So....Eric Clapton

rlw

Newcastle Utilita Arena on Thursday night.

Interesting venue.  Not too bad for an arena in that it was fairly small at 11500 seats (I think).  We had tickets in the 8th row from the front but at the end of the row which meant a stiff neck looking left all evening.  

We also had a fat bastard and his so in love girlfriend sit in our direct line of of sight to the stage, so viewing was compromised somewhat.   Big screens helped but were almost over our heads so a stiff neck from looking up too....

Sound was good but a bit clinical - almost a recording mix with all the levels set very evenly - and the bass, normally a thing in these places, was extremely well under control.  Keys - Hammond and pianos - were a bit tinkly but that's probably my hearing aids.   Guitar levels were good for  both EC and DB Jnr.

Songs were mainly bluesy - Key to the Highway, Queen of Spades, White Room, Crossroads on electric and a few more Robert Johnson songs on accoustic - along with Prescence of the Lord, Sunshine of your Love, Got to get better, Cocaine and some well old one I hadn't heard for years.   A couple of the schmaltzy accoustic ones too plus a big tribute number - which I didn't recognize - to the situation in Palestine. It could have been a George Harrison song.

His voice is a bit weaker now but he can still holler. when he needs to.   His accoustic playing was that of a man who's hands are getting a bit old but his electric playing was as good as ever.

Guitar wise it was two Strats all evening, one repainted as a Palestinian flag, which I thought was a good gesture, and a pewter one, both signatures I think.  Sound was excellent and he even got the wah pedal out for White Room.

DB Jnr was the perfect accompanist (?) playing a couple of semi hollows to great effect, and his solo on Queen of Spades was standout.

The band was on top form and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves with much smiling going on, EC seemed especially pleased with it all and had a grin on his face a lot of the time.   But you can see that he's getting old now.

Overall a 9/10.  The fat bastard in front of us losing it the extra mark for the loss of our view.

Highly recommended but probably too late to do anything about it now if you haven't got tickets.

BTW.  Band was very diverse - 3 caucasian, 5 not...............

And Chris Stainton really needs a new hairstyle.

And a recommendation for the Copthorne Hotel too which was very laid back and a ten minute walk to the arena.

We drove up from York and stayed over.

DannyP

I admit I spent a while thinking Chris Stainton and Nicky Hopkins were the same person.

richardhomer

I’m at Liverpool tomorrow - hoping for good things. I saw him at the Jeff Beck Tribute at the RAH last year - he opened with Blue Rainbow (an instrumental) that was exceptional - probably the best I’ve ever seen him play. For 79, he seems to be holding up well. 

https://youtu.be/d5Cx4exM2sI?si=X_VQ4jLPooJPgV-B

oh_pollo

rlw said:

Guitar wise it was two Strats all evening, one repainted as a Palestinian flag, which I thought was a good gesture, and a pewter one, both signatures I think.

Please don't make me start liking Clapton.

ElectricXII

Who is DB Jr?

victorludorum

Doyle Bramhall II

ElectricXII

victorludorum said:

Doyle Bramhall II

Thanks. Clapton, etc is not my genre, and I couldn't be arsed Googling. 

rlw

ElectricXII said:

victorludorum said:

Doyle Bramhall II

Thanks. Clapton, etc is not my genre, and I couldn't be arsed Googling. 

Heathen

guitars4you

Is Steve Gadd and Nathan East still with him on the tours

viz

ElectricXII said:

victorludorum said:

Doyle Bramhall II

Thanks. Clapton, etc is not my genre, and I couldn't be arsed Googling. 

Lol you could have typed “who is DB Jr” into google

viz

viz said:

ElectricXII said:

victorludorum said:

Doyle Bramhall II

Thanks. Clapton, etc is not my genre, and I couldn't be arsed Googling. 

Lol you could have typed “who is DB Jr” into google

Oh. Just tried it and it didn’t come up with anything. 

Litterick

Nearest result: an artist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

darthed1981

Clapton eh?  About time we discussed him on here...

rlw

If you know, you know.

I ws just being lazy and should have put DB II..................

richardhomer

guitars4you said:

Is Steve Gadd and Nathan East still with him on the tours

Sonny Emory on drums, still has Nathan East on bass.

prowla

viz said:

ElectricXII said:

victorludorum said:

Doyle Bramhall II

Thanks. Clapton, etc is not my genre, and I couldn't be arsed Googling. 

Lol you could have typed “who is DB Jr” into google

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-lm&q=what+is+lmgtfy

I think of it as a passive-aggressive way of telling someone not to bother posting in a forum.

rlw

darthed1981 said:

Clapton eh?  About time we discussed him on here...

I was concentrating on the event and I was certainly not posting any view other than my own personal experience of the evening which, I think, is quite fair.

darthed1981

rlw said:

darthed1981 said:

Clapton eh?  About time we discussed him on here...

I was concentrating on the event and I was certainly not posting any view other than my own personal experience of the evening which, I think, is quite fair.

Should have put a little on the end of my post, apologies old chap.

Was meant as a humourous reference to the rather fractious Clapton thread from a week or so ago.

rlw

darthed1981 said:

rlw said:

darthed1981 said:

Clapton eh?  About time we discussed him on here...

I was concentrating on the event and I was certainly not posting any view other than my own personal experience of the evening which, I think, is quite fair.

Should have put a little on the end of my post, apologies old chap.

Was meant as a humourous reference to the rather fractious Clapton thread from a week or so ago.

No worries

prowla

His most recent decent album was Goodbye.

rlw

prowla said:

His most recent decent album was Goodbye.

Shall we not start this stupid debate all over again.  

This thread starts with my comments on a particular night and is intended for others to comment upon my thoughts and what they experience if they go to any of the nights on this tour.

If you don't like EC, fine, just don't post anything.