Concert Details

Fan Reviews:

Review by Peter Pynt – Sydney
Great concert. Little Wing was again the feature of the night. Well, there was Crossroads at the end. The different treatments of lead by the different players (EC, Bramhall ll and Trucks) is interesting and adds a lot to the numbers.

Review by Phillip English
Just got back from my second night of seeing Eric (have tickets to all 3 shows) while I must say i enjoyed the concert, it is a shame that so far the set list has not changed and does not look like it will? Steve Jordan is a definate highlight and Eric’s playing is smooth and polished, Derrik Trucks is the stand out and is destine for greatness, all in all a good show but your seeing a 60+ year old player winding down.

Review by Gary Wall
Attended EC concert in Sydney last night. Very tight band, but EC seems to be slipping into early retirement! Very generous to allow two younger guitarists to play so much lead, and they were great, but I went to see Clapton play lead. Also, as a baby boomer, I would have preferred to hear more Cream (as he did on his last Oz tour) & Blind Faith. Loved the blues set though & my favourite Crossroads as the last encore song was the highlight.

Review by Bradley Traynor
Brilliant… he’s still got IT. A great concert with many a highlight. The set list was impressive, showing the talents of each and every band member. Classics like "Little Wing" set the crowd alight, while Eric’s solo rendition of "Driftin’ Blues" had the audience enthralled.

The talents of Doyle Bramhill II and Derek Trucks are immense. They added their own touch of style to the solos in many of the songs. Doyle’s style (and odd string setup) was of particular interest to me, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for some of his recordings. Derek Trucks added the slide component on his Gibson SG. He is simply amazing. During the Sit Down Set, Derek pulled out the Dobro (resonator) guitar to add another dimension to the sound. The start of "Layla" brought the house to it’s’ feet, there was dancing, screaming and applause aplenty. When the band left the stage, the applause and calls for "MORE" were deafening, and probably the longest I’ve witnessed. When they came back and went straight into "Cocaine" and then "Crossroads" the energy emitted by the crowd could have powered Sydney for a week. A concert to remember… Eric is still a Legend.

Review by Owen Ravenscroft – Avalon Beach
At last! A concert for the true believers. If the federal government are serious about sourcing alternative forms of energy they need to look no further than this band. The rythm section of Weeks & Jordan were like a V12 turbo charged diesel that just powered nonstop and were the perfect platform to showcase the bands talent. This was never more evident than on Motherless Children, Jordan was dynamite.
We took our teenage kids and it was great to see their reaction to the show. They could not believe most of those songs are over 35 years old! Great night.

Review by Arthur Manganas
Flew in from Seattle just for the shows, and was really excited to be able to see Eric with both my brothers who are big fans and also see Eric in my own hometown!

Mia Dyson opened for Eric and I must say, I was gobsmacked at what a fantastic voice she had. I was totally blown away by a her voice, in particular by a beautiful solo vocal number she did on a lap slide guitar.I immediately thought of Sheryl Crow…now onto Eric…. Eric ambushed the audience by walking on stage around 8.45pm with the band without an announcement, and upon realising that, immediately the crowd roared.He must have been getting some Sydney sun, as he looked pretty cool and tanned.He smiled at the audience and launched into it.

Eric’s guitar work was fantastic as usual,and the band was so tight. Doyle Bramhall II is an amazing guitarist who plays upside down guitar in the style of Albert King, and he came prepared with many Stevie Ray Vaughan & Albert King licks, and Derek Trucks is an astonishing slide guitarist. The rest of the band was perfect and included Chris Stainton who has played with Clapton for so many years. Backing vocalists were Michele John and Sharon White who did a sterling job.

The selection of songs for the evening included "Got to get Better in a while", ‘ Why does love got to be so sad", (both personal highlights for me) " Key to the Highway", a jazzed up version of "Further on up the Road","Cocaine" " Crossroads". There was also "Wonderful Tonight which was played in one of the most melodic ways I have ever seen it played…just beautiful."

An excellent version of Little Wing, written by Hendrix was also included and I must admit that at that moment I felt shivers down my spine when I realised that this guy playing in front of all of us is a true surviver who has played with every famous person you can think of including Hendrix, Albert King, Freddy King, Howling Wolf, BBKing, Stevie Ray Vaighan, Buddy Guy …you name it, he’s played with them.
The guy is walking history !!!

The set list of course included "Layla" which caused the crowd to dispense with protocol and roar and applaud in thorough appreciation… The oncore was Crossroads which has become his signature song now.

I need to go to the Doctor today as I have cramps in my jaw, I just don’t think Ive smiled so much for so long…seeing Eric, the legend play was very special. Seeing him play in my own home town was even more special. Have followed him play whenever I can, saw him in Manchester UK, Royal Albert Hall UK and will see him in Seattle. Thank you Eric and god bless!

Review by Prue Martin
Two great concerts so far. It is such a thrill to have Eric and the band in Sydney.I now wish Id bought tickets for the third night but kids are now back at school and me at work (quite a way from Sydney).

It was a priviledge to be able to see him and have my kids see him and although some of the criticisms may be valid we should remember that he doesn’t have to do this. He does not owe us anything other than the chance to see him play with a band of musicians he is obviously very proud of – his enthusiasm towards the musicians is such an inspiration- something all my kids noticed and something they will remember. A lesson for life. And the band were brilliant.

The fact that he doesn’t seem to "acknowledge" the audience as much as he could is, I think, evidence of the fact that he has played so many concerts over so many years in order to give people like us the chance to see him live, that the individual faces must just blur into one after a while (I was the one with the grey hair). The tour date schedule is incredible and worthy of reflection for anyone who thinks they were ripped off.

One thing I do hope is that he and the band enjoy being in Sydney, (that Eric remembers it this time) and that they soon return for longer and maybe play in some smaller venues. I hope they are not too shocked by the state of the countryside as they fly over to the other cities. It would be wonderful to have them back in NSW again.

Review by Pat / Sydney
I saw Eric last night in Sydney, second time for me, first time for my son. Played beautifully, that tone is something else. Also very impressed with Doyle’s playing, but was I the only one who thought Derek was just playing when it was his turn, seemed to lack feeling. Great for The Master to give the two younger men their head to go for it. Great band, great concert, special mention to Mia Dyson support act, great voice.

Review by Grahame Davidson
Given the legendary status surrounding Eric Clapton, I set a very high standard for the Sydney concert. And I dare say EC definitely lived up to this expectation even though he is clearly at the twilight of his career. I must state however that, he was way too generous in allowing his back up guitarists Doyle Bramhall II and Derek Truck’s steal so much spot light. I like many others know that, EC is a far more supremely skilled guitarist and would have loved to see more of his guitar artistry than those accompanying him. But, it seems that, that is the way he planned this tour. The set list was very good, the entire band was truly awesome. (It was definitely the best band of session musicians I have ever witnessed together). The stand out for me were, Steve Jordan, Chris Stainton and Willie Weeks. On the flip side, the sound balance did not do justice to the incredible talent on stage. But all factors considered it was still an amazingly polished performance which you come to expect from a genius such as Eric Clapton. Thank you EC for coming to Sydney. We like to see you again, and may I suggest the Sydney Opera house next time.