Praise for Eric Clapton over intimate warm up shows

Concertgoers at Eric Clapton's intimate gigs in Surrey have said they felt it "meant a lot" for him to perform in the county in which he was born.

Clapton, 81, took to the stage at Guildford's G Live for two nights, playing some of his classics ahead of his upcoming worldwide arena and stadium tour.

Lee Anderton, who attended both nights, said that the rock legend "seemed to be enjoying" his time on the local stage.

Anderton, who runs a music store in the town, told BBC Radio Surrey: "The audience just loved it, it was a really good show."

He added: "He was a bit more relaxed last night. He was smiling and seemed to be enjoying it.

"I think it meant a lot for Eric to do something in Guildford."

Clapton, who was born in nearby Ripley, had previously performed at the venue on a handful of occasions, including a charity concert in 2018.

Derek Aldridge, of G Live, said that the venue "wasn't expecting a call" and initially thought he just wanted it for rehearsals before going on tour.

"He enjoyed playing here so much he wanted to come back and do his own solo show," Aldridge said.

"It has been great news for us, our audiences, our staff and anyone involved.

"For him, it was obviously somewhere he thought could do justice to his music."

Clapton is due to play arena shows across the world later this year, including in Munich, Barcelona and Chicago.

He is also set to play a one-night-only show in the Sandringham Estate on 23 August.

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