by Brent Warnken
It might not be 1965, but the Yardbirds are back. For the first time in history, fans of both the "slow hand" man Eric Clapton and UK legendary guitarist Jeff Beck will co-headline a national tour. The axe slingers will be hitting up a few spots throughout February (only five dates have been announced), gracing London, New York, Toronto and Montreal.
The duelling duo has long since rivaled each other in axe attacks, Clapton by far the more commercially successful of the two Yardbirds alum. That won't stop the two veteran guitar wielders as they swing through the States, the UK and Canada this year, making sure to sell all the Eric Clapton tickets online.
The jaunt won't be totally unfamiliar territory for the men, as they played a show in Tokyo's Saitama Super Arena this past year. "Eric and I played together in Japan earlier this year and had a blast," Beck said in a press release. "Since then we have been in regular contact and talked about doing a similar show for our fans. Looking forward to the shows in 2010."
The two, though both Yardbirds alumni, had never actually worked together prior to these recent sessions. Beck earned the role of lead singer for the Yardbirds after Clapton left the group in 1965 and stuck with them for nearly two years. Clapton, on the other hand, was with the group almost from the beginning but managed to leave just after the group had cracked the UK pop market (his dream of working with a blues band started to diminish when the single "For Your Love" appeared). It was in turn Beck's 18-month session work with the outfit that led the group to commercial success in the '60s when the UK finally began embracing rock.
"I've always considered Jeff Beck to be one of the finest guitar players around," Clapton said in a press statement. "He's a friend, a great guy, and a truly gifted musician. We had such a fun time in Japan that it seemed natural to play together again." The performance is bound to seem effortless, as both musicians have been on the stage since their teens. Tokyo singles like "Outside Woman Blues," "Brown Bird," "Wee Baby" and "Want to Take You Higher" are collaboration tunes that the boys are bound to perform again during their three-concert dates.
The team, friends since the '60s, have long looked up to each other and helped each other out. Just recently, Beck filled in for Clapton when the "My Fathers Eyes" singer had to cancel a performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert in New York, as he was still recovering from gallstone surgery.
"Slow hand" is responsible for the transition from arena rock stars to balladeers, as his successful tunes like "Cocaine," "Wonderful Tonight" and "Lay Down Sally" all portrayed the guitarist's aficionado for smooth blues. The million plus sales done by those albums, like the late '70s releases Backless, Slowhand and Just One Night, all helped to position Clapton in the arena of legends.
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