Review: Hollywood star Johnny Depp joins guitar hero Jeff Beck in San Jose

Fans know how Johnny Depp translates on the big screen.

Yet, how would be the Hollywood A-lister — known for such films as “Edward Scissorhands,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise — come across playing guitar next to one of the greatest to ever handle the instrument?

The answer — at least as seen Wednesday (Nov. 9) at the San Jose Civic — was, well, unspectacular. But unspectacular, in this case, was all that was required, given that Jeff Beck was also on the stage and delivering one stellar electric guitar lead after another.

Depp proved to be a competent rhythm guitarist — one who knows his limits and stays away from any type of heavy lifting — and his vocals were  better than what you’ll hear at most late-night karaoke clubs. Yet, what he does have in spades is megawatt star power and that went a long way with many of the fans that turned out to see this tour in support of Depp and Beck’s collaborative effort “18.”

Following a set from New Mexico singer-songwriter Max Gomez, the 78-year-old Beck took the stage with his terrific band — featuring former Prince bassist Rhonda Smith as well as drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Robert Stevenson — and began to race through the mighty “Freeway Jam” from the 1975’s “Blow by Blow.”

The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who was first enshrined in 1992 as member of the Yardbirds and then as a solo act in 2009, delivered an absolute master class in guitar, conjuring up more intriguing sounds in the course of a single song than most do in an entire career.

Beck performed the first 45 minutes or so with just his band onstage, offering up such highlights as a cover of Brian Wilson’s “Caroline, No” and Beck’s own “Loose Cannon” (from 2000’s “You Had It Coming”), before Depp joined the party for the Link Wray classic “Rumble.”

Phones and females rose from the seated crowd at the celebrity sighting, translating into a major adrenaline shot for the whole show. Depp, who also rocks with Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen in the Hollywood Vampires, sounded slightly better than meh as he continued to roll through John Lennon’s “Isolation” and other cover offerings from “18.”