Johnny Depp Returns to Stage for Jeff Beck Tribute Concert After Cannes Appearance

The actor played guitar in London alongside Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton and more during a tribute show for late friend Jeff Beck

Fresh off an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival, Johnny Depp stepped back into the spotlight Monday night for a tribute concert in honor of his late friend Jeff Beck.

Depp, 59, took the stage at London’s Royal Albert Hall alongside heavyweights like Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton and Ronnie Wood to pay tribute to the guitarist, who died in January at age 78.

The Pirates of the Caribbean actor wore a denim blue hat and played guitar on stage, according to video posted to Instagram by Stewart. In one clip, the “Maggie May” singer danced beside Depp as he grooved, and gave him an encouraging pat on the back.

“Fantastic evening last night for our mate Jeff, lots of lovely players, friends, and family in attendance. Looking forward to doing it all over again tonight! 🕺” Stewart captioned the post.

Depp and Beck were close friends, and had toured together and released a collaborative album titled 18. The actor has even said that Beck and his wife Sandra let him live with them for several months before the tour began.

A source told PEOPLE in January that Depp was among those who had visited Beck at his bedside before his death.

Related:Johnny Depp 'Doing Fantastic' After Cannes Appearance: 'He Is Much Happier' Now, Says Source (Exclusive)

"They had a really tight friendship, they were extremely close, and he got even closer over this past summer when they were touring together," the source said. "The sickness came on really quickly and it all deteriorated rapidly in the last couple weeks… Johnny is still processing the news. He’s devastated.”

Depp recently appeared at Cannes in France, where his new French-language film Jeanne Du Barry premiered last week, nearly one year after his controversial defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard came to a close.

Speaking at a press conference for the movie on Wednesday, Depp said he felt “boycotted” after the high-profile legal cases, and felt people had been misled by “fiction.”

"Do I feel boycotted now?" he continued. "No, not at all. But I don't feel boycotted by Hollywood because I don't think about it. I don't think about Hollywood. I don't have much further need for Hollywood myself."

Related:Johnny Depp Speaks at Cannes About His 'Comeback' After Amber Heard Trial: 'I Never Went Anywhere'

He also addressed the idea of making a “comeback” following both the Heard case and a 2020 libel case in London, and told reporters, “I never went anywhere.”

"I keep wondering about the word comeback because I didn't go anywhere,” he said. “As a matter of fact, I live about 45 minutes away. So yeah, maybe people stopped calling out of whatever their fear was at the time. But no, I didn't go nowhere. I've been sitting around."

A source close to the actor told PEOPLE this week that Depp "is doing fantastic" a year removed from the trial.

“He really enjoys working and touring again. He has managed to turn his life around,” the source said. “He is prioritizing his health and work. He was living a destructive life and people close to him were concerned. Everyone is excited about how he turned things around. He is much happier too.”

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