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Classic Clapton

@ Redcar R & B Club

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CLASSIC CLAPTON the World’s No1 Eric Clapton Tribute Band featuring front-man Mike Hall will be making a welcome return to Redcar Blues Club in April.

They will perform all of EC’s classic songs including Crossroads, Badge, Sunshine of Your Love, I Shot The Sheriff, Cocaine, Wonderful Tonight and of course Layla!  In addition they will play some of Slowhand’s most popular blues numbers including Hideaway, Key to the Highway, All Your Love, Hoochie Coochie Man, etc.  There will even be an “UNPLUGGED” segment.

The band was formed in 1985 in Newcastle upon Tyne long before the term “tribute band” was invented, and named themselves ”After Midnight” after the JJ Cale song which gave Eric his first solo hit.  In guitar/vocalist Mike Hall, they have a front man who not only looks like Eric, he sings and plays guitar like him too!  Mike has met Slowhand twice, and even received a message of encouragement from him (written on a Concorde menu).

TYNE TEES TELEVISION were so impressed, they made a programme about them, called ‘COVER THEIR TRACKS’.  It was shown in August 2000 and received rave reviews, leading to national recognition.

In 2001 they embarked on an extensive tour of UK Theatres.  They called the tribute show “CLASSIC CLAPTON”.  Since then, they have continued to perform all over the UK & Europe including concerts at The Royal Festival Hall and Glastonbury Festival.   They appeared at the prestigious Sotogrande Blues Festival in Spain in August 2007.  In the past few years they have performed numerous concerts in Europe including Spain, Estonia, Holland and France.  In 2009 they appeared for the first time in Mumbai. A 10,000 mile round-trip for one gig but it was a great experience.  They were invited back for 3 more concerts in India in January 2016. This included performing in front of 3500 people in an open air sports arena in Mumbai. On 18 March this year they appeared in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

In the past 32 years CLASSIC CLAPTON have become something of a rock institution.

CLASSIC CLAPTON comprises 4 excellent musicians:-  Mike Hall (lead vocals/guitar), Danny Davison (drums) and Dave Robson (bass guitar /backing vocals).  Dave is a former member of chart band Geordie.  In fact he was with them at the time Brian Johnson left to join AC/DC.  Keyboards player Paul Warren was born in Middlesbrough but now lives in Darlington.  Front-man Mike was born in Durham.

CLASSIC CLAPTON have released three albums.  Firstly “THE MUSIC OF ERIC CLAPTON” contains brilliant cover-versions of 17 Clapton Classics.  Their second is a live double CD ”CLASSIC CLAPTON Unplugged”  recorded at Belfast Waterfront Hall.  In 2005 they released their third album “CLASSIC CREAM” – featuring 20 songs made famous by the sixties supergroup.  All three albums will be available at Redcar Blues Club.

Eric Clapton has been a major international star since the mid 1960’s, when he revolutionised electric guitar playing, with his virtuoso performances in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.  He has won an incredible 19 Grammies and is the only triple inductee into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of The Yardbirds, Cream and as a solo artist).

Eric is now in his seventies.  His recent tours unfortunately have visited only a limited number of large UK venues.  If fans want to hear all of his hits performed in more intimate surroundings, they really should attend a CLASSIC CLAPTON concert.  The whole of Clapton’s illustrious career will be covered including Cream, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds, Blind Faith, Derek & The Dominos and the solo years.

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