Concert Details

Fan Reviews:

Review by Tokuji Kubo
I always check your website and appreciate your big effort. I want to give you some info about tonight’s show at Osaka Jo Hall tickets were almost sold out, totally full.

The concert began at 19:10 and finished 21:10, it is about 2 hour show. The set list is exactly same as Nagoya 25th show (18 songs).

Songs 8 to 12 –  “Driftin’ “to “Tears in Heaven” (the accoustic set) was the same as other shows. Songs 13 to 17 – “How Long” to “Cocaine”, EC played non-stop, no interval like a medley … so actually 13-17 was almost like one song.

EC concentrated on playing his guitar, just like a member of EC band. I was quite surpirised to see him playing his solo so much in recent Japan tour with Doyle Bramhall, really his guitar loudly weeps tonight!

I has been watching all of EC Japan tour since 1977 even with George Harrison, or Elton John in the past, but this tour called “ 40th anniversary tour” since he came to Japan in 1974 for the
first time. It was very rare, he gave 3 songs’ vocal to Paul Carrack , even at encore, EC did not open his mouth …just bow his head to the audience … never said even “ good night or goodbye” to 10,000 audience and left the stage; that was really lonely and sad because it is rumored that this is the very last world tour.

Paul Carrack’s vocal was not bad, but we did not want him sing specially for encore song. We expected EC to play Sunshine Of Your Love or any other numbers to close the show in addition to “High Time We Went.”

Fortunately “After Midnight” has been replaced by“ I Shot The Sheriff” since the Yokohama show. It is one of most expected songs to hear in Japan; this has given us small satisfaction on setlist at least.

Chris Stainton keyboard solo twice in the show, it is also 1st time to see him play such long solos twice in the middle of show. EC has given big spotlight to him tonight, called his name again and again.

Fans welcomed EC warmly with big applause since beginning of the show to the end … but after they left the stage, immediately light was on, and people screamed for this ending.

Many old fans with gray hair , probably same age as EC, everywhere in arena, all looked happy to see old friend EC still very active – must have thought too early to stop the show exactly same as me.

Review by Hiroshi M.
Let’s face it, roughly saying, since mid-2000’s, Eric’s popularity over here has been diminishing – a sorry state that had preceded in the West by several years. When he toured Japan, normally he would play 2-3 shows in Osaka in average, which culminated in 5 shows at the 16,000 seater (n.b., around 12,000 or so for the concert setting) Osaka-jo Hall for George Harrison tour in 1991. The promoter allocated 4 shows for the 2006 Japan tour, but the Osaka-jo Hall turned out to be eighty percent full each night. It’s a shame that it is now reduced to “just one night” for the city where the faithful fans have championed Eric so passionately through all those years, especially considering that this is rumored – much more so resonantly than ever, perhaps – to be his last ever Japan tour.

I first saw Eric live at the Osaka second night and final show of his first Japan tour in 1974. Since then, I have caught all but one of his Osaka shows (total: 42 out of 43 performances, including this time around). It is no wonder that I accommodated myself to the show with a stronger than usual emotion.

The show started with Pretending, and Eric made a rather noticeable mistake when finishing the song. And it wasn’t a perfect show in the same sense as the Nagoya the previous night, where he accomplished a flawless performance from beginning to end. Eric made a bum note here and there, missed the cue etc., but it didn’t spoil the show fundamentally. The result is another vibrant show, almost rivaling the Nagoya, if not as good but close.

Sheriff was a show-stopper again here, and good a performance as it was, the climax left something to desire in my humble opinion – it was a tad short of the dramatic factor that made the Nagoya version so impressive. On the other hand, Queen Of Spades was no less brilliant than the night before in its way of deliverance. The more than intense solo in Crossroads that was played in mesmerizing speed was another unforgettable moment.

During the show time, the literally capacity crowd (the seats completely sold-out, and the gallery on the top of the tiers was surrounded by those who bought standing room tickets) watched every move Eric made, as if they all knew this could be his final ever appearance in Osaka and took it by heart, a feeling only strengthened by the man’s honest and poignant foreword published in the programme, where he made clear that this is “the first of several probable farewell tours” and “the idea is to come and visit you, to say thank you for all your support, and maybe also to say goodbye”.

The tour leaves one more show to finish back at the Budokan, but this is the last one for me. I left the venue, wondering if this would remain Eric’s truly last ever show in Osaka, after all. I hope not, but if it turns out that way, at least I’m glad that he gave us one final brilliance, a night to remember.

Long live Eric!