Pages

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Dublin: Neil Young & Crazy Horse Concert Reviews - June 15, 2013

UPDATES COMING IN MOMENTS --- REFRESH FREQUENTLY

Neil Young
Photo Gallery by Graham Keogh


































NOTE: This tweeter has tweeted out a dozen negatives Tweets all tweeted at folks who had a positive experience. Obviously, some sort of major grudge or something?






















NOTE: Clearly written by someone with no knowledge of Neil Young's music.
































UPDATES COMING IN MOMENTS --- REFRESH FREQUENTLY



Neil Young & Crazy Horse will be performing tonight at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland.

Got a report? Drop us a comment below.

Check Sugar Mountain for setlist updates and Chronological Grid, Recording Summary, Statistics and Extras.

Also, see Neil Young & Crazy Horse 2013 Concert Tour Reviews and the right, middle sidebar for continuous real time RSS feed updates.


Thrasher's Wheat Radio T-Shirts
Want one???
Here's how to support Europe reporting this summer

Don't be denied!
(Click photo to enlarge)

49 comments:

  1. Solid from the start, but incredible from Ramada Inn and for the rest of the conct. the boys were having thetime of the life it semed. And i guess they were very satisfied with the audience.

    he dropped Singer without a song, Cortez as encore. And he sanh "rockn roll will never stop" in hey hey.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lots of smiles and laughter on stage. Band seemed very happy and we're clearly enjoying themselves. Brilliant finale to Mr Soul when Poncho's string broke and Neil took it to thrash Old Black. Decision to drop Singer Without a Song must have been late as piano was soundchecked.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Apparently the crowd was somewhat hostile? Dozens of negative commments on twitter....he didn't talk, didn't play Harvest Moon, too much feedback, too much guitar playing etc etc etc. lol. Sounds pretty good to me! Seems like a crowd of non-Neil Young fans.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Shortest show of the tour so far, glad I picked last weeks 3 shows to attend. Not sad about Singer Without A Song going, not a big fan of that song. I love the way Neil is polarizing fans with his set. I loved it, the feedback especially on Walk Like A Giant is a key part of the set. It's end of the world folks, Neils telling it like it is, we've destroyed the planet and he is raging about it.

    August and the Liverpool gig can't come soon enough.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am a Neil young fan, he's not top of my list but he's definitely up there. The gig was pretty awful though. I understand that is the style of crazy horse, but fans expect a lot more from a gig other than young and crazy horse playing the same note for (no exaggeration) 10 minutes after most songs. He didn't once acknowledge that the audience was even there, and judging by his performance, it didn't look like he cared. It was pretty awkward as fans looked at each other wondering what was going on, and there was even a loud chorus of boos after one particularly long and boring feedback session.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Came from Italy to see the Horse after ten years. Worst audience ever. Most of the people wasn't interested at all at Neil, they were there just to get drunk and chat all the time. There could be everyone playing. And now they complain about the setlist and Neil with the guys playing... He was great (I mean:Cortez and comes a time and powderfinger, and so on. Great Ramada Inn as well). Please next time go to pub so you can have all the beers you want and meet all your friends while listening to a Queen cover band. Fortunately I'll see him in Lucca in about a month!

    ReplyDelete
  7. saw a great concert in amsterdam.
    if you like ,check this out.

    neilyoungcollection.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great gig. Don't know what the audience expected, but when you see people leaving the arena to buy more beer during Ramada Inn, Mr Soul or Cinnammon Girl or ... you have to wonder... Endless trooping of people back and forth.

    It's all one song and we got lots of good bits.

    Expecting Neil to play what you (or I want) is a bit like asking Picasso to use a bit more green,

    He's on the record as saying of people expecting his greatest hits, "That's their problem - they might not get what the want, but they'll get what they need". Last night I got what I needed.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I was gutted, if I had only known before the time, my mistake,I paid for 2 seats and was reluctant to leave. I will be more cautious in future. I play drums myself and appreciate a jam session now and again and the lead guitarist bouncing some feedback. I suppose if you continually play the same tracks for 30 years you get bored and go a bit crazy and hostile towards engaging with audience. The highlight of the gig was when crazy horse went off the stage and Neil played harmonica. I will do more research beforehand in future.If you enjoyed that than you are a Crazy Horse fan .. not a Neil Young fan.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Man, this is so RIDICULOUS. It was a NY and Crazy Horse show. To say that if you enjoyed it you're a Crazy Horse fan and not an NY fan is crazy.

    The sound Neil currently has with this band is a natural evolution from the Weld and Year of the Horse trips. It is, I admit, an incredibly brave sound for stadiums more used to Nickelback or somesuch. Neil's vibe here is often more akin to the thunderous drones of Sunn O))) or the entangled melt-downs of Daydream-era Sonic Youth. I guess it's no surprise that folks who want Harvest Moon (which is great) are a bit disappointed. But do your research folks. This ain't 1992. There are hundreds of videos and reviews of this tour on the web.

    Also worth a mentioning that Neil has very often played a role on stage. From the Shocking Pinks' "How's everyone doin' tonight?!" rocker, to Greendale's storyteller, to the blues band-leader of the Blue Notes days. Here he is as the black-clad, be-shaded leader of a gang of noise mavens capable of truly transportative jams. No surprise he doesn't acknowledge the audience other than with the occasional impish grin or middle finger. This, like much great music, is for THEM, not YOU. That we get to sneak in through the garage door to witness the power and beauty is good enough for me.

    It's all one song.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amazing gig. Cortez in the rain was incredible.
    Regarding the crowd (which was dead at points), I'm sorry but I have no sympathy for anyone who bought a ticket expecting Harvest. If you have only the slightest knowledge of Neil, then you'd know that's not on the cards with Crazy Horse.

    Here's my videos from the show so far. More to follow. Enjoy!:
    Powderfinger - http://youtu.be/-gkimJeY66o
    Hole in the Sky - http://youtu.be/e8-JWqXQaFY
    Comes a Time - http://youtu.be/er0LO-Z6s48
    Blowin' in the Wind - http://youtu.be/66189cEPm3M

    ReplyDelete
  12. It was totallt self indulgent, narcisstic, feedback filled tripe from Mr Young. Having seen him as long as ago as 1982 in London, I have to saythat he and the other guys should take to their allotments and grow vege, it would be far more rewarding than the nonsense served up as music last night. Anyone ever see Bruce Sprinstein or Tom Petty behve like Young last night? Young has as much interest in the audience as Dylan. Never again will I darken his door..
    Anyone raving about how good he was last night is nuts. He wasn't.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I thought Neil engaged with the audience.He called us the second best crowd ever!.. and I don't think he would have played Cortez if he thought he was not getting anything back from us. I loved it.

    ReplyDelete
  14. The highlight of this tour for me, is fast becoming the post gig moaners. Hilarious stuff yet again

    ReplyDelete
  15. Can't wait for London! The moaners only make me anticipate some glorious crunchy guitar feedback ever more. It will be my first ever time seeing either Neil *OR* The Horse!

    One question though for anyone with experience; about what time should I be aiming to be at the O2 for if I have a Standing GA ticket and want to get as close as possible?

    ReplyDelete
  16. Joe Nolan - 1982 was my first Neil live experience too. That would the Trans Band tour - you know, the one where half the audience booed every time Neil & Nils strapped on the vocoders, - yep some things never change 30 years on.

    I was at Birmingham and my only complaint was he played the wrong kind of feedback. I was hoping for Weld-era wounded dinosaur and all we got was wall of noise feedback.

    I'm so disappointed I've bought a ticket for end of tour London O2 to see if he can get it right next time :) :) :)

    and I've jusy got to hear Walk Like a Giant & Ramada Inn again live

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is all very funny - I'm sure ole Neil views this as job done. He'll never change. As for the 02 it'll polarise fans, l'll be looking for an excuse to leave early to avoid the Tube nonsense during a bit of feedback i'll disappear. Neil seems to like feedback a pity a few of his fans here don't, he keeps on rocking in this free world and we are free to say if it's piece of crap. As I reckon this might his last shows in the UK it's an odd way to retire.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Well haters gonna hate, but Neil & the horse sounded very like Psychedelic Pill, you know, their latest album. Anyone who went along should have known what to expect...

    ReplyDelete
  19. Psychedelic Pill is an ok record without a classic song - lyrically weak and over long. It's not a matter of hate! It's a matter of a balanced discussion.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Pill is a decent record. It has two bona fide classics in my opinion in Ramada Inn and WLAG. Both strong enough to stand up with other fine work in the NY&CH canon. The rest of the record is flimsy at times but pretty enjoyable. And yes there are some lyrical clunkers outside of those two songs here and there, but that is a feature of latter-day Neil...

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have seen NY over 20 times and have travelled far and wide to do so. The big problem I had with last nights show was the sound quality. It was terrible. It was muffled and not near loud enough. Along with a poor audience, these are the reasons for me rating this the least enjoyable of the shows I have seen him play. Until the next time.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I still don't understand all those people who feel robbed of their money or feel that Neil is obliged to play his hits over and over..

    Neil Young will never play a greatest hits show like Paul McCartney or the Eagles. I really don't understand that these 'fans' still don't get it after so many decades. Thank God every tour is different.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The best part is people complaining about Neil Young being "self-indulgent" while at the same time complaining "he didn't even talk to US!" With no appreciation of the irony.

    But some seriously funny/stupid/immature tweets. It's to be expected, but as I said in a previous comment, you had over a year to figure it out.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Roll on tomorrow in London. If its half as good as Birmingham I'll be a happy boy. I feel like I got spoilt with Cortez, but if they fancy spoiling me again by dusting off Down By The River I won't complain :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. No I am a neil young fan. It is the only show I ever left early from. Indulgent obsessions with feed back is correct. When you hear slow clapping and booing its time to seriously consider justification for taking money Neil. When people think Neil young they think harmonica and acoustic guitar at least One response that this is the best rock audience you have had with oh well I had better do two acoustic songs because they are on tome dose not cut it. Blowing in the wind? didnt you write any songs neil. At least advertise it with a bit of courage so we can choose to stay away.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil young and crazy horse means guitars and feedback. It was advertised well enough. You could also have googled a setlist or looked at the many many YouTube videos of recent performances. He's been doing the crazy horse thing longer than the harvest/gold rush stuff so you know, maybe get to know the guy and his career

      Delete
  26. I posted a longer overview of the show on my blog for anyone interested:
    http://journeysthroughthepast.blogspot.ie/2013/06/as-interruption-to-usual-posts-about.html

    But a couple of comments based on the above discussion.

    Joe Nolan said... "Anyone ever see Bruce Sprinstein or Tom Petty behve like Young last night?"

    No but I've very little interest in either artist. I've no problem with them but to me they are both technically proficient but utterly boring artists. They're good at what they do but I don't want it. To me, Neil Young has way more in common with other legends of music like Hendrix (who also was fond of feedback but I don't recall anyone calling him self-indulgent?) or Coltrane (people did call him self-indulgent but again with no good reason beyond their own preconceptions).

    Like these two examples, this is primal, emotive music. There is nothing more primal or emotive than allowing a feedback loop through you and your guitar (I imagine most people complaining have never owned an electric guitar and amp). Safe, singalong hits has never been the Neil Young way. The only time he played an acoustic gig here (packed with "hits" by the way) was a three night stint in Vicar St. which was also met with indignation because he had the gall to play new songs.

    Greatest hits tours are the mark of a walking dead artist (I give Leonard Cohen a pass because he's a genius) no matter what stage in their career they're at. I've seen 61 year old men play with the ferocity and power of a wild animal (click here if you think that Young reached the limits of your patience, he's still well within the ball park of gentle music for old hippies http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4VY0YZKT3A). Any artist that respects themselves needs to keep pushing to new ground or they die creatively.

    La Johnson said... "Psychedelic Pill is an ok record without a classic song - lyrically weak and over long. It's not a matter of hate! It's a matter of a balanced discussion."

    It's not perfect but it's better than OK. It took a few listens for me to get into but aside from "Born in Ontario", I wouldn't cut anything from it. "Walk Like a Giant", "Ramada Inn" and "She's Always Dancing" (that snaking guitar line is fantastic) are up there with the best for me. If they were on Ragged Glory or Rust Never Sleeps, people would be loving them. It's that same old "New album, established artist" curse. No one gives it the time because they want another Harvest or Rust Never Sleeps.

    Anonymous said... "He didn't once acknowledge that the audience was even there, and judging by his performance, it didn't look like he cared. It was pretty awkward as fans looked at each other wondering what was going on, and there was even a loud chorus of boos after one particularly long and boring feedback session."

    I don't see why acknowledging an audience is a pre-requisite for so many fans. Granted I don't go to many big gigs but out of the two dozen or so concerts I go to in a year, I'd say half say anything to the audience. Sure bowing at the end of the concert as Crazy Horse did would be all you would get out of an orchestra but you never hear people walking out of the National Concert Hall complaining that the RTE Symphony Orchestra didn't thank them or say how nice it is to be in Dublin or how they didn't play Beethoven's fifth symphony when they've clearly advertised an evening of John Cage.

    ReplyDelete
  27. In the blog above, who are they referring to when they say
    "NOTE: Clearly written by someone with no knowledge of Neil Young's music."?

    ReplyDelete
  28. what are "sticks", and you spelled Shit wrong Greeney. haha, only 13 songs, but seeing some reviews many people are glad for it ? Singer with out a song is the weakest thing hes done in a while. Right nest to Hole in the Sky and Psyadelic Pills and Twisted Road, the songs that is, but it could apply to records also. These boys are runnin outta steam and still many shows left on tour. Buck Up !~ Ol N! or come on home, theres probably a fence that needs mending and the llamas are hungry.

    ReplyDelete
  29. and people who complain about musicians not talking to the crowd ? They remind me of U2 fans. you know the type, they have a total of 14 cds at home and 1/2 are U2. You're not real music fans. Just stay home. Youre wasting your money.

    ReplyDelete
  30. The Irish Times review f the gig while being seriously flawed has a good balance if positive and negative comments including my own.
    http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/neil-young-and-crazy-horse-trot-off-with-a-whimper-1.1430607

    For me, this was the best Neil Young gig I have seen, the horse were beyond good, they were so good, they don't even bare comparing to anything else, because there is nothing comes remotely close to what I witnessed at this gig

    ReplyDelete
  31. What I do not get, is why the HOGTTs can't simply accept that this feedback is an artistic statement open to interpretation beyond "Neil's lost it" or any other of that disappointed verdicts.
    If somebody drives a beautiful song into a wall of noise, now that makes one uncomfortable. Some of the more conventional stuff Neil Young has been playing over the years makes you feel happy. That's pretty simplistic. So I'd rather read obscure theories why these feedback orgies are a necessary ingredient of a present day NY & CH show. Theories like Guitar & amplifier magic or having a blast on stage go in this direction, but to me they seem to fall short...

    ReplyDelete
  32. What surprises me most, is that so many people who didn't like a show find the TW blog within hours after the concert finished to spread their opinion. They could have taken the same energy upfront to study what to expect at the concerts. TW is the best source of info: by reading the headlines of last year's posts, you could've known!
    On this tour I saw 4 concerts (Berlin, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Brussels), and I will go to 3 more (Koln, Pukkelpop and the last O2). I'm loving and enjoying every second of them. Life-lasting memories. The horse is galopping at full speed and if you don't know how to ride, you're gonna have a baaaaaaad time!!! Keep on Rockin'

    ReplyDelete
  33. Coltrane, Hendrix & Cohen all in one comment now that's funny!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny how? Like i amuse you ? Like im a fucking clown?

      Delete
  34. I think one of the problems here is what appears to be the nature of outdoor European concerts where the sun doesn't come down until half way through headline sets.

    This probably explains the lack of engagement of some fans to what are long transcendental jams that are deeply personal in nature. However, that doesn't explain some of the moronic criticisms of Neil and the Horse.

    Personally, when I go to a concert I don't want to hear a play by numbers set list and the kind of audience-friendly fake in-between banter you get with the likes of The Eagles, Elton John or M'Cartney.

    If 'fans' expect a greatest hits of acoustic songs from an advertised Neil Young and Crazy Horse Alchemy tour, then they don't know what Neil is all about.

    Roll on tomorrow night in London.

    ReplyDelete
  35. La Johnson said... "Coltrane, Hendrix & Cohen all in one comment now that's funny!"

    They're all in one record collection so makes sense to be all in one comment :)

    Seriously though, I really don't see Young as a continuation of the standard rock tradition. He certainly fits more into the iconoclast camp than the rock star camp.

    ReplyDelete
  36. "Who does he think he is ? Neil Young?" Remember when ON played The Tonight Show ? Are you Passionate ? Leno could barely spit out his name at the end of the monologue. He acted like he forgot his musical guests name. Neil demands allot, and Elliott gets it.

    ReplyDelete
  37. By a long way the worst gig i have ever been too, NY was rubbish - i paid over €100 for tickets to a concert where the ending of every song went into a distasterious aray of "guitar" playing, honestly.... what a rip off, and there was no screens I could barely tell wich one he was on stage.... ive been to some bad gigs, but this takes the biscuit! fair play to the people booing in the stands - more should have done it!

    ReplyDelete
  38. From a previous post:

    'If you enjoyed that than you are a Crazy Horse fan .. not a Neil Young fan'.

    That has got to be one of the most ludicrous posting I have seen on this site.

    Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but this is the 2013 Alchemy Neil Young & Crazy Horse tour, it is not the 2013 lets go to a Neil Young gig & tick off Harvest & Harvest Moon tour, never was & never will be.

    Also Neil is not a Juke Box.

    As for him ignoring the crowd, he is no diferent this tour than any other tour.

    Other rule, dont go to open air gigs. Saw Springsteen recently & was full of drunks, chatting when he played something that was'nt off Born in The USA & with him taking requests, he is close to becoming a Jukebox.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Life long fan of Neil. Was well aware of the type of show this would be and wasnt disappointed. But to people outside of Ireland, its hard to explain how bad this venue is. Its an equestrian event complex mainlly. The sound is appalling. Loose speakers hanging off the stage,blowing in the wind. the wind was blowing the sound right back to the stage. People in the seating were unable to hear much,especially at the far back. There were no big screens,so it was a case of sitting there,looking at half an empty field. The barriers were moved up the field as the bottom half was empty. The stage set was basically black bin liners. As its an outdoor gig, the oversized amps set that is being used indoors wasnt available. So to sum up,if the sound was bad, view terrible,then a large proportion of the seated audience were totally bored and it meant there was practically no atmosphere.Thankfully,we were standing almost centre halfway back form stage. Had to really concentrate and disregard many around us who were clearly fed up and after WLAG just talked and drank their way through the rest of the night. It was hard to hear Old Black and thats pretty unusual for me. Still,we had a blast and would go again in a heartbeat. Promotion company have to take the flack though,poorly staged ,cost cutting with screens etc. And we were soaked at the very beginning, typical Irish summer day! The RDS is NOT a suitable venue for a NY gig.Irish concerts always cost more than comparable European gigs and we get way less bang for our buck ! But Neil rocks and we all love him as much as ever.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Even more serious The Waterboys got a larger billing than LOS LOBOS now that's madness! The Waterboys ?????

    ReplyDelete
  41. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1N_Lp6s5uo this link is for idiots who expected smth else

    ReplyDelete
  42. I’ve seen my twenty first Neil’s concert (and eighth crazy horse show) with my husband, last Saturday, at one of the smallest venue of the tour: Forest National, in Brussels, and it was just fabulous….!.. and we’ve seen many rock concerts…
    I was surrounded by enthusiastic (and some very young ! ) fans from all over the place in Europe,
    (including a few U.S rusties), who took advantage of a week-end to travel a bit;
    Well, what I heard was very close to the Weld shows from 1992…To me, that night,Neil has basically done what most artists do : he played his “classical songs” ( cinnamon girl, my my, mr soul, powderfinger….) and his new material … the long ending of “walk like a giant” is just so impressing, seen from up close,….it’s REALLY the end of the world…
    I must admit, as a die hard crazy horse fan, they could have played a whole show of his beautiful, seldom or never played, rarities
    ( list is long !), and I would have been delighted… So there’s lots of feedback..?? like Jimi Hendrix ?..I have to go again and check…;-)
    It’s true that Neil fans who pay to see a show labelled “ neil young and crazy horse” should at least listen to “weld”, and “year of the horse” before going… or look at a you tube video of this current tour…... they would know what to expect
    It rings a bell to me….when I first saw Neil in 1982, it was in that very same place in Brussels…I went with my boyfriend (husband now) who saw crazy horse previously in 76- same place ( I missed them in 76, too bad !)- and a bunch of friends including my best friend ; it was one of the “trans” shows…...we might have listened to “Trans” before, I can’t recall- but we found it really cool…I loved it, danced all along, but our friends, who were expecting harvest material, were just disgusted and pretty angry…...it was their first and last Neil’s show I think..the night ended in a club downtown Brussels, and we really had fun …but well, now and then, I avoid discussing music too much with my best friend, of course …..I love her a lot, though… … ;-)..at that time , she gave me her “Time fades away” L.P she just bought- she didn’t like it- cool....
    I’ll catch more shows on this tour, I hope…!
    So” nothing new under the sun “as we say in France…
    By the way, there’s a hole in the sky, did you notice ?
    Thank you Neil, Poncho, Billy and Ralph…long may you rock !

    ReplyDelete
  43. a week on after attending the newcastle show i am listening to a playback of it. it seems most of the anger and negative comment was directed to WLAG....i dont know what all the fuss was about....it seems entirely appropriate that such an epic should end so apocalyptically......and the way its segued into hole in the sky was really brilliant and atmospheric. if you want self indulgence and tedium listen to live versions of dazed and confused...

    ReplyDelete
  44. R.I.P to Singer without a Song. You won't be missed.

    ReplyDelete
  45. No surprise to any of these reactions.

    There are a lot of Neil Youngs.

    There are, as a result a lot of types of Neil Young fans.

    Therefore some fans will be unhappy at any type of shows. I've seen NY&CH turn off one kind of fan, and been at an acoustic with a drunk guy next to standing on his chair and yelling "BOOOGIE!"

    It is what it is. And it is no mystery.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Comment at At 6/17/2013 06:11:00 AM by Anonymous nails it! The problem wasn't NY and CH, it was the awful venue and poor advertising by Aiken (the promoter - radio ads featured 'Heart Of Gold' and 'Rocking In The Free World'). I'm a big NY fan but I can't blame a lot of the fans for feeling cheated, particularly those in the stands. But Aiken is to blame, not NY and CH.

    ReplyDelete
  47. I have been a Neil fan for four decades and have been to many concerts.Best of all was the Marquee one a few years ago. However I must say that the gig the other night in the RDS was awful.I brought my 14 year old daughter, hoping to introduce her to the best musical legend of the last 50 years. Instead, all she got was an old man too arrogant to play his good stuff and determined to create controversy for the sake of it. He knew that if he made an interminable thus/thud/thud noise he would be controversial. However, there is a fine line between being artistic and being downright arrogant and selfish. He took hundreds of euros off us only to spend the night effectively farting into the microphone, hoping that by doing so he would stay in the news.It's not a matter of playing old stuff or new stuff. It's a matter of playing good stuff. Would he advise the US farmers he supports to supply shite food for money? Would he be happy if Lionel sold shite model trains? He knows that he can get away with it in a concert because mindless fans will praise him no matter what he does, like the emperor with no clothes!Please Neil, go back to the way you always were, changing and unpredictable, but good!

    ReplyDelete

*CLICK ON ABOVE LINK & SCROLL DOWN TO COMMENT BOX*
Please observe Comments Policy for Neil Young News. All commenting requires a registered ID using an OpenID or a Google Account to provide a validated signature.

Inappropriate comments can be flagged for review by e-mailing date/time stamp and post title to: thrasher@thrasherswheat.org

We will work to deal with such comments in a timely fashion. Failure to do so immediately, however, does not constitute endorsement.

Thank you for your participation, cooperation, and keep on rockin'!