Eric Clapton, a vaccinated man who knows how to play the guitar pretty well and is rapidly losing friends, is continuing his crusade to say as much nonsense about the coronavirus as possible. In a new Rolling Stone article, the magazine reports that Clapton’s anti-vaxx and -lockdown rhetoric has branched out to bankrolling music groups who share the same ideology, with the U.K. band Jam for Freedom receiving more than $1,000 in donations from the musician to help pay for transportation, gas, and legal fees. Cambel McLaughlin, the group’s front man who was arrested for “breach of COVID regulations†during a show, told Rolling Stone that in addition to Clapton’s donation, he gave them a chunk of extra money to pay for a van. “It was something complimentary, along the lines of, ‘Hey, it’s Eric — great work you’re doing,’†McLaughlin explained of their exchange, which lead to an in-person meeting. “We did want to have a jam, but because of his condition at the time, it was tough for him to play — and to play outside when his fingers are cold because of the side effects. You can imagine that that would stress him out.â€
Back in May, Clapton revealed that although he was vaccinated against the coronavirus for the benefit of his family, he experienced “disastrous†reactions to the AstraZeneca jab. “I feared I would never play again. I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle,†he explained at the time. “But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone.†Weeks later, Clapton stated that he would refuse to perform at venues for his fall tour that required proof of a COVID-19 vaccine for audience members, citing “discrimination,†although he wound up breaking that mandate. Jeez, remember the days when Vulture would just write about how he kept catching record-breaking salmon? Bomp, we felt so free then.