On Tuesday, former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant joined at the Royal Albert Hall in London during a gala performance by violinist Nigel Kennedy featuring predominantly classical music and musicians. However, Plant helped the classical crowd rock out with reimagined versions of two rock and roll classics.

After taking the stage with Justin Adams and Jon Baggot (oh his band The Sensational Space Shifters), Plant began by explaining how he met Kennedy while working on his 1992 solo album Fate of Nations. Plant had hired various some Indian musicians for the session but was unhappy with their performance, so he reached out to Kennedy who came in and saved the day. Finally, Plant joked, “I don’t know whether this is payback or what,” before the music began: a brand new orchestral arrangement of Zeppelin classic “Kashmir,” complete with classical Indian instruments. In addition to providing a  haunting new take on the music, the rendition also marked Plant’s first performance of the song since the ’07 Led Zeppelin reunion show, as well as his first time playing it without Jimmy Page. The creative new arrangement of the song is truly something to behold, mixing rock, psychedelic, Indian, orchestral elements into an exhilarating musical experience both nostalgically familiar and strikingly original. You can listen to the incredible performance of “Kashmir” (as well as Plant’s introduction) below (via ledzepnews):

Thanks to author and musician Brix Smith Smart’s Twitter page, you can also watch a short clip of Plant leading the orchestra through “Kashmir” below:

In addition to the notable version of Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” Plant also led the ensemble through a similarly re-imagined arrangement of “Hey Joe,” a cover popularized by Jimi Hendrix early on in his career. Much like “Kashmir,” it contained a heavy Indian influence, as well as a more menacing, spacey take on the song’s violent topic matter. You can listen to the unusual “Hey Joe” below:

Hey Joe:

[H/T Rolling Stone]

[Cover Photo via MusicWeek]