https://blabbermouth.net/news/eric-clapton-tests-positive-for-covid-19-postpones-european-shows
Eric Clapton has postponed two concerts on his European tour after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
The shows originally scheduled for Tuesday, May 17 in Zurich, Switzerland and Wednesday, May 18 in Milan, Italy are now expected to take place later in the year.
According to a post on Clapton's Where's Eric web site, the legendary 77-year-old rocker contracted COVID-19 after "shortly after" his May 8 concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.
"[Eric] has been told by his medical advisors that if he were to resume travelling and performing too soon, it could substantially delay his full recovery," the post adds. "Eric is also anxious to avoid passing on any infection to any of his band, crew, promoters, their staff and of course, the fans."
Clapton is now hoping to resume the tour in Bologna, Italy on May 20. He has dates booked through June 17 in Tampere, Finland.
Clapton is scheduled to embark on a seven-date U.S. tour this summer. The trek will kick off on September 8 in Columbus, Ohio and run through September 19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Eric has been vocal about his stance against COVID-19 policies and has in the past refused to play live shows that require attendees to prove they've been vaccinated.
Clapton criticized the lockdowns instituted around the world in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and stoked fear and conspiracy theories after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Clapton recounted his negative experience with the AstraZeneca shot, suggesting the side effects had been so "severe" that he was afraid that he would "never play again." He also said he was inspired by another musician-turned-anti-vaccine activist, Van Morrison.
Clapton first made his proclamation against vaccine mandates in July 2021, shortly after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that vaccine passes would be required to enter nightclubs and venues in the U.K.
Last November, Clapton admitted that he had lost friends and music associates due to his anti-vaccine stance. He said at the time: "My family and friends think I am a crackpot anyway.
"Over the last year, there's been a lot of disappearing — a lot of dust around, with people moving away quite quickly," he continued. "It has, for me, refined the kind of friendship I have. And it's dwindled down to the people that I obviously really need and love. Inside my family, that became quite pivotal ... I've got teenage girls, and an older girl who's in her 30s — and they've all had to kind of give me leeway because I haven't been able to convince any of them."
He added: "I would try to reach out to fellow musicians and sometimes I just don't hear from them. My phone doesn't ring very often. I don't get that many texts and emails anymore."
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
I was always a big Clapton fan but have to admit I lost a lot of respect for him with his antivax stance. Also read an article in a Rolling Stone magazine which did not paint him as a very good person.
I love the man's music, and of course I hope he fully recovers, but I wonder if he has done any rethinking of his stance on vaccines.
@bill_graham Clapton became so sick after his Covid vaccine for several weeks he thought he would never play a guitar again. Then his old friend Van Morrison is anit-vaxx and Van influenced Clapton to be anti-vax because of his reaction to the vaccine and listening to Van Morrison.
I don't understand why many musicians don't call or text Clapton now or answer his calls and texts. But some still text Will Smith!!??
I don't understand why anyone would decide not to be a Clapton fan anymore and not see his shows anymore because EC is afraid of a Covid vaccine?
Music fans go see drunks, drug addicts, wife beaters, egotistical jerks and hateful people all the time because somehow they set those faults aside and just view the artist for their music ONLY!!!
I'll go see Van Morrison or Eric Clapton tomorrow and I ware masks and I've had FOUR COVID VACCINES!
One January 2021. Another February 2021. The third shot September 2021 and the FOURTH SHOT April of 2022!! I have some strange symptoms since the fourth shot but nothing that keeps me in bed.
If Clapton doesn't want a vaccine it doesn't bother me at all.
Now when you are in the audience seeing/hearing music of this caliber are you going to be thinking about a vaccine???
@bill_graham Clapton became so sick after his Covid vaccine for several weeks he thought he would never play a guitar again. Then his old friend Van Morrison is anit-vaxx and Van influenced Clapton to be anti-vax because of his reaction to the vaccine and listening to Van Morrison.
I don't understand why many musicians don't call or text Clapton now or answer his calls and texts. But some still text Will Smith!!??
I don't understand why anyone would decide not to be a Clapton fan anymore and not see his shows anymore because EC is afraid of a Covid vaccine?
Music fans go see drunks, drug addicts, wife beaters, egotistical jerks and hateful people all the time because somehow they set those faults aside and just view the artist for their music ONLY!!!
I'll go see Van Morrison or Eric Clapton tomorrow and I ware masks and I've had FOUR COVID VACCINES!
One January 2021. Another February 2021. The third shot September 2021 and the FOURTH SHOT April of 2022!! I have some strange symptoms since the fourth shot but nothing that keeps me in bed.
If Clapton doesn't want a vaccine it doesn't bother me at all.
Now when you are in the audience seeing/hearing music of this caliber are you going to be thinking about a vaccine???
Never said I would not listen to his music or go see him live only that I have lost a lot of respect for him as a person recently.
I am not a fan of Ted Nugent's politics yet I am a big fan of his music from the 1970's and listen to it often. I think Mel Gibson is a anti-Semitic arsehole but I enjoy his movies. I can separate the person from his craft.
I have no issue if Clapton does not want to take the booster shots due to his bad experience just as I don't have an issue with people who can't take the vaccine due to preexisting conditions.
What I do have a problem with is him taking an antivax stance as I see him as an influencer and I find this irresponsible to discourage others to not get vaxed. YMMV
Is it the ultimate irony when the virus so personally intrudes on your anti-vax positioning or is it further validation of your beliefs that vaxes were BS to begin with? Gotta wonder how how Eric is processing. Or maybe he just doesn't give a damn and just wants to play.
I really don't care either whether he wants one or not. I think the danger lies when you use your craft and celebrity as a pulpit to tell people what is and what isn't. Eric seems to have chosen that path and shouldn't be surprised at its impact on those both far and near to him....
@bill_graham Clapton became so sick after his Covid vaccine for several weeks he thought he would never play a guitar again. Then his old friend Van Morrison is anit-vaxx and Van influenced Clapton to be anti-vax because of his reaction to the vaccine and listening to Van Morrison.
I don't understand why many musicians don't call or text Clapton now or answer his calls and texts. But some still text Will Smith!!??
I don't understand why anyone would decide not to be a Clapton fan anymore and not see his shows anymore because EC is afraid of a Covid vaccine?
Music fans go see drunks, drug addicts, wife beaters, egotistical jerks and hateful people all the time because somehow they set those faults aside and just view the artist for their music ONLY!!!
I'll go see Van Morrison or Eric Clapton tomorrow and I ware masks and I've had FOUR COVID VACCINES!
One January 2021. Another February 2021. The third shot September 2021 and the FOURTH SHOT April of 2022!! I have some strange symptoms since the fourth shot but nothing that keeps me in bed.
If Clapton doesn't want a vaccine it doesn't bother me at all.
Now when you are in the audience seeing/hearing music of this caliber are you going to be thinking about a vaccine???
Never said I would not listen to his music or go see him live only that I have lost a lot of respect for him as a person recently.
I am not a fan of Ted Nugent's politics yet I am a big fan of his music from the 1970's and listen to it often. I think Mel Gibson is a anti-Semitic arsehole but I enjoy his movies. I can separate the person from his craft.
I have no issue if Clapton does not want to take the booster shots due to his bad experience just as I don't have an issue with people who can't take the vaccine due to preexisting conditions.
What I do have a problem is him taking an antivax stance as I see him as an influencer and I find this irresponsible to discourage others to not get vaxed. YMMV
I get your point robertdee and where you are coming but when it comes to politics, which this whole covid thing pretty much is, people take to their side(left/right) and stick to what they feel is correct. If you are not in line with whats popular with the social narrative , well you will get what Clapton described.
He can feel whatever he wants to. I myself would be pretty hesitant about it also if I had a pretty bad reaction .
Everyone has a plan, till you get punched in the face,
