time. While the British singer may be known best for his revolutionary work with Led Zeppelin, Plant has also found astounding success as a solo artist as well as working with other groups. His most recent band, Saving Grace, found their tour stop at the Sage Gateshead this Monday and their performance showed Plant's legacy is only further expanding.
At the ripe age of 75, Plant’s effortless on-stage charisma and humour brought a fantastic connection with the audience between songs, as well as his band's chemistry bringing a consistent flow of moving performances. This was undoubtedly not a show for Led Zep purists, as Saving Grace’s own passion and style consisted of more folk and bluegrass sounds than hard rock anthems. Paired with the delightful vocals of Suzie Dian, mandolin work from Tony Kelsey and guitar work from Matt Worley, the triumphant soulful performances of songs like ‘Angel Dance’ and ‘Everybody’s Song’ resulted in well-deserved standing ovations at the show’s end.
Plant’s singing paired with Dian’s emotional voice brings fireworks to reworked classics like ‘Move Along Train’ and ‘She Cried’, with more acoustic and electric guitars for a bigger palette of colourful sounds. However, all instruments were dropped at the end for the whole group to unite at one mic for the warm acapella ‘And We Bid You Goodnight’, closing the show in a tender stripped-back farewell.
With Saving Grace having put on soulful shows since their formation in 2019, I can say that, not only has Plant not lost any of his down-to-earth musical genius, but this band stands on its own as a unified family whose styles clash into electrifying displays. While I admittedly had rather limited experience of folk and bluegrass music before this concert, I can at least say Saving Grace have set me on a journey of discovery with all the loyal and hypnotic tributes this band made with such genres. The combination of strings from members like Worley and mesmerising voices from our main duet made this performance show something gloriously new from one of the most classic figures in British rock.