Last weekend Robert Plant sang the iconic Stairway To Heaven at a charity show in Oxfordshire. It was Plant's first public perforrmance of the song since Led Zeppelin's Celebration Day show in 2007, and guitarist Kenwyn House has now revealed that the performance was prompted by a six-figure donation to the charity.
Goldray guitarist House – formerly of Brit rockers Reef – was called in on short notice to join the band after event organiser and Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor injured his hand a week prior to the event. And in an interview with Led Zeppelin News, he's revealed what happened behind the scenes, saying that he didn't know Stairway To Heaven was on the setlist until he arrived at rehearsal.
"It was a combination between uber excitement and terrifying," he says. “I literally only had four days to learn everything."
"When Robert Plant walked into the room and I had to play Stairway to Heaven with him for the first time in a small enclosed environment, that was probably the most pressured professional situation I have ever, ever come across. I’m in a small room with my hero playing the most famous of his songs."
House also reveals that Stairway To Heaven – a song Plant is notoriously reluctant to perform – was only included in the set at the behest of someone who donated a significant amount of money to Taylor's charity of choice, The Cancer Platform.
“Someone bid a huge amount of money for him to sing this song,” House says. “There is a good circle of karma around it. That raised a six figure sum for the charity, that one song."
In addition to Plant, Taylor and House, the band at the event – held at Soho Farmhouse, a members-only club and hotel near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire – included Pink Floyd/David Gilmour bassist player Guy Pratt, Rod Stewart’s drummer David Palmer, Taylor’s son Andy J Taylor on guitar, Danish singer Anne Rani and Croatian multi-instrumentalist Dino Jelusick – previously a touring member of Whitesnake – on keyboards and backing vocals.
The event raised over £1m to support the development of the The Cancer Platform, a tool launched by the Cancer Awareness Trust which aims to significantly improve the lives of those affected by cancer.
Goldray are currently working on their third album.
