Jeff Beck, Perth Concert Hall, 22 January 2009.
Jeff Beck is one of the three noted guitarists to have recorded with the band TheYardbirds. Rolling Stone ranked him among the elite level of their “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.” Much of Beck’s recorded output has been instrumental, and his releases have spanned genres ranging from blues-rock, heavy metal, jazz fusion and (currently) a blend of guitar-rock and electronica Beck has earned wide critical praise and four Grammy awards for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Beck has guested at scores of sessions with everyone from Stevie Wonder and Buddy Guy to Tina Turner and Mick Jagger.
The Pertth audience was predominantly male and over fifty; with a smattering of females and twenty somethings. But that does not take anything away from the show.
Jeff Beck is a man of few words. On stage during his first concert in Australia for more than 30 years he uttered exactly 10. At the end of his set he sandwiched the names of his three band members between two thankyous.
Beck has done it his way. He enjoyed initial success and over the years he’s disappeared and then re-emerged from time to time.
From the opener, 1967 B-side ‘Beck’s Bolero’, to the tender encore ‘Where Were You’, Beck was riveting.
Moving mostly between jazz fusion, driving rock and gentle balladry, gave extended workouts on his cream Fender Strat. His touch was precise on the mostly original tunes. TAKE a crystal glass ringing, a drag car screaming, a logging saw shredding, a power line howling, a steam whistle blowing… These are the live sounds Jeff Beck can conjure from a single guitar; and all are down without a swag of effects pedals. His standard position is to pick with his thumb, and with the whammy bar resting between his knuckles so he can still reach the volume controls. So much appeared to result from so little effort.
The Beatles’ gem ‘A Day in the Life’ was placed at the end of the main set He closed the set and it demonstrated what he can do with popular classics.
One is left to wonder what those legendary jams he had with Hendrix were like?
