The Yardbirds, 9th October, Prague

The Yardbirds are a British rock band, noted for starting the careers of three of rock’s most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. A blues-based band whose sound evolved into experimental pop rock, they had a string of hits including “For Your Love”, “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” and “Heart Full Of Soul”. They were a crucial link between British R&B and psychedelia; their guitarists were extremely influential in music.

The Yardbirds were pioneers in almost every guitar innovation of the ’60s: fuzz tone, feedback, distortion, improved amplification, and were one of the first to put an emphasis on complex lead guitar parts and experimentation. The term, “Yardbird” is used in the southern United States as slang for ‘chicken’ (as in poultry), and it is a slang expression for “prisoner”.

The bulk of the band’s conceptual ideas, as well as their songwriting, came from the quartet of singer Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist/bassist Chris Dreja, and bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith, all of whom co-wrote the Yardbird’s original hits and constituted the core of the group.

Today, The Yardbirds consist of original members Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar) and Jim McCarty (drums), who reformed in the 1990s and have continued to produce music under the name.

Surprisingly, the band has maintained a dignity that is usually all too absent from reunited classic rock line-ups.

9th Oct 2007, Retro Music Hall, Francouzska 4, Prague, Price: 370 CZK (13 €)