Eric Clapton Dusts Off ‘Bell Bottom Blues’ At Royal Albert Hall Run Opener
By Scott Bernstein May 23, 2017 • 12:45 pm PDT
Legendary guitarist Eric Clapton returned to the stage last night for the first of three shows at Royal Albert Hall in London. Clapton and his band stuck to a similar script as their March 2017 performances at Madison Square Garden in New York City with one major exception.
The sixth song of last night’s concert was “Bell Bottom Blues,” a tune Clapton wrote with Bobby Whitlock for Derek & The Dominos’ 1970 double album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. Eric Clapton last played “Bell Bottom Blues” on June 3, 2006 in Frankfurt, Germany according to Setlist.fm. “Slowhand” performed the song on acoustic while seated.
All told, Eric’s first show since he needed to reschedule performances set for Los Angeles earlier this year featured 15 songs. Guitarist Doyle Bramhall II opened for Clapton and sat-in with Slowhand on covers of “Little Queen Of Spades” and “Cocaine” that ended the main set as well as the “High Time We Went” encore. EC continues the run on Thursday night.
Watch fan-shot footage of “Bell Bottom Blues” captured by banfibill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW9PjlTckQYSetlist
- Somebody's Knocking
- Key to the Highway
- I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man
- I Shot the Sheriff
- Driftin' Blues
- Bell Bottom Blues
- Layla
- Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
- Tears in Heaven
- Badge
- Wonderful Tonight
- Cross Road Blues
- Little Queen of Spades
- Cocaine
- High Time We Went