Bob Dylan once gave Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant some amazing advice on touring.

The English musician has long cited Dylan’s work as a core influence on his own, with the American poet’s way with words helping to inspire countless songwriters around the globe. Robert Plant’s personal favourite Dylan song varies with the tides – he’s claimed ‘Masters Of War’ and ‘One More Cup A Coffee’ in the past – but the enduring influence remains.

Now decades past the bombast of Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant has built his own unique solo path. It’s something that traverses genres and even continents, melting together rock, Celtic folk influences, and Middle Eastern culture along the way.

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Back in 2020, Robert Plant told Classic Rock about a clandestine meeting with Bob Dylan, and how the songwriter gave him a word on advice about life on the road.

The two met up at Roskilde Festival in Denmark, with Robert Plant marvelling at Dylan’s seemingly inexhaustible energy levels.

The Led Zeppelin icon picks up the story…

Talking about the creation and development of music is a double-edged sword. I recently did a gig in Roskilde, Denmark, and Bob Dylan wanted to talk to me about touring. So I met him where all the buses are parked, at this big festival, and we eyeballed each other and smiled in the darkness. It was pissing with rain, two hooded creatures in a blacked-out car park, and I said to him: “Hey, man, you never stop!” 

He looked at me, smiled and said: “What’s to stop for?” But I couldn’t ask him about his songs, because as much as I’ve been affected by his work you can’t talk about it. My work is not anywhere near as profound in what it’s trying to do. At the same time, you can get to know the motive and circumstances behind a particular song, without it being ‘Masters Of War’. 

Robert Plant certainly has a point – Bob Dylan’s relentless touring in 2024 included a stint at London’s Royal Albert Hall, earning breathless reviews in the process. Revisit our take on those performances HERE.

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