This report by Snopes mentions that the gig was reviewed by Sounds at the time, with some verbatim quotes which have been backed up by other witnesses. It also mentions that it was one of only several rants during the gig, he didn't just splurge it all out in one go.
It’s not a racial thing. You see, it could not have been a racial thing for me because how could it be when I’ve always identified so strongly with the Black community anyway.
Originally posted by also Eric Clapton
I mean, half of my friends were Black. I dated Black women, and listened to Black music and championed Black music.
The mindset seems to be that Bob Marley was OK as long as he just played reggae and didn't try to move next door or bring his family over to live here. Or there's a category of exotic blackness that's admirable (musical creativity, football skills*) but totally separate from the vast majority of blackness that's dirty and criminal.
*Your racist Chelsea supporter who thought Drogba was OK as long as he was wearing a Chelsea shirt rather than playing for Ivory Coast against England.
I always find people's ability to appreciate black artists (and, in Clapton's case, work with not a few of them) whilst harbouring racist sentiments of that strength distinctly weird. A compartmentalisation thing I suppose, like Philip Larkin's absolutely sincere adoration of Sidney Bechet's music didn't stop him whining about the "violent, thick blacks" who actually lived near him in his letters to Kingsley Amis.
Shed Seven are splitting again, seemingly because their drummer refuses to play in front of a fully vaccinated audience.
Some detail here - although I'm not sure how seriously to take any article that opens with the phrase 'biggest chart-topping band' and then goes on to talk about Shed Seven:
I always find people's ability to appreciate black artists (and, in Clapton's case, work with not a few of them) whilst harbouring racist sentiments of that strength distinctly weird. A compartmentalisation thing I suppose, like Philip Larkin's absolutely sincere adoration of Sidney Bechet's music didn't stop him whining about the "violent, thick blacks" who actually lived near him in his letters to Kingsley Amis.
Aah, but the backs they idolise or work with are not like all the other blacks, you see. They don't think they are racist because they love black music and are friends with black musicians, and they do love themselves a bit of brown sugar. And that gives them license to be racist without being (in their minds) racists.
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