Robert Plant

Perth Concert Hall, Perth, November 28

Legends don’t come much bigger than Robert Plant. As frontman and genredefining rock god with Led Zeppelin he gave voice to one of the goliaths of recording history, shifting between 200 and 300 million albums worldwide.

It all started in 1968 when West Bromwich-born Plant was invited by Yardbirds guitarist Jimmy Page to join his new band, recommending his Band Of Joy colleague John Bonham for drum duties. Page roped in bassist John Paul Jones and within months the four-piece landed a $143,000 advance from Atlantic Records.

Between 1969 and 1971 Zep redefined hard rock with the groundbreaking albums Led Zeppelin I, II, III and the untitled IV — widely regarded as a genuine musical touchstone.

Houses Of The Holy, Physical Graffiti and Presence continued their incredible run, but drink and drugs had started to throttle the band’s productivity and Bonham’s premature death in 1980 hastened the inevitable split.

“John was my brother — he was a loose cannon but he was a spectacular guy,” recalls Plant, whose Perth show on Tuesday sold out instantly.

“He was a good-hearted man, he helped me a lot. I used to see Bonzo a lot but we’d just be in the pub.

“We lived where we’d always lived but everyone’s own free time was their own. None of us lived together off the road and that was one of the reasons we actually did maintain some sanity throughout the real crazy days.”

The songsmith puts Zeppelin’s stratospheric success down to creative restlessness.

“I don’t think there’s one album in the Zeppelin catalogue nor in my own that really follows any kind of considered, premeditated pathway.”

Ever prolific, Plant’s 15th post-Zep release, Carry Fire, melds blues, African influences and Bristolian trip-hop.

It features a group of world musicians he first worked with prior to 2007’s Raising Sand, the collaboration with bluegrass singer Alison Krauss that became his biggest success since 1979, comfortably eclipsing reunion albums with Page. The Stairway To Heaven lyricist reassembled his Sensational Space Shifters for 2014’s Lullaby And The Ceaseless Roar and their global fusion extends further on Carry Fire, released last month.

Plant, 69, describes his relationship with the five-piece as “like a brotherhood”.

“It’s a good honest combination of people — we still like each other and laugh all the time,” he explains.

“Every time we go on tour we do a different take on some of the songs. You’ve got to have fun with them. They’re not concept songs but they become kind of concept in the end.”

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Robert Plant brings his beloved tunes to Perth.