Royal Albert Hall

I agee the AH is not the best for sound although its better than it used to be before the hanging baffles were installed . However nothing in london has the same atmosphere as the Albert Hall it seems to have a buzz all its own with a unique feel of closeness to the action that no concert hall i have been can match. Imho the greatest concert venue in the world dispite any accustic failings.

It was a dark Halloween night last Thursday that I found myself sat at the Albert Hall waiting for the emergence of former Led Zeppelin front-man Robert Plant. The audience were excitable in anticipation, and thankfully there was nothing gloomy about the performance. Rivalling Brain May for the best hair in rock, Plant appeared ready to have a fine time. The wonderfully gifted voice that Plant has possessed since the ‘60s was in fine form, having matured with age and showcasing rich tones that blended so well with the mix of rock, blues and African rhythms vibrating around the hall to much applause. The appearance of the Gambian musician Juldeh Camara added to the layers of high quality musicianship that the band (which featured musicians from Bristol and Liverpool) had in droves. A friend had told me that he had seen Plant play on tour with Alison Krauss last year and that he looked tired and thought that he may be finding it hard to keep up. I have to say the opposite was true here; it is possible that Plant’s decision to not make another album with Krauss after all their success (winning 5 Grammys for their album ‘Raising Sand’ as well as much acclaim)and instead pursue working on something different to keep music fresh and interesting for him seemed to be paying off. While a lot of his peers look tired and worn with their best days behind them, he looked fitter and stronger than he has in the last few years and he was flying around the stage, throwing the microphone around with ease and prowling around with an unbelievably menacing presence; and who wouldn’t feel 10 feet tall with such a remarkable voice? I could have closed my eyes and believed that the man on stage was the Plant of old not a man of pensionable age. He seems to be enjoying the aging process (‘I can travel for free now’) as well as the music more than ever. ‘This is an invigorating time for me’. Quite. The quality of the band was obviously helping to keep him on his toes and he looked to be having the time of his life, and wonderfully, so were we. With the music ranging from old blues classics to Led Zeppelin numbers (which were met with roars of approval), it all blended in together beautifully. ‘Whole Lotta Love’ , ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’ and other classics went down a storm and Plant looked like he could continue all night. Despite finishing at 10 minutes past midnight (leaving most struggling to make the last tube home) I think we would have all quite happily stayed all night for a lock in. Greedy yes, but it truly would have been heavenly. Trick or treat? Treat definitely. A really thrilling night out. Rating; 10/10

Great guide for classical concerts, theatre , ballet .