“I’ve got nothing against it. It’s just I found these other places that are so rich”: Robert Plant turned down an invite from Tony Iommi to attend Black Sabbath’s final gig because he knows nothing about rock music nowadays
When Black Sabbath’s final show at Villa Park was announced, the metal world erupted in panic. Everyone was desperate for a ticket… well, everyone except for Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant.
Despite being personally invited by Sabbath’s very own Tony Iommi, Plant admits he turned down the opportunity to attend the biggest show in heavy metal history, which would also double as the late Ozzy Osbourne’s final ever live performance. “I said, Tony, I’d love to come, but I can’t come,” the Led Zeppelin frontman tells MOJO.
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Why? While it isn’t fully clear, it seems like Plant didn’t want to hear Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler sounding worse for wear; the Aerosmith frontman’s fractured larynx caused Aerosmith to officially call it quits back in 2024. “I know how it will be for me to see Steven Tyler, who I had loved many times as Steven Tyler…” he reflects. “I just can’t.”
Despite Plant’s concerns, Tyler smashed his performance at Back To The Beginning back in July. Backed by band consisting of Nuno Bettencourt, Tom Morello, Andrew Watt and Ronnie Wood, Tyler powered his way through Aerosmith’s version of The Train Kept A-Rollin’, the iconic Walk This Way and Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. The Zeppelin cover in particular is a real shame, considering the frontman decided not to attend.
Regardless, Plant adds that he also had another reason for declining. Plant just doesn’t really feel as involved in the rock world anymore. “I’m not saying that I’d rather hang out with Peter Gabriel or Youssou N’Dour, but I don’t know anything about what’s going on in that world now, at all,” he admits.
That being said, he’s not moaning about being feeling ‘left out’. He just has other musical interests nowadays. “I don’t decry it, I’ve got nothing against it,” he says. “It’s just I found these other places are so rich.”
He goes on to namedrop 20-year-old folk musician Nora Brown. “If you don’t know Nora Brown, your world is about to change,” he says. “She’s got a wooden-bodies fretless banjo that was used a lot by the black musicians. And I can’t tell you how plaintive her voice is.”
Plant explains that he even kicks off his live shows with a Nora Brown track: Wedding Dress. The young musician was only 16 when she first recorded the track back in 2021. If you’re keen to hear it in action, Plant is sure to knock the track out on his autumn tour, kicking off on 30 October in West Virginia and running through til a final show at California’s Valley Centre on 23 November.
Saving Grace, Plant’s twelfth solo record, is also due to drop 26 September. As it stands, only two singles have been released, and you can really feel that the record was recorded partially in a barn and partially outdoors; Everybody’s Song and Gospel Plough showcase an almost spiritual take on country, roots rock and Americana.
For more information on Plant’s upcoming tour and record, head to his website.
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