Jeff Beck's Rock N Roll Party DVD launch

Anna Chen and Jeff Beck

A busy week included a proper old-school lig at Jeff Beck's Rock 'n' Roll Party DVD launch, and helping to present pictures from my late father's archive at the National Maritime Museum (more on that tomorrow).

Thursday's rock lig spectacular for the launch of Jeff Beck's latest DVD was fun and frolicks from the start. Congregating at Westminster Pier with assorted musos, journos and music biz bods, our Thames Clipper was held up by an animated Ronnie Wood pleading with the crew not to cast off (or is that knitting?). He disappeared, we finally set off, only find ourselves drifting snoozily across the river to the London Millennium Eye pier on the South Bank where Woody's girlfriend had ended up.

With Woody and his snowy-mink-clad paramour on board, there followed a fast booze-laden trip through the dream-like vista of night-time London all lit up in colour like a showgirl in spangles, past the monstrous Shard-enfreude tower looking like the Tyrell Corporation in Blade Runner, to disembarkation at the O2 pier.

We were most generously fed and watered by Harvey Goldsmith, who now runs the British Music Experience under the billion-quid tent that is the Millennium Dome, as well as managing Mr Beck. I dunno about our publicly-funded edifice celebrating the best of British: the Dome looks like any shabby High Street, with all the same chain-sore eateries and coffee houses.

But the BME is a great mixture of museum and music venue. Luckily, it's also ideal for parties. Like this one. Sitting one table up from Jeff Beck, Cleo Rocas, Woody and other starry bods, we watched an edited version of Jeff's 'Rock 'n' Roll Party DVD, which was recorded at the Iridium Club in New York, where legendary guitarist Les Paul used to play.

The onscreen atmosphere was hot, stoked up to incendiary by some awe-inspiring guests such as Gary US Bonds, Brian Setzer and Trombone Shorty.

Regular Beck associate Imelda May possesses the warmest womanly voice: rich, textured and expressive like the Old School torch singers. Her "Cry Me A River" sent shivers up my spine, and her handsome rockabilly husband, Darrel Higham — also a champion vocalist, rhythm guitarist and Jeff's musical director for this occasion — could be seen gazing lovingly at his talented missus.

Peter Gunn, with the entire ensemble of Imelda's band and guest musicians – including Blues Brothers baritone saxophonst Blue Lou – was enormous fun.

I had a chat with Jeff afterwards and said how much I like the way he treats his female collaborators with such obvious respect: singer Imogen Heap, bassists Tal Wilkenfeld and Rhonda Smith, and now Imelda May, have all enjoyed the spotlight sharing Jeff's stage.

'I'm glad you noticed that,' he said. 'Women are smart. We are stupid.' He asked me if I'd seen some documentary film about the Spitfire women, and sang their praises to the wild blue sky where they flew so high. This is a guy who loves, likes and admires women. And if that's not catnip for smart cookies like wot I yam, I dunno what is.

We returned by launch along the beautiful Thames, past the scary Shard, and were deposited blissfully pissed back at Westminster having had a great night.

Nice one, guys.

Jeff Beck, Paul Jones and Charles Shaar Murray

Jeff Beck makes Eric Clapton sing "Hi Ho Silver Lining", O2, 14 Feb 2010: review

What could be better than spending Valentine's Day evening at a concert starring two of the most revered rock guitarists in the history of music? Even the transport ran smoothly and we were on our train home from London's O2 Centre within minutes of the show ending — amazing for a Sunday.

Jeff Beck appeared with his new line-up, minus the fabulous Tal Wilkenfeld but plus the sleazegrindy Rhonda Smith who wore a fabulous array of silver jewellery that I feared would reduce her bass to splinters. Shrek-alike Narada Michael Walden, only not green and without funny ears, smashed the living daylights out of his drum kit like a happy baby with an endless supply of breakable rattles. Jason Rebello, the only survivor from the previous line-up, did the Jan Hammer biz as required from any Beck keyboard person.

In typical Jeff fashion, both his guests were of the female persuasion. Sharon Corr with blue violin and fetching pectoral butterfly, accompanied the band on a new track off his next album (EDIT: "Mna Na H'Éireann" "Women of Ireland", thanks OzQueen ) and Imelda May in an elegant flame-coloured gown reprised her favourite, Lilac Wine.

Not content with this musical grouping, Jeff was also backed by a small orchestra. The man himself abandoned his customary all-white garb and pixie-boots which did make him look like an Essex refugee and added black to his wardrobe, with a cute black top over a white under-shirt. Tonight we were mostly wearing sleeveless as usual to show off his all-year-round tan and arms toned to within an inch of their lives, set off with a wide silver bangle.

There were a lot of new numbers I didn't recognise but he climaxed with spectacular rendition of Nessun Dorma. I didn't manage to record that but you can see a video of the same from last August here. Hmm, last night's version was a lot more intense. Hopefully, you'll get to see it when the DVD comes out.

Jeff's hair, the colour of well-waxed furniture, looked like Heather Mills had got hold of it and given it the Macca treatment. (Loved One insisted Jeff's hair has been the same barmaid black for aeons so it may have been the lights.) Eric Clapton, on the other hand, is proud of his grey locks. He played an understated blues set with two keyboard players, drums, bass and two backing singers. And no orchestra.

I Shot The Sheriff was brilliant with an exciting lengthy guitar solo. "Why isn't that noodling?", I asked my handsome escort who had acquired great seats in the first block of banked seating. "Because it goes somewhere, " came the wise reply.

Cocaine was magical (hmm, maybe I should rephrase that). Refraining from indulging his fans too much, he stayed away from his other greatest hits (I wanted Layla, I'm that unsophisticated) and played basically a blues set plus some others such as Living On Faith and Tell The Truth.

The treat of the night was when Jeff walked back on to play with his mate. They make a lovely couple, completely different and yet brilliantly matched. Their history goes back 40 years to when Beck replaced Clapton in the Yarbirds in the 1960s. Nice to see them together. The set climaxed with I Wanna Take You Higher which did just that.

One video person is uploading onto YouTube so check out their page. I'm posting the video I shot on my mobile of the encore, Hi Ho Silver Lining, which Beck once complained hung around his neck "like a pink toilet seat". It was most amusing to see Mr Clapton singing this and we loved it.

Jeff Beck at the Royal Albert Hall last night with David Gilmour: music review

Saw Jeff Beck at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night, an idyllic way to spend a glorious summer evening before the predicted storms over the next few days. We even caught an old-fashioned Number 9 Routemaster bus complete with a proper conductor for the last leg of the journey, something that turns us passengers into ten-year olds, drawing smiles and getting us talking to each other. No mean feat for hard-bitten Londoners.

The Hall is huge and we had good seats in the banked stalls facing the stage but these were up the far end so the performers were tiny. Luckily, I had the foresight to bring my posh opera glasses, a fan for the muggy atmosphere, and a bottle of water so, except for sitting behind the biggest man in the world with a head and neck built like a bullock, I was happy.

After a great support act by progabilly singer Imelda May (Hmm, a name from two of my shows — I, Imelda and Anna May Wong Must Die!), Jeff appeared. Lithe, lean and tanned in his all-white with a little red bandana (were those pixie boots?) he looked dead cute and more like Nigel Tufnel every day, even though he turned 65 last week. This being the sedate Kensington Gore and the audience being mostly over fifty, the volume does not go up to eleven but is loud enough to give maximum pleasure, Jeff being the ribbed condom of the rock world, without shredding your eardrums.

Lovely Companion Charles Shaar Murray said, "Most instrumental rock guitarists can bore me to tears. Jeff Beck can move me to tears."

Apart from his awesome playing where the meister of the bent string and tremolo arm makes his white Stratocaster sing and wail, I love Jeff for the way he treats women musicians. Although I missed the presence of Beck regular — the marvelous (and statuesque) Imogen Heap — and wished she was there singing Rollin' and Tumblin', Imelda May (shorter by a foot) filled the Heap-shaped gap with a powerful voice and percussive backing band featuring jazz trumpet and Celtic drumming. (Am I the only person who loves drum solos?)

Jeff's been using the same bass player for years, the amazing prodigy Tal Wilkenfeld (now only 21 years old), including her in his legendary Ronnie Scotts series of gigs which you can get on DVD or get a glimpse of here. A light sensitive touch and digital dexterity does the trick. She holds her own providing a solid foundation for Jeff to do his thang and countering with imaginative bass fills. The highlight of their partnering last night was a duet on bass where Tal played the complex melodic stuff up the high end and Jeff at her shoulder plucked at the low strings.

Vinnie Colaiuta is simply brilliant on drums — did I mention I love drum solos? Part of the pleasure is counting his complex timing which never ever falls apart but always looks so damned easy.

I couldn't hear Jason Rebello's keyboards that clearly but then again you don't want synths cluttering up the scenery and competing with the man we came to hear.

For the encore, Jeff was joined by surprise guest performer David Gilmour (the tiny speck in black in the pic below) for a rousing rendition of Jerusalem, a real crowd-pleaser. Someone with a good seat has already posted the video (above).

For the second encore, they went from the sublime to the ridiculous with Hi Ho Silver Lining, a song Jeff once said was like having a fackin' pink toilet seat slung around your neck for life. David Gilmour sang so look out for the video on YouTube and one here. This effectively bookended the night with his first and biggest hit as he'd opened with Bolero, the B side to his greatest pop choon (1967).

Bad sound in the choir seats behind the PA led to our friends walking out before the encore and I'd urge promoters not to sell these seats without a warning and at knockdown prices. But otherwise a great show and a sold out venue. Promoter Harvey Goldsmith must be very happy with his new managerial conquest.

Pic: David Gilmour joins Jeff Beck onstage for the encore

UPDATE: Because so many visitors from outside the UK are reading this review, I'll quickly add what I can remember about the actual set-list. Mostly it it was the same as the Ronnie Scott's gig. A Day In The Life was gorgeous. Nitin Sawnhey's Nadia, and Stevie Wonder's Cause We've Ended As Lovers with a bass solo from Tal, were beautiful. Also enjoyed the stomping Big Block, and Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Brush With The Blues. Peter Gunn was a new one — who doesn't love that heavy spy guitar riff? Aside from joining in the encore, Imelda May changed out of her rockabilly tight top and mini skirt and into a glamorous green velvet and net evening gown to sing the Eartha Kitt classic, "Lilac Wine", slow and sultry with Jeff's band. And the very last encore was Jeff and Jason on the haunting Where Were You?