Robert Plant & the Band of Joy
Sunday, June 12th, 2011 - 18:00
What Stage - Bonnaroo X
Great Stage Park,
Woodland Avenue and South 1st Avenue,
Manchester, TN, USA

Taper: LeifH
Source: CSB's (filter) > Sony WM D6C (Dolby B) > Maxell XL-II 90
Transfer: Master cassette > Sony TC-WE475 (Dolby off) > H/K 3500 > Creative X-Fi Soundblaster > Wavepad Master's Edition @ 48000Hz > downsample to 16/44.1 > flac (8) via Frontend

Setlist: 1:23:23
00 Galactic tune
01 introduction
02 Black Dog
03 Down to the Sea
04 Angel Dance
05 What Is and What Should Never Be
06 House of Cards
07 Somewhere Trouble Don't Go
08 Monkey
09 A Satisfied Mind
10 Houses of the Holy
11 Ocean of Tears
12 Black Country Woman
13 In the Mood
14 Please Read The Letter
15 Misty Mountain Hop
16 Ramble On

Having listened to a lot of Led Zeppelin, both on purpose and not, I couldn't pass up seeing Robert Plant. However, to my unfortunate surprise, it was the most boring show of the weekend for me. Plant didn't sing on all of the songs, he's got backup singers to assist his voice, and when he talks, he lisps and it sounds like he's talking through plastic (because he is).

The highlight of this tape for me is the Galactic tune I recorded before Plant. I was sitting backwards, behind the soundboard tent, and just listen to how good it sounds! They are a cool funk band. After their set I picked a spot in front of the big soundboard tent. There were some open tapers set up, some recorded Galactic and most were mainly there for Widespread Panic. Minutes before Plant took the stage, the tapers were asked to tear down. Some did, some lowered their stand, and I never revealed to the security personnel that I was recording. So I stood shoulder to shoulder with a security person for the duration of Plant, rarely checking my recording levels, and ducking to flip the tape. I caught almost all of Ramble On on tape, and when I felt it run out, I decided, fuck it. There's other tapers here getting it, I don't want to do another duck and cover in order to change tapes for the encore. If it were any other artist I'm sure I would have, though. After the set, another security person asked me for rolling papers and headed back stage.

Am I glad I saw Robert Plant? Yes. Would I go see him again? No. Anyone can sing with Nashville session musicians strumming in the background.