Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell recently opened up about his admiration for the legendary Jeff Beck in a candid Total Guitar interview. Campbell, whose impressive career includes stints with Dio and Whitesnake, revealed how Beck’s performance during a co-headline tour with Stevie Ray Vaughan left him feeling insecure about his own abilities as a guitar player.
Campbell found inspiration in Jeff’s exceptional musicianship, particularly in how he effortlessly combined technical prowess with original ideas instead of simply replicating notes. When Campbell had the chance to witness Beck and Vaughan perform together on the ‘Guitar Shop’ album tour, he was mesmerized by Beck’s ability to express his unique and innovative creative vision through the guitar that, further showcased that he was indeed ‘in a league of his own.’
This experience proved to be a pivotal moment for him as a musician. The concert took place at a sports arena in downtown Los Angeles, where Campbell was both inspired and humbled by Beck‘s unparalleled skill; where he came in thinking he was a guitar player and left feeling that he only owned one.
Vivian Campbell’s words about Jeff Beck read:
“I first saw Jeff when he toured with Stevie Ray Vaughan on the ‘Guitar Shop’ album. I saw their co-headline tour at a sports arena in downtown LA. It was equally inspiring and depressing to witness Jeff Beck play live. You go there thinking you’re a guitar player, and you leave, realizing that you’re a guitar owner!”
He added:
“He was just in a league by himself. He was in a class of one. There was no one who did what Jeff did. It was technical, but there’s nothing anyone can play that somebody else can’t figure out. You could get yourself a Strat like he played, and with enough practice, you could play like Jeff Beck, but what was amazing about Beck was always the inspiration. It was the ideas that he had.”
Campbell’s reflections on Beck serve as a powerful reminder that even the most accomplished musicians can still be humbled and inspired by their peers. As the guitar community continues to evolve and grow, artists like Vivian carry on the tradition of learning from and celebrating the greats who have come before them, even if they have felt insecure at times.
