stigma

“Led Zeppelin won’t,” declares Robert Plant in his first interview with the press for a number of years. “The statement that we put out was never meant to be ambiguous - ‘as we were’ was as a team. When you have a four-piece band it’s not a four-piece anymore, there’s no way it can become one again. All the rumours were nonsence, they were aggravating and upset everyone. It was natural speculation, but something that works that well and that tight you don’t start shuffling around.”

That’s enough Zeppelin banter for the time being. Robert’s not sitting in the London offices of Atlantic Records to indulge in idle chat about the past. He’s here to talk present-day matters, more specifically the impending release of his debut solo album ‘Pictures At Eleven.’

But before launching head-first into conversation, there’s a chance to catch a sneak preview of the record - and a bloody good one it is too. It’s set for release at the end of the month and even after one spin I defy any Zeppelin addict not to go out and buy a copy immediately. ‘Pictures At Eleven’ stands as one helluva rock album, not to be dismissed lightly. Robert has come up trumps. Sod the cynics who are bound to despise it - but then again, you never know, they might even like it if they bother giving it turntable space...

On hearing the news that the LP was nearing completion (courtesy of Cozy Powell) a couple of months ago. I wondered what the material was like. “Zeppelin!” Powell told me, and certainly hints of the band do shine through, though there’s a good deal of diversity on the two sides of vinyl. ‘Burning Down One Side’ and ‘Mystery Title’ are amongst the heavier tunes, but at the same time there are more delicate items such as ‘Moonlight In Samosa’ and even the odd hint of raggae on ‘Pledge Pin’. A more detailed review will appear upon the acquisition of a finished copy.

Robert has assembled some fine musicians to accompany him, the nucleus of his ‘band’ being bassist Paul Martinez, keyboard player Jezz Woodruffe and ace guitarist Robbie Blunt. Cozy plays on two numbers and the rest of the skinbeating is left to Phil Collins.

STEVE: When was it recorded?

ROBERT: “We did it in fits and starts to avoid having a real glut of studio time, which can often have an adverse effect. The first stuff we did was with Cozy and that was around last September/October. The tracks he played on were ‘Slower Dancer’ and ‘Just Like I’ve Never Been Gone’. We also did ‘Fat Lip’ which has no drums on it at all around that period.”

STEVE: Does the material stretch back over a fairly long period?

ROBERT: “Not really. Robbie and I had been playing in The Honeydrippers for quite a while, playing out our ‘fantasies’ with rhythm’n’blues and blues with a horn section. It was enjoyable and we went around the country appearing in small clubs. But gradually we began to realise the possible limitations as things got a bit repetitous. It wasn’t a serious thing, but we didn’t really want to play twelve-bars for ever and ever.”

STEVE: “How did the idea of The Honeydrippers arise?”

ROBERT: “Well, a guy called Andy Sylvester, who used to be with Chicken Shack, Savoy Brown and Fleetwood Mac in the early days, lives quite close to us and he’s involved in a lot of pick-up blues bands. He said ‘Well how do you fancy doing a gig locally, just having a blow’ and I told him that I wasn’t too sure about going back on stage. But then everyone was saying ‘Oh, come on, it’s just a laugh’ and we did it and it was great.”

STEVE: “When exactly was this?”

ROBERT: “That would probably have been about February ‘81. We played a few gigs and we gradually got a line-up together. We had a drummer, who’s got a great voice, and several local people. It started off as a bit of a giggle but then we found we could get gigs without saying ‘Hey, look who’s here’ and that sort of thing, though I supposed there was a little word of mouthing going on. Some great stuff went down - we were covering material by people like Otis Rush and Albert King.”

STEVE: “Basically your roots?”

ROBERT: “Well, one aspect and one facet of them, but it was just great fun to go out and do it without any of the usual pressures. Slowly but surely, however, Robbie and I began to look at each other and realise that it wasn’t going to be serious, so inbetween gigs we started sitting down with a little four-track tape machine and writing bits and pieces.”

STEVE: “How did you hook up with Robbie?”

ROBERT: “Just as a matter of convenience really. He and Andy had both been with Steve Gibbons for a while and after that situation expired he wasn’t doing anything. In the past we’d played around with the four-track, doing lots of semi-serious home recording at my place, but then because he didn’t go to work in the day he was able to spare a bit of time inbetween the bowling green and the snooker table! We got together and it was good because he’s a very leisurely, relaxed character and I’m completely the opposite. I’m usually spinning around and flying off walls, so he kind of set the tempo for the amount of work we did. With someone else I might have worked all the time but then on certain days he’d go ‘Oh, we’ll do it tomorrow - I want to go fishing.’

“Then I bumped into Jezz, the keyboard player, in a music shop. His technical ability is phenomenal, though I think he’s a little allergic to musicians. He’s had some experiences in the past that have left him with a bit of a question mark over working with contemporary rock’n’rollers, or whatever you want to call them. Loonies!”

STEVE: “Do you consider yourself to be a loon?”

ROBERT: “With a capital ‘L’. When you play and sing and work and move around you have a different approach to life. And Jezz is far more practical than we are.”

STEVE: “Have you managed to change him?”

ROBERT: “Oh yeah (he grins) - he’s a complete crackpot now! What he had to offer came about gradually. The whole thing started gently and continued to snowball. Everybody has played a pretty important part. Paul, the bass player, has been great because, although I didn’t know Jezz beforehand, I had a lot of time to get to know him, but Paul just came in out of the blue. He’s been a great influence, though, because he’s a very off-the-wall character, both in his playing and his sense of humour. He added to it all and in the end things were very relaxed from a writing and a social point of view.”

STEVE: “Have you been treating the LP as a solo project or a band venture?”

ROBERT: “As a band really - there’s a lot more security in that. I’ve been used to working in a close-knit environment with a lot of warmth for a long time and that makes you feel very secure. So obviously my first thought was to give everybody the same opportunity I’d got.”

STEVE: “The easy, and possibly expected approach, would have been for you to get the cream of the session musicians to play with you.”

ROBERT: “I was thinking about that on the way down here, thinking about meeting you and you saying that. The idea of taking everybody out of a big band who didn’t have a job and calling it Australasia or Africa or some other continent! But for me, that’s far too obvious. It’s been a pleasure to work with people who initially had no idea how far you could take it. Initially, nobody expected anything at all. No-one expected that there was going to be an album, although at the back of everyone’s mind there was always the thought that it might just get good enough to warrant doing one. It was very hard for me to see that because of what I’d been involved with before in Zep. There was so much quality about it that I could never really see myself going ‘Yeah, that’s good enough’ or ‘That might be good enough’ because I loved what I did before so much. It was a case of things happening slowly but surely.”

Gradually, Robert became aware that things were happening, but when it came to going in to record the album he still lacked one vital band member - the drummer. Consequently he asked Cozy and Phil Collins to help out, both of whom were only too happy to oblige.

“I didn’t really choose them, I timidly asked them if they’d mind helping me out and their response was great. It was extremely hard for me to even consider working with other people. I know that might sound corny but it really was. I mean, I didn’t want to to play with anyone initially and then The Honeydrippers sort of got me at it again. And then to approach someone like Cozy, who’s already got a working situation, and for him to agree was like clearing the first hurdle.”

Somehow one can’t imagine him refusing the offer.

“Well it depends on how you look at things,” states Robert. “I mean, I don’t overestimate where I stand. Things with Cozy worked out really well. He came down and gave it a lot of ‘woomph’, that classic foot back and kick, which was just what the doctor ordered. The rest of us had been sort of jogging along, taking everything really steady and suddenly Cozy came in like a typhoon. Everyone suddenly realised that we were playing rock’n’roll - we’d forgotten about that. We were writing these lovely little chord sequences and suddenly it all had some bearing. He came in at the middle of it all and let fly.

“The reason he only did the two tracks was because he had so many commitments - he was really a tower of strength. Cozy, if you’re reading this, you know what I’m talking about!”

“Phil Collins was amazing too. He possesses boundless energy and has the ability to latch on very quickly. With him there we did six backing tracks in three days, which is incredible. He can take rhythms and move them to his own style but he’s very adaptable and his dynamics were great. A lot of people have heard the tracks and didn’t believe it was Phil. It shows that he’s got a lot more strings to his bow,”

‘Pictures At Eleven’ was recorded in five weeks, including the mix, and comprises eight songs.

Despite the emergence of vinyl product, Plant fans will probably have to wait quite a long time before seeing him perform his new material on stage.

ROBERT: “I’d like to be able to go on stage and do a complete set of material that features this album and the next one as well. That would give me about two hours of material, and until I’ve got that there’s no point in going out on the road. I don’t want to play half the show with songs that people have never heard before - it’s not worth it.”

When Robert does go on the road there’ll doubtless be a lot of people coming along in the hopes of hearing a Zeppelin tune. They look set to be disappointed. “I love the numbers, but I ain’t gonna play Zeppelin songs without Zeppelin.”

On Foreigner’s recent tour of Europe, they were joined for an impromptu jam in Munich by Robert and Jimmy Page. This was the first time that the Zeppelin had appeared together since their own continental trek during the summer of 1980. How did this arise?

“Basically, Jimmy and I just fancied going somewhere to have a break. He’d been working really hard on the ‘Death Wish’ album and I’d been busy with mine. I also wanted to see the record company people out there to check if they were awake - and they were good. The sound was a lot better than when I saw them in Birmingham.”

What was the reaction when you and Pagey came on stage?

“I can’t remember,” answers Robert. “I was petrified! I hadn’t walked on a stage that big for ages, but it didn’t take me more than a couple of seconds to remember what to do. It’s an amazing experience to go out there and soak it up for about four or five minutes. And then as you walk off somebody taps you on the back and goes ‘jolly good show’ and all you can do is feel your feet swivelling round at the bottom of your legs trying to lead you back out there again!”

Do you see much of Jimmy nowadays?

“Yeah, quite a lot - at least as much as I can inbetween whatever we’re doing separately. We keep in touch a lot.”

Have you done any work together?

“Musically? No, not yet.”

Do you think you might?

“Well... I don’t know... but time does amazing things. Anything’s possible at some time or another, but there’s no point in you printing ‘yeah, we may work again’ and all that because it would just be adding to the speculation. We’re good friends, we’ve always been very close and we’ve worked together for a long time. It’s a great team, but right now I’m very enthusiastic about what I’ve just done. I’ve sweated over this and I haven’t had the usual people to lean on. It’s very important to me.”

What is Jimmy up to at the moment?

"He’s got a project, or he’s been talking with a great deal of affection about one, that would involve alternative musicians - nobody we know. In England or America. It’s a project he’s had in the back of his mind for a long, long time, but there’s no point in going into it unless it really takes off. It’s quite a wholesome thing, though, and it sounds extremely interesting.”

And howsabout John Paul Jones?

“I don’t know what he’s up to - have you seen him? He’s moved down to Devon and when I saw him not too long ago he was enthusing about something he’s got up his sleeve, but there wasn’t really time for him to elaborate. He’s the kind of bloke who can sit down at the piano and play for hours, and as long as he can do that and extend it when he feels like it, he’s happy. That’s not to say he won’t do anything, but he’s more likely to take his time over what he does.”

Robert Plant, who’s looking extremely healthy, strikes me as being a spasmodically impatient character. He agrees:

Obviously, not every instance of a rock star talking about rain appears on this chart, I just thought this was a good spread. (Examples that didn't make the chart: Phil Collins' "I Wish It Would Rain Down" and Peter Gabriel's "Red Rain" for being too obscure, Queen's "Rain Must Fall" (lyrics by Freddie Mercury) for literally just occupying the same space as "The Rain Song" because it's almost the same exact line.)

The band and the crowd have a symbiotic relationship. If the crowd isn't having fun, it's hard for us to smile.

The Strokes lit up the field at their first Fuji Rock festival! Fab shares his enthusiasm for the show

The Strokes are known for rarely giving interviews during their tours, but this time we managed to catch up with Fab just before they arrived at Naeba! We were able to talk to them mainly about their live performance. They delivered a fantastic performance on the big stage at Fuji, with playability, energy, and passion, which is no exaggeration to say is the best performance ever for a band. As the following comment states, that glorious glow was a truly precious "light" born from the solid bond between the band's strength, their mental fulfillment, and the hearts of the audience. If any one of these elements had been missing, that positive uplifting would not have been possible. Of course, they will continue to improve their skills as a band and continue to perform excellently. It is certain that the number of audiences attending will increase, and they will create a larger-scale live experience. With that in mind, the Fuji Rock performance is just one page in the ongoing history of The Strokes, but I think the Japanese fans were very happy to share the one and only time on July 30, 2006, and to witness a document that condensed everything they had learned and accumulated in the five years leading up to First Impressions of Earth. That night's live performance will surely become a "foundation" or reference point for them as well. I hope you look forward to the new Strokes story that begins from here.

●Yesterday at Fuji it was raining and the conditions were bad, but the audience was fired up. And today will be the Strokes' first appearance at Fuji Rock. Please tell us your aspirations for the headline at 8:20pm on Sunday.

"First time, and as a headliner...that's crazy. You're making me so nervous."

●No no, that’s not what I meant. (laughs).

"Yeah, it's fine really (laughs). I'm really looking forward to it. To be honest, we've performed at quite a few festivals before and have a lot of experience, so I think performing at Fuji Rock came at the perfect time. We've practiced hard, the band is in great shape, and on top of that, we're incredibly happy to be here now. Actually, before coming to Japan, we were in Korea. And, of course, Korea was amazing too, but a lot of things were brand new for us. So... I never thought I'd say this, but I'm happy to be back in a place that's so familiar to me (laughs). It's so much fun to be back in Japan and go to restaurants that I know."

●And what are your goals for tonight?

"We just have to do it our way. I don't know what else to do. But we're determined to give it our all."

●The Strokes' live performance at Summer Sonic three years ago was truly amazing, but how do you think you have grown as a live band since that summer three years ago?

"I don't know, but it feels like a really long time has passed since then. Of course, that's just how I feel now, and when I'm 60 or so years old and look back, I'll probably think it all went by in the blink of an eye, but for me at this point, it really does feel like a long time has passed. I think all of the band members have evolved as musicians, and the record we made recently was a huge challenge in terms of arranging, playing, and how we function as a band. So I think all of that development we've made as a band is reflected in our live performances. We're tighter as a band than before, and our focus is more concentrated. But at the same time, we still have the same energy we had back then, that we've always had."

●Since the release of "First Impressions of Earth," you've been on the road for almost half a year now. Have you become able to perform the songs 100% in a live setting?

"I think that the songs on that album really show their true potential in a live performance. The way we recorded the songs on this album was quite different from the previous two. The way we created the sound, too... For example, when we play the songs on "Is This It" or "Room on Fire" live, even though we try to play them exactly as they were recorded, the sound ends up being richer.

“In other words, with the previous two albums, the live performance and the record were completely different creatures. But with this album, we really thought about how we would play it live during the recording stage, so sonically the record and the live performance are very close. We've managed to get the record a little closer to the live sound of this band... Also, I think that in a live performance, our movements and the element of actually playing on the spot are added."

●Which songs from 'First Impressions' have changed/grown more than they did when you recorded them by playing them on tour, or songs that you discover something new about while playing them?

"Well, maybe there aren't many of those... We're more focused on making the songs we've completed during the recording stage sound as accurate as possible. At least, we try to do that, and it's something we take pride in. Because, in the shows I've seen, there are very few songs that I'm happy to have turned out differently from the records.

“Pearl Jam, especially Eddie Vedder, are one of those few bands because he does really cool things with that voice, but most of the time I think, "Oh, I wish he'd sang it the way I know it, just like on the record."... Don't you think there are times like that? So, how can I put it... I think there are definitely some aspects of a live performance that are really strange, like the vibe, the intensity of the songs, that are hard to convey on a record.. When you actually play on stage, I think it feels like those parts start to breathe in the song."

●By the way, which song do you feel that particularly?

"For example, 'Vision of Division' has a crazy solo by Albert. At first, I was really nervous about playing this song live... because it's a song that requires a lot of unity as a band. But with each performance, I gradually got more comfortable with it and started to have fun. So now I feel like I've grasped the core of what this song is all about, and it feels like everything is growing from that one point."

●Do you actually get that feeling in real time on stage?

"First of all, when I start playing, it's like I'm armed and ready for battle. Then, as I slowly approach my target, the moment I'm about to take it down is incredibly intense, and when it's over, it's like I've taken a deep breath of fresh air and exhaled, 'Ahhhhhh!' I hope that the audience will feel that same way, even if unconsciously, and experience it with me."

●I see. By the way, do you change the song selection for each tour? When I saw the first concert, I got the impression that there were very few songs from the second album (only two).

"Yeah, we didn't play much from that album. I think it was just one song... I'm not sure. Oh, maybe two songs after all."

●Will it be the same for this tour?

"It depends on the time and the situation."

●What do you mean?

"Basically, we like to play the same set list over and over again. This may be a personal opinion, but we think of the show as one package, including the gaps. In other words, the time when we're not playing a song is important, and the transitions between songs, such as whether we finish one song and then immediately start the next, make the show more interesting. On the other hand, there are times when it's better to have a little pause, especially when we're suddenly jumping from one theme to a completely different theme. So for us, playing one set list over and over again, practicing it and learning it, is very interesting. But when we're playing two nights in a row at the same venue, we always try to change things up a bit, just in case there are people who come to both shows. But Fuji Rock probably won't be that different from Hyde Park. I think we've got the hang of pacing ourselves for festivals."

●So what do you focus on when creating a set list?

"First, we're going to play all the singles we've released so far. Then we'll play songs that we enjoy playing live. Then we'll play songs that we think sound good when we play them live... that's about it. I actually want to delve deeper into the songs from Room on Fire, but to do that we need to rehearse and reexamine each song, so we need a little more time."

●Okay. Now, moving on to the next question, in the Strokes' live shows, I had the impression that Julian looked uncomfortable, but in recent live performances, I feel that he is finally starting to enjoy his role as frontman/singer, standing on stage and connecting with the band and the audience. Do you feel this positive change in Julian, as you are on stage with him?

"Umm……Yeah, but I think maybe everyone has changed a little bit. I think I understand what you're saying. It feels like he's started to truly embrace the joy of being on stage a little more than before. But I think he's always been like that, actually. I think it was probably due to that show. Julian is, so to speak, a very sensitive creature. Very sensitive. On the days when the audience is really enthusiastic and it's the best, I really feel like I'm dancing with everyone, but on the other hand, when the audience is a little cold, I feel like I have to prove myself, and the other members feel the same way. However, it doesn't directly affect the performance, I still perform the songs well, but I think it makes me feel a little uneasy emotionally."

●By the way, what changes have you seen in yourself?

"Obviously, in my case, it's not as obvious because I don't have a microphone and I'm not the one communicating with the crowd (laughs). But now that I've been doing this for a long time, I probably feel more comfortable going on stage than I did before. I still get really nervous, of course, but it used to be a lot worse, and I'd be so nervous every night before going on stage that I would throw up. Compared to then, I still get nervous, but by the time I go on stage I've calmed down."

●I see. Also, I thought that "Ask Me Anything" was one of the highlights of the Hyde Park gig.

"I agree. I think that's a great song to play live (laughs)."

●(smiles) ?

"You know why? Because I don't have to do anything, hehehe."

●Ahahaha! Putting aside its merits in that sense, I felt that the addition of that song allowed The Strokes' live shows to express all the emotions, making them a more total emotional experience.

“I see. I think that’s a really beautiful insight.

Yeah, that's a really great way to look at it. I'd never thought of it that way myself, but it definitely changes the dynamic of the whole show. It's like the horizons of the show are broadened by the addition of that one song, and it draws a whole new ridge, and the mountains and valleys become more clearly visible. Anyway, it's a good song, it's very honest, Nick is playing a different instrument than usual, it shows a new side of the band, and I think that song makes the show even more interesting. Yeah, I think so.

●What are the points that you use to judge whether a live show is good or bad? There are live shows where it's okay to make mistakes, but what are the points that make you feel like "tonight's show was good" or "it was crap"?

"There are three things that make a show good. First, we have to perform as perfectly as possible. Of course, that doesn't mean just hitting every note mechanically, but it has to be entertaining, so it also includes feeling the vibe of the show. Second, we have to feel like we're all there together. That is, if someone is unhappy, you can usually sense that. If we can all smile, that's great. And third, and I think this is probably the most important, is the audience. If the audience doesn't accept the band, if they're not enjoying being there, it's going to be very hard for us to smile. After all, the band and the crowd have a symbiotic relationship, and we're there feeling each other, and the audience. So, to have a great show, you need all three."

●So tonight, all three of those things will come together and you will headline Fuji's Green Stage with a great live performance that will be the finale to our best memories!

"It's okay, I have a good feeling about this. I mean, I'm pretty sure it'll happen, so I hope it does. We'll do our best too..."

●I think the audience is also fully prepared.

"Got it. It'll be great then."

●Also, you haven't had a proper Japan tour since the tour for your first album, so please do a full-scale Japan tour this year!

"Yes, we’ll come as soon as possible."

●I'll be waiting.