Cait , Dublin, Dec.9th

[johnfoyle]

' You will see that some very famous names are missing completely. There is nothing at all by Led Zeppelin, the Doors, Michael Jackson, or Sting. You may love them. They just don't do it for me.'

- Elvis Costello

Elvis picks the 500 Greatest Albums Ever
Vanity Fair, 2000-11-01


Rather interesting reading considering who I saw at a Robert Plant gig here in Dublin this evening - yes , I had another encounter of the Cait O'Riordan kind. First I turn around from the upstairs bar in the venue , pint in hand , and nearly bump into her and some blokes. All smiley , looking great, all in black , hair very layered and down past her shoulders. I moved on , eventually taking my tenth row seat in the packed upper circle of the venue.

Just before lights down , I look down the row - and there ten seats along from me are Cait and co. . I know Dublin is small but , fuck me , this is getting ridiculous. As the show ensued it was clear that 'Zeppelin certainly 'did it' for Cait. Anytime I looked (c'mon I had too!) she was mouthing along with the 'Zep songs , shaking her hair all over the place. And so it went for the, just short of, two hour show.

Seeing Cait in the Olympia is also of note considering Elvis' history with the venue. After some classic shows there in the 1980's he was 'banned' from there , a story he told on stage , right up to his last Dublin show in 2002. He never said anymore than that it ' involved drink'. The various stories I've heard have clearly got better with the telling. In essence the main culprit was , allegedly , Cait and Elvis has been party to the 'ban' because he, basically , stood by here .

Plant's show was fun ,once you adjusted to his competent backing musicians doing adequate versions of the 'Zep classics. The mostly older audience ( some , perhaps , may have been at that night in Belfast in March 1971 when Stairway To Heaven got it's live debut) were ecstatic when the 'Zep songs were played. His more recent stuff was tolerated , with people fiddling with there mobile phones/ going for a wee / getting drinks. The finale of Whole Lotta Love had everyone up out of there seats and all left happy.

By the way Cait , if you're reading this , I'll be at the Martha Wainwright gig in Dublin next Monday , just in case you were thinking of going. Seeya there!