The second of two sold-out nights at the Paris Accor Arena didn't bring any major surprise compared to the first one. In fact there were absolutely zero differences in the setlists. The only curveball was Cross Road Blues, which was played as a shuffle blues rather than the hard rocking Cream version from the previous night. But it didn't really matter, because once again the show was exquisite.
The band, of course, is an absolute dream: second guitarist Doyle Bramhall II's playing is much more primal, a direct lifeline to the elemental nature of the Blues. He is left-handed but plays a right-handed guitar turned upside down, which is what gives his bends these otherworldly sounds. Chris Stainton's piano playing brought the house down on several occasion, and Tim Carmon organ sounds act as a binding agent between all the lead instruments. The rhythm section of Nathan East and Sonny Emory provide a supple groove foundation over which the star of the evening can shine, and shine he does: Clapton's playing is a constant source of amazement: the dude is never flashy, but his phrasing is so emotive, his tone so unique and vibrato so controlled... Over sixty years after his debut, he remains one of the world's finest guitarists in any genre.
Some twenty years ago, Clapton embarked on a tour that was a farewell of sorts. Thankfully, the plan didn't stick but as he's pushing eighty, it's an inevitable fact of life that the end of the road is nearer than any of us care to admit. If this is the last time we get to see Clapton here (his last real run of shows on our shores was over a decade ago) then it was one hell of a send-off.
