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David Smyth's rating
, Eric Clapton is comfortable in Albert Hall
By
David Smyth
18 May 2009
Here we go again. Three years since he last resided at the Albert Hall, and 22 since he first bought his timeshare, Eric Clapton has settled in for another 11 nights.
He’s comfortable in these plush surroundings, even producing his own patterned rug to stand on, a familiarity that meant few surprises and plenty of crowd-pleasing hits.
Layla, as has long been the case, was delivered seated as a leisurely acoustic groove. Otherwise, Cocaine kept its thick five-note riff, I Shot The Sheriff its reggae swing, and the gentle schmaltz of Wonderful Tonight retained its wedding
first-dance glow.
A jazzy shuffle around Over The Rainbow was a little different, as was a beautifully subtle late period Dylan cover, Not Dark Yet. Otherwise, the songs were mere runways from which to launch towards the clear sky freedom of solo after solo.
There was a kind of structure even to his improvisation — a little solo at the start of a song to whet the appetite then an epic, rambling, usually dazzlingly fast one to close.
He was technically flawless, of course, but often cold in his execution, lacking visible fire and passion. A shaking of the head and slight lifting of the left leg were his most emphatic gestures.
Frequent smiles showed he wasn’t simply going through the motions, however. He clearly enjoyed stringing out the pauses before the central guitar lick of Badge. Several impressive solos by other band members, most notably keyboardist Chris Stainton, allowed Clapton to step back and admire his group.
A single encore of Crossroards brought the crowd to its feet. It was predictable, yes, but received warmly enough to ensure he’ll be back here to do it again before too long.
Until 31 May (020 7589 8212, www.royalalberthall.com).
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (4)
This was my first time seeing Eric Clapton and probably my last!!! Where were all the hits? This was sucha lazy gig. The crowd looked bored too with hardly any classics to sing along to. Eric could've blown the roof off the Albert Hall but instead chose not to!!! Such a shame!
- Rachel Doyle, St Albans, 29/05/2009 09:55
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Despite the fact we had awful seats in the Albert Hall and could see very little of the musicians ( they were not called "Restricted View" when purchased) we both found the concert quite stunning. We loved Eric's version of "Over the Rainbow" and then enjoyed a full bloodied original "Layla" when we went on the 26th.
- Bill Dudman, Ealing London, 27/05/2009 12:49
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without Doyle Bramhall and Derek Trucks to push him Eric soon lapses into auto pilot guitar.
- Al Stuart, ealing, 21/05/2009 13:17
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Tired, turgid and dull blues-by-numbers, EC may be comfortable and at home in these surroundings but does he have to metaphorically put his slippers on and lead us through a pedestrian set where his whole interaction with the audience is simply to smile and nod?
The audience, apparently equally at ease, seemed to have forgotten that songs like 'Layla' are searing, heartfelt moments of pain that a smooth acoustic delivery does little to enhance once you've understood that Clapton is, if nothing else, technically superb. Even the virtuoso moments from not only Clapton himself but also his excellent band, seem leaden and plodding.
Many seemed to think the selection of 'Over the Rainbow' was the evening's highlight but, like large portions of the set, once you'd grasped the familiarity of the song (even in the unfamiliar hands of EC) you found your mind wandering with the banality of it all. Personally, I never want to hear any rock act - whatever their age - play such an uninspiring standard.
The argument will be, of course, that we have all aged and Clapton and his fans don't need to revisit 'Crossroads' at its original breakneck speed but there was a curious 'toe tapping' rhythm to the whole evening that just made you want to scream and cry 'please rock!' It seems ironic but the whole show was just so comfortable that you felt the need to revisit the old question of 'Can White Men sing the Blues?’ On this showing the answer would have to be 'Not when they get older.'
- Billy Blagg, Colchester, Essex, 19/05/2009 09:50
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