I had the awesome opportunity to see Jeff Beck and Erik Clapton at Madison Square Garden on Thursday. I've never seen either before. Clapton was excellent, but Beck was amazing. If you like classic rock guitar, it was a bonanza. Beck never sings, instead using the guitar to play the vocal part. It makes for some really emotional songs and for great duets with Clapton who does sing.
Like most master musicians, I think the show suffers a bit with the complete back-up of fantastic professional studio musicians. It can make a live show sound processed because everyone is so good. However both artists can freestyle and pull excellence out of thin air. Clapton picked a fantastic four minute reggae intro to "I Shot the Sheriff" that was a treat for a live audience.
Speaking of the audience, mostly 40+, lots of bald heads, and I smelled lots of pot.
Three other random notes from the night:
- Jeff beck was amazing at 65!
- I want two back up singers to follow me. Sean:"I'll have a coffee." Singers: "OOOOOH Sean said coffee!"
- "Shake YER moneymakER!" is the most perfect phrase, not "cellar door."
- The mlw: "It was awesome."
From the internets, here's the setlist:
Jeff Beck
- Eternity's Breath
- Stratus
- Led Boots
- Corpus Christi Carol
- Bass solo by Rhonda Smith
- Hammerhead
- Mna Na Heireann
- Big Block
- A Day in the Life (The Beatles cover)
- Nessun Dorma ( a famous opera song)
Eric Clapton
- Driftin'
- Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
- Running on Faith
- I've Got a Rock 'N' Roll Heart
- Tell the Truth
- Key To the Highway
- I Shot The Sheriff
- Little Queen Of Spades
- Cocaine
Eric Clapton & Jeff Beck
- Shake Your Money Maker
- Moon River (awesome duet with voice and guitar)
- You Need Love
- Outside Woman Blues
- Little Brown Bird
- Wee Wee Baby
- (I Want To Take You) Higher
Encore:
- Crossroads
