DIARY - There was a hush in the Passion Play...
Date: 2007-12-03 17:54:53
Author: Pat Kent
Finally one night last week I got to see one of the musicians I have always wanted to see since I was a teenager and who, other than a guest appearance at a charity concert, never really had.
Jeff Beck was playing a date at Ronnie Scott’s Club in the West end of London as part of a short residency. The small jazz club normally the preserve of jazz legends opened its doors to a little bit of rock and roll last night and I was lucky enough to see probably the best guitarist I have ever seen or more likely will ever see in my life.
He was truly astounding and played an almost unbroken 90-minute set of music from his long career. It was bound to be good from the moment he walked on and started “Beck’s bolero”. A week later I still cannot work out how he can play so masterfully and without any seeming effort.
Amongst the fans lurked a few celebrities, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin was there as were others and Joss Stone got up and provided the vocals on one song before she was ushered out through the audience by bouncers.
He clearly has a passion for playing music and this shows in his skill as a master technician of his instrument. I have been lucky enough to have seen many of the world’s great rock guitarists live and close up, Clapton, Townshend, Page, Howe, Barre, Akkerman, Blackmore, Gilmour and May amongst many, many others, but last night I saw a man play with all the passion and skill that leaves me in total wonderment [and bewilderment] of his talent.
Maybe it’s because I’d had a long overdue discussion that day with someone about wanting to be passionate about things and how improtant I think that is in driving an individuals desire to progress and move onwards that I was so inspired by what this 63 year old guitarist could still achieve and what made some of the [very] young members of his band want to hang about with such an “old relic”. Well it probably has a lot to do with the passion that he has for playing and the passion he inspires in others.
I used to get very passionate about things; art, principles, causes and I used to think I could inspire that in others, before seeing Jeff Beck last week I had my doubts that I could do that now, but seeing him preceded by that chat last week made me think about what I need to do to get myself motivated again, even if I can’t spread that motivation to others like I once could.
I received a request to submit some artwork to an exhibition last week as well, and I had my doubts as to whether any of my work was strong or good enough to submit for consideration, let alone display in public, so, I’m going to try and take some time out soon from flogging myself into the ground work-wise and to give that some thought. Maybe, I could actually start to put a proper portfolio together. I also want to set a few targets to do the things I really want to do in my life; get a studio up and running, start painting properly, start writing again, finish a couple of stories, if not one of the draft novels, get some comedy stuff down on paper with Matt and Steve, pick up the guitar and flute again and try to make the time to get some value and worth back in my life…………At least trying again would be a start! I'm glad I had that discussion that day and that I saw Jeff Beck a few hours later.
Maybe I ought to make 2008 my year of self-worth.
Pat Kent
© Pat Kent 2007 – All rights reserved.
Pat Kent exercises his right to be identified as the author.