That Time When Eric Clapton Shot His Racist Gob Off In Concert
We look back on a legendary guitarist’s controversial 1976 tirade
Rock ‘n’ Roll is full of many great mysteries. It is the region, built of soil and rainbows, to be found where the visceral meets the mysterious.
But it may hold no greater mystery than this: Why has Eric Clapton never truly been held accountable for the bigoted, racist filth that spewed from his chinless face on August 5th, 1976?
On that date, during a concert at the Odeon in Birmingham, England, Mr. Clapton (very) publicly said these words (MAJOR TRIGGER ALERT, and take that seriously):
“Do we have any foreigners in the audience tonight? If so, please put up your hands … So where are you? Well, wherever you all are, I think you should all just leave. Not just leave the hall, leave our country … I don’t want you here, in the room or in my country. Listen to me, man! I think we should send them all back. Stop Britain from becoming a black colony. Get the foreigners out. Get the wogs out. Get the coons out. Keep Britain white … The black wogs and coons and Arabs and f*cking Jamaicans don’t belong here, we don’t want them here. This is England, this is a white country, we don’t want any black wogs and coons living here. We need to make clear to them they are not welcome. England is for white people, man … This is Great Britain, a white country, what is happening to us, for f*ck’s sake? … Throw the wogs out! Keep Britain white!”
Uh-huh. He actually said all that. And that’s not out of context, it really isn’t. Yet this seborrhea scab in Strat-carrying human form, this lump of bigotry who is more useless than a not-quite healed anal fistula, not only still walks amongst us and releases records, but he is also in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame three times over. THREE TIMES OVER. Why, why, why?!? Why has Clapton (more or less) escaped the consequences of his unhinged bigotry? Why does he continue to somehow exist within the community of respected rock/pop elders?
There are so many brilliant and beautiful rock stars in the world. The turnpikes of our planet, made of macadam and ether, gravel and seas salted, are travelled by so many musicians of such passion and skill, by those who can spell empathy with a flick of a finger; even if we could breathe the brutal and beautiful air of eighty kalpas, we would still be able to find new men, women, and non-binary souls who could speak truth in music. So, for the love of God, why does anyone still have any respect, regard, time, or tolerance for Eric Clapton? This profound racist, this man of ferocious ignorance, should have been left in the heap of Bad Ideas back when Davey Johnson was still managing the Mets, if not long before.
Loads of public figures have been sent to the sidelines of well-deserved obscurity for far, far less. Really, think about it: The man said that all blacks should leave England. I am so utterly sick of Eric Clapton not being held accountable for his racist nonsense. Now, I am not asking that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame strike the man from its’ pathetic, Iron Maiden-less rolls; I am not even recommending that the Sad Eyed Sons of Marsh & Muni who program your favorite album rock oldies station drop his mewling, chamomile tea-bag dipped twice in lukewarm water pop blues from their playlists. I am just suggesting that every time he comes up in public discourse or private conversation, please let people know who he really is, remind anyone and everyone of that awful night in Birmingham, his, shall we call it, KristalLaylaNacht. At the very least, maybe you can confuse people by saying, “Have you heard the new Eric Clapton release? It’s an acoustic version of his old hit, ‘If I Blow My Nose in the Toilet Paper and then Wipe With It, Will I Get an Ass Cold?’”
I do not believe in cancelling. I mean that. Our ability to be moved by art transcends the foibles of the people who make it. Monsters, half monsters, and those who have occasionally made some very bad choices are capable of making art that inspires us and bookmarks our best and worst times. I do, however, believe in speaking the truth about public figures. With this truth, we can assess whether we want to share our limited time on earth with these people. We can hold Clapton – whose comments, truly, rank amongst the ugliest, most adamantly racist, and most bigoted to ever (very) publicly emit from the over-paid gob of a major musician – accountable by making sure others know what he said. We can then make our own choices about whether he ought to be part of our lives, whether his music ought to be a factor in the orb of our daily distractions, meditations, and joy. Let’s be aware, that’s all. There’s no gray area to what Clapton said, no room for debate about the nuances of science or politics; the man said, “We don’t want any coons living here, keep Britain white.”
I mean, my God, will we actually be missing anything if we commit Clapton to the rubbish heap of history? He is one of the very least interesting musicians ever considered to be interesting, a soul-less man who is the intern to the assistant to the coroner who draws the shadow of the chalk outline around the corpse of the blues. Remember that guy in your dorm at SUNY Plattsburgh who was always carrying his acoustic guitar around – he even brought it to class — and insisted on playing Paul Simon and Stephen Bishop songs “to all the ladies” on the quad? He had more soul than Eric Clapton.
I guess all that Jason Aldean stuff got me thinking about Clapton’s public orgy of racism nearly half a century ago. But I think there’s little point of comparison. KKKlapton is an avid and sincere amateur racist. He didn’t say this stuff to get votes, sell concert tickets or accrue streams. I am not applauding those who use the public’s Fear of The Outsider as a path to getting rich and famous; but I do think it’s likely that Mr. Aldean made a commercial calculation, and one that has paid off, enormously. I am not giving Aldean a pass, truly, I’m just saying there’s a method to his madness, as profoundly offensive as it might be. But Eric Clapton…that’s another story, entirely. Clapton can’t even retreat behind the low fence of pragmatism or profit to justify the festering maggot-garbage in his suppurating soul: Clapton said that shit (and continues to say it, or at least imply it, but that’s another story) because he WANTED to, because he BELIEVED it, not because it will help his career or bulk up his bank account.
We have all said things we regret. Of course, there’s a sliding scale to these sorts of greater and lesser sins, but I am guessing you didn’t say these horrible things in a public forum. Mr. Clapton did. He said them (very) publicly. He said them (very) loudly. He said them in front of an arena full of people. He did not say them off the record, or casually to a band member or roadie within range of a “hot” microphone. Rather, Eric Baldur Von Schirach Clapton stepped to a microphone, stopped his concert, climbed up on a soapbox full of hate and bile, and spoke horrifying words deliberately, at some length, and in great detail. And even if we believe in free speech, even if we believe in forgiveness, Clapton’s Birmingham rant is another thing entirely. His statement revealed the heart and mind of a true racist, risking their career and livelihood to express the turds in their soul.
Listen: It seems to me that whatever residual affection our Boomer/Jones culture may have for Clapton’s gasping, damp, lung-whistle music seems to be a shaky echo of a bad habit, a residual memory of an attachment to something you were once told you ought to like. “Clapton, he was famous when I was young and looked up to corpulent, chain-smoking assclown DJs on FM radio! Why, I distinctly recall that Rolling Stone talked about him a lot, around the time ‘King Tut’ was a thing. I guess I should still like him!” See, we don’t actually know why we like Clapton. We just take it for granted we should, because he was a part of our life in the before-times. Stop that habit, now. Eric Clapton does not belong in your life, on your radio, on your phone, in your record collection, in your car.
Even if we excuse and overlook his mediocrity, or if, for some reason, appeals to us, Herr Clapton surrendered his place in our lives the moment he said, “Keep Britain White.”
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Almost as offensive to me than Clapton’s racist rant is that you referred to former Mets manager Davey Johnson as “Johnston”. LOL
That EC made an an entire career by mimicking/stealing licks from black bluesmen goes beyond irony. Let him churn out one doleful, boring, record after another, but fuck him. The question I have is how did his dear pal, George Harrison, continue to be his friend after such remarks? I knew GH some and he was anything but racist. He did always make a point out calling me “my American friend, Jim” when in social situations, which I thought a bit weird but hardly anything else.
I dont know why you put a star in the place of the “u” in fuck when there are so many of ec’s words that are far more offensive.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention, love your work.
reflects a regrettable incident in a legendary musician’s career. Eric Clapton’s controversial tirade in 1976 reminds us that even talented individuals can make hurtful mistakes. It’s a reminder of the importance of addressing and learning from such actions, as growth and understanding can come from acknowledging the past and working toward a more inclusive and compassionate future.
If I was Eric Clapton’s kid I’d jump out a window
Not cool.
No matter what you want to say about Clapton appropriating “black music”,the fact remains he was right about everything he said in his allegedly drunken rant.Crude or not,he was right and so was Enoch powell.Look at britain today,it has been turned into an ugly,incompetent and dangerous place because of the insane immigration policies.The issue is not that he said what he said,the issue is that he allowed himself to be shamed by it rather than sticking to his guns.The thing to do would’ve been to cease playing american-inspired “coon” music right then and there and continue speaking out against immigration.The reality is that “racism” and “racist” rhetoric are necessary if the west is to survive the third world onslaught.Many people don’t know that communists were foremost among the promoters of this type of music that clapton and his kinsmen worship so much,to pollute and subvert European culture.
You are a complete idiot fascist rascist diklik
I mean, he WAS right. Just look at the state of Britain 50 years later. It’s like a Muslim invasion while they literally rape your daughters because you’re too scared of being “racist”.
have you been wasted for two solid years, Cissy? or just angry because people stopped you from taking advantage of your daughters?
CRAPTON just turned 80.Apparently,it’s also his IQ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mel,Cissy and Marv are two examples why the former “Cool Brittania” (think Spice Girls,Jamie Oliver,etc.)is now FOOL Brittania,as (likely) fusty and/or fugly,bigoted yobbos seem to be the U.K.’s flavour.
What do you have against what Mel Bay said? Did you not understand it?
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