Eric Clapton and his music

Review #4

Well.....there you go thinking that Eric has got his track selector stuck and the set list is now how it will be for the rest of the tour, up pops a couple of new little numbers at his Tuesday night spot at the RAH. No ordinary songs, mind, because he wouldn't do that. No, would you believe 'Old Love' and 'Why does love gotta be so sad'. Yep, you heard right. Mind you, I can't say that these were the definitive versions as 'Old Love'
really hit it's musical peak in the early nineties and 'Why does love...' hit it's in, well, 1970 (mind you, some of the 1975 versions were astounding). But to hear these two gems along with 'Got to get better...',
'I Am Yours' and 'Nobody Knows You...' all together in one show warmed the heart of a cynical old hippy. There is one other small thing I'd like to point out. In the old days, you could always judge how a show was going to be like after the version of 'Sheriff' was played. No kidding. Check out virtually ANY show he's played and if 'Sheriff' is a stormer, the rest of the show will be as well. I'm not the only one who's noticed this and other EC nuts will confirm their liking for this song as it sets his stall out, as it were. Now all of you will start listening to their old bootlegs. Anyways, to confuse matters, his playing of 'Sheriff' on this tour is well...frankly...average. He never really gets into the solo and it always ends quite prematurely. But the rest of the set is vibrant and energetic. Go figure.

Eric Clapton - RAH 17th May 2006 End of Crossroads Encore

Eric Clapton to Tour U.S. This Fall
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

NEW YORK — Eric Clapton, who last landed stateside for a Cream reunion tour, will return to the U.S. with his own band for a fall tour.

The first leg of his North America tour will begin Sept. 16 in Minneapolis and continue to cities including St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, Miami and New York, where Clapton will play two nights at Madison Square Garden.

Twenty-two dates were announced Wednesday, but more shows are expected to be added. The Robert Cray Band will open for the U.S. concerts.

The 61-year-old rock legend recently completed a European tour that included a seven-night run at London's Royal Albert Hall and ended with a show in Moscow's Red Square.

Clapton, who is now touring with a band including guitarist Derek Trucks, has been playing both old classics ("Layla," "Cocaine") and songs from his 2005 disc, "Back Home."

Last spring, he reunited with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker to perform together as Cream for the first time in over 25 years. Clapton has said it was a one-time-only tour.

Royal Albert Hall, 23-05-06

Milkcow Blues


Motherless Children


Layla (solo)


Crossroads (solo)


Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Review #4

The gig at the RAH last night was a great surprise to me. A very raw and understated stage show which was more like a speakeasy club than a premier London auditorium, and yet, for me it worked a treat. Eric played with such composure and ease that he seemed to settle the whole band down right from the off.
The best thing about the night (apart from the omnipotent one himself!!) was the discovery of the hugely talented Derek Trucks on guitar. Some outstanding slide guitar work and his contribution to the acoustic set was top drawer. The highlight was hearing such classics as After Midnight, Motherless Children & I Shot The Sheriff aswell as Little Queen of Spades. Layla was as good a performance as I've ever heard and the slide guitar work of DT in partII was as near to the Duane Allman original as you'll ever hear. A fantatsic band overall and a particular treat for an old Blues lover to see Chris Stainton & Willie Weeks up there. Only disappointments were no Let It Rain as previous set lists and despite their best efforts the girls are just not Tessa Niles & Katie Kissoon. Thank you Eric, you are still The Man!!

Review #5
This was the night of all nights! The first day of sunshine in London for a week, and boy does it have an affect on people. The whole place had a buzz, I don't know what it was but I can only guess seeing the sun has made people happy.

At the start of the night I just expected another standard show. I have this worry that when Eric plays a long residency like this there is the tendency for him to switch to 'auto-pilot'. Lesson 1 - where Eric's concerned expect the unexpected!

Having conquered my fear of heights (sitting in row 1 of the Circle) during Robert Cray's set - in which he played an amazing version of 'Twenty' (the best so far!) - I sat waiting for that excited, heat-thumping moment when Chris Stainton starts the intro to 'Pretending' and band bursts into life!.

From the solos during 'Pretending' and 'So Tired' something seemed different. The sound was clean and crisp, the solos perfect and the band all smiles. This is the kind of night you can tell the band know something you don't. And then it came, the opening bars of 'Old Love' together with an EC solo that made my jaw drop!. I enjoy their version of 'Lost and Found' but replacing it with the 'tried and tested' 'Old Love' (and so early in the set) was an excellent choice. The song came complete with a superb synth solo from Tim Carmon, similar to the version performed at the Crossroads Benefit show in New York.

But there was more, replacing 'Anyday' - not 'Let It Rain' but 'Why Has Love Got To Be So Sad'. I've never heard Eric play this song live before, in fact he probably hasn't played it live for about 20-30 years himself.
WOW! I just couldn't believe I was hearing this.

It's clear that Eric and the band are happy and comfortable with the set and prepared to try something new. Who knows what other gems will be dropped in.

If all of the shows were being recorded, last nights show would be the one they would use for the CD. It was perfect in everyway: the solos, the setlist, the band contributions and reaction from the audience!

Eric Clapton has blamed Princess Diana for her own death.

The guitar legend, 61, called the late princess - who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 - "a manipulative and sick person."

He told Britain's Sunday Times magazine: "It's not that Princess Diana was responsible for her own death, but I do think she contributed in some way to creating that public hunger. She was responsible for that side of it.

"It's that burning martyr kind of thing, what people will give up for the idea of being a burning martyr."

Clapton, who is currently touring the UK, has also claimed late footballer George Best wanted to die.

Clapton, who has battled heroin and alcohol addiction, claims the alcoholic former Manchester United star, who died of liver failure earlier this year aged 59, wanted to die in the way he did so he would be remembered as a hellraiser.

He added: "It's like he knew if he died this way he would go down in history as being one of the great Irish heroes of all time. And that was more important to him than just being alive and having a good life."

Sat 09/16/06 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center

Mon 09/18/06 Saint Louis, MO Savvis Center

Wed 09/20/06 Chicago, IL United Center

Thu 09/21/06 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena

Sat 09/23/06 Auburn Hills, MI Palace Of Auburn Hills

Sun 09/24/06 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

Tue 09/26/06 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place

Thu 09/28/06 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Fri 09/29/06 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Tue 10/03/06 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden (Fleet Center)

Fri 10/06/06 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Casino

Sat 10/07/06 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Casino

Mon 10/09/06 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center

Tue 10/10/06 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Thu 10/12/06 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena

Sat 10/14/06 Duluth, GA Arena @ Gwinnett Center

Sun 10/15/06 Raleigh, NC RBC Center

Tue 10/17/06 Charlotte, NC Charlottte Bobcats Arena

Wed 10/18/06 Birmingham, AL Birm. Jefferson Arena

Fri 10/20/06 Orlando, FL TD Waterhouse Centre

Sat 10/21/06 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Mem. Arena

телеканал "Культура" вчера показал отрывок из Альберт-Холла в нарезке вечерних новостей