Review by Shawn Perry
Photos by Ron Lyon
According to founding member Chris Dreja, the Yardbirds last set foot in the Coach House five years ago. With the rhythm guitarist turning 66 on November 11, and Jim McCarty, the band’s drummer and other founding member, at 68, this could very well be their final stand in California. But that doesn’t mean it could be the end of the Yardbirds.
This is a band that could very well go on without original members; after all, the revolving door swung wide and open with immeasurable talent in the 60s, so who says it can’t happen again. Remember: neither Jeff Beck nor Jimmy Page were original members. Still, with Dreja and McCarty on the board, there’s a large degree of authenticity, which still goes a long way. If anything, the two veteran British musicians are getting a kick in the pants from the younger members of the band — singer, guitarist and harpist Andy Mitchell (since 2009), bassist David Smale (since 2009), and lead guitarist Ben King (since 2005).
I’d never seen the Yardbirds in concert, only on video, so it was refreshing to hear songs like “I’m not Talking,” “For Your Love,” “Heart Full of Soul,” “Shapes of Things,” “I’m A Man,” “Train Kept A- Rolling” and my personal favorite, “Happening Ten Years Time Ago,” live.
Mitchell sang each tune with heart and conviction. A splash of Keith Relf-like nuances kept it real. And boy could this kid blow some harp. He really came into his own on “Drinking Muddy Water,” a straight ahead, boogie-woogie, bluesy remnant from the Jimmy Page era that stops and starts like a screaming freight train.
McCarty kept the drumming on pace, rolling through flawlessly on “Lost Woman,” soloing at other points. Dreja and Smale played inside the box, faithful to the originals. The spotlight was largely on King, who’s been cited for his technical ability and feel, leading to comparisons to other shining guitarists from the Yardbirds. He played “Over Under Sideways Down” without breaking a sweat, adding his own accents and dashes.
The crowd jumped to their feet when “Dazed And Confused” “(or “I’m Confused” depending on which bootleg you own — very confusing indeed) was played. McCarty commented, “”Jimmy took it and played it with his own band…” which got a good laugh. King once again rose to occasion and played it like a young Jimmy Page from 1968.
A quick encore of “I’m A Man” sealed the deal and the band were off a mild hour or so long set. There was little else they could do.
Rumors abounded the night before in Hollywood, where the Yardbirds played the Key Club, that Eric Clapton was supposed to sit in. Nothing but rumor. But that didn’t stop radio DJ’s from speculating on the possibilities. “You never know who might show up…” said one.
Tonight at the Coach House, there was little chance of that sort of nonsense. Having a young band that’s moving a new Yardbirds forward is what’s keeping these magnificent songs alive. Hopefully, it won’t be another five years before I see them again.
