Eric Clapton US tour report


 
My first US tour travel report.  
   
     
First I want to say thanks to all my friends. 
My first foreign tour travel was so wonderful. Because I could meet directly to my e-mail friends. 
Of course EC's show were wonderful. 
But I realized friendship is the most important. 

I visited Arrowhead Pond CA and MGM Grand Garden Arena NV. 
There were many report about US tour included these Pond and MGM shows. 

This Us tour looked like '97 Japan tour setlist. 
Both tour were made up Pilgrim songs and many famous songs. 
I'll report to compare US tour with Japan tour on '97. 

I think this Us tour were better than '97 Japan tour. 

  
1)Arrowhead Pond set list   
2)MGM Grand Arena set list   
3)Compare with '97 Japan tour     
4)Impression    

 

           

 

    

1)Arrowhead Pond   
   
 Set list     

My father's eyes 
Pilgrim 
One chance 
River of tears 
Going down slow 
She's gone 
Driftin'
Tears in heaven 
Layla(acoustic) 
Change the world 
Old love 
Crossroads
Have you ever loved a woman 
I shot the sheriff 
Wonderful tonight 
Cocaine
Sunshine of your love 
 
Back

2)MGM Grand Arena   

 Set list   

My father's eyes 
Pilgrim 
One chance 
River of tears 
Going down slow 
She's gone 
Driftin'
Tears in heaven 
Layla(acoustic) 
Change the world 
Old love 
Crossroads
Have you ever loved a woman 
I shot the sheriff 
Wonderful tonight 
Cocaine
Sunshine of your love 
   
Back
 
 

3)Compare with Japan tour  
 
My father's eyes  This was my first experience to hear MFE. 
In Japan EC never played this song. 
But I heard some Boot CD and videos. 
I wonder intro of this song was same as past live version style. 
Cord were E, B, F#m, B. 
Slide was good and three women vocals (Katie Kissoon,Chyna,Charlean Hines) were very good. 
I like this US version more than past live.
Pilgrim  In '97 Japan tour EC played this song. 
The strings were good. 
I think '97 Japan tour style looked like Pilgrim CD. 
But I like US tour version.
One chance  This song wasn't played in Japan tour. 
I think this was more exciting than CD. 
This is good for Live performance. 
River of tears  This song also was better than original CD version. 
I think live version was very powerful. 
This song was played about 10 minites. It was very long but I was never tired. 
Going down slow  In Japan tour EC played with WahWah pedal. 
He played more strong effect than original CD. 
It was very good and impressive. 
In US tour he didn't use WahWah pedal. 
Song was more Jazzy like Legends tour. 
I like both version. 
She's gone  This song also wasn't played in Japan tour. 
My friends said She's gone was one of the highlight scene in the concert. 
I think YES, it was very good performance. 
This song is used only 2 cords. 
But I don't have any word how exciting performance it was.
Driftin' Every members drawed back and EC played only him. 
Many audience talked to next person. 
It was not so good. 
Why many people don't hear during EC played??? 
PA system was low level during this acoustic song. 
I was disappointed noisy hall. 

EC was very relax.      
 

Tears in heaven  EC always change the guitar to nairon acoustic. 
But in this tour (2nd leg only) he played with Martin. 
I heared EC's Martin was 000-28 EC signature model. 
Wah! It was same as mine. 
Song was good. It was also better than Japan tour. 
Because Strings set was very effective. 

At the Pond EC had mistake and smiled with Nathan. 

Layla(acoustic)  Layla was played in Japan tour. 
US tour was played more up tempo than Japan tour. 
I was happy all audience sang Layla phrase with EC. 
In Japan almost audience don't song lyrics. 
Why? Yes, it is easy to anwser. Almost Japanese don't know lyrics 

Anyway all persons said they wanted to hear electric version. 

Change the world  This  also was played in Japan. 
BUT US tour were much better. 
Sep '97 EC played with BabyFace in his MTV Unplugged. 
It was very good performance. 
EC came to Japan in Oct after MTV. 
But he played Change the world very easy. Why EC? 
That was so different from Unplugged performance. 
In this US tour EC plyayed like BabyFace Unplugged. 
It was wonderful performance. 

Japan tour was not so good. 
 

Old love  This  also was played in Japan. 
US tour was featured Tim Carmon keyboad. 
It was exellent performance. 
In Japan tour Keyboad was Chris. 
I like him very much.
Crossroads US tour stlye was about '88 to '90. 
It was up tempo style. 
I like this version very much. 
But Japan tour was not this style.
Have you ever loved a woman  Crossroads ending was starting of Have you ever love a woman. 
I've never heared this style. 
In Japan tour Joe Sample played piano. 
This was very good performance. 
I like both.
I shot the sheriff  This was new arrange. 
Three woman vocals had characteristic. 
It was very good. 
They sang "But I did not shot to death" 
A#=But I D=did not D#=shot to E#=death 
Japan tour was normal performance. 
I like US tour much better.r 
Wonderful tonight  This was very good. 
Because Katie Kisson's vocal was featured at ending part. 
We can hear this style in 24 nights. 
I like this version very much. 
We couldn't hear this style recently. 
Especially Japan tour EC played very easy. 
It was not so good. 
So I think US tour was much better.
Cocaine This Cocaine also was good better than Japan tour. 
Nathan East started this song by Base solo. 
And he played F#GG# with Base before intro of this song. 
This style was very popular 10 years ago. 
I was happy I could hear again. 
Nathan East is great. 

In Japan many audience don't shout COCAINE. 
But here US audience shout COCAINE. 
It was comfortable for me. 

Sunshine of your love  Recently EC played this song at encore. 
Intro was very unique. 
I think this was same as Japan tour. 
But audience looked more exciting than Japan.
   
   
 4)Impression   
   
Pilgrim songs were polished more than Japan tour. 
But I think it was due to have 20 strings. 
Japan tour  always have normal band. 
I hope orchestra join EC in Japan. 
But we never see till now. 
This US tour was my first orchestra join shows. 
I'm sure it was very good. 

But characteristic things is some songs go back '80 or '90s style. 
Example Wonderful tonight, Cocaine, Crossroads... 

I don't know this style will continue to Europe tour or not. 
But these songs full of great feeling again. 
I approve of this US style. 

I have one question to someone. 
Why audience talked to next person or leave their seat during EC was playing?. 
I think EC was able to see audience. 
If you are EC, how do you think? 
If they want to buy Beer or have rest room, I think they should go interval song. 
All time I saw  many persons  walked around the way  during concert. 
I have great question. 
But I must say I know all audience were very exciting and enjoyed very much. 
I was very happy. 

I'm sure I will visit to foreign tour some day. 
Let's meet again. 

Thank you Mr Eric Clapron and all my world friends especially special thanks to Al,Jeanna,Barbara,Chris,Chang,Wako.

Regards, 

Etsurou 
 

   
   

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