Robert Plant - iTunes Festival @ The Roundhouse, London 08/09/14

Much in accordance with the venue’s history, this was a restorative evening. In the mid-19th century, it opened as an engine repair shed, and after decades of dereliction, the Roundhouse became the bustling arts hub that it is today. Not that the 66-year-old Plant is in need of any restoration: he’s made or contributed to 16 albums since the disbandment of Led Zeppelin, while his voice remains as acrobatic, irresistible, and formidably potent, as it ever was. Though, his latest release Lullaby and … the Ceaseless Roar is the first since Plant’s break up with fellow musician Patty Griffin, and the album takes its cues accordingly.

After a decade of exploring America – all expansive, Nashville vibes – the new material is introspective, honest, and vulnerable. It’s a step inwards. On the night itself, the first track Plant performs is “Turn It Up”, a savage retrospection of his time in the States. He crooned sinisterly, beside a tenebrous, snarling guitar: “I’m turning into someone else I heard so much about/ I’m blinded by the neon, the righteous and the might.”

It’s certainly not, however, a set of self-indulgent brooding. The singer once known as “The Wild Man of Blues From the Black Country” still maintains a deft control of mood and virtuoso showmanship. Before Plant – and his backing group, the Sensational Space Shifters – take to the stage, there is an invigorating, albeit, slightly cheesy, 30 second countdown, while he even jokingly scolds the audience for their lukewarm attempts to repeat the climatic yelps of “Black Dog”: “fucking hell.” Then, of course, there is the fact that the gig is being streamed live to thousands of viewers around the world.

During the days of Led Zeppelin, Plant and co. travelled to the Atlas mountains and other parts of North Africa seeking musical inspiration. Now, his six-piece band offer similarly well-travelled influences: Celtic tones, Middle Eastern twangs, and West African rhythms. Key to the new sound is Juldeh Camara who plays riti, a one-stringed fiddle, and the kologo, a two-stringed lute, though Plant is savvy enough to keep a mixed crowd satisfied. The 85-minute set featured four songs from his forthcoming LP, as well as Led Zeppelin tracks “Thank You”, “Black Dog”, “Going To California”, “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” and a raucous rendition of “Whole Lotta Love”.

By now, Plant’s voice is an instrument in its own right, which remains practically unaltered since his heydey, despite gradually creasing skin and greying hair. With countless gigs under his belt, an accomplished performance is to be expected, but the ageing singer also offered a moving performance, which was at times tinged with sorrow, and others replete with euphoria. While the remastering of Led Zeppelin’s first three albums this summer fuelled a frenzied clamour for a potential reunion, Plant continues to carve out his own musical tributaries and tangents. He must wonder how many more times these questions will be asked, when his current output continues to stimulate so.