Eric Clapton celebrates 70th birthday
at MSG: concert review

How do you sum up 70 years of solos and songs?

If you’re Eric Clapton, you do so with a little help from your friends.

During the guitar god’s 70th birthday show at the Garden Friday, Clapton varied his set by bringing on four guest axemen at select intervals—Derek Trucks, John Mayer, Doyle Bramhall II and Jimmie Vaughan (brother of the late Stevie Ray).

Other than that, Clapton party varied little from a typical performance by the legend. He employed his long-time band, including drummer Steve Gadd and bassist Nathan East, who have played with him for decades.

He framed his two hour set with the same songs that bookended his tour last year—beginning with “Somebody Knocking On My Door” and ending with “High Time We Went.” And he delivered the material with his common ratio of inspiration—balancing passages of fiery brilliance with many muted by excessive tastefulness and restraint.

Clapton’s sole acknowledgement of the show’s purpose came right before the encore. “Thank you for helping me celebrate,” he said. With typical understatement, he didn’t mention what he was celebrating or what year it marked.

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Check Out Joe's 2009 Royal Albert Hall Performance with eric Clapton
"Further On Up The Road"
live with special guest Eric Clapton

In tribute to and in celebration of this living musical marvel, we present to you a video of Joe Bonamassa playing guitar with his hero. The track is the song "Further On Up the Road" from Bonamassa's Live From the Royal Albert Hall. Since Clapton’s first appearance at Royal Albert Hall in 1964, he has performed at the venue almost two hundred times. This video holds an exciting moment in history though for Bonamasssa, as he considers Clapton to be one of his biggest inspirations.