The guitar as a narrative voice: Eric Clapton in concert in Milan

A few minutes in advance, It is 20.57 when the lights of the Assago forum are spent And the stage begins to come to life. Each musician enters the scene reaching his own place: after the two choristers Sharon White and Katie Kissoon, following Tim Carmon, Eric Clapton climbs on stage with The strength of a legend. The elegance of the great British guitarist, in a refined blue suit, immediately turns on the roar and applause of the Milanese building, which on the evening of May 27th It hosts the first of two dates of the “European Summer 2025 Tour Tour” Drag his black Fender, the show starts. Sonny Emory’s precision on the battery marks the beginning, while the guitar strings begin to be told. An overwhelming and gritty interpretation of “White Room“Of the Cream therefore envelops parterre and stands, while The sound is made substance, melodic line and memory.
Notice for those who will go to the forum tonight for the second appointment: Eric Clapton is not for the latecomers. Those who arrive 5 minutes late, already lose the first song in the lineup.

You immediately immerse yourself in the Blues roots with “Key to the Highway“, Song engraved for the first time in 1940 by the pianist Charles Segar. Each musician is the protagonist and the instruments create a dimension that embraces the entire audience: the bass of Nathan East slips on the pulsing of the Hammond, and the guitar of Doyle Bramhall II plays to exchange roles and dynamics with the six ropes of Clapton.” Slowhand “quickly offers another classic of the genre, the celeI’m your Hoocchie Ciochie Man “in a version that involves every part of the body of those present, before the unpleasant and always highly appreciated “Sunshine of Your Love“. Between adult With Johnny Winter or Springsteen shirts, the enthusiasm of some childrenand the absorbed involvement of a nice number of teenagers. Some of these, at the end, will see them run out to reach the exit artists on the back of the forum in the hope of a look, a gesture, a joke, or maybe something more.

The first part of the concert ends. “Good evening“, Says Eric Clapton in Italian, sitting. Fender leaves room for acousticselectricity to narration. Clapton returns to the times of the unplugged for the second act of the eveningwhile Nathan East embraces the double bass and the battery plays at the tip of brushes, with the two choristers that are velvet.
This year he turned 80, but the legendary guitarist is still surprisingly energeticso as to face a set of almost two hours without any pause, albeit back from three shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The voice is powerful in his experiencein “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” it only shakes for a moment On a shelled “you break My Heart”, but the heart returns to beat in “Nobody Knows you when you’re down and out“, Where the interpretation turns on hot, intact, above the touches of the keyboards. Clapton takes a break from the song in”Can’t Find My Way Home”, Leaving room for East, then resumed with”Tears in Heaven” There is only one wound that soundsStill. The applause of the public will restore heat, to prepare the atmosphere in the third section of the concert.

We then return to the electricor, Eric Clapton’s guitar becomes even more narrative voice, changing face and guise, tingling here too of the colors black, white, green and red that recall those of the Palestinian flag. “Badge“Of the Cream opens this new act intensifying the ending with the choirs, while the frenzy subsides on”Old Love“, Where the chills are for the moment protagonist of Tim Carmon. They follow”Cross Road Blues“And another classic like that,”Little Queen of Spades“, Who raised ovations from the spectators, with Clapton’s guitar and Chris Stainton’s keyboards who seem to speak to each other, in a dialogue between ropes and keys.”Cocaine“, Inevitable in Clapton’s ladders – who for a couple of years has decided to leave out the famous” Layla ” -,, closes the circle with precision.

After a short break, The encore comes with “Before you accusations”which closes An evening capable of magnetizingwithout any word too much, leaving music to speak, while It is the guitar, as always, to tell everything that Clapton chooses not to say. Tonight the second date of the forum, but the story has already gone from here.

The ladder:

Electric

White Room – Cream

Key to the Highway – Cover of Charles Segar

I’m your Hoochie Coochie Man – Cover by Willie Dixon

Sunshine of Your Love – Cream

Acoustic

Kind Hearted Woman Blues – Robert Johnson’s cover

Nobody Knows you when you’re down and out – Jimmy Cox cover

Golden Ring
Can’t Find My Way Home – Blind Faith cover

Tears in Heaven

Electric