Eric Clapton Says He Won’t Play Shows Where Vaccination is Required
There are different restrictions and rules regarding COVID-19 all around the world, and the U.K. has just announced that vaccination will be a requirement in order to access certain venues. Eric Clapton has weighed in on the news, stating that he won't play shows where vaccination is a requirement, because it's "discrimination."
The U.K. made full vaccination an entry requirement to "nightclubs and other crowded venues" earlier this week, according to Sky News. Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi deemed negative COVID-19 tests no longer sufficient to prove that a person is healthy enough to attend such establishments.
Following the announcement, Clapton made a statement to Robin Monotti Graziadei, who shared it via his Telegram. The quote has since been confirmed by Pollstar.
"Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021 I feel honour bound to make an announcement of my own: I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present," Clapton affirmed. "Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show."
Such a statement may make the musician appear to be a typical anti-vaxxer, but he did actually receive a COVID-19 vaccine himself. However, in May of this year, he admitted that the side effects of the shot caused sensations in his hands that led him to believe he'd never be able to play the guitar again.
"Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone," he described of the experience.
As noted in the aforementioned Sky News report, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that 35 percent of U.K. residents between the ages of 18 and 30 are unvaccinated, which comes out to a total of 3 million people. He urged that the government "reserved the right to do what's necessary to protect the public."
Apparently, Clapton won't be playing in the U.K. anytime soon, but you can catch him on tour in the U.S. beginning in September. See his tour route on his website.