OFF: Jeff Beck

[ChrisW Work]

-----theo wrote -----
>Subject: Re: OFF: Jeff Beck
>On 14 Sep 2002, at 12:32, Chris Warburton wrote:
>> Anybody else going to the RFH tonight??
>Review, PLEASE!
>theo

I thought about it, but I was too blissed out on the night, too much
domestic shit to deal with thru last night, and now it's Tuesday I was just
going to say "Sod it!", but since you ask so nicely I'll see what I can do
*G*

Needless to say, I was too busy watching to take any notes, so you'll have
to excuse me if I'm a bit vague on the order of things, and lack of a
comprehensive setlist - but maybe one of those will sow up in the monthlies.

It was the last of 3 nights billed "special guests" were The White Stripes &
John McLaughlin (Thursday was Roger Waters, Friday Waters and The White
Stripes) - if I'd known what was going on I'd have tried to scare up the
cash for one of the other nights as well.

I was a bit surprised when I took my seat, because the stage didn't appear
to be set up for either of the "guests" there were 2 drum kits (neither of
them Meg's - way too big!).  Sure enough, it was Jeff's band that took the
stage.  Jennifer Batten, Tony Hymas & I didn't catch the bass player's or
drummer's names.  Jeff still looking every inch the rocker:  black singlet,
black jeans, big black boots and white strat.  Don't know if he's hiitting
the Grecian 2000, but the hair's still jet black too, though there are
slight signs of a small bald patch on the crown *G*

They kicked off with assorted stuff from the Blow by Blow/Wired era
including a lovely "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and my jaw was just dangling
slack.  They were then joined by a singer (sorry, no name again) of good
voice and a fair gob-iron player for "Must Have Done Somebody Wrong",
Morning Dew and other Steart era JBG material.  I was floating by now.  Then
it was back to the flash instrumental stuff and the band were joined by
Terry Bozzio on the second set of traps, and, for Rollin'n'Tumblin', an
outlandishly garbed Imogen Heap on vocal.  To close the first set, the band
stripped down to the Guitar Shop trio for about 20 mins of material from
that album: part way through that Jeff said "Terry, show the people what
those drums are for", and he did - a short but superb solo in which he
actually PLAYED the drums - no mindless flailing for that boy!

So, I took my double scotch out on the terrace in a daze, just thinking
"**** me, and we're only half way through...."

Second half, and Meg White's little kit has appeared on stage.  After a
short instrumental version of "Still I'm Sad" (eat your heart out,
Blackmore) Jeff introduced The White Stripes, who with the bass player from
(IIRC) The Greenhorns replaced the band to become The Yardbirds for the next
20 minutes or so.   Great fun - "Better Man Than I", "Ain't Got You" and a
bunch of other 'birds classic played with gusto, brio and a distinct punk
ethic!  Sad to say, Meg can't keep time for shit, she's well enthusiastic
and entertaining to watch, but it seemed like she was playing along with the
rest of them rather than propelling them.  Some splendidly '60s visuals were
projected during this mini-set, including clips from "Blow Up": the club
scene where The Yardbirds were playing....

Then it was back to the instrumental stuff for a while, including one number
when Jennifer came out front and the pair of them duetted/cut each other up
for a while.  It's hard to imagine that woman playing backup to anybody -
she's a terrific guitar player in her own right. Jeff announced "This is
where I might as well put my guitar in the bin - John McLaughlin".  Big John
came on stage making bowing gestures to Jeff, who got down on his knees,
took off his guitar and bowed his head to the floor.  This mutual expression
of "I am not worthy"ness inevitably produced guffaws from the audience.
Needless to say, what followed was a blinding display of two totally
contrasting but complementary guitar styles, Jeff's playing all sloppy
legato and bent notes, John his usual astonishingly precise self, through a
bluesy jam and what I think was an old Mahavishnu tune, for which they were
joined by an indian percussionist.

>From there on, it was heads down for the finishing line, with a brief
breather in the form of "People Get Ready" with the singer doing a fine job,
and later including an unannounced, and I think unexpected "guest" - "Cor,
it's like having 10 birthdays all at once! Ladies & Gentlemen, Paul Rodgers
is in the house!".  They then ripped though a rough but entertaining
rendition of Don Nix's "Going Down".  Shame that PR could only remember the
words for one verse, but it was wondeful anyway.  First encore a solo
instrumental (from GS, I think) and the everybody on stage for "You'll have
to help me out on this, I'm not in very good voice" - a sloppy stomp through
"HiHo...."!!!

I floated home....

So, to within a few days, it was the 32nd anniversary of my first ever rock
show.  In that time I've seen a pretty fair percentage of the world's
greatest guitar players, but I think that was probably the most
comprehensively wonderful display of plank-mangling that I've ever
experienced.  It wasn't a pristine, note-perfect display of "look at me
aren't I ****ing wonderful" technique, it was a master musician in his
maturity enjoying playing to the full.  The man looked fit and well and
rather like he just crawled out from under one of his hot-rods and strapped
on his axe to do business.  I've seen jeff be very modest about his
technique in print, saying "I just can't do THAT stuff" when talking about
some of his successors (e.g. EvH), but I watched him pull off stuff that I
doubt that anybody else would even dare to try in front of a live audience.


Who da man?
Jeff da man!  No doubt about it!

ChrisW
Still floating...