Jeff Beck

Australian Tour March 2010

Legendary guitarist Jeff Beck returns to perform four select theatre shows during his March 2010 Australian tour.

Beck, who was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, is universally hailed as one of the greatest guitarists ever, mentioned in the same breath as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 15 most influential lead guitarists in rock.

In January 2009 Beck performed his first Australian shows since 1977 to rapturous reviews and standing ovations.

Scheduled to release a just completed new studio album in February, the guitar virtuoso returns to perform in Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Beck's career has spanned an incredible 40 years. First stepping into the public spotlight in the mid-60s, Beck replaced Clapton in the Yardbirds, recording classic hits Heart Full of Soul and Shapes of Things before moving on in 1967 at the height of the band's popularity.

Beck later formed the blues infused Jeff Beck Group, featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Ronnie Wood on bass. The group released Truth ('68) and Beck-Ola ('69) but soon disbanded.

In 1975 Beck released the first of two landmark albums. Blow By Blow, produced by George Martin, a groundbreaking instrumental jazz-fusion album, followed by a collaboration with Jan Hammer on Wired ('76). Both these albums received critical acclaim as well as commercial success, and are still listed amongst the top-selling guitarist instrumental albums of all time.

Beck continued to release albums intermittently through the 80s and 90s, including 1985's Flash featuring Beck's most commercially successful single People Get Ready with old band-mate Rod Stewart on vocals. That album is also home to Escape, the tune that won Beck the first of 4 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Instrumental.

Following the acclaimed release of Performing This Week? Live at Ronnie Scott's, Beck returned to Australia after an absence of 32 years, wielding his trademark white Fender Stratocaster and leaving audiences in awe.

"It all appeared so effortless but he managed his tone and volume swells so skilfully that few, if any, could replicate his abilities live." - Australian Guitar Magazine

"The final encore Where Were You? was a gorgeous exhibition of harmonics and whammy; a serene and sublime close that held the recently-raucous crowd in silent thrall." - Fasterlouder

"What followed was 90 minutes of alternating bone-jarring power in songs such as Blast and Pump and the fine delicacy of Nadia and Where Were You, in a performance remarkable for it's nuance and structure." - The Age

"His touch was surgeon-like as he brought colour and shade to the mostly original tunes. So much power appeared to result from so little effort." - The Australian

Most recently Jeff Beck was invited to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concerts held at Madison Square Gardens this October. Jeff surprised rapturous a crowd on the first night by coming out to play Superstition with Stevie Wonder. On the 2nd night Jeff and his band played with special guests Sting, Buddy Guy and Billy Gibbons, driving the crowd wild and drawing phenomenal reviews.