Eric Clapton will go on a US concert tour in September. AP
Eric Clapton will go on a US concert tour in September. AP
Eric Clapton will go on a US concert tour in September. AP
Eric Clapton will go on a US concert tour in September. AP

Eric Clapton says he won't perform in UK venues requiring proof of vaccinations


Saeed Saeed
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Eric Clapton said he will not perform in UK venues that require proof of vaccination for entry.

The English guitarist and singer announced the decision as the UK government eased social distancing restrictions this week.

With music venues and nightclubs functioning at full capacity, authorities are encouraging venue operators to use the National Health Services' Covid Pass to allow guests entry.

The online pass indicates if a person is fully vaccinated and the dates of their recent Covid tests.

Clapton said: "I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present."

"Unless there is provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show."

The news does not currently threaten his two concerts in London scheduled for next year.

Clapton is due to play at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, 2022, and for the time being, the venue does not require proof of vaccination for entry.

Tickets for both shows remain on sale online.

Clapton will embark on a US concert tour in September as the country's live music industry slowly re-emerges amid the pandemic.

That re-opening has not been a smooth process, however, with venues, due to a mix of regulations imposed by local authorities, artists and promoters, following different health and safety regulations.

Clapton's swing through the US, which includes cities Austin, Tampa and New Orleans will be in venues were no proof of vaccination is required.

Meanwhile, in other music touring news, Bruce Springsteen is in the midst of a 14-show residency at the St James Theatre on Broadway in New York City.

Running until Saturday, September 4, ticketholders have to prove they have received one of three Covid-19 vaccines approved for emergency use by the US Food and Drug Administration. These are Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.

The Foo Fighters are also on tour performing several shows in the US for vaccinated audiences, including in front of a 20,000 strong crowd at New York's Madison Square Garden last month.

Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

Dubai World Cup nominations

UAE: Thunder Snow/Saeed bin Suroor (trainer), North America/Satish Seemar, Drafted/Doug Watson, New Trails/Ahmad bin Harmash, Capezzano, Gronkowski, Axelrod, all trained by Salem bin Ghadayer

USA: Seeking The Soul/Dallas Stewart, Imperial Hunt/Luis Carvajal Jr, Audible/Todd Pletcher, Roy H/Peter Miller, Yoshida/William Mott, Promises Fulfilled/Dale Romans, Gunnevera/Antonio Sano, XY Jet/Jorge Navarro, Pavel/Doug O’Neill, Switzerland/Steve Asmussen.

Japan: Matera Sky/Hideyuki Mori, KT Brace/Haruki Sugiyama. Bahrain: Nine Below Zero/Fawzi Nass. Ireland: Tato Key/David Marnane. Hong Kong: Fight Hero/Me Tsui. South Korea: Dolkong/Simon Foster.

CREW
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Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Updated: July 23, 2021, 5:54 AM