ShareEric Clapton performing his European Summer Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Saturday 18th May 2025.
Review by Kevin Cooper
If it was bells and whistles that you wanted from Eric Clapton when he appeared at The Motorpoint Arena on Saturday night, then you were bound to be disappointed. What this crowd did get was the veteran guitar hero delivering a solid but not spectacular or inspiring set that consisted mainly of old blues covers and deep cuts from his past groups, Cream and Derek And The Dominoes.
Kicking off with a somewhat energetic rendition of Cream’s White Room, Clapton and his band went way back to their genre roots with a toe tapping performance of Willie Dixon’s I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man followed by the always much appreciated Sunshine Of Your Love that instantly had the crowd on their feet. But after that mesmerising start, the crowd returned to their seats where they remained until the show ended.
Sandwiched between the electric sections of the show was an acoustic section as the bespectacled musician slowed down the mood from his stage carpet for a cover of Robert Johnson’s Kind Hearted Woman Blues, and Jimmy Cox’s Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out.
Best described as energetic but not enthusiastic, Clapton turned out a perfunctory, but above average performance that was as short on passion as it was on hits. Undoubtedly he is still able to dazzle on the guitar, but there was a distinct lack of warmth. Introducing the band appeared to be a chore, which was a shame because they were very talented and included such musical marvels as Nathan East on bass and vocals, Doyle Bramhall II on guitar and vocals, Sonny Emory on drums and the amazing Tim Carmon on the Hammond organ and keys along with backing singers Sharon White and Katie Kissoon.
Finishing the acoustic section with a poignant and gorgeous Tears In Heaven which resulted in there not being a dry eye in the Arena. Following up with another electric session, the blues legend took the crowd through Tell The Truth, Old Love, and a couple more Robert Johnson classics, Cross Road Blues and Little Queen Of Spades.
Ending the main set with an epic extended version of Cocaine which allowed his band members to have their own solo spots, and the encore song, Bo Diddley’s Before You Accuse Me was a perfect end to a stripped back and unfussy set that gave his fans a master class in guitar playing.
Whilst the crowd were appreciative of Eric Clapton and his band, they appeared a little let down that Clapton had not performed any of his most popular songs. There was no I Shot The Sheriff, no Forever Man, no Alibis and no Layla, although there was a fabulous Wonderful Tonight which will always see his fans going back for more.