JEFF BECK AND ERIC CLAPTON TO CO-HEADLINE U.S. SHOWS

After playing some co-headlining shows in Japan, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck are going to do some gigs in the U.S., including one at Madison Square Garden February 18. This will be a bit different than Clapton's shows with Steve Winwood, where they played as one band for the whole show. Jeff and his band will probably do a set, followed by Clapton and his band, and then they'll play together. Clapton, for all of his stardom, seems to enjoy this kind of thing. Meanwhile, Jeff Beck is just kind of lazy when it comes to rehearsing. I don't mind saying this: Mr. Beck told me so himself. I saw him on his first tour in a long time back in 1989, he was co-headlining with Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble. Like these Clapton shows, it was billed as a "together and apart" type thing. It turned out Jeff and SRV did one song together, "Goin' Down," that was it. Years later, I saw him with Santana, and Carlos called him out from the stage, saying he'd love to jam with Jeff Beck, but Jeff didn't want to. I asked Jeff Beck about these, and he shrugged and laughed and said that he didn't like rehearsing too much. At least he was honest! Anyway, I am a big Jeff Beck fan, and I think Clapton always needs someone on stage who isn't a "yes, Eric" guy to kick his ass, and Jeff would be that guy. I doubt I'll be at the show though: it will probably be priced for millionaires. It'll be a "shake your jewelry if you're having fun" type thing. But I bet it will be a pretty cool show.