Eric Clapton has up-and-down time in New Zealand

Reports out of New Zealand say Eric Clapton had a mixed time when he performed there on Saturday (January 27th). On the positive side, he was given a handmade traditional robe called a korowai before his show at the Mission Estate Winery. A fan named Zeta Smith spent six months weaving pheasant and peacock feathers into the robe, and she said, "The korowai has great mana (spiritual power). They were formerly made for chiefs and it suits his status because he is a music legend," according to UPI.

On the negative side, the guitarist was said to be put off by seeing Eric Clapton-labeled wine at the venue. The Mission Estate Winery has been bottling special wines with performer's names on the label for the past 15 years, but a staff member said Clapton, who has battled drug and alcohol addictions, came close to refusing to play the show, according to the local newspaper Hawke's Bay Today. Winery chief executive Peter Holley admitted that there was an issue and said, "On legal advice, we elected not to make the wine available for sale."

Clapton and his band played on Thursday, February 1st, in Sydney, Australia. They kick off a new round of North American dates on February 28th in Dallas.

There's talk about a second Crossroads Festival being held this summer in Chicago, but nothing's been confirmed.
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