Eric Clapton, Florence Welch Join Rolling Stones Onstage in London
After the Rolling Stones hosted Jeff Beck and Mary J. Blige (and former Stones Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman) onstage last weekend, the band featured special guests Eric Clapton and Florence Welch last night at the second of two London shows at O2 Arena.
Clapton sat in with the band on “Champagne & Reefer,” trading licks with Ronnie Wood and then letting loose with a gritty solo on Muddy Waters’ slow-burning blues. Not to be outdone, Keith Richards dialed in a stinging lead turn of his own before Mick Jagger brought the song home.
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Welch joined the Stones for “Gimme Shelter,” and the Florence and the Machine singer immediately got in Jagger’s face as they sang – and strutted – back and forth. Jagger seemed startled once or twice by her closeness, but he rolled with it, dancing around her and egging her on. Welch made the most of her appearance, embracing Jagger, Richards and Wood in turn at the end of the song before dashing to the drum riser to enfold Charlie Watts in a hug.
The Stones head to the U.S. in a few weeks for performances December 8th at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and December 13th and 15th at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.