Eric Clapton has revealed that he found it difficult to watch himself showing support for the National Front during a 1976 concert in Birmingham, as his new no holds barred documentary hits screens.
Speaking at a Q&A following a special screening of Life in 12 bars in London on Wednesday, the Tears in Heaven hitmaker said he felt shame about roaring the fascist party’s slogan to a packed crowd.
Referring to himself as a ‘semi-racist’ in that moment, the 72-year-old reflected on his raging addictions in the mid 1970s which damaged his life, relationships and career.
Now teetotal for nearly three decades, Eric revealed in the highly-anticipated rockumentary that he would drink a bottle of cognac by midday, before snorting cocaine from a knife by lunch.
His spiralling addictions caused him to threatened not only his loyal following but wrecked his romance with ex Pattie Boyd during the tumultuous period in his life.
Reflecting on his lowest point, Eric recalled roaring his support for the National Front during a 1976 concert in Birmingham.
The hitmaker – who was pals with African American stars such as Jimi Hendrix and BB King – bellowed the fascist party’s ‘Keep Britain White’ slogan as he applauded controversial Tory MP Enoch Powell before exclaiming: ‘Get the foreigners out, get the w**s out, get the c***s out’.
Honest: His spiralling addictions caused him to threatened not only his loyal following but wrecked his romance with ex Pattie Boyd during the tumultuous period in his life
But watching the footage – which he agreed not to filter or edit – 40 years on proved to still be stomach-churning for the singer, who admitted it was hard to watch how much he spiralled out of control.
He said at a Q&A following the premiere that he was ‘disgusted’ with himself for his ‘chauvinistic’ and ‘fascistic’ comments on stage, adding: ‘I sabotaged everything I got involved with.’
He lamented: ‘I was so ashamed of who I was, a kind of semi-racist, which didn’t make sense. Half of my friends were black, I dated a black woman and I championed black music’.
Looking back at his destructive behaviour, Eric explained that being rejected by his mother Patricia and ex Pattie triggered his addictive urges.
