Eric Clapton closed his Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park concert on Sunday night (08.07.18) by performing with Santana.
The two guitar gods joined forces for a rendition of ‘High Time We Went’ with the pair swapping solos during the encore much to the delight of the 65,000 fans in London.
For his set, Clapton delved into his incredible back catalogue which covered his six-decade spanning career, incorporating all of his blues influences.
Acknowledging the World Cup fever which has gripped the nation with England reaching the semi-final of the soccer tournament, Clapton greeted his fans by shouting "It’s coming home!" – a reference to the 1996 song ‘Three Lions’ recorded by The Lightning Seeds and comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner which has become the soundtrack to the summer.
Opening with his cover of J. J. Cale’s ‘Somebody’s Knockin”, he followed it up with a swaggering rendition of Willie Dixon’s ‘I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man’.
One of the highlights was when the 73-year-old musician performed a mini acoustic set inspired by his acclaimed 1992 ‘MTV Unplugged’ concert comprised of ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out’, ‘Layla’ – recorded by his former band Derek and the Dominos – and ‘Tears In Heaven’, which was written about the tragic death of Clapton’s four-year-old son Conor, who fell from a New York apartment building in 1991.
Clapton plugged in his electric guitar again for ‘Lay Down Sally’ – on which he was joined by Marcella Levy, with whom he co-wrote the track – and ‘Cocaine’, And he had the enthralled crowd swaying to beautiful ballad ‘Wonderful Tonight’.
Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park will continue this week with headline slots from Bruno Mars, Michael Buble and Paul Simon.
Meanwhile, Barclaycard is offering its customers the ultimate festival experience as part of the new Perk Park at Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park – an exclusive activation that gives cardholders the chance to act like a rock star and complete their very own stage dive, a privilege traditionally reserved for headliners of world famous live entertainment events.
Inspired by iconic main stages, the Perk Park is an exclusive space for Barclaycard customers to relax and enjoy some true rock star treatment – from panoramic views across Hyde Park on the 11m terrace to fast-track bars and free Wi-Fi.
Daniel Mathieson, Head of Sponsorship at Barclaycard, said: "This state of the art experience at our new Perk Park really makes you feel like a global superstar. We know that our customers are constantly looking to get more from their live entertainment experiences so we’re proud to be able to offer this."
Barclaycard customers can visit the Perk Park throughout the remainder of the festivals dates.