“They mean it”: the cult goth bands Robert Plant adored
As the frontman of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant inspired a generation of vocalists. Without him, there would be no Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell or even Layne Staley, with him crystallising what would become the frontman archetype. Yet, the British band were also significant in a broader sense, in that they made rock music more full-frontal and stupendous than ever.
Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page set out to create a take on rock that was darker and more atmospheric than anything audiences had ever heard, and that is exactly what he did, with the band refining their formula on 1971’s Led Zeppelin IV. An utter masterpiece, it emphatically asserted just how vast a band’s scope could be, drawing upon many different forms and tying them into a towering sonic obelisk.
Of course, Led Zeppelin’s meteoric rise as the world’s most exciting band led to a wave of imitators rising in their wake. However, as with all era-defining acts, their power did not just resonate within their own period, and it continues to do so today, with contemporary stars such as Greta Van Fleet, Måneskin and Kasabian all drawing upon their multitude of innovations in different ways. One of the most culturally significant acts of all time, their influence can be found everywhere, from the aesthetic of Kings of Leon to the early might of Joy Division, a band you would typically deem antithetical to them, showing just how far their reach extends.
Years after Zeppelin called it a day following drummer John Bonham’s tragic death, each member committed themselves to different projects to keep themselves busy, forget the sad spectre of the past, and exhibit their individual capacity as musicians. The band was always something of a supergroup and a sum of its parts.
In 1988, Plant had been embarking on his solo career for nearly a decade and had found much success. The tragic death of his best friend and the heartbreak of his old band were somewhat sated by his continuous endeavours. That year, he spoke to Rolling Stone, and the topic of the current supposed reincarnations of Zeppelin emerged, such as Bon Jovi, The Cult, Whitesnake, and The Mission.
Plant rightfully said the abovementioned acts were all different, and questioned the success of Bon Jovi before proceeding to mention Wayne Hussey’s cult goth act, The Mission, as a band that were getting it right. With two albums out at the time, 1986’s God’s Own Medicine which features the spine-tingling opener ‘Wasteland’ – and that year’s Children, the Yorkshire group were certainly in fine fettle back then.
Hussey’s twelve-string guitar, image-laden lyrics and deep baritone prompted ample atmosphere, and I maintain that this period of the band is grossly overlooked. Interestingly, Plant also named Andrew Eldritch’s iconic goths, The Sisters of Mercy, as another outfit who were on fire. This was the group that Hussey and bassist Craig Adams played before forming The Mission. For Plant, both acts stood out from the rest because “they mean it.”
He said: “The Mission are getting it right to me. The Sisters of Mercy too. They’re trying it, and they mean it. It’s not just a parody of a pastiche of a parody. If they nick a few chord shapes, that’s okay. But at least they’re doing it in the spirit of it. I prefer that to the pretty-boy-wailing department.”
Offering a counterpoint denouncing Bon Jovi and even Barry Manilow, Plant said: “These guys, the Bon Jovis and company, when they weren’t selling anything, they saw the mechanism working. They saw they had to follow the now strongly dictated lines of the commercial process, to come up with the choruses and wiggle your ass at the right moment.”
He added: “It’s immaterial whether it’s hard rock or not. It could just as easily be – who’s that geezer with the really big nose you’ve got over there? – Barry Manilow.” Plant admitted that he was grateful for breaking through to the mainstream consciousness before many of these commercial rules were enforced, which inevitably result in the cheapening of the artistic process.
