Venue: Nippon Budokan
City: Tokyo
Country: Japan
Eric Clapton – guitar / vocals
Doyle Bramhall II – guitar / vocals
Derek Trucks – guitar
Chris Stainton – keyboards
Tim Carmon – keyboards
Willie Weeks – bass
Steve Jordan – drums
Michelle John – backing vocals
Sharon White – backing vocals
None
01. Tell The Truth
02. Got To Get Better In A Little While
03. Old Love
04. Motherless Children
05. Rambling On My Mind
06. Key to The Highway
07. Outside Woman Blues
08. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
09. Running On Faith
10. After Midnight
11. Little Queen Of Spades
12. Anyday
13. Wonderful Tonight
14. Layla
15. Cocaine
16. Crossroads (encore)
Review by Jeff Patterson
The wait for Eric to return to Japan was well worth it, by far the best show I’ve seen of his of the three tours I’ve been lucky enough to watch. His guitar solos were outstanding and powerful. The cutover from Layla to Cocaine seemed to reach out and grab everybody sitting around me, truly a great switch between classics.
Derek Trucks’ slide work was truly worth the price of admission it’s self. At one point when Derek was not playing slide, I had to do a double take, because is guitar work sounded just like Eric’s. Playing low on the neck of the guitar and pulling/pushing the strings in a great imitation of Eric. I don’t know if it is intended or if he’s just the heir apparent to Eric.
The solo Eric did of "Rambling On My Mind" was awesome. There are just no words to describe how the sound during that song came across. The whole concert had the clearest sound I’ve heard at any concert I’ve been to in recent memory. The different solo’s came across clear and crisp and had you wanting for more. Truly a great show and I hope that we don’t have to wait three more years for Eric to return.
Review by Tsuzuki Hiroyuki
The announcement of George’s death was made public just 5 years ago. On the same day Eric did the gig at Budokan as "Reptile Tour" I wondered whether he has remembered that mournful day.
I have secretly expected him to play "Badge", but in vain. "Five long years" was dropped and "Rambling on my mind" was played instead of "Driftin’ " Eric is in a laughing mood, saying many times "Domo" and "Thank you". His guitar tune is powerful and vigorous as usual. In "Old love" and "Little Queen of Spades" his guitar solo seems to cleave the air wholly.
Derek’s solo is no less splendid than Eric’s. His slide guitar explodes like a roaring thunder. Nonetheless in comparison with Duan Allman’s sharp-edged slide in "Layla" his slide is soft and gentle. I hope his solo starts just after Eric’s singing, the same as original recording , and becomes more intensive.
The band keeps good condition, intensifying the interplay of guitars, bass, drums and keyboards.