(Image credit: Eric Fairchild (provided by Gretsch))
Thursday night, January 19—opening night of the 2017 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California—Gretsch Guitars threw one hell of a rockabilly party for 350 lucky guests.
The show, which took place off-site at the Observatory in nearby Santa Ana, was an intimate, invite-only tribute to two early rock and roll legends—Duane Eddy and the late Cliff Gallup.
In the mid- to late Fifties, Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps epitomized rockabilly’s iconic image—you know, the leather jackets, ducktail hairstyles and tough guy personae. The band also introduced one of the most adept, versatile and influential electric guitarists of his generation: Cliff Gallup.
From the moment Gallup launched into Gene Vincent's “Race with the Devil” in 1956, it was clear that he was an extraordinary guitarist and unique stylist in his own right.
Oh, right; we forgot to mention that Jeff Beck was the headliner. We'll circle back to that. Here's how things went down:
The night kicked off with Canadian rockabilly shred master Paul Pigat and his band, Cousin Harley. Pigat set the tone—literally—for the night, completely rocking his DeArmond-equipped Gretsch during his blistering set. Stay tuned for more information on the mysterious new model Pigat was playing (as seen in the top photo below).
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Up next, Duane Eddy—now 78—took the stage with a band that helped him capture the rough sound and kick-ass-and-take-names attitude of his early records. He played a host of Gretsch guitars, including a 6120 or two, and even dug into his new DeArmond-equipped Duane Eddy Signature Limited Edition Hollow Body. Highlights of his set included "Rebel Rouser," "Yep!" and "Shazam."
After a quick change-over, Jeff Beck—and the aforementioned Cliff Gallup Signature Duo Jet—took the stage. He and vocalist Darrel Higham, the same singer who appears on Beck's Rock & Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul DVD and album, tore through an engaging set of vintage Gene Vincent tunes, the original versions of which featured Gallup on lead guitar. The set included "Cat Man," "Race with the Devil," "Crazy Legs" and "Woman Love." Higham played his Gretsch Rancher throughout the set.
The encore was a brief but explosive I-IV-V jam featuring Beck, Eddy and Eddy's band (check out a photo above). Speaking of photos, you can check out Eric Fairchild's pics below (plus three Instagram videos). Enjoy!
Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
