Waldbuehne Berlin, 15th August 2008.
Eric in Berlin - my brief review:
First of all, it was WET WET WET, we all got soaked despite of macs and caps. After sunny weeks and finest weather, it changed on Friday, and the rain didn't stop ... umbrellas and raincoats all over the place.
Due to heavy traffic it was a pain to get to the venue and took me
ages. I worked my way down the many steps of the amphitheatre to the (almost) front, but couldn't get to the centre anymore as it was already packed. It was raining all the time but people were absolutely determined to have a great time.Jakob Dylan, son of legendary Bob, took to the stage, I didn't know what to expect after all the critical voices, but he was very relaxed and technically superb. Articulate and clear, not at all like his father - apart from the looks. After a while I got a bit bored, as each song sounded alike and I felt people needed faster stuff. Eventually he went off to friendly applause.
During the interval they played Big Town Playboys stuff, Mike's "Lights out" and some of Andy's tunes, which kept people in the mood. Then Eric came on and immediately started with "Tell the truth". "Hoochie Coochie man" was the first highlight, the rain got heavier and it was a pain to get the camera ready for some photos. Doyle Bramhall II was at the far end of the stage, difficult to see him, just could watch his left-hand playing on the big screen. He also added some vocals from time to time. Eric was next to him and hardly moved. I hoped he would come over to our side, but he didn't. Didn't speak much, either, just "good evening" and "thank you". I remembered when I saw Eric last time at this very venue in 1992 and couldn't help to compare! He had long hair then, a white Armani suit and looked stunning, what a difference. Chris Stainton in his striped sweater got extra applause during some solos. The drummer Abe Laboriel jr worked hard but sat far in the background, difficult to see him. As to the 2 background singers, I wondered why they needed them.
During the acoustic set in the middle, Eric and bass player Willie Weeks sat down on chairs and obviously enjoyed their playing.
Towards the end, EC's warhorses came up, starting with a personal favourite of mine "Motherless children" (which woke me up). The next 2 songs were full of memories. "Wonderful tonight". I thought immediately of Pattie and all the stories behind this song, then came "Layla". Smooth transition into "COCAINE", where Eric was supported by a great vocal section, the Berlin audience !!!
After just one encore, it was over, and I made my way back up the steps. A great night full of blues, rock and melancholy. Set list see below:
SETLIST BERLIN
1. Tell The Truth
2. Key To The Highway
3. Hoochie Coochie Man
4. Here But I'm Gone
5. Outside Woman Blues
6. Isn't It A Pity
7. Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
8. Rock Me Baby
9. Nobody Knows You ...
10. Motherless Child
11. Travellin' Riverside Blues
12. Running On Faith
13. Motherless Children
14. Little Queen of Spades
15. Before You Accuse Me
16. Wonderful Tonight
17. Layla
18. Cocaine
Encore:
19. Crossroads
Some reviews:
- Berliner Zeitung: Die Nacht der Langen Finger
- Gerolds Blog: Clapton in der Waldbühne
