Derek Trucks Reflects On Touring With Eric Clapton For ‘Shred With Shifty’

Derek Trucks appeared on a recent episode of the Shred With Shifty podcast hosted by Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. Among the topics of discussion was a chance meeting between Chris and Derek while on respective tours with Foo Fighters and Eric Clapton.

Trucks and Shiflett ran into each other in Japan back in the mid-2000s. As Derek recalled, Foo Fighters were playing the legendary Budokan in Tokyo. Chris remembered meeting Derek and Doyle Bramhall II in the hotel coffee shop with late Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins and sparking a conversation, humorously not knowing who the guitarists were on tour with.

“I have such a great memory of that trip. Me and Taylor were sitting there in line at the coffee shop in the lobby. You and Doyle were just shooting breeze or whatever and I think one of us said like, ‘Who are you on tour with over here?’ and one of you guys goes, ‘Eric,’ and I think I said, ‘Eric who?’ And like on cue Eric Clapton turned around and was like, ‘Hello.’”

Check out the clip from the Shred With Shifty episode below where Trucks also talks about playing with legends like Buddy Guy and Bob Dylan:

For guitar geeks and music lovers alike, the full Derek Trucks episode of Shred With Shifty sees the guitarist going into detail about his main axe, the Gibson SG, along with his live and studio setups. “As direct as I can get it,” Derek said.

Trucks also breaks down his slide solo on the Tedeschi Trucks Band classic “Midnight in Harlem,” noting his classical Indian music influences and the jazz and jam mentality of “dangling your feet over the edge of the cliff.” Another highlight is Derek answering Shiflett’s question: “Who was Colonel Bruce Hampton?”

Check out the full episode at Volume.com.