Speaking in an interview with the LA Times (opens in new tab) to publicize his current North American tour with Alison Krauss, Plant was asked how his singing voice had changed over time.
“I know the full, candid falsetto I could come up with in 1968 dragged me through it until I got tired of it,” Plant says. “Then that kind of exaggerated personality changed from vocal performance and went elsewhere.
“But in fact I was playing in Reykjavík, in Iceland, about three years ago, just before COVID. It was midsummer night and there was a festival, and I got my band and I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it Immigrant song.’ They had never done it before. We just hit it and pop – there it was. I thought, ‘Oh, I didn’t think I could do that anymore.'”
Recalling that fans would love to see him do the same with Led Zeppelin, Plant replied, “Going back to the font to get some sort of massive applause — it doesn’t really satisfy my need to be stimulated.”
Plant also revealed that he had witnessed the vocal warm-up routine of Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott, and was not entirely convinced.
“I just go out and sing,” he says. “I know a guy from a famous band that Alison’s really good with – he’s going to pour some sugar on me or something – who creates a complete red tape backstage. I was there once and he made such a damn noise. I said: ‘Why do you do that?’ He said, “I’m warming up.” I said, ‘Well, you’ll have nothing left by the time you get there.'”
Alison Krauss sings on two tracks on Def Leppard’s most recent album Diamond Star Halos, this guitar and Lifeless.
Elsewhere in the LA Times interview, Plant and Krauss discuss the differences between British and American musicians, talk about their relationship outside of music and reflect on the fact that rock pioneers are dwindling.
Plant and Krauss’ US tour continues, while Plant also has Scottish and Irish dates with Saving Grace, the band he leads with Suzi Dian. During a conversation with the BBC’s Zoe Ball last November, Plant was asked about the likelihood of Saving Grace – who plays covers of songs by the likes of the Derek Trucks Band, Bob Dylan, Planxty, Moby Grape, Low, Donovan, Los Lobos and Richard and Linda Thompson – recording an album.
“Saving Grace is a bunch of friends back from the Welsh border, Worcestershire,” Plant replied, “and we do shows, very discreet, undercover shows. It’s a beautiful sound, a beautiful sound and it moves delicately on tiptoe to one day to be something we shouldn’t know or talk about… so yeah.”
Tour Dates of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Aug 20: Stateline Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena in Harveys, NV
August 21: Berkeley Greek Theater in UC Berkeley, CA
August 23: Napa Oxbow RiverStage, CA
August 25: Bend Hayden Homes Amphitheatre, OR
August 27: Troutdale McMenamins Edgefield, OR
August 28: Redmond Marymoor Park, WA
August 30: Salt Lake City Sandy Amphitheater, Utah
Sep 01: Morrison Red Rocks Amphitheatre, CO
September 03: Grand Prairie Texas Trust CU Theater in Grand Prairie, TX
September 4: Austin Moody Amphitheater @ Waterloo Park, TX
Sep 06: Atlanta Cadence Bank Amphitheater in Chastain Park, GA
September 7: Franklin FirstBank Amphitheater, Tennessee
September 09: Boston Leader Bank Pavilion, MA
September 10: Mashantucket Premier Theater at Foxwoods Resort Casino, CT
September 12: New York Beacon Theater, NY
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Robert Plant and Saving Grace feat. Suzi Diana
October 25: Belfast Ulster Hall, Northern Ireland
Oct 27: CorkEveryman Theatre, Ireland
Oct 28: Galway Town Hall Theatre, Ireland
Oct 30: Sligo Knocknarea Arena, Ireland
Oct 31: Dublin 3Olympia Theatre, Ireland
November 5: Edinburgh The Queens Hall, Scotland
November 06: Glasgow King’s Theatre, Scotland
November 08: Aberdeen Tivoli Theatre, Scotland
November 09: Perth Concert Hall, Scotland
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