EC doing small venues

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deejaid
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EC doing small venues

Post by deejaid »

I was at a show at the Fillmore recently and inside there are pictures all over the walls of musicians performances there. At the top of the steps is a nice big photo of Eric with Cream. I can only imagine what those shows were like :yikes: :beer: :music2: (5 sold out nights at the Fillmore end of August '67).

It got me thinking, what are the chances of EC ever doing a run of small more intimate club shows? (1000-3000 fans)? I saw Eric with Steve Winwood at the Oracle Arena in Oakland in 2009. I have to say as big of a fan as I am of Eric, the show left a lot to be desired. I didn't even think twice about not buying tickets when he came to San Jose 2 weeks ago. After seeing bands like Rush and Roger Waters recently, I feel those bands have the type of show that translates well to an arena sized venue. High energy and the "show" is as important as the music. But Eric doesn't work for me at an Arena show. I think Eric would translate much better at a smaller venue. It would be an incredible setting for Eric to play a blues set.

I mean does the blues even belong in arenas? I feel the blues is grittier and needs to be in a venue more intimate, not in building made for watching hockey.

I know the ticket sales generated would be much smaller but EC isn't hard up for cash so maybe there's a chance :big_smile:
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Strummer07
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Re: EC doing small venues

Post by Strummer07 »

Ec does tend to favour smaller venues I believe .. but of course his promoters always want to book big venues , sell more tickets .............often it not the artist that chooses these places. So its a constant struggle between what the artist wants to do and the Promoters who want to make big bucks.

For instance in the UK , in London he always books the Royal Albert Hall , which whilst it sounds quite grand ( and is!) but it actually only seats 3900 which by todays standards is only 'moderate' sized... and unless your sitting in the flies or near the organ ,(which is behind the artist) all the views are great and you don't need the tv screens ......you can see !!

In the UK most of the big Rock Acts now book the O2 Arena out in docklands .which seats 23,000 !! .......and .....for me ..is a ghastly huge aircraft hanger of a place.big screens essential .....might as well watch it on a TV !!.

I won't go there , even if it means missing the act ....way too impersonal and the sound is often grim. Latest example of that is James Taylor , great artist .. but booked into the O2 !!! ...........absolutely the wrong venue for that artist ......but do the promotors care ..No sir .take the money !!

EC .as far as I know , has only ever done the O2 as a double act with Jeff Beck ......But has reverted to the RAH this year......... long may that continue !!!

I notice you use the phrase .. High Energy and Show .....H'mmm
Eric is Eric ..he's not high energy on stage .. ever !!
He lets his guitar and the music talk...he doesn't ( which I think is a pity personally.........but he's not going to change now) Nor does he jump or run about ... Go see Pete Townsend if you want that stuff!!
His latest stage show uses some good lighting too ..but fireworks and flashy showman stuff/ gimics ........not going to happen with EC........Thanks goodness!

EC occasionally does small gigs too .....but for security reasons they are not usually well published .Every year he does a charity gig near his home in Surrey UK, This is in Cranleigh - in the Cricket club!! ...................seating / rammed to the rafters .......probably does not exceed 200 !! Never Publicised .. of course !!!

But a tour of really small venues .......Nice thought , would be lovely ...but its not going to happen , unless the ticket prices were up in the thousands.
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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MikeJackal
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Re: EC doing small venues

Post by MikeJackal »

I agree with you both that arena's belong to the aptly named "Arena Rock" bands. Most bands here play the Sheffield Arena which has a capacity of 13,500 people. A friend of mine went to see Gary Moore & B.B. King there on the same night and said it was awful, the sound bounces around the walls and you just don't get value for money. I have also seen bands at the "Don Valley Stadium" an outdoor sports venue that has a total capacity of 50,000! I saw Michael Jackson there in the 90's and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers more recently, both suited for that kind of venue but obviously zero intimacy.
Compare that to when i saw Peter Green and friends last summer at the O2 Academy in Sheffield. He didn't play in the large room which holds 2,350 (i did see UFO play in that room last year too and it was great) he played in the small room upstairs which has a capacity of 600. There was maybe 400 people there and I was stood 6ft away from Peter with the stage only 1ft higher than we were stood. It was basically like watching a pub band, but it was THE legend up there playing.
It was the best gig I have ever been to and it felt like a privilege to get to stand and watch every lick Greeny was playing.
In short arena's stink for the blues.
"You Only Live But Once, When Your Dead Your Done...So Let The Good Times Roll" - B.B. King
"I'm So Lonesome I Don't Even Have Me No Friend, I've Done So Much Crying Will I Ever Laugh Again" - Peter Green
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deejaid
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Re: EC doing small venues

Post by deejaid »

Strummer07 wrote:
I notice you use the phrase .. High Energy and Show .....H'mmm
Eric is Eric ..he's not high energy on stage .. ever !!
He lets his guitar and the music talk...he doesn't ( which I think is a pity personally.........but he's not going to change now) Nor does he jump or run about ... Go see Pete Townsend if you want that stuff!!

That's my point exactly. Eric isn't high energy on stage. So why is he playing venues here in the United States that seat 20,000 and you can't even see him on stage unless you look at the video screens. His style of performance just doesn't translate well to the big arenas yet that's all he plays here in the states. (And yes, when I do want that stuff I go and see bands like Rush.)

I actually like that EC doesn't talk to the crowds between songs. Some guys go on way to long talking between songs. Just play!
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deejaid
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Re: EC doing small venues

Post by deejaid »

I guess I just have to realize also that 90% of the people going to a Clapton show are there for "Wonderful Tonight", "Cocaine" and other hits. Us blues fans are the minority and most fans at his show probably think he wrote "Have You Ever Loved a Woman" :sad:
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deejaid
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Re: EC doing small venues

Post by deejaid »

Strummer07 wrote: But a tour of really small venues .......Nice thought , would be lovely ...but its not going to happen , unless the ticket prices were up in the thousands.
I'd pay $1000 to see him play all the old stuff up close one time.

I guess I'll just keep going to Buddy Guy shows when he comes around. $60 for front row. Last show, even though I was about 30 rows back, I still got a front row view as Buddy made his way through the crowd and ended up about 6 feet from me! :pray:
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12bar
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Re: EC doing small venues

Post by 12bar »

From time to time Clapton does smaller venues, but usually not for us "normal" people. During the nothing but the blues tour he did some Blues clubs, the recordings from there are the best he ever did. He sometimes plays in the UK at local charity concerts, or the regular new years eve at Woking.
Look at http://www.ectours.de/ for some details.
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