By Nick Turner
Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert Plant joined a charity gig at Egremont Market Hall – and showed a funny and down to earth side to the rock legend.
Robert Plant is a rock legend, but he’s a down to earth guy too
Francis Dunnery described Plant as one of the “biggest stars on the planet” and he has a point. But he was happy to be here in Egremont and chatted to the audience about how he didn’t mind being there as Wolves had been beaten 3-1 that day.
Robert Plant is funny, really funny
If he ever loses that amazing voice Plant could try his hand at stand-up comedy. He chatted: with the audience between songs and had a really witty line in banter. He told us that “Francis said to me: ‘Do you want to see Wolverhampton Wanderers lose again or come up to Egremont Crab Fair?’ I told him: You can get cream for that, you know.”
When a woman could contain her excitement no longer and shouted out: “Robert, you sexy b—–d.” He was back at her with: “Mother! I’ve told you…”
It’s all about rock ‘n’ roll
Robert Plant has travelled many avenues in his musical journey, exploring all kinds of music from folk to African, but it is the rock n roll of his youth that makes his hips wiggle. He mocked Francis Dunnery for his prog rock guitar playing and said he was happy that Dunnery had discovered ‘God’s own music’ – early Elvis. Seeing them together performing Elvis’s Hunk of Love was a sight to behold.
His full set list was:
- Gone Gone Gone
- If I Was A Carpenter
- Down By The Seaside
- Rich Woman
- Going to California
- Hunk of Love
- Rock & Roll
- Don’t (encore)
Read more: see our picture gallery of the best pictures from the Robert Plant gig
Robert Plant may be 67, but he’s still got it
Plant introduced Going to California with the throwaway line of: “Here’s a song about an alternative to living in Wolverhampton.” It was an awesome performance and I can’t have been alone in the room in thinking I would remember this moment for the rest of my life.
Robert Plant was amazing, but so were lots of other people
Francis Dunnery assembled an amazing array of talent to raise money for CKDCF, a small charity based in Egremont which provides grants and charitable donations to help Cumbrian children in need. There were songs from prog rockers Big Big Train, a witty number from songwriter John Gilmour Smith and an incredible performance from singer Deborah Rose which had everyone snapping up her CDs after the gig.
And of course there was Dunnery, loving every minute of “the campfire vibe” as performers swapped around and supported each other. These also included his nephew, John, and John’s son, Danny, and blind pianist Peter Jones aka Tiger Moth Tales.
It was quite a night, never to be forgotten – and one which raised thousands for a good cause.
Yeah, Robert Plant and Francis Dunnery, Egremont Market Hall, Oct 24th 2015 – I was there.
PUBLISHED October 25, 2015
Published on www.newsandstar.co.uk