Eric Clapton Draws 27,000 To Saratoga
by Donald E. Wilcock, The Times Record, June 27, 1975
Zap. The first clear note of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” cut the mob like a laser through a powder keg. More than 27,000 voices screamed in unison as firecrackers exploded all around the vast Saratoga Performing Arts Center Thursday night.
The crowd was the third largest in the Center’s 10-year history. In 1971, The Who drew 33,657, and in the same year Chicago drew just under 28,000. Saratoga Police officials reported 35 arrests for criminal trespassing and one arrest for disorderly conduct. The arrests for trespassing occurred when people tried to sneak into the concert over fences.
And with those first notes from the man many call “one of the greatest living guitarists,” thousands raced down the aisles in a crushing throng towards the front of the stage. It got so bad that the British rock star had to ask the crowd to move back partway through his show while people in front were begging security guards to pull them up and off the stage.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, but…” and Clapton’s voice trailed off as his band moved into the first song. The ocean of bodies drowned him out only to have him overcome them totally on the first note.
Clapton came onstage slouched over, a beret set squarely on his head, dressed in an Esso work suit. Esso for the super conglomerate rock star – an energy producer.
He followed that first song with “Do You Want to Rock And Roll, ” his band sounding as full behind him as it did for Delaney and Bonnie’s tour in 1970. The next number was a slightly slower instrumental that glowed under a 25-foot-square grid of Christmas lights that winked patterned messages from the rear of the stage.
A smooth Bobby Bland blues number and another cut from the LAYLA album was what had the mob crushing against the stage. Clapton said: “Could you all kind of move back so we don’t hurt the little girls.”
His message didn’t work, but a “tranquilizer” from Yvonne Elliman, who played Mary Magdalene in the movie “Jesus Christ Superstar,” and a long Clapton version of folk singer Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” soothed almost all, and there was little or no trouble for the rest of the night.
Clapton did “‘Let It Rain,” his favorite from the OCEAN AVENUE album, and then Carlos Santana joined him on stage for some fine jamming on “The Preacher,” his song from the movie, “Tommy.” Nowhere were the lazy, laid-back numbers of his new albums. And at no time did he fulfill his promise to a Rolling Stone reporter a year ago: “I know they want me to go and blow everyone off the stage, but they’re not going to get that.”
His only disappointment was a lightning escape, surrounded by bodyguards, to a pair of limos, and out into the night minus an encore as a few overflow listeners backstage cussed loudly at him to return.
Carlos Santana opened the Thursday double bill with a fine, tight set, getting his standards out of the way early. Their newer numbers are more flowing than rhythmic, relying heavily on the jazz keyboard work of Tom Coster.
That set, however, was marred by a poor sound system that buried Carlos’ fine guitar work in a sea of sound mud.
The Performing Arts Festival special events calendar picks up again Sunday with Stephen Stills, starting at 7 p.m.
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