Eric started off 2004 with a series of guest appearances in England. On 30 March, he embarked on a European Tour that ended with a jaw-dropping series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in early May. It was then on to Dallas for the three-day Crossroads Guitar Festival on 4, 5 and 6 June. The festival was highlighted by Eric’s guesting with a number of his invited guests including B.B. King and Jeff Beck. Eric then toured the U.S. through mid-August. Night after night, Eric wowed the audiences. He consistently pulled out all the stops on “I Shot The Sheriff” and “Got To Get Better In A Little While”. According to fans, the only “off” show was Washington D.C. You really can’t go wrong with any show from the tour!
A core collection from 2004 consists of:
The Last Fling (Mid Valley / Audience 4)
On 4 January, Eric showed up at the final show at Guildford Civic Hall as it was to be torn down. During the 70s and 80s, it was the scene of Eric’s “hometown shows”. The Last Fling was just plain fun. Eric was onstage for most of the evening, but only plays a three songs from his own catalogue (Wonderful Tonight, Cocaine). He tears it up on classics like “Mustang Sally,” “Johnny B. Goode” and “Stagger Lee”. His vamping on Leo Sayer’s “When I Need You” is a bit surreal.
Black Beauty (Mid Valley / SB6)
This concert was aired live on BBC Radio 2 live from Belfast, Ireland on 24 April 2004. The band was on that evening. Great takes on “Let It Rain,” “I Shot The Sheriff,” “Got To Get Better” and more.
CBE at RAH (Hoochie Coochie / 5)
No Retiring at RAH (Mid Valley / 5)
These two sets collect all 6 Royal Albert Hall Concerts from May 2004 via very good audience recordings. Some nights were better than others, but all featured great playing. Only downside? There wasn’t much variation in the setlist.
Crossroads Guitar Festival: EC & Friends Were Here (ARMS / SB5)
A four CD compilation from the three-day event in Dallas. This set is worth it just for the few minutes of music from Eric and Jeff Beck which was omitted from the official release. It collects Eric’s performance plus all of his performances with his invited guests. Features the entire All Star Blues Jam with Eric, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph, Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy and the Sunday set by B.B. King, Eric, Buddy Guy, and John Mayer. More.
Vanishing Point (Mid Valley / 6)
Mid Valley collects all three Madison Square Garden shows in one 6 CD set. The sound quality is nothing short of amazing for audience recordings from this venue. New Yorkers were treated to three of the finest shows of the tour. Each night had its own moments, but “I Shot The Sheriff,” “Got To Get Better,” “Badge,” and “Cocaine” were nightly winners.
Delta Blues (Mid Valley / SB 5)
Taken from an ALD source, this was one of the final shows of the U.S. Tour. Recorded at the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California on 31 July, Eric and the band have really hit their stride. Robert Randolph on the encores.
Where’s ERIC! does not encourage or condone the manufacture of bootleg recordings. They are illegal and artists do not receive royalties from their sale. However, Where’s ERIC! realizes that there are fans who collect these recordings. In that spirit, information about them is provided for fans’ research and guidance purposes. Where’s ERIC! does not sell, trade or provide free copies of bootleg recordings nor can we tell you how to obtain them.
