London: Neil Young & Crazy Horse Concert Reviews - June 17, 2013
UPDATES COMING IN MOMENTS --- REFRESH FREQUENTLY
Just got out of the Neil Young at the O2. He's feedbacked me a new one. Extraordinary gig.
— Stu Mather (@stu_mather_) June 17, 2013
Neil Young+Crazy Horse were fantastic tonight #O2 #echoplex #whizzer pic.twitter.com/KhnFoeXw5c
— Peter Bjorn And John (@PeterBjornJohn) June 18, 2013
Neil Young was full on, everything turned up to11 tonight. Excellent, if a little exhausting...
— Simonbtfc (@Simonbtfc) June 17, 2013
Brum was Awesome but Neil Young & Crazy Horse were absolutely incredible at the O2 tonight. The noise was indescribable. Ears bleeding
— The Rock Club (@TheRockClubUK) June 17, 2013
Neil Young & Crazy Horse. One louder. Astonishing set. pic.twitter.com/J7Q9bnSM3N
— Jim Munson (@MunkeyJim) June 17, 2013
Neil young absolute master class well made up never felt so good coming out of the O2! Well on form! #loud #distortion #rockininthefreeword
— paul mothers (@paulmothers) June 18, 2013
After seeing Bruce Springsteen on Saturday wasn't too bothered any more about Neil Young gig BUT I was wrong. He was amazing, what a legend!
— Rachel J Ramaker (@rjramaker) June 18, 2013
I will not do everything I set out to achieve in my life but tonight I saw Neil Young and for that I am truly grateful. Hey hey, my my :)
— altepper (@altepper) June 17, 2013
@Guardian Neil Young 5 stars? You must be joking! @ O2 - self-indulgent feedback and guitar twaddle. Forever young - but not Neil, sadly
— Trevor Moore (@HappyHumanistUK) June 17, 2013
Neil Young. Sensational and inspiring. Roadies in lab coats and plastic bags blown on during a 'rain storm'. We got hey hey my my. Very big.
— Sean Hamilton (@hamiltonsean) June 17, 2013
@psmith It was a typical Neil Young show. Scaling the heights, but with periods of self indulgence. Former worth the latter any day
— Simon Mares (@SimonMaresITV) June 17, 2013
So basically Neil Young is the only person to make me cry in the history of my gig going. Proper tears. Fat sobbing tears.
— Matt Thomas (@Lickmydecalsoff) June 17, 2013
At Neil Young & Crazy Horse...walking with giants pic.twitter.com/6zWF9bHkXa
— Charlie Varley (@Varley_Charlie) June 17, 2013
magnificently snarled version of Dylan's Blowin in the wind by Neil Young at O2 complete with harmonica
— keith flett (@kmflett) June 17, 2013
Neil Young: the sound is so thick and rich you could cut it like cake.
— Dave Sheppard (@DaveBSheppard) June 17, 2013
At Neil Young with Crazy Horse at O2 - loud and awesome!!!
— Naughty Mark (@naughtiestmark) June 17, 2013
Oh great stuff Neil Young opens gig with National Anthem- ours/mine pic.twitter.com/A2O4Ca5Lf6
— Andrew Wakefield (@MertonAndrewLCF) June 17, 2013
Neil Young & Crazy Horse will be performing tonight at O2 Arena, London, England.
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Labels: concerts, crazy horse, europe, neil young
by thrasher@PermaLink: 6/17/2013 04:06:00 PM
47 comments
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47 Comments:
17 songs and Red Sun! In yo face Irish!
SUPERB once again, I still think Birmingham shaded it for me but that'd be nit picking. Six diff songs tonight, love and only love, red sun, comes a time, LIKE A HURRICANE, roll another number & everyone knows this is nowhere. The only negatives were everyone was sat down on the side ... NIGHTMARE. Who wants to sit down at a rock n roll gig?, too many old farts that's who. At least the volume was cranked up a notch tonight too. Roll on August
Simply amazing
Not sure who had more fun tonight: NY&CH or me. I was down in the front row and loved watching those guys laugh it up and tear it up. That was a BIG and wonderful noise. During Hurricane, Neil asked for more organ - that shook the place. It seemed like they kept turning it up a notch throughout the night. Red Sun was a nice surprise. Ramada was my fave rave of the night (1st time hearing it live), the guitar sound on Hey, Hey, My, My was thick and rubbery. Neil's rambling before Roll Another was good - do it for the children, Neil! F'in Up was just a buch of guys jamming in a garage - thanks for letting me in on what that's like, Neil. Poncho gets "best supporting actor" on the night. See you in August.
After literally years of waiting, got to see my first ever Neil gig tonight and it did not disappoint. Thanks to all the Rusties in the line for making the time go past, especially to Ian and to the two (I'm sorry, I never got your names!) passing time by playing Neil songs on guitar- and very well, I might add!
Incredible, incredible gig; one of the best by anyone I've ever seen. Neil said at the end that they had "sucked a lot" tonight but for the first and only time, he couldn't have been more wrong. Great setlist; couldn't ask for better than Hurricane at my first gig. And getting "Red Sun" was a nice surprise, as was the lengthy encore; Neil seemed to be in great form by the end of it.
An easy five stars; my first time seeing The Horse was simply beyond words. Hopefully won't be the last time for either Neil himself or Poncho and the lads.
Just got home from the O2, playing Red Sun on iTunes (sorry Neil!) - who would have predicted that choice? Been lucky enough to catch this tour in Austin and Tulsa last October, via Melbourne (twice) in March to Birmingham & now London. A wild ride that's just got better and wilder as the momentum has built. The Plenary in Oz was the definite highlight but tonight a very close second, despite a reserved yet appreciative crowd in the seated areas. Not too many folk scared by the feedback which seemed to have freaked out our Celtic cousins.
The Horse deserve their 3 weeks rest before the final European leg. I doubt even the doubters would doubt that. Roll another number on August 19.
So glad to see great reviews so far,sounds like a memorable gig but then again we got Surfer Joe & Moe The Sleaze.
Wow, just home, ears still buzzing like they used to after concerts of old. Neil in stunning form, probably about the 10th time to see him, think he sounded better than ever, loved it!
BRAVE set. The two unreleased songs were gorgeous as was Red Sun. Poncho's routine on Fuckin' Up was priceless. I had terrible seats though and the constant stream of peple making for the exits from Hey Hey onwards was very off-putting.
Full setlist as posted on Sugar Mountain:
1.Love And Only Love
2.Powderfinger
3.Psychedelic Pill
4.Walk Like A Giant
5.Hole In The Sky
6.Red Sun
7.Comes A Time
8.Blowin' In The Wind
9.Singer Without A Song
10.Ramada Inn
11.Cinnamon Girl
12.F*!#in' Up
13.Mr. Soul
14.Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)
---
15.Like A Hurricane
16.Roll Another Number
17.Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
EKTIN was an afterthought, throw in because we were "Good looking"! Thanks Neil. If like me you could not recall, Red Sun is on Silver & Gold and has not been played live for years (1999 I read elsewhere).
Just got back froe the O2 gig fantastic the best gig I've ever been to. Red sun was a nice surprise .
I managed to get all of "Red Sun" on video and just uploaded it; it should be available any moment now here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQo9ZcE0kX0&feature=youtu.be . I make no promises about quality, haven't seen it myself!
If you keep an eye on my channel, I'll have some other song fragments up later tonight, although no other complete songs; I wanted to enjoy the gig!
This was the greatest gig I have have ever had the pleasure to experience, bar none. Despite Neil's claims to the contrary, the band treated us to an extraordinary mind blowing performance. There are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe just how magnificent Neil and the Horse were tonight. The sound acoustics and staging were superb throughout and the set list perfect. Particular highlights were the epic Ramada Inn, a sublime reading of Blowin' In The Wind, the poignant Red Sun, the powerhouse Hey, Hey and the crowd pleasing garage of F@@kin' Up. I never thought it was possible to reach such a transcendental high at a gig. This was a full two and half hours of brilliance from masters of their craft. Roll on the next one in London in August.
Love & Only Love immense, Powderfinger brilliant but then the absolutely dreadful 'She's Always Dancing' missed off the set list above.
A disappointment . Neil Young is adopting the mutism so beloved of successful rock artists such as Van Morrison and Dylan. You could say they feel their music does the speaking or that they are just arrogant toward those that have made their careers successful , the audience who without they would be nothing. This concert in London was self indulgent, four guys thrashing around oblivious to anyone but themselves. Uncompromising yes, boring very.
As an old fart who prefers to sit down and is the same age as Neil I find the comments by anonymous crass and intolerant. Anyway a great show with some surprises like Red sun from an album I have overlooked until now. My only criticism is he overdid the distorted feedback doodling.
Agreed we got the feedback, pity Neil didn't. It's great to see him live as always but with the time fading away surely a field of opportunity missed. HEY AND WHAT ABOUT LOS LOBOS - they were great for those that bothered!
What a load of self-indulgent CRAP last night was.....if I had wanted a 'sonic' experience or long guitar solos then I would have a/ Went to a My Bloody Valentine gig...and b/ listened to 'Stairway to Heaven' .. repeatedly.
Emperors New Clothes I think....the gig IMHO was UTTER Crap...felt like demanding my money back...f'cking scandalous.
Why go to a Neil Young & Crazy Horse gig and complain about long guitar solos. That's what they've been doing since 1969!
She's always dancing ???, you sure about that La Johnson?
And sorry, but sitting down like a bunch off disinterested lemons during a gig like that is appalling. I'm sure NY must've looked and thought wtf is going on
Hey Patrick, what did you expect? I mean it was clearly a Neil Young & Crazy Horse gig, that's what they do. Godfathers of grunge and all that. They've been doing that since the Rust Never Sleeps tour in 1978.
Rob,
I agree with the many `silent disappointed`.Feedback fiddling and a the many missing classics not in the set was unworthy of such a distinctive guitar player and lyrical storyteller.Maybe he's bored with his past and has `sucked in` too much ego.But,hey ho,he can send my money back.Thanks Neil.
This was just an absolute blast. I was freaking out in my very nice seat but was unimpressed by the crowd in the seats and on the floor - very little movement. The sound was awesome, never better. Similar set to Berlin so hope we get Cortez in August. Bring it on ....
Bit alarmed that some people seem to think you can't enjoy yourself if you don't stand up and whoop!To quote someone else "don't criticise what you can't understand". However why people pay £60 + to trail backward and forwards to a grotesquely overpriced bar when NEIL YOUNG and CRAZY HORS Eare playing bafflesme - go to a pub and listen to your i-pod if you want background music. As for too much guitar etc - who did you think you were coming to see?
Music is supposed to move you. Both mentally and physically. IMHO at least
great reviews
check this out,my neil young website,
http://neilyoungcollection.com
jan
How do people not know what they are getting themselves into when they attend a Neil & Crazy Horse gig? Last night was exactly what one should have expected: immense noise, sloppy, sloggy guitar solos, a seemingly haphazard setlist and gratuitous feedback at high VOLUME ... And one hell of a great gig. So damn good.
You are at the wrong gig if you want per-programmed setlists and manicured playing. Plus, if you comment on this site, you must follow the goings on on a NYCH tour and would have an idea what to expect.
I will say this, being in the front row/near the front is an entirely different experience (i was in the front last night). Neil and co. we're not bored at all. They were laughing and chatting and having a good time. That isn't, self-indulgent ... That is a band in the zone, loving what they'd re doing and playing for the moment.
What about LOS LOBOS????? !!!!!!
They were great - nobody listening in the bar - what a shame.
People talking, people moving, people going home spoilt the evening.
First let me say, I love Neil, and I love Rusties BUT in the past couple of years I've probably drifted away (rather than Driftin' Back) from all things Neil. Or at any rate I wasn't as obsessed as I have been in the past.
I wasn't overly familiar with the new album, and the proposed on-stage time of 9am, did make me wonder about getting that last train home in good order. Finally, I read the Dublin reviews and was expecting that maybe Neil would indeed be great but perhaps not for me anymore...
Boy, was I wrong, wrong, wrong!! We were on the floor, stood about 20 feet in front of the desk on the right hand side and the whole show was spectral, stunning and spectacular!!
The new songs really made sense in the live context (and not knowing the album that well meant that I actually had the bonus thrill of hearing new songs live - like we did on the Greendale tour. These ones might as well have been unreleased to me!) and the feedback was actually well controlled I thought. Neil's understanding of the dynamics of a rock show really came to life last night - he wasn't a tribute act, he wasn't a party act, he wasn't interested in entertaining (per se) He was a working artist sharing his vision of his work with an audience. I can't pretend that a nice sit down wouldn't have been a joy after 90mins or so, but I was swaying and moving and even - on Ramada Inn - just closing my eyes and letting it wash all over me.
I think he was having a great time, and it showed. I've seen the Horse three times previously, and they were different class last night - and, I felt anyway, that this was a few notches above the Spirit Road tour, where i did think the noodling annoyed me a little.
In short, Neil brought me BACK to him last night, now I'm gutted that I'm actually away when he comes back to London in August. Amazing show by a stunning artist (and I made the last train home by 2 mins even though I stayed to the end and didn't slope out!)
My only concern is that may be the last time we see the horse flying the flag across Europe...
UNCUT review:
http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/wild-mercury-sound/neil-young-crazy-horse-london-o2-arena-june-17-2013
Excellent show. The sound was awesome. Maybe being in a dome helps carry the acoustics. Boy was it loud - you would need ear protection anywhere near those speakers. Los Lobos were great openers to a half full arena – crowd missed out. Then the ‘boys’ came on and were straight into the zone with their opener. Unlikely NYCH have played or sounded better on this tour. You get a good overview high up but was so high up at the O2, one row off the back on a steep incline, that the band and stage looked like the land of Lilliput, but it’s the sound that matters and they delivered. Psychedelic Pill numbers stood up very well with the older classic material. They were all highlights for me. Left before the encore to catch the late train back and missed three numbers! but could have stayed longer, made such good time on rail links. Audience were a mix of older, younger and very young. Doubtful they are all committed NYCH fans but come for a social night out, a beer, something to eat and hopefully some music entertainment. It’s their money they make their choice. I enjoyed all the lengthy music ‘indulgencies’ including that giant but others may not be so appreciative. A good night out with many of the crowd just sitting there absorbing all the great music. Some gripe about the lack of interaction with the audience but NYCH let their music do the talking and that’s fine by me.
Hey everybody. This is my first post here on TW. Please take some time to read my review on last night's gig, it took me an age to write: http://theonlymusicblog.tumblr.com/post/53274557476/review-neil-young-and-crazy-horse-o2-arena-17-06-13
great review,makes me feel like I was there... thanks !
I went to this gig with a decent idea of what to expect setlist wise. I was completely unprepared for how crushingly boring it was going to be - the man himself even admitted it 'sucked'. Ramada Inn was so pointlessly long that I think that it was the final nail in the coffin for the crowd. It's just not that good, and it doesn't have a strong enough chord sequence to justify its length. You lose people if you don't through them a bone. It was just like crapper versions of music he had done previously, but going on for too long. The feedback wasn't the issue, that was awesome - I think the main problem was actually crazy horse. They were just so sluggish and knackered sounding that it ruined everything. How on earth do you make cinnamon girl sound so tired and boring? It's the drums - they need to sack this dude, he is not capable anymore. So tedious. Challenging music isn't tedious, it's challenging and holds your attention - shit music is tedious, and you get bored with the monotony. Still, great to here hurricane and I enjoyed powder finger and my my hey hey. But he needs to take the horse out back and put it down, he is better off without it.
Pipe down and go back to your Springsteen albums
For the record, there's a decent amount of crossover between Springsteen fans and Neil fans! Both amazing artists, doing their thing in totally different ways; neither of them sell-outs like so many others of their generation.
That their music is different and their shows are different doesn't detract from their shared talent - and their friendship and appreciation of one another! I talked to lots of people at the O2 gig who had seen Springsteen in Wembley or were going to see him later.
In other words, don't tar Springsteen fans with idiots who can't appreciate Neil!
Sorry if it's been answered elsewhere, but what was that iPad-like device on Neil's mic-stand? What did it do?
^ very common these days. It could perform multiple functions, both as a lyrics/chords teleprompter, as well as a personal monitor control. I don't think any of the guys use in-ear monitors, but they do have dedicated monitors in front of them. This would allow them to see and adjust if necessary the mix of the voices and instruments that's in their monitor.
I think they're probably using them as teleprompters, just in case. The two shows I saw in person they didn't touch them, so I'm not inclined to think they use them as monitor control. Teleprompters that look like monitor floor wedges have been used in the past, but I don't know if they still use them.
I have always wondered what those five things under the drum riser are !?!?!?! Are they tuners? If so, why only five? I have a GUITAR LEGENDS magazine Special Edition on Neil Young featuring an interview with Larry Cragg where he discusses in comprehensive detail all of NY's guitars, amps, his custom red effects stomp-box, The Whizzer (!!!) but no mention was ever made of those five little orangey-glowing things beneath Ralphie's kit! What the heck are those things?
PEACE & LOVE
-- Eric in sunny FLA
To anonymous @ 2:26
These are strobe-o tuners. Only five because...there are only five notes on a guitar (6 strings though) : E A D G B
http://thrasherswheat.org/friends/amps.htm
Nicolas
one thing overlooked so far was the curfew mix up......Neil was about 4 / 5 mins into Like Hurricane when a white coated Alchemist from stage side held up a clipboard with "1 MINUTE" in font size 72 on a A4....Neil just clocked it and looked confused as he carried on .....so Alchemist semi crawled onto stage in front of Neil by his mic stand re-waving said clipboard and scuttled off (knowing he had been given the lamest task) (it was 23.00)....Neil carried on for 30 sec and then turned round and ended LAH way way too early clearly to the bands confusion.........Neil then while noodling made the much quoted speech re Tonight we Sucked....then continued over some flanged noodling talking about your kids at home and waking up happy in the morning....big thanks to all the Tour Personnel and more such chat......then launched into a great Roll Another Number at a slow ish pace , great clean sound and playing and much spliff gesticulations from Poncho.....23.08......song finishes and then Neil looks to crew / elliot and says words to the effect of "hey managers get the calculator and cheque books out" knowing he was into Fined time and did a great Everybody Knows ….good to see he see has the wilful to not give a shit about curfews !
This is the fourth time that I've seen Neil Young and was by far the best - possibly helped in part by the excellent video screens which really captured expressions and what looked like the sheer joy of Crazy Horse performing.
The stage set and stagehands looked great (the former reminiscent of Live Rust), and this has to be the first time I've ever seen a band come on to the national anthem!
Ragged Glory is one of my favourite albums, so starting with Love and Only Love was a treat, but to then follow it with Powderfinger meant the show could have ended there and I would have been pretty happy.
There were nice touches like the paper flying across the stage and the rainstorm (maybe not so much the girl wandering around the stage), and the whole thing did have a feel of going out on a high (which I really hope isn't the case)
A large part of my enjoyment of the show was driven by seeing how the band were having fun - most obviously in F*!#in' Up, but also in NY's little dance across the stage too.
A really great show - I can't make the August one, so hopefully they will return soon.....
Can't stand IMHO! How can you tell if someone isn't moved just because their reaction isn't like yours?
I was at the O2 the previous night for the Who (really good) and n the tube back got talking to an Australian woman who had seen Neil in the australian vinyard on this tour - she complained that Neil was this "asshole " who'd squandered a beautiful location by playing "f***in' heavy metal".
She is 100% entited to her opinion and now I was 100% primed for a great Horse gig.
I've loved Neil for over 30 years but never managed to see him with Crazy Horse before. I wasn't disappointed.
People think that he is an "authentic" performer and what you see is what you get...but he isn't. It's more like he's a performance artist and outside the final "thank yous" everything is a performance...so when we were treated to an "Arc"-style feedback performance and people WERE leavingI was just laughing.
It may be a new album but "Ramada Hotel" is a classic Neil/Horse track and tonight's performance was compelling. "Love and Only Love" was fantastic andas Neil's voice has aged and he needs to force some of those notes the perfomanceis ever better than on "Weld"
Everyone enjoyed the "you're a f***-up" sequence with Poncho and Neil looked really happy to be there.
With encores includng "Like a Hurricane" (man, I've waited 37yrs for that!) and "Roll another Number" it was an utterly fantastic night...Long may you Run!
I was at the Toronto at Sydney Gigs, and London was the best yet on the Alchemy Tour, amazing sound and energy for a 67 year old. Check out my Red Sun video:-
http://youtu.be/kzzS0EYIdac
Take your pick CSN playing 'Wooden Ships' et al or Neil pushing himself at 67! The wayward wind is a restless wind......to be honest I could do without the feedback stuff.
I was lucky enough to be on the rail smack bang in front of Neil. He and CH were loving it from start to finish and I was too. Great set list, great sound and great vibes from those on stage. An absolute privilege to have been there. For me, gigs simply don't get any better than that. Thanks Neil.
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