News
Eric Clapton Wraps 70th Birthday Concerts At Royal Albert Hall
24 May 15
WIth the words “see you down the road somewhere,” Eric Clapton wrapped his run of seven shows celebrating his 70th Birthday in London on Saturday 23 May. He also thanked the audience for their support over the years and that it had been a “fantastic but tough” week. The guitarist’s Royal Albert Hall residency came on the heels of two birthday concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 1 and 3 May.
The only change to the set list on the final night was the substitution of B.B. King’s Rock Me Baby in place of Dritin’, which usually kicks off the mid-show acoustic set. The song was in tribute to the legendary American bluesman who died on 14 May at 89.
Standout songs in the seventeen song set list were Can’t Find My Way Home sung by Nathan East, I Shot The Sheriff (which has been a tour-de-force whenever peformed this year), Let It Rain, Crossroads and Little Queen of Spades.
Unlike the previous two evenings, this concert was not filmed for potential release. Andy Fairweather Low & The Low riders opened.
Although Eric has no further touring plans for 2015, U.K residents have one more opportunity to catch him and his band this year. On 25 July at Wormsley Estate, Eric will headline the charity fundraiser, “Beefy’s Big Birthday Bash”. The event honors legendary cricketer and tireless philanthropist Sir Ian “Beefy” Botham on his 60th Birthday. An afternoon of cricket will be followed by Eric’s concert at 6:30pm. Details about the event can be found here.
REVIEWS AND PHOTOS STILL NEEDED FROM ALL 2015 SHOWS! If you were lucky enough to be at one of Eric’s special 70th Birthday Cncerts in London or New York City, it’s still not to late to send your review and / or photos (original, uncropped photo files please) to info@whereseric.com. All reviews sent in so far have been published in the 2015 Eric Clapton Tour Archive for each performance date. Check them out in the Eric Clapton Tour Archive. The WE! Team is already hard at work on a 70th Birthday Concert Photo Gallery and will be presenting that soon.
ERIC CLAPTON’S 2015 BAND LINEUP
Eric Clapton – guitar, vocals
Chris Stainton – piano, keyboards
Paul Carrack – organ, keyboards, vocals
Nathan East – bass
Steve Gadd – drums
Michelle John – backing vocals
Sharon White – backing vocals
SET LIST – 23 MAY 2015 (NIGHT 7)
01. SOMEBODY KNOCKING
02. KEY TO THE HIGHWAY
03. PRETENDING
04. HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN
05. YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL – Paul Carrack (vocals)
06. CAN’T FIND MY WAY HOME – Nathan East (vocals)
07. I SHOT THE SHERIFF
08. ROCK ME BABY
09. NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU’RE DOWN AND OUT
10. TEARS IN HEAVEN
11. LAYLA
12. LET IT RAIN
13. WONDERFUL TONIGHT
14. CROSSROADS
15. LITTLE QUEEN OF SPADES
16. COCAINE
17. HIGH TIME WE WENT (ENCORE) – Paul Carrack (vocals), with guest Andy Fairweather Low
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