Story perspectives

Clapton Hit by Vinyl, Walks Off Madrid Concert

5/12/2026

Summary

Clapton Hit Record

Eric Clapton was struck in the chest by a vinyl record thrown by a fan in Madrid on May 7, 2026.
He paused, left the stage and did not return for the planned encore.
Clapton appeared unharmed and performed his next concert in Barcelona on May 10, 2026 as scheduled.
Fans have also hit Bebe Rexha and Kelsea Ballerini, prompting Adele to call the behavior a safety issue.

Summary

Clapton Anti-Vax

Eric Clapton has sparked controversy by publicly opposing vaccines and spreading misinformation, including aligning with Robert Kennedy Jr.
Public-health advocates criticize his stance, warning that his influence could increase vaccine hesitancy.
His current tour features his regular backing band: guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, bassist Nathan East, drummer Sonny Emory, and keyboardists Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon.
Guitarist Jimmie Vaughan will join as a special guest on the North-American leg’s September dates.

History

Historical Context

On December 3 1979, a crowd crush at The Who’s concert in Cincinnati’s Riverfront Coliseum killed 11 fans and injured 26 as only two doors opened for thousands seeking unassigned festival seats. The tragedy prompted the city council to ban festival seating later that month and spurred statewide crowd-control ordinances, shaping modern concert-security standards.

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Clapton Hit Record

Eric Clapton was struck in the chest by a vinyl record thrown by a fan in Madrid on May 7, 2026.
He paused, left the stage and did not return for the planned encore.
Clapton appeared unharmed and performed his next concert in Barcelona on May 10, 2026 as scheduled.
Fans have also hit Bebe Rexha and Kelsea Ballerini, prompting Adele to call the behavior a safety issue.

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