Beloved British rockstar Eric Clapton just broke the internet on not that positive note this week after stating he won’t be performing at venues that require proof of vaccination. This statement came after the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that vaccine passes or passports will be mandatory in the UK at clubs and concert venues starting this autumn.
According to Clapton, this measure is discriminatory against some audiences, and he won’t be performing unless everybody has the right to attend regardless of their vaccination status. The statement was issued through the different social media platforms of his friend, and acclaimed filmmaker and architect, Robin Monotti Graziadei. Monotti has also been known lately for his comments against vaccines.
“Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show.”
On that same note, Eric Clapton has also been quite vocal in the past months against certain Covid-19 restrictions and measures including mandatory lockdowns throughout the pandemic. As a matter of fact, he released an anti-lockdown song called ‘Stand and Deliver,’ in collaboration with Van Morison, in which they sing: “Do you wanna be a free man/ Or do you wanna be a slave?”
A couple of months ago, he also jumped into Monotti’s social media to talk about his own experience with the AstraZeneca vaccine, where he talked about having severe reactions to the component. Clapton expressed fear the reaction would impede him to play the guitar in the future, which seemed a bit too much for many of his fans.
Although everybody is free to express their thoughts on whatever topic, Clapton’s stance on vaccines and Covid measures is quite problematic, at a time when following certain rules and getting vaccinated seems like the only way to end this terrible pandemic. At the end of the day, these personalities have a platform that reaches thousands and thousands of people, and they should assume the responsibility, especially when their opinions can endanger their followers.
Eric Clapton’s next show is scheduled for May 2022 at the Royal Albert Hall. At the moment, the iconic venue will follow the new mandatory measure of requiring vaccination status to its attendees, so if it remains until that May, we’ll see if Clapton will end up canceling the show.
