Slash Once Accidentally Injured His Idol Jeff Beck So Badly He Almost Quit Playing

Getting to rock out with your musical idols would be a dream come true for any guitarist, but as Slash learned after an impromptu jam session with Jeff Beck, it is possible to rock out too hard. The two rock heroes crossed paths during Guns ‘N’ Roses promotional tour for Use Your Illusion in 1992. Eager to produce a massive, blistering rock ‘n’ roll show, GNR invited Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, along with Jeff Beck, to join the cause.

Ultimately, Beck would pull out of the gig before the first downbeat due to an injury that was exacerbated by a pre-show jam session with the Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist.

How Slash Once Injured His Guitar Idol, Jeff Beck

Things were going well for Slash and his band, Guns ‘N’ Roses, in the early 1990s. The band was enjoying the peak of their fame, which led to incredible venue bookings and star-studded collaborations like the ones they planned in Paris in 1992. Jeff Beck and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were scheduled to join Guns ‘N’ Roses on stage. The rock legends played together during pre-show rehearsals and the soundcheck at Hippodrome de Vincennes. But by the next day, Beck had packed up his gear and headed home.

“I finally got to jam with Jeff Beck,” Slash gushed to Guitar World in 1992. “And we blew his ears out, literally. He was going to do that show with us in Paris, but for some reason, his rig wasn’t working, so he plugged into my system. Later that night, he woke up with this insane screaming in his ears. He had to go to a hospital and everything. He called me up, and I was thinking, ‘Wow, Jeff Beck is calling me on the phone.’ But he was calling to say he was p***ed.”

To Slash’s credit, Beck has also put the blame on Guns ‘N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum. Speaking to Clash in 2010, Beck recalled, “We’d rehearsed in the dressing room and went out to do a soundcheck. Matt hit one bass drum, and it was like forty million watts going through me, and I had to walk away.”

How A Jam Session Turned Into A Major Guilt Trip

Jeff Beck pulled out of his performance with Guns ‘N’ Roses and members of Aerosmith due to his ongoing struggle with tinnitus, a condition that causes a constant ringing in the ears. For Guns ‘N’ Roses guitarist Slash, who had long idolized the former Yardbirds member, the idea that he potentially jeopardized the rest of Beck’s career was no small burden to bear. “I still feel bad because Jeff is truly one of the greats,” Slash told Guitar World.

“I was in a jam session with him, Joe Perry, Lenny Kravitz, and Gilby [Clarke, Guns ‘N’ Roses’  rhythm guitarist]. Jeff was playing all this amazing s*** while simultaneously talking to me,” Slash continued. “I wanted to pack it up that day, send the amps home, find a nice, little job selling life insurance or something. I was thinking, ‘Hmm, real estate. There could be a future in that.” Of Beck’s future career, Slash said, “I know he can do studio work. But I’m not sure about live performance. I don’t think it was really my fault, but my rig was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Fortunately for everyone, Beck didn’t have to hang up his guitar for good. He continued to write, record, and tour into the 2000s and beyond. The iconic guitarist died from a bacterial meningitis infection in January 2023.

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