WHOLE LOTTA LOVE
A LED ZEPPELIN CELEBRATION
Burswood Theatre, Perth
Saturday 24th September, 2011

By Shane Pinnegar

The CC Entertainment crew threw one hell of a party tonight to celebrate the back catalogue and legac of the quintessential hard rock band, Led Zeppelin.

Featuring a core band and some heavy hitting guest stars, the Whole Lotta Love crew, led by musical director & founder Joseph Calderazzo took their places on the sparse stage and kicked straight into the unmistakable riff from ‘Rock n Roll’ as Natasha Stuart took the microphone, her cascade of curls and powerful high register almost evoking the spirit of Percy Plant himself.

Vocalists came and went with almost every song – as did chairs and stools as required - Stuart bringing a wonderful turn on ‘Immigrant Song’ and the laid back ‘Bron Y’aur Stomp’; Widowbird Simon Melli using his rich, soulful and folky tones to great effect through ‘The Ocean’ and ‘Rain Song’, and histrionic takes of ‘Ramble On’ and ‘Stairway To Heaven’; and Noiseworks bassist Steve Balbi – bizarrely bowler hatted like a black-clad Droog from A Clockwork Orange – proved his vocals to be the equal of most through ‘Black Country Woman’, ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’ and a suitably mystical ‘Battle of Evermore’, also featuring Stuart’s divine backing vocals.

For many it was the presence of Tea Party mainman Jeff Martin that was the major drawcard to this round of shows, yet despite commanding renditions of ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’, ‘When the Levee Breaks’ with Melli providing some frenetic blues harmonica, and ‘Going To California’ – again with Stuart’s backing vocals – he seemed strangely uncomfortable on this stage and really only came into his own during a majestic and regal ‘Kashmir’.

By the time drummer Gordon Rytmeister kick-drummed the encore into ‘Moby Dick’ and Calderazzo threw down a medley of riffs from songs which didn’t make the final cut tonight – ‘Living Loving Maid’, ‘Communication Breakdown’, ‘D’Yer Maker’, ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’, ‘Fool In The Rain’, just showing the depth of Zeppelin’s body of work – the crowd was on their feet as one, and a triumphant rip and tear through ‘Whole Lotta Love’ itself, featuring all tonight’s performers including a 3 piece string ensemble and all of our vocal talents, capped off a superb night’s entertainment.

Rock n’ Roll (Natasha Stuart)
The Ocean (Simon Melli)
Since I Been Loving You (Jeff Martin with Natasha Stuart)
Nobody’s Fault But Mine – When The Levee Breaks (Jeff Martin + Simon Melli harmonica)
Black Country Woman (Steve Balbi)
Ramble On (Simon Melli)
Immigrant Song (Natasha Stuart)

INTERMISSION

What Is And What Should Never Be (Steve Balbi)
Black Dog (Steve Balbi)
Bron Y’Aur Stomp (Natasha Stuart)
No Quarter (Simon Melli)
Going To California (Jeff Martin with Natasha Stuart)
Ten Years Gone (Jeff Martin)
Stairway To Heaven (Simon Melli)
Four Sticks (Natasha Stuart)
Rain Song (Simon Melli)
Battle of Evermore (Steve Balbi)
Kashmir (Jeff Martin)

Moby Dick/Riff medley
Whole Lotta Love (Full cast)