Most fans thought legendary rock n roll band Led Zeppelin front man Robert Plant would never perform “Stairway to Heaven” again since 2007. This includes Plant himself. However last October, Plant performed the classic, the first time in the last 16 years, much to the surprise of fans.
Robert Plant’s reflections on the performance
In a recent interview with Rolling Stones to promote his upcoming North American tour, Plant has described this performance which took place at a charity event in Oxfordshire, England as “cathartic”. He added, “People go, ‘Oh, that’s good. He never was going to do that.’ But I didn’t really do it! I just blurted it out.” The event was organised by former Duran Duran/The Power Station guitarist Andy Taylor to raise money for The Cancer Platform charity.
Plant mentioned that the song was important to him for where he was in his life at that time with bandmates Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham. He further added, “So on that night, it was what it was. It was a trial by fire, but I felt better at the end than at the beginning.”
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Plant’s relationship with the song
Plant has had a famously complicated relationship with the bands most iconic song. He had told the press in 1988 that if he would have to sing it on every show, the singer would “break out in hives”. “I wrote those lyrics and found that song to be of some importance and consequence in 1971, but 17 years later, I don’t know. It’s just not for me. No more Stairway to Heaven for me.”
Unfortunately though, fans may never see him perform the tune again. When asked if he thinks it will be his last performance of the song, Plant replied, “Yeah, I think you’re probably right.”
“Who knows? Something could change somewhere,” he says. “Spirit and heart could come back in the soul. It’s a long song. Who can remember all those words?”
