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First aired in 1992, Clapton’s Unplugged session remains one of the most famous in the series, alongside Nirvana’s iconic performance. Clapton’s performance was a personal triumph, featuring a poignant rendition of ‘Tears in Heaven,’ written in memory of his son Conor. The performance also reworked Clapton classics such as ‘Layla’ into stripped-back, acclaimed masterpieces.  

The accompanying album, Eric Clapton: Unplugged, became the best-selling live album of all time, with over 26 million copies sold. It won three Grammys, including Album of the Year, and helped solidify the Unplugged series as a cultural touchstone, able to attract the likes of Nirvana, Oasis and Bob Dylan in the years following. Clapton’s performance marked a turning point in his career, paving the way for personal, blues-focused albums like ‘From the Cradle’. It also sparked a shift in his guitar technique, as he began re-embracing fingerstyle playing—a method he described as offering “a beautiful sound” and greater tonal control.  

A statement from the event’s website, claptonunplugged.com, suggests that viewers will see the version that was released in 2013, which included 60 minutes of bonus footage, as well as “unaired interviews”. This will make the ‘Over 30 Years Later’ version the most complete show yet.

Screenings will take place across 13 UK cities, including locations in Scotland and Wales. However, fans in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland are currently left out of the release schedule. Tickets range from £14.99 to £27.99, depending on venue and seating, and can be found here.  

Reaction to the announcement has been enthusiastic on social media. One fan on X wrote: “This is an iconic concert. It introduced so many people to the other side of Mr. Clapton. Classic!”

This is an iconic concert. It introduced so many people to the other side of Mr. Clapton. Classic! — CRIMSON SUNDAY | SONGWRITER | ROCK’N’ROLL | BERLIN (@CRIMSONSUNDAY) January 13, 2025

Paramount+, the platform behind this re-release, continues to expand its catalogue of music-focused programming. Recent additions include documentaries on Lollapalooza and Willie Nelson, as well as a show featuring Rush’s Geddy Lee. Though the platform’s music offering is fairly limited, investment in musical shows reveal that they want to go toe-to-toe with the bigger streaming services, such as Disney+, the platform home to documentaries on The Beatles, Elton John and Taylor Swift.

Paramount Co-CEO Chris McCarthy recently affirmed the company’s confidence in its streaming position amid reports of them exploring deals with other streaming giants. With 72 million subscribers, Paramount+ is the fourth largest streaming service in the world.

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‘Eric Clapton Unplugged…Over 30 Years Later’ will offer fans a chance to relive one of the most celebrated live performances in music history, and, like it did back in 1992, may introduce a new generation to the man affectionately known as ‘Slowhand’.

The acoustic show ‘MTV Unplugged’ was first established way back in 1989 however in recent years it’s popularity and regularity has somewhat waned.

Arguably Unplugged’s biggest and most well known moment was of course Nirvana’s performance in 1993, well known for being one of Kurt Cobain’s most defining performances as lead man; sadly also less than a year before his death in 1994. See Nirvana’s cover of ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ below:

The confirmation of a hopeful return of Unplugged comes directly from MTV themselves:

 

“Through its distinctive format, MTV Unplugged manages the miraculous feat of reaching beyond core fans to connect contemporary artists to heritage audiences and heritage artists to younger audiences in equal measures,” said the broadcaster.

“The conditions are right in 2016 to do it again.”

MTV’s Unplugged was hugely successful in the 90s, especially as aforementioned, through the genre of grunge. The likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains all managed to put on performances that even today are regarded as some of the best acoustic shows out there. Alice in Chains’ performance in 1996 somewhat sadly mirrored Nirvana’s in 1993, as their performance was one of the last times lead singer Layne Staley would perform with the band, at least in a televised sense; as Staley eventually lost his battle with drug addiction in 2002.