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Live Review
by Klam Meraffe
3-5-2005
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| Cream: near bus-pass age but rocking! |
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Live: Cream
Royal Albert Hall, London
Monday, May 2, 2005
Cream reunion - needed?
Eric Clapton has reunited his '60s blues band Cream for a short engagement, as they used to say when the band was active. The trio, also comprising drummer Ginger Baker and bassist Jack Bruce, performed the first of four sold-out reunion shows at London's Royal Albert Hall last night.
BBC News reports that Clapton is believed to have agreed to the reunion due to the failing health of the other members. Bruce recently underwent a liver transplant while Baker suffers from arthritis.
The set, featuring much of the three albums the band recorded during their three years in existence from 1966 to 1969, opened with ‘I'm So Glad’. But, before the band could strike a note there was a standing ovation that prompted Clapton to address the audience with an emotion-filled voice:
"Thanks for waiting all those years! We'll probably play everything we know - we'll play as long as we can."
The encore was the band's biggest hit, ‘Sunshine of Your Love’.
Although these dates mark the band's first full reunion, they briefly played together in 1993 when they were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
There is no doubt the players have matured with age and the ‘salt’n’peppa’ audience adored every millisecond of it but we are left with a feeling - “Is this it”? It certainly ain’t what it used to be, we ain’t what we used to be, the time has altered immeasurably… Beyond nostalgia, there is hardly anything else (t)here.
All respect to the players, their legacy and status but they should have left it in the past tense.
The sold-out shows continue tonight [03 May], on Thursday [05 May] and Friday [06 May].
The set-list was:
'I'm So Glad' ('Fresh Cream', 1966)
'Spoonful' ('Fresh Cream', 1966)
'Outside Woman Blues' ('Disraeli Gears', 1967)
'Pressed Rat and Warthog' ('Wheels of Fire', 1968)
'Sleepy Time Time' ('Live Cream', 1970)
'N.S.U.'[ ('Fresh Cream', 1966)
'Badge' ('Goodbye', 1969)
'Politician' ('Goodbye', 1969)
'Sweet Wine' ('Live Cream', 1970)
'Rolling and Tumblin'' ('Fresh Cream', 1966)
'Stormy Monday' ('Early Cream')
'Deserted Cities of the Heart' ('Wheels of Fire', 1968)
'Born Under a Bad Sign' ('Wheels of Fire', 1968)
'We're Going Wrong' ('Disraeli Gears', 1967)
'Crossroads' ('Wheels of Fire', 1968)
'Sitting on Top of the World' ('Goodbye', 1969)
'White Room' ('Wheels of Fire', 1968)
'Toad' ('Fresh Cream', 1966)
'Sunshine of Your Love' ('Disraeli Gears', 1967)
The Evening Standard reporter summed it up: "I know this is hello and goodbye, but thanks a lot for treading softly on my dreams."
What do you do when you have no dreams?
Klam Meraffe
3-5-2005
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