Eric Clapton, Metallica‘s Kirk Hammett, Rod Stewart, Johnny Depp and Aerosmith‘s Joe Perry were among the musicians who came together to pay tribute to the late Jeff Beck at two special concerts last week (May 22-23).
Beck died suddenly in January at the age of 78 after he contracted bacterial meningitis.
The ensemble of musicians took to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to perform material and covers that Beck himself played throughout his lifetime. Among the highlights were a cover of John Lennon‘s ‘Isolation’ performed by Hammett, Depp and ZZ Top‘s Billy Gibbons, in tribute to Beck and Deep’s take on the song that was released in 2022. In addition, Stewart played a four-song medley with Clapton and Gibbons and Depp took on ZZ Top’s ‘Rough Boy’, a song Beck and Gibbons used to play together.
Clapton also played an extended set on both nights which featured some of Beck’s originals like ‘Beck’s Bolero’, as well as songs from their time in the Yardbirds and blues standards by Buddy Guy and Muddy Waters.
Other notable performers across the two nights included Imelda May, John McLaughlin, Robert Randolph, Olivia Safe, Joss Stone, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Ronnie Wood, and members of the Jeff Beck Band: Rhonda Smith, Anika Nilles, and Robert Stevenson.
Check out fan-filmed footage of the shows below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9uPa5K7Wy0
Surplus income from the two concerts has been donated to Folly Wildlife Rescue in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.
Beck rose to fame with The Yardbirds, whom he joined in 1965, replacing Clapton in the band’s line-up. The two musicians went on to tour together as soloists in their later years. Back in 2018, Beck opened up about his past “uncomfortable rivalry” with Clapton.
Clapton paid tribute to Beck on social media in the wake of the guitarist’s death earlier this year. “‘Always and ever’,” he captioned a photograph of the late artist.
Jeff Beck’s funeral service was held on February 3. Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page described him in the eulogy he gave as “the quiet chief”, according to comedian Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) who was in attendance.