ric Clapton Japan Tour 2025 Setlist & Live Report.The day has finally come! Eric Clapton took the stage at Budokan on a beautiful spring night. Here's the full setlist from April 21, 2025, along with a live report capturing all the excitement of that unforgettable night.
Eric Clapton Japan Tour 2025 | Nippon Budokan, April 21, 2025
Live Overview
- Date:Monday, April 21, 2025
- Doors Open / Show Starts:Doors 17:30 / Start 18:30
- Venue:Nippon Budokan (2-3 Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
- Tour Name:：ERIC CLAPTON 2025 JAPAN TOUR
- Ticket Prices (Reference):S Seat ¥25,000 / A Seat ¥24,000
- Presented by:：UDO Artists, Inc.
- Note:Clapton’s first Japan tour in two years. His guitar performance was nothing short of breathtaking—hard to believe he’s 80 years old.
Band Members
- Guitar / Vocals: Doyle Bramhall II
- Bass / Vocals: Nathan East
- Drums:Sonny Emory
- Keyboards:Chris Stainton
- Keyboards:Tim Carmon
- Backing Vocals: Sharon White
- Backing Vocals: Katie Kissoon
Eric Clapton Japan Tour 2025 | Nippon Budokan, April 21, 2025 Setlist
Of course, he performed his signature songs like “Tears in Heaven” and “Cocaine,” along with plenty of blues numbers and famous tracks from his Cream days! Naturally, “Cocaine” had the whole crowd singing along.
- White Room
- Key to the Highway
- I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man
- Sunshine of Your Love
- Driftin’ Blues
- Kind Hearted Woman Blues
- Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out
- Can’t Find My Way Home
- Tears in Heaven
- Badge
- Old Love
- Cross Road Blues
- Little Queen of Spades
- Cocaine
Encore:
- Before You Accuse Me
Eric Clapton Japan Tour 2025 | Nippon Budokan, April 21, 2025 Live Report & Impressions
Spotted Nathan East surrounded by fans upon arriving at Budokan!
Today was my very first Eric Clapton concert. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue, and the temperature was around 21°C (70°F).
With such beautiful weather, I arrived at the Budokan feeling cheerful and excited. The area around the venue was bustling with longtime fans on their way to the show. Given that Clapton is now 80, the crowd skewed a bit older.
Since Clapton is 80 years old now, the audience was mostly older too. But everyone had sparkling smiles on their faces, as if they’d gone back to their youth, truly enjoying the moment with old friends, partners, or family.
It’s incredibly heartwarming, and just watching it makes me feel happy, too.
Just then, near the gate of the Budokan, a small crowd had gathered. As I walked past and glanced over, I couldn’t believe it — standing there was none other than Nathan East, the band’s bassist.
It seemed like he had just arrived at the venue, casually holding a bicycle while graciously interacting with fans — quite a memorable scene.
At that point, it still didn’t quite feel real, but when I pulled out the paper ticket—something I hadn’t done in ages—and handed it to the staff, it felt like I had traveled back in time.
Even though I didn’t experience Clapton’s prime years myself, it was striking how fresh it felt—as if I’d been transported back to that era.
Our seats were on the 2nd floor, northwest section, row E. Far stage left, but we could still see the stage clearly with the naked eye from the right-hand side.
There were still about 30 minutes before the show started at 7 PM. Chatting with my companion, I finally started to feel the excitement of coming to see Clapton, and felt deeply moved that I was able to be there.
Moments after the show began, we were already in the presence of greatness.
At 7:00 p.m., the venue announcements started, and shortly after, Clapton appeared with his band. What struck me most was how he casually strolled onto the stage in a simple jacket—completely unpretentious, just as you’d expect from him.
Then, without hesitation, the first song began—Cream’s “White Room.”
I only vaguely recognized the song,but the moment I heard Clapton’s very first note, I couldn’t help but smile.It sent a shiver through me—pure goosebumps.
It hit me—“This is the real thing. The god of guitar is right here.” Honestly, as soon as I heard that first note, tears welled up in my eyes. It wasn’t just simple emotion; it was something deeper, something I’d never felt before. There were no words for it.
Of course, I was moved to experience Clapton live, but it wasn’t just that simple—it was as if every single note reaching my ears shook my heart. Saying that my soul was rejoicing wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
There was a moment when I truly thought—I might never have this kind of experience again. Just like when someone sings with their whole heart, you could tell that Clapton was pouring his soul into the guitar. Honestly, it felt like the guitar itself was singing.
Even though I couldn’t catch all the English lyrics, I could still feel what he was singing about, what he wanted to express. Putting it into words like this makes it sound odd, but that really was the experience.
It was the first time I’d ever experienced something like that—it even felt a little strange. Maybe you could call it “divine territory.”
Not long ago, I barely knew anything about Clapton. And yet, before I realized it, I was completely captivated. I didn’t want to miss a single sound he produced. I listened with absolute focus, completely absorbed by his music.
I still couldn’t match the song titles to the actual songs, and there were plenty I didn’t know. But I was so captivated that it didn’t matter at all—like a child encountering something for the first time, I was completely absorbed in what was unfolding before me.
I found it a bit funny, seeing myself like that—it felt fresh. And at the same time, I was kind of happy to realize that I still had that childlike wonder inside me.
Eric Clapton Signature Model here
The crowd went wild with “Cocaine”
The moment that got me the most hyped was when Clapton came on stage, stood in front of the mic, and greeted us with a cheerful “Konbanwa” (Good evening).
Aside from that, the highlights for me were the opening song “White Room,” “Tears in Heaven” during the acoustic set, and “Cocaine” in the latter half of the show.
「Tears in HeavenWhen “Tears in Heaven” started, the tears were already flowing before I even realized it. I knew it was a song for his late son, but even without that knowledge, anyone could feel that it was about the pain of losing something precious.
I felt a sense of true, unconditional love, and in Clapton’s gentle singing, I saw a kind of parental affection.
When “Cocaine” kicked in, the energy of the whole venue instantly skyrocketed. Everyone shouting “Cocaine!” together felt kind of surreal—and honestly, it was fun in a mischievous way.
I kept hoping for “Layla” until the very end, but unfortunately, he didn’t play it that night. Still, the show was so incredible that I didn’t even feel disappointed about it.
I feel like I finally understood the true beauty of the Stratocaster, and Clapton showed me that it holds infinite possibilities. As expected of someone called “God of Guitar,” he brought out everything that makes the Strat so special.
After the show, I actually found myself saying, “I had it all wrong.” That’s how shaken I was by the whole experience.
Eric Clapton Japan Tour 2025 | Official Merchandise List
アパレル
- ツアーTシャツ：6,000円
- フォトTシャツ：6,000円
- イラストラグランTシャツ：6,000円
- ジャパンヒストリーTシャツ：6,000円
- アニバーサリーTシャツ：6,000円
- Martin 000-42EC（ホワイト）：6,000円
- Martin 000-42EC（スミ）：6,000円
- ロングスリーブTシャツ：7,500円
- スウェット：8,500円
- ワークジャケット：20,000円
ファッション小物・バッグ類
- キャップ：4,500円
- サファリハット：4,500円
- トートバッグ：3,000円
- ボストンバッグ：11,000円
- ブレスレット（ブラウン）：5,500円
- ブレスレット（レッド）：5,500円
- 帆前掛け：5,500円
その他のグッズ
- フェイスタオル：3,000円
- マグカップ：2,500円
- メタルキーホルダー：2,000円
- 栓抜きキーホルダー：1,500円
- ピックセット：2,500円
- パンフレット：3,500円
For details about the merchandise,official websiteplease check..
Eric Clapton Upcoming Concert Schedule
Eric Clapton’s next shows will be in the U.S.—an American tour scheduled from September 8 to September 20, 2025.
Here’s the tour schedule:
- September 8, 2025: Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) [Ticket]Ticket
- September 11, 2025: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, Ohio) [Ticket]Ticket
- September 13, 2025: Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) [Ticket]Ticket
- September 16, 2025: TD Garden (Boston, Massachusetts) [Ticket]Ticket
- September 19, 2025: Madison Square Garden (New York, New York) [Ticket]Ticket
- September 20, 2025: Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Connecticut) [Ticket]Ticket
For more details about the shows, please checkEric Clapton’s official website.please check..
Summary
Eric Clapton Japan Tour 2025 | Live report of the Nippon Budokan show on April 21, 2025. The playlist recreating this concert’s setlist ishereavailable here!
Clapton’s band members were all unique and felt like true masters of their craft. Doyle Bramhall’s Gretsch guitar had this sweet, rich tone that beautifully contrasted with the Strat’s clear, crisp sound—I couldn’t get enough of it.
Nathan East’s bouncy bass lines, Sonny Emory’s explosive drumming, and Tim Carmon’s guitar-like keyboard solos were all absolutely fantastic.
I’m so glad that my very first concert by an international artist was Eric Clapton. Everything about it felt new and exciting, and I know this memory will be a treasure for life.
God was truly God. Just seeing him brought tears to my eyes.
*The information on this page is current as of June 2025. Please check the official website for the latest distribution status.
