Seth Lakeman still isn't sure what his role will be in Robert Plant's band after his "right-hand man" left.

The Mercury Prize-nominated multi-instrumentalist has been recruited by the former Led Zeppelin frontman to perform as part of his backing group The Sensational Shape Shifters on his upcoming tour, but he's still non-the-wiser as to what his exact position is, despite providing the three tracks on Plant's new solo LP 'Carry Fire' playing the viola and fiddle.

Asked how the nerves are, Seth exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "If something goes wrong on that ... the thing about that tour is there will be a lot of people.

"There will be technicians. There will be a lot of people if something does happen.

"Hopefully nothing will go wrong. It's difficult to know at this stage exactly what my role is.

"It's difficult to know, at this stage, exactly what my role is.

"There was an amazing Gambian artist, Juldeh Camara, who was almost Robert's right-hand man. He's left, so that has made way for another position.

"That's part of why I got the call.

But I can't play North African. I can dip into it. I've studied a lot of those videos of Robert's band from the last five or ten years, but it's not like learning lines. You have to come up with a lot. I've been writing a lot. Writing to try and input.

The tour kicks off at Plymouth Pavilions in Devon, South West England on November 16 and ends at Birmingham Symphony Hall in Northern England on December 12.

Robert and the Shape Shifters will return to London's Royal Albert Hall on December 8 for the first time since October 2013.

Tickets for the 15-date tour are on sale now from robertplant.com.