Jeff Beck threw Peoria dinner across the room: English 'don't eat catfish' - Peoria Journal Star

The English guitarist Jeff Beck is considered 1 of rock's champion ax men. Beck, who died Tuesday astatine property 78, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once, but twice: archetypal arsenic a subordinate of the Yardbirds (1992) and secondly arsenic a solo creator (2009). He ranked 5th connected Rolling Stone magazine’s database of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

Among different songs, the Yardbirds are remembered for the deed "Heart Full of Soul," with Beck's guitar memorably mimicking a sitar.

In Peoria, Beck is recalled for a somewhat subdued show and a heated brushwood with a catfish dinner.

On Friday, June 25, 1976, Beck and the Jan Hammer Group performed arsenic the opening enactment of a performance astatine the Glen Oak Park amphitheater. Fleetwood Mac was the headliner.

Related:From Fleetwood Mac to The Beach Boys, Glen Oak Amphitheatre rocked Peoria successful the 1970s

"Most of the assemblage came to spot Fleetwood Mac and simply utilized the Jeff Beck opening to lukewarm themselves up and decorativeness socializing" earlier the main act, work a Journal Star reappraisal the adjacent day. "Jeff Beck was thing of a disappointment astatine first," the communicative continued. "The radical began to get rolling adjacent the extremity of their set, however, and Beck's flashing guitar was much than up to his accustomed precocious prime of surreal stone by the extremity of their performance."

Was Beck's slow-building show linked to lingering resentment implicit his pre-concert meal?

In a 2016 Journal Star article, promoter Jay Goldberg looked backmost astatine that ill-fated repast.

"In his declaration rider, Beck had specified that helium wanted a food meal earlier performing," the communicative said. "Seeking to impress, Goldberg sent a go-fer to King’s Restaurant, northbound of Peoria connected Galena Road and renown for its deep-fried catfish."

“I was truthful arrogant that I took it to Beck myself, into the dressing room,” Goldberg said then. “He looked down astatine it, past looked up astatine me, past looked down astatine it again — past threw it crossed the room.”

The communicative continued, "Goldberg scrammed, but aboriginal asked Beck’s manager astir the catfish reaction. Huffy, the manager explained that Britons presumption catfish arsenic beneath them: 'Jeff was insulted. We don’t devour catfish successful England.'"

Related:Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac mesmerized Peoria assemblage successful 1976

Looking back

Now 72, Goldberg recalls the catfish incidental — and the performance — with amusement.

He sees the food flinging arsenic simply a motion of Beck's precocious standards.

"Jeff Beck was a perfectionist and wanted everything conscionable close professionally. But helium was truly a nice, laid-back idiosyncratic otherwise," helium said recently. "When Jeff realized that to us Peorians, King's catfish was a delicacy, we, together, had a laughter and the show went on."

He added, "I bash person immoderate fond memories of that performance and hanging retired with Jeff Beck and Fleetwood Mac aboriginal that evening, but immoderate stories are near champion untold — LOL."