Review by Richard Henry for MPM
It is a brave task to step up and take this on, iconic band and set, absolutely packed house tonight as well, but, I can’t think of a better band to attempt this one, it’s near 9pm and the lights go down!
Immigrant Song – As the band hit the stage we are off with a bang, Cormac wailing away at the start of this one, crisp sound from the stage as well and a great mix, from the Zep 3 album, great reaction and response from the crowd and well deserved, have seen some really good tributes but the guys have really got all the nuances of this one down, good one to set the tone for the night!
Heartbreaker – That’s a dirty riff to kick this track off from Zep 2, and again the groove is just far and hard, now if you know the track we are all waiting for that middle section of the song and that pull off guitar lick and I can report that Paul absolutely nailed it, in fact he had the sound really nailed on as well, great solo, I might add the rhythm section of Mickey and James absolutely had it bolted down as well, great swing to the playing!
Black Dog – Hitting Zep 4 for this track, Cormac up in the stratosphere for the start of this one, and it’s just a lovely slinky groove to this one, James absolutely killing it back there behind the kit, massive snare sound, a lot of audience participation on this one, Cormac getting the Ulster Hall to sing back to him, great interaction in the parts where he can do it, another classic nailed!
Since I’ve Been Loving You – Now this track for me from Zep 3 is one for the guitarists, I have seen Warren Haynes, Greg Koch and a few others tackle it, really slinky bluesy feel, great pained vocal from Cormac with Amy giving a hand on this, and Paul absolutely hung his hat on this one, great feel and some lovely playing on it as well, plus again great dynamics from the rhythm section just bringing it all back on this track, great feel and a properly great version of this track!
Rock n Roll – This one from Zep 4 really needs no introduction, just comes in with that drum part at the start, slight stutter on this one in the band coming in, only time I heard a bit of a faulted so far, but Cormac is absolutely nailing Robert Plant tonight, honestly absolutely nailing it, the crowd are lapping it up with rapturous applause between the songs!
There is now a little break from the Zeppelin set and the guys kick on with some of their own songs!
Blood Brother – From the last album Sundowners in 2023, you can definitely hear the influence from tonight’s subject matter but for me there is a more soul influence to this one that crossed with like a Black Crowes sort of feel, love the bouncy groove of this one and again, great harmony vocals on this one, slips in great with all the previous songs!
Want you to Love Me – Sticking with the same album, really driving drum groove on this one, nice low down vocal and the chorus is huge and total ear worm will get stuck in there well after you hear it, great vocal from Cormac, love that unison guitar and bass riff, the tempo change in the middle is really cool, cracking track!
Under the Sky – Was that debut album nearly twenty years old, woh, first track we heard from these guys and it’s a big old slab of a riff that slaps you about at the start of this one, full pelt boogie, the thing is and I did think this, as much as I am loving the Zeppelin songs, I would have been quite happy hearing set of their own music and it’s because of songs like this, a great chorus which goes halftime, Paul gets to let loose a bit for the solo on this one, great track that I haven’t heard in years!
Preaching – From the debut as well, the slide guitar is in for this track and it really does have the Zep feel to it, just that kick drum keeping time along work that southern delta blues feeling guitar, then the band kicks in, it’s a great track in retrospect because of the track we are leading back into which starts us into the next part of the Zeppelin set!
Going to California – Nice break in tempo with this one as we laze back into the Zeppelin part of the set, from Zep 4, this is your folk more acoustic dorbro slide tune and it is a really nice change of tempo, few people with the phone lights in the air for this track, loved it, and as if they planned it, it leads into what is the next track on the album…
When the Levee Breaks – That snare sound just cuts at the start of this track from Zep 4 as James tackles the intro to this one, a low down and dirty groove, the guitar sounds and everything are just spot on, I can’t stress how much the guys are absolutely nailing these tracks, bassist Micky deserves a shout out as he is really playing some nice stuff in there and probably apart from Cormac the most mobile person up on the stage!
Communication Breakdown – They go straight from one track into another as they bang right into this one from the first Zep album, Amy out again to give a helping hand to Cormac on the vocals and it is a really cool mix out there and a different energy with the two vocalists, really enjoyed that cover and it definitely had a different vibe to the original, awesome!!
What is and What Should Never Be
Whole Lotta Love – Paul gets to kick this one off with the iconic riff, must be so cool to stand on a stage with near 2000 people and hit that riff, have the fiddle player from the String Ninjas up to help out with that middle build up part of the song, loved that, added so much atmosphere to that section of the song and then Paul nails the Page solo, great playing all round!
The Ocean – So we went slightly off piste with this one that is from 1973’s Houses of the Holy album, definitely a more funky number and the rhythm section just grooving along to that with Cormac sliding in over the top, this song is just pure groove, just getting us warmed up for the big finale!!
Stairway to Heaven – I mean what else can you finish the set with, tough one to get right but I loved the keys and mellotron intro with the guitar, I keep saying it but Cormac absolutely nailed this and the vocal was spot on, when the band kick in the sounds where nailed on and then Paul has the task of iconic solo section which he pulls off before the high singing starts at the end of this one, as the sound finishes out the place goes nuts and the band are giving a proper thanks by the crowd, what a set.
Outstanding tribute to Zeppelin from The Answer, fair play to them and I look forward to seeing what tribute night the Ulster Hall come up with next!
