Letz Zep @ Le Liberté, Rennes 2012

Tonight it’s Letz Zep, the Led Zeppelin tribute band that occupies the stage of “Le Liberté”. It is 8:25 p.m. when I enter the room, arranged for the occasion. The room is transformed into a real auditorium and the audience is replaced by rows of chairs. There is no pit and the first rows are really in contact with the group.
For my part I’m here, alone in front of the stage, between the band and its audience, a bit intimidated to be in the middle without any other photographer. So I take my photos quickly and will sit in the audience to enjoy this concert.

At 8:30 p.m. the four musicians arrive on stage. Very quickly the first guitar or drum riffs keep coming, and the singer’s voice stands out. A little young, I’m not part of that generation who could easily have seen Led Zeppelin on stage, I only know their music but mainly the stage presence of this group is troubling. If I didn’t know that they are a tribute band, I will think that they are the real one.
The first part of the concert continues between guitar solos and masterful battery riffs all accompanied by a bass, or keyboard while the singer’s distinctive voice sings songs like « Baby I’m Gonna Leave You » or « Dazed and Confused.  » The show is very bright, very moving lighting is perfectly synchronized with the music which permit to give the show his best. The songs keep continue and then follows a demonstration of using the pedal to the battery which leaves more than one speechless!

Finally this first part ends after one hour of beautiful music with a wink to « If you’re going to the San Francisco » and while the group retires backstage, alone remains the guitarist that makes us a superb demonstration of his talent in playing guitar with a bow. I’ve seen guitarists try to do that and the result was never conclusive, but there, what to say, it was amazing.

It’s time for intermission, ladies and gentlemen we will return in a minute!

The second part opens with a concert in a cabaret atmosphere. The singer is sitting in a high chair in front of his microphone, his two guitarists have exchange their electric instruments with an acoustic guitar and a banjo and the drummer used a light rhythm punctuated on the snare and cymbals. As the singer himself says, « this song is about ecology » and the second « it’s about a blue eyed friend »! The style is more folk, country which allows us to come back in the rhythms. Again guitarist shows his brilliance, whatever guitar he holds in his hands!

Then comes the moment when as you ear the first notes you fell the chills all over your body when you recognize the introduction of « Kashmir». Bassist exchanges his bass against a keyboard then it will exchange with an electric bass showing his mastery of many instruments. This anthology song is followed by another and not least as it is « Starway to Heaven »!. At this point, the audience rises and mass at the foot of the stage to get more from this huge show.

After these songs, the drummer left us with a tremendous solo which continues the greatness of this show. Finally the group plays a few more songs before they finally leave after just over two hours of show, two hours that have spend too quickly and that were a great moment for both eyes and ears, two hours you are wondering how it is possible to play that way!

See you soon!!

 Et en français sur Zikannuaire.

@ bientôt

~ par erwanicolas sur 6, février, 2012.