As a three-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Eric Clapton isn’t just one of the most prolific guitarists on the planet, he’s also one of the best. Clapton’s love of the blues masters made him an early standout in The Yardbirds, where he first rose to fame alongside a staggering roll call of talent in the early 60s. 

But Clapton wasn’t the only star to emerge from The Yardbird’s ranks – he wasn’t even the only guitar God! The band is perhaps best known for launching the careers of three of rock’s most legendary players, with Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck joining the group following Clapton’s departure. 

Given their shared history and iconoclastic status, you’d expect the three artists to have been performing together since the 1960s; however, it wouldn’t be until 1983 when the ARMS Charity Concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall brought The Yardbirds’ most treasured alumni together on stage for the very first time. 

Relive their smoking rendition of Clapton’s 1971 hit, Layla below. 

Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck | 'Layla'

Eric Clapton told Rolling Stone in 1983: “We’ve never been rivals — it was only the press that ever made it seem so. This has been a ball. I realize that you’ve got to go out and play and tour … a live concert is still magic and always will be. I mean, there’s no substitute for the real thing.”

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