Concert Review of the Moment: Neil Young @ Nottingham, England:6/23/09

Neil Young - Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06
Photo by Matt Crossick on Absolute Radio

The Neil Young Concert Review of the Moment is from Nottingham, England: 6/23/09 by Folking About:

From the moment Neil shambled onto the stage and hooked on Big Black, to the last dying cries of pain from the tortured remains of the same instrument, propped theatrically against his amps several hours later, we witnessed a “real treat” of a performance from a man on top of his form.

A deep groan emerged from the sound system as Neil led off with “Hey Hey, My My” everything cranked up to make sure the audience was fully alert to what was coming – he had apparently been on great form a few days earlier and now it was our turn to get a full dose of medicine from Mr Young. You will have read elsewhere about Neil shaking the guitar to death and stomping around the stage, and there was plenty of that, but tonight it seemed more agitated and more urgent than usual. Things may not have been as angry as first impressions may have suggested though as the many close ups of Young's now jowly face caught several knowing smiles between the trademark scowls and grimaces, this will be one they'll remember he may have been thinking.

If he was then he would be right- the set list reading like the track listing from the “Archives” with nothing from the recent few albums at all was certainly going to please and a near neighbour in the crowd raised his palms out and up in praise when Neil played “Words” on his great white Gretsch – who could have predicted that – many other old favourites were given an airing - “Are you ready for the country?”, “Burned” - a romp though this marvelous Buffalo Springfield classic which is having it's first live airing since 1966!

A few of the “regulars” were dished out on acoustic guitar, but there was none of that sitting in a circle of instruments and wandering around picking one up and lilting a song, this was all full on stuff. “Pocahontas” was much more electric and forceful than previously and “Rocking in the Free World” was even more of a stadium pleaser than ever with some 4 or 5 false endings and a great deal of playing to the crowd - “Cinnamon Girl” too featured a deliberate bout of showboating – Neil repeating the last chords sequences couple of times, waving triumphantly to each section of the crowd who naturally responded with vigour. I felt at the time that these were uncharacteristic actions for Young, not usually given to such gestures – and with such a powerful performance I wonder if we have witnessed something of milestone in touring terms? Was Neil bidding us farewell? Let's hope not.

A thumping version of “Down by The River” made it into something of a “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere” tour – nearly all my favourite album getting an airing. Impressed? I most certainly was – even the sound was good enough, better than expected perhaps for a concrete stadium. Highlights? So many musical ones, but Pegi Young sipping on a mug of tea while Neil launched into one of his grunge-laden thrashes in “Hey Hey” was a treasure. Banjo toting Larry Cragg on “Old Man” was another.

We're not going to Hyde Park or Glastonbury so that's it for us this tour, but as Gilly rightly put it – we saw Neil Young – Unleashed in Nottingham.

Thanks Folking About! Very chuffed indeed!

More Neil Young concert reviews from Nottingham, England: 6/23/09 and all Summer 2009 Europe Concert Tour reviews.

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Europe 2009 Neil Young Concert Highlights

Paul McCartney and Neil Young on "A Day in the Life"
Photo by crris b on Photobucket

From Uncut.co.uk | Uncut Editor's Diary - Post details: Neil Young – Hard Rock Calling, London Hyde Park, Saturday June 27, 2009 by Allan Jones:

"What follows is one of the best shows I’ve ever seen Neil Young play, a full-on sonic rupture, two hours of unforgiving and unforgettable guitar distortion, seismic upheaval, deafening detonations, feedback rapture, wave after wave after crashing wave of noise, uplifting and triumphant, the kind of thing that tears vents in the atmosphere, disarranging the senses, wholly transcendent, an often savage aural maelstrom out of which emerges finally a charred beauty, that old ragged glory that is oft-mentioned in talk of Neil, his music and the way he plays it."

Photo by Matt Crossick on Absolute Radio
Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06


"Mansion On The Hill"


Photo by Roel on Rust Radio
Antwerpen, Belgium: 6/6/09


Photo by Katrin Kropf, RockZOOM

Erfurt, Germany: 6/9/09


Photo by Heidi Røsok/Scanpix
Stockholm, Sweden: 6/12/09


Photo by Francesco Lucarelli

More on Antwerpen, Belgium on 6/6/09


"A Day in the Life"
Photo by Paolo Brillo
München, Germany Concert: 6/17/09


Photos by treumie's photostream on Flickr
Köln, Germany: 6/19/09



A Wish for "Harvest Moon" is Granted



First live performance of Buffalo Springfield song "Burned" in 40+ years by Neil Young in concert in Dublin, Ireland on 6/21/09 from YouTube.

"Burned" by Neil Young in Concert in Dublin, Ireland - 6/21/09

The Neil Young Concert Review of the Moment is from Aberdeen, Scotland on 6/24/09 by Davie:

Last night was just incredible, the best gig ever.

I've been lucky enough to see Neil 3 times in the last 2 years, and this was the best of them. It even beat Edinburgh, it was that good.

I still can't believe how young he looked last night. I could have been watching him about 20 years ago, and I honestly don't think I'd be able to tell! What energy!

From the opening riff of Hey Hey My My, to the closing notes of A Day In The Life, Neil just never let up!

Highlights for me were On The Way Home, Are You Ready For The Country?, Spirit Road, Cortez, RITF, and to be honest, the whole bloody show.

Photo by Gary Wolstenholme// Drowned In Sound


Photo by BBC


Neil Young encore "A Day in the Life"

Glastonbury Festival Concert Reviews of Neil Young: 6/26/09


Photo by Matt Crossick on Absolute Radio


Paul McCartney and Neil Young encore for "A Day in the Life".

Neil Young News: Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06



Photo by Tim O'leary
Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06


Final Encore Bow by Band: See all the smiling happy people!!!
Nantes, France - Neil Young Concert Reviews: 6/3/09

More on Neil Young's Europe Summer 2009 Concert Tour.

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Concert Review of the Moment: Aberdeen, Scotland Neil Young Concert Reviews: 6/24/09

The Neil Young Concert Review of the Moment is from Aberdeen, Scotland: 6/24/09 by Nesta 522:

If there were any justice Neil Young would be leaving Court today carried head high as punishment for his 2 hour unprovoked assault on a musical instrument.

From the first chord of Hey Hey My My when his stubby fingers hammered into the strings of his guitar to the encore of “A day in the life”, where the final roar and scream of the feedback emanated from the luckless instrument as it stood alone on its stand , broken strings bouncing off the picks ups, the assault continued almost unabated.

Neil young has multiple personalities,
A folk singer of unsurpassed ( well, Cohen may be his equal) sensitivity
Grandfather of grunge rock

The former got out to play for about half an hour as the electronics were switched off and the acoustic gutter, piano, harmonium and harmonica gave us cause to stand in awe and catch our breath.

The latter rocked at the pace of a twenty year old but with the skills and stagecraft of a man who has entertained us regally for over 35 years.

The main complaint from this concert goer was the lack of “ Like a hurricane” but that can be overlooked as I have the definitive rendition of that number on American Stars’n bars to fall back on for solace.

A word of warning for those going to future concerts on this tour, don’t clap too early. Neil h plays more false endings than Lynyrd Skynyrd on “Freebird” and your hands will be on fire with another hour of the concert still to run.

Last night I am proud to tell you , I was in the presence of genius.

More Neil Young concert review from Aberdeen, Scotland: 6/24/09.

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NEIL YOUNG COMMUNITY SUMMER FEST ROCKS THE CANYON IN THURINGA, EUROPE

It's time again for an annual European summer Neil fest. This year the summer European Neil Young fest of the Human-Highway.DE mailing list and other rusted communities takes place at the big green Country Club of Kieselbach in mid-Germany.

It's an open air ground in an old windy canyon with a beautiful scenery. Bands are playing, tribute Neil Young and cover you with many of his long songs.

All info, tix presale, bands, routing: www.rock-the-canyon.de

Date: 25 July 2009
Location: Kieselbach, Thuringa, Germany

Bands:
Helpless - http://www.helpless-bamberg.de/
Farnhouse
Crazy Young - http://www.schlosshuelchrath.com/
Bozz Rockband - http://www.bozzrockband.de/ (of "City in the Rain" fame, #8 on http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html)
Eric Rust - http://www.eric-rust.de/ (wildest Neil in the East)
and special guests.

email: hh-fests-kieselbach@baronrouge.com

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Thanks For Supporting Thrasher's Wheat!

To say that the past few months here at Thrasher's Wheat have been extraordinary would be a mild understatement.

Our conversations with Archives Guy surrounding the release of the Neil Young Archives Volume #1 have been fascinating, insightful and illuminating. The recent tours in Australia, Canada/US, and Europe have been richly rewarding with new and old songs. And we had Sir Paul McCartney encore with Neil for a stunning "A Day in the Life" in Hyde Park, London -- the penultimate concert on the Never Ending Tour.

And then we had the "Harvest Moon" stories happen:
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Concert Review of the Moment: Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06

Photo by Matt Crossick on Absolute Radio

The Neil Young Concert Review of the Moment is from Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06 by insidetherain:

I was there!! This was such an incredible night... Neil really enjoyed the crowd, the crowd adored him, singing along to clearly the most mainstream songs for this festival crowd but Neil knew it ("here's another one for ya" - he said before playing Old Man, after Heart of Gold). The crowd were all NY maniacs. From my POV, seeing this was so wonderful, as being a young NY fan I rarely bump into other young fans but there were a whole variety of people loving Neil tonight.

And the Paul McCartney guest spot... Neil did a phenomenal version of "Rockin' in the Free World" that carried on and on and made the crowd go absolutely insane, then closed the show. Then they all returned for the encore, but Neil walked off to the other side of the stage, hidden in the right hanger, but we could see he was talking to someone and I had the feeling it was Paul - looked like his head shape (strange wording there) and the way he was flailing his arms around. Then "A Day in the Life" began... and I think it was into the second verse, that Paul came on stage and I swear, this whole rush ran across the audience, and every second was golden! Neil and Paul were goofing around on stage too, Paul gave Neil a great hug, they baby-ed around on the xylophone, Neil thrashed on Old Black with some assistance from Paul... but Paul always pointing to Neil, to message somehow that "this is the legend, this is the true legend." Crazy, crazy moment. Never forget! I recorded the whole thing so hopefully will upload it soon!

More Neil Young Concert Reviews from Hyde Park, London, England Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival: 6/27/06.

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