As Eric Clapton prepares to release his 21st studio album, “Old Sock”, on March 12, and head out on the road to support the project, the guitar icon reveals his touring days are winding down.
"The bit onstage, that's easy," Clapton, 67, tells Rolling Stone. "If I could do that around my neighborhood, that would be great. You have guys in Texas that play their circuit, and it keeps them alive. But for me, the struggle is the travel. And the only way you can beat that is by throwing so much money at it that you make a loss. So the idea is I'm taking a leaf out of JJ [Cale]'s book: When I'm 70, I'll stop. I won't stop playing or doing one-offs, but I'll stop touring, I think."
Clapton has always hated dealing with immigration officials. "And security," he adds. "I never get it right. I forget to take off my belt, or I have change in my pocket. Next thing I know, 'Can you come over here please?' I just don't want to do that anymore," he says with a laugh.
Clapton’s 2013 live dates kick off March 14 in Phoenix, AZ.
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