Reviewed by Ray Smith, Thursday 5th April 2018
Seth Lakeman opened for
Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters to a noisy and irreverent crowd.
The audience was still coming in, squeezing along the tight rows of seats in the Thebarton Theatre, and spilling their drinks onto unsuspecting punters as they did so, as Seth Lakeman was starting the penultimate song of his set. I wonder if the Thebby will ever learn to ban drinks from the auditorium and shut their three bars while a show is in progress but, at the prices they charge for beverages, it seems extremely unlikely.
"Doors open at 7.00pm", boasted the venue's advertising. What they neglected to tell us was that "the doors" were to the building itself, not the performance space, so I, along with a few hundred other people, stood on a cold and windy Henley Beach Road for an hour or so.
By 6.45pm the side gates were opened and some of the now lengthening queue of Plant fans were allowed access to the outdoor bar in the little alleyway next to the venue, after they had passed the sniffer dog and had been electronically scanned and had their bags checked by the numerous burly security personnel. I have never seen such extreme security measures at an Adelaide venue and, along with the miserable wait to gain access, it dampened the spirits of the assembled masses before the show had even begun.
I'm reliably informed that
Cat Stevens walked onto the then Thebarton Town Hall stage in 1974 and remarked, "what a dump". I'm sorry to inform you, Yusuf, that if the architecture has changed in the last 44 years, the attitude hasn't.
Lakeman's performance was exemplary. His playing on violin, viola, tenor guitar and flat back bouzouki was virtuosic, all the while singing with his strong and beautiful voice. He is a stunning performer, professional and passionate with a powerful stage presence and an easy and relaxed manner.
Opening a show like this one as a solo performer was never going to be an easy gig but the disrespect shown by the noisy and downright rude behaviour of elements of the crowd made his task even more difficult.
His songs were carefully crafted and presented and he deserved a better audience but, still, he battled on as the professional that he is. By pushing a finger into my ear I could hear him, over the babbling nonsense of the young women to my left, busily stabbing at their mobile 'phones while this outstanding young musician presented music of a very high order indeed.
He tried to get the audience to join him in chorus during a particularly lovely song and, while a few of us did, there were many who were fixated on their devices, their blank faces illuminated by the glow of their screens. I was deeply embarrassed.
After a brief interval, during which even more drinks were spilt on audience members, the main event began.
The darkened stage heralded the approach of the hero while a droning moan and a sparse drumbeat filled the air. With bated breath we sat, awaiting the arrival of
Robert Plant himself. We waited for far too long, in my opinion. As dramatic entrances are concerned, this one was becoming tedious, but eventually, on he strode to tumultuous applause.
Robert Plant was before us and, with him, a band of prodigious skill.
Liam (Skin) Tyson was armed with a Fender guitar and a beard and hair that made him look like he had just stepped off a Viking Longship, John Baggott was ready behind his array of keyboards, his polished head reflecting the lights, Dave Smith was seated at his drum kit, Billy Fuller was taking the bass players role, while
Justin Adams twitched expectantly, guitar in hand.
Robert Plant was centre stage looking as fit as a flea and ready for action, and action there was. The show didn't begin exactly, it erupted. Plant's vocals are better than ever. There is more subtlety, more depth to his singing but the power is still there as is the passion.
He communicated to the audience brilliantly, sometimes with an aside, sometimes with the merest of looks but he had us in the palm of his hand from the first moment. We were led through an historic journey as Plant acknowledged his past, revelled in his present and was excited about his future. This is not a
Led Zeppelin tribute show, this is new and just as exciting as the first time we heard this extraordinary musician belt out our favourite songs.
His band is just amazing. The musicianship, the control, the on-stage communication, the respect for each other is palpable. Tyson played electric guitar, six-string banjo, resonator guitar, twelve-string guitar and acoustic guitar with amazing skill. He leapt from power chords and solos on a battered Stratocaster to flamenco-esque fingerpicking, from down and dirty slide playing to subtle backdrops of Olde Time banjo picking.
Baggott's keyboard skills are equally broad as he moved from electric piano to Moog synthesiser, triggering samples as he went. Smith's drumming is mathematical, the man is a machine but his relentless accuracy is only equalled by his subtlety. He is a superb musician on kit, as well as hand percussion.
Fuller played an array of solid body basses but also added plucked and bowed double bass to his arsenal. His connection to Smith's drums was rock solid and the two of them provided a totally stable foundation for the other players to build from.
Justin Adams owned the upper register with his guitar work, his mandolin, his electric Oud and whatever that weird stringed thing was that he brought out at the end. Seth Lakeman joined the band on violin and what we saw during his solo set was just the prelude to his interactions with the other superb players.
Plant allowed every player their moment in the sun. Stepping back into the shadows as each member of this wonderful ensemble stepped forward to do their thing. When shadows weren't available he watched in deep concentration as members of his band played their solos, ignoring the audience completely and inviting us to pay attention too. They led us through hard rock, eastern ambience, folk and Celtic vibes, through country and bluegrass, and even dance/trance feels to our journey's end.
As Plant said, "Thank you, you're very generous. And absolutely right." What a show!
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