The 'Clapton Is God' slogans may not appear daubed on walls anymore, but within the confines of the Albert Hall his is still a divine presence.
This, the third of six sell-out nights, sees Slowhand caught between the blues and the back catalogue. He ambles on stage alone, sits on a chair and picks his way through blues chestnut 'Key To The Highway'. His voice is in good shape, pitched between the gravelled yearning of his heroes and his own more mellow tones.
After the solo introduction, the rest of his band join him. After a brief introduction from perma-grinning percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, they launch into the title track of forthcoming album 'Reptile'. It's a mid-tempo, Latino-flavoured instrumental that gives Clapton a chance to add some lovely flamenco-style runs to his range.
The set veers from the old standards ('Bell Bottom Blues', a souped-up 'Badge') to the blander AOR of his recent albums ('My Father's Eyes', 'Change The World'). It's a tightrope of crowd-pleasers and the material you feel he would probably prefer to play.
In a move to break away from the show just being about him and his guitar, and also because they feature on 'Reptile', he calls on Curtis Mayfield's old backing group The Impressions to take centre stage for a couple of songs. They also back him on three tracks from the new album, which blend soul with Clapton's rock bombast to pretty good effect.
After more blues with the ubiquitous 'Hoochie Coochie Man' and 'Have You Ever Loved A Woman', it's old favourites all the way. The arena crowd leap to their feet and rush to the front of the stage as those legendary opening chords of 'Layla' ring out to close the show.
Returning for an encore, the band launch straight into 'Sunshine Of Your Love', with Andy Fairweather-Low capably taking Jack Bruce's lines. The show ends on an unexpected note with a dreamy version of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' before the lord of the manor leaves the stage for the final time. Whether you prefer him doing the blues or rocking out, Clapton digs out just about enough of everything to send everyone home happy.
Images: Angela Lubrano
