English guitarist Jeff Beck is considered one of rock’s greatest ax men. Beck, Co Died on Tuesday At the age of 78, was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Not once, but twice: first as a member of the Yardbirds (1992) and second as a solo artist (2009). He is ranked fifth on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”.
In other songs, the Yardbirds are remembered for the hit “A Heart Filled with Spirit” Beck’s guitar memorably mimics the sitar.
In Peoria, Beck is recalled for a somewhat lackluster performance and a heated encounter with a catfish dinner.
On Friday, June 25, 1976, Beck and the Jan Hammer Group performed as the opening act of a concert at the Glen Oak Park Amphitheater. Fleetwood Mac was the headliner.
Related:From Fleetwood Mac to The Beach Boys, Glen Oak Amphitheater rocked Peoria in the 1970s
“Most of the crowd came to see Fleetwood Mac and used the Jeff Beck opening to warm themselves up and finish socializing” before the main act, read a Journal Star review the next day. “Jeff Beck was a disappointment at first,” the story continued. “The group started to roll near the end of their set, however, and Beck’s flashing guitar was more than his usual high-quality real rock by the end of their performance.”
Was Beck’s slow-build performance linked to his lingering tantrums over his pre-concert meal?
In a 2016 Journal Star article, promoter Jay Goldberg looked back on that unfortunate iteration.
“In his contract rider, Beck specified that he wanted a fish meal before the performance,” the story said. “Looking to impress, Goldberg sent a go-fur to King’s Restaurant, north of Peoria on Galena Road and famous for its deep-fried catfish.”
“I was so proud that I took it to Beck myself, to the dressing room,” Goldberg said afterward. “He looked down at it, then looked up at me, then looked down at it again – then threw it across the room.”
The story continued, “Goldberg was angry, but later asked Beck’s manager about the catfish reaction. Huffy, the manager, explained that the British viewed catfish as beneath them: ‘Jeff was insulted. We don’t eat catfish in England.’
Related:Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac, enchanted Peoria audiences in 1976
looking back
Now 72, Goldberg remembers the Catfish event — and the concert — with amusement.
He sees flying fish as just a sign of Beck’s high standards.
“Jeff Beck was a perfectionist and wanted everything professionally perfect. But he was a really nice, laid-back person otherwise,” he said recently. “When Jeff realized that for us Peorians, king’s catfish is a delicacy, we laughed together and the show went on.”
He added, “I have some fond memories of that concert and hanging out with Jeff Beck and Fleetwood Mac that evening, but some stories are best untold – LOL.”
