Interview: Derek Trucks On The Road With Clapton - Page 2

That’s what I’ve been seeing in some of the fan comments I’ve posted on ZRock – comments such as “the guitar hero reawakens” and that “he’s playing at his best.”

Nice. That’s good to hear. I haven’t seen much feedback yet, but we’ve been talking about it as a group. That’s really the goal – if we can get people to see that he’s playing on a different level than he has recently. That’s what we’re shooting for. Because, you know, it’s one thing to get out there and just do your own thing. It’s another thing to really re-energize a group. That’s what’s more difficult and that’s what’s exciting. It’s good to know that that’s the feedback. I feel that it is getting there, for sure.

There are people who have said they’ve seen every show Clapton has played in their part of the world, and have seen shows and thought there was no way he could ever top it. But yet here he comes again, and they’re saying “this is the best thing I’ve ever seen.” One fan even went as far as to say, “Wow!!! No bullshit. Just music.”

That’s the goal.

Whereas other artists have such high-end production and special effects as part of their stage show. Sometimes you wonder if it’s there to make up for the fact that they may not have all of the musical components to stand on their own. But from what I’m reading in these reviews, with Clapton it’s “turn off the lights… turn on the amps… it’s show time.”

That’s pretty much how it’s going. When you have that many talented guys on stage, you don’t need a big light show. It can be done in other ways.

I’ve seen a few photos from the shows and some of the shots with you standing next to Eric remind me of vintage photos of a young Stevie Ray Vaughan playing with Albert King at Antones in Austin. It seems that Eric is on a very nice adventure by having you and Doyle on board.

Yes, he is really gracious that way. He could go a thousand different routes, but he’s choosing to have us guys out there and really lets us open up and, in a way, showcase what we’re doing. It’s an honor to be along for the ride in one sense, but then it’s also amazing that he’s giving us a chance to really do our thing. It’s an opportunity that you can’t get elsewhere. There’s no way that I’m going to be able to travel the world at this stage, with what we’re doing, and get in front of that many people. Especially guitar fans, and be able to really air it out. On a lot of different levels, it’s really an amazing experience. The fact that he’s willing to share the stage that way says a lot about his character.

Article Author: Jarrod Vrazel

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