Robert Plant is the star of a new promotional film extolling the virtues of luxury high-speed Italian train travel

Robert Plant aboard a Frecciarossa 1000 train
Robert Plant aboard a Frecciarossa 1000 train (Image credit: Le Frecce)

When Italian train operator Trenitalia introduced their Frecciarossa high-speed service, it revolutionised domestic travel in Italy as travel times between major cities were greatly reduced. Throw in the comfort and convenience of train travel, and hell, why would anyone choose to fly between, say, Naples and Venice?

Not Robert Plant, that's for sure. In a new promotional film for Trenitalia, the Led Zeppelin man can be seen travelling between the two cities aboard the company's flagship Frecciarossa 1000, a 300kph beast which makes the 700km journey in just five hours, calling in at the historic centres of Florence and Bologna as it heads north.

In the video, which was filmed last month during Plant and Suzy Dian's Italian tour with Saving Grace, the pair can be seen enjoying the comforts of Executive Class, which includes a complimentary cold tray meal, rotating leather seats, a six-seat meeting room, access to the Frecciaclub first class lounge at all major Italian stations, and free WiFi. Oh, and a dedicated steward.

The film, which is soundtracked by Saving Grace's cover of Low's Everybody’s Song, finishes with footage of the band performing live.

Saving Grace with Robert Plant & Suzi Dian's next live show is at the Royal Hall in Harrogate, England, on November 5. Full dates below.

Saving Grace with Robert Plant & Suzi Dian tour dates

Nov 05: Harrogate Royal Hall, UK
Nov 06: Stockton-on-Tees Globe Theatre, UK
Nov 23: Woking New Victoria Theatre, UK
Nov 24: Southend-on-Sea Cliffs Pavilion, UK

May 03: Brussels Cirque Royal, Belgium
May 05: Eindhoven Muziekgebouw Eindhoven, The Netherlands
May 06: Amsterdam Koninklijk Theater Carre, The Netherlands
May 08: Copenhagen Falkoner Salen, Denmark
May 09: Malmö Live Konserthus, Sweden
May 11: Gothenburg Konserthus, Sweden
May 14: Oslo Folketeateret, Norway
May 16: Stockholm Cirkus, Sweden
May 18: Tampere Talo, Finland
May 19: Helsinki Finlandia Talo, Finland
May 21: Tallinn Alexela Kontserdimaja, Estonia
May 23: Vilnius Compensa Koncertų Salé, Lithuania

Tickets are available via Robert Plant's website.

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.