(Click photo to enlarge))
From The Capitol Theatre | Facebook:
SHOW NOTICE! Neil Young And Crazy Horse regretfully announce that in addition to canceling the remaining dates on their European tour, they must also cancel their upcoming U.S. tour dates including their upcoming date at The Capitol Theatre on September 2nd, due to a hand injury sustained by guitarist Poncho Sampredo, whose doctor has indicated that Sampredo's hand requires additional time to heal properly.The canceled North American dates:
"We are sorry for any inconvenience this causes to our fans or the festivals where we were scheduled to appear," the band has said in a statement. "As you must be, we too are disappointed at this unfortunate turn of events."
Refunds available at point of purchase.
8/31 Dundas, ON Greenbelt Harvest Picnic
9/02 Port Chester, NY Capitol Theatre
9/04 Ottawa, ON Ottawa Folk Festival
9/07 Arrington, VA Interlocken Music Festival
As many had worried and fear -- while others maintained hope - it looks like Alchemy has run its course.
It's been a stupendous ride.
Get well soon Poncho.
Hope to see the boys back again someday...
Please, Don't Say It's Over.
The O2 Arena, London, England - 2013-08-19
Photo by Hiroko M. | Facebook(Click photo to enlarge))
Rats!!! I hope Poncho gets better soon and they do a run of shows at the Cap in Portchester.
ReplyDeleteA fracture usually takes at least 6-8 weeks to heal, so it's no surprise that those dates, only several weeks after the injury, had to be cancelled as well. I would also think that for a guitarist some physical therapy will be required, as the muscles will atrophy during the immobilization period. Also, his finger calluses will soften up a lot, so they will need to attended to during his post cast/brace recovery. Perhaps wishful thinking when it happened that the process would be sooner. These guys are like athletes, so given the various infirmities they could have this is quite minor. Heal well, Poncho, and we'll see you down the road. Maybe this is what you had the premonition about.
ReplyDeletePoncho Sampredo is great, but not irreplaceable. Neil and Crazy Horse should get another great guitarist and go on with the show. I have tickets for 9/2 and family are flying in to join us. It is not appropriate to cancel the tour.
ReplyDeleteto Anon @ 8/19/2013 06:04:00 PM,
ReplyDeleteit's obviously a major bummer, but Poncho is NOT replaceable. Not for a Crazy Horse show. This was never booked as a "Neil Young" tour. It was a "Neil Young and Crazy Horse" tour all along. He's a band member, he's injured, so the band can't play. That's just how it goes. You're obviously disappointed, and you every right to be. I am too (have a ticket for Aug 31 in Dundas, Ontario), but you've got to be understanding about this! Would you be saying the same thing if it was Neil who couldn't play? They're all important in that band. This isn't just some "Neil + some other guys" tour. Crazy Horse is a band.
Here we go again with the "Neil should just get a random guitar player and finish the tour" speeches. People, please understand what a band is. It is not a random collection of people. The entire point of this tour was NY + Crazy Horse. Change any one element of that, be it Ralph, Billy, Poncho, or Neil, and it is not the same band. There is no replacement for Poncho, and stopping the tour is inarguably the right thing to do. I hope more folks understand this concept.
ReplyDeleteDisappointing for all of us, of course (I would have been having a great time at the 02 in London tonight), but hopefully they'll be back before too long.
ReplyDeleteReally, what other alternative is there? In another 10 years, Billy and Ralph will both be 80. Neil won't be far behind.
I'm predicting that we'll see much shorter, more frequent appearances from Neil and Co. as they get older. A show here, a show there. The occasional residency at a good venue.
The age of big, infrequent arena tours is coming to an end, anyway. Especially for the old guys. Play too infrequently and most of the fan base will either be dead or deaf. Past caring, in any event.
And does Neil still have any inspiration for new music? I really think he does. Forget about electric cars for a minute, forget about audio players....all that stuff that David Briggs would consider distractions (yes, he would). Worthwhile distractions, but distractions none-the-less. Get back to basics. Back to the deepest emotions. That's what is going to happen; what has to happen. In fact, it's already started.
The Flying Scotsman
This is pretty heartbreaking. I wish they could have just cancelled all the shows together instead of getting my hopes up that they would still play. Ottawa Folkfest didn't help when it said that they would be playing for sure.
ReplyDeleteDoes anybody know whereabouts we can get refunds for the Greenbelt Picnic and Folkfest? I know we aren't supposed to get refunds but getting ripped off a couple hundred bucks doesn't feel good.
I'm very grateful to have seen them 3 times last winter and hopefully one day I'll see them again.
I was so sorry to hear the news, but it is understandable. Accidents happen...it takes time to heal...wishing Poncho and the guys all the best.
ReplyDeleteSandCowgirl (Tami C.)
@lookoutmama: I think (hope!) that the Harvest Picnic organizers will be giving us more information soon. There's an article about the cancellation in the Hamilton Spectaor, which says "Gauthier expected to release more information later Monday." (Gauthier being the organizer of the festival). I'm guessing they'll offer refunds, as NY+CH were the headliners.
ReplyDeletehere's the link:
http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/4039151-neil-young-pulls-out-of-harvest-picnic/
and i have no idea about Ottawa.
how about a statement from Neil.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know more about this.
just a bummer.
planned my vacation around 9/2
oh,
well .
We also planned our vacation to be "on the rail" in Port Chester.
ReplyDeleteVery sad for the guys and many of us anxious fans. They made the right choice, I wouldn't want anyone but Poncho giving me the finger at the show or visa versa! Take care Poncho so you can get back in the game.
We don't believe it's over.
Setz
I know it's crazy,
ReplyDeletebut Daniel Lanois would be
the only one who
understands this music.
Le Noise was one of the
great tours ever.
he could do it.
Is crazy horse going to play bridge school with him?? anyone have any insight? or any rumors as to who is playing
ReplyDeleteOh well- I had tickets to the Port Chester show and was flying up from Austin to visit family and hit the show. Now, I'll just visit family.
ReplyDeleteWanted to see Crazy Horse one more time after catching 3 shows in 2012... but this makes 2012 all the more special to me and if there's another chance to catch Neil with or without the Horse in the future, I'll be there.
At least no one died and you're all going to keep on living with or without 1, 2, 3, or 4 more Neil shows in 2013.
Shit happens.
Yes, thank you, Marc. These guys are around 70, and people are complaining about them cancelling shows? None of my grandparents even made it to 70. Put it in perspective.
ReplyDeleteDoom, defeat, despair. Had tickets to all the shows, booked hotels, was living the dream - only a dream, a memory fading away. Hope I can get the Traveolcity bookings refunded. Sigh. The shows last year were sooo good....
ReplyDeleteYes, it's not CH without Poncho, but the point is that I can't recall any other artist of Neil's stature cancelling a tour over something like this. I'm reminded of how Metallica carried on with a substitute guitarist when James Hetfield had his arm burned by pyro. He could still sing, so they played. Springsteen kept going when Danny Federici could no longer perform, and Clarence was incapacitated. People have made huge personal and financial commitments to Neil, and he should respect that. This isn't whining. Neil's choice to not perform when he is perfectly capable is an insult. He could find a way to work this out if he really wanted to.
ReplyDeletePoncho,Hope you feel better soon. Too bad about the cancellations.No one on Earth sounds quite like the Horse with Neil.How about an Alchemy Tour 3 CD release before Christmas?.Ramada Inn, Live at Red Rocks 8-6-12 please....We need Old Black wailing right about now...
ReplyDeleteit IS hard to argue with Jason--so *I* won't...
ReplyDeleteJason, you've got a point, and as already mentioned it's hard to argue with it, BUT I think I can, at least a bit.
ReplyDeleteThe artists you mentioned do something VERY different from what Crazy Horse do. A Metallica or Bruce Springsteen show is basically "play the songs". It's very "by the numbers". There's nothing wrong with that, but if a member can't be there, then any capable musician could theoretically fill in, and it would still be mostly the same experience for all involved.
When Neil Young plays with Crazy Horse, there is a LOT of interplay between the band members. The whole concept of a Crazy Horse show means there's going to be jamming between THESE people. Sure, he could hire someone on guitar and play the same setlist, but it wouldn't be a Crazy Horse show. It wold NOT be even remotely close to the same experience for all involved.
Poncho's presence and musicailty is a necessary component in order for Neil to play a Crazy Horse show. THAT is what would be missing, not just the sound of another guitar playing the chords.
If you had a hockey team and one of your players were injured, sure, you'd put out a substitute. But could you play without a goalie?
Just because someone else could stand there and play guitar, no one can BE Poncho except Poncho.
No offense, but have you ever been to an E-Street Band show? I don't particularly love Bruce, but he's got 110% more interplay, dynamics in a changing setlist, and spontaneous audience participation/acknowledgement than Neil & Crazy Horse do at this point. On the Alchemy tour, Neil played basically the same set nightly and made the same jokes and comments more often than not.
ReplyDeleteBad example. I've seen Bruce 3x and I'm not a huge fan, but he isn't as you painted him.
Yes, I saw Bruce & the E-Street band just last summer. Sure, they play long sets, and sure, they change their setlists often, and sure, they have lots of extended solos. But the direction of the songs are always pretetermined. The band will go into "this" section and then whichever band member it is does his solo for a few minutes, then they move on to the next part. This isn't actual interplay. This is soloing over a band backing.
ReplyDeleteAs for setlists... really? Have *you* ever seen *Crazy Horse*? An identical setlist two nights in a row can be two very different experiences. Some songs more than others, of course... to be fair, a song like "Born in Ontario" *is* pretty much "by the numbers" too, but what about "Ramada Inn" or "Cortez the Killer"? This is the band exploring the sound as a unit. It's beauty. It's not even in the same universe as a note-perfect band like the E-Street band.
Who the hell is Pancho anyway?
ReplyDeleteA heart felt "Thank You!!!" to Neil Young and Crazy Horse for one hell of a ride! Thanks for always staying true to yourselves. Thanks for the passion and the feeling.
ReplyDeleteIt's always hard to let go of something you love. See you again someday no doubt, one way or another. Get well Poncho. Don't say its over just yet......
Love and only Love
SJ
This tour had run its course Neil got bored...wake up! It was just dead weight to me..'people get hurt'...its all about the music - really ?
ReplyDeleteHas anyone heard if these cancellations include the Bridge School Benefit Concerts in late October? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSo they looked pretty bored when you saw them in Oslo, La?
ReplyDeleteSpell much Thrasher? It's cancelled!
ReplyDeleteDo we know any details of the injury or the accident? I have not even heard any rumours. Otorydhaddly quiet...
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteif I got anything other than the real crazy horse, the real trip, the real fusion and journey, all those years of interaction synthesized in that wild ragged ride, I would want a refund and call Neil a conman.... thank fck I went to Nimes in France and didn't wait till uk dates, intuition I guess.
I think you might see these last cancelations as a blessing, maybe there will be more desire by the band to redo new shows after letting so many people down and not riding the horse to the end of the trip.
It would be nice to have a statement from Neil on the subject: will the muse still want to ride the horse in a couple of months time, but I guess Neil doesn't know the answer to this question himself. but it would be nice to know if he is considering new dates, how does he feel about it?
ReplyDeleteNils Lofgrin [sic] would be fine. I'm leaning more towards Neil got bored??
ReplyDeletePaul
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSooner or later it all gets real 'Walk On' - Neil has. Saw the show in June at O2 it was ok, Ramada Inn & F...g Up an hour combined -- ugh!
ReplyDeleteNeil already made a statement.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day!
There's an old saying the show must go on and countless performers over the ages have has similar situations. A few years ago the the who were touring and John Entwistle passed and the tour continued. That's just one example. Neil made the decision
ReplyDeleteto cancel he could have continued with the tour booking as a Neil Young tour. As for bruce he does three and a half hour shows
with 30 or more songs. Any musician will tell you that its much easier to do 15 songs than 30regardless of jamming or not.
Another example during the Greendale tour Emmylou was the opener her guitarist Buddy Miller
had to leave for a family tragedy
She brought in someone it was awkward and im sure Neil was glad that she didn't pull out of the show. These things happen in band and regardless off how vital the band member the old axiom the show must ggoes on apply
Thrasher:
ReplyDeleteBut Poncho IS irreplaceable!
You might have a concert with others, but you need those four (4) for Alchemy!
We're all disappointed, especially me for the New York show!
The most important thing is that Poncho takes time to heal properly.
My love and prayers are with them all (Crazy Horse)!
Marian M.
You can't sell tickets for NY & CH and then switch to NY solo. You can't replace Ponch mid-tour. Its a drag, it sucks & no one wants it this way but it is what it is. Neil is an honorable & dedicated fellow and I'm willing to be patient and see how this plays out. Who knows, they might book shows in as many of the cities that lost out as possible and play the hottest shows with the best setlists ever. I believe and implore you all to also!
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed to hear that the remaining shows have been cancelled. (We have tickets for the Greenbelt Harvest Picnic.) The Horse is broken and Neil won't play without Poncho. I can respect that. Poncho needs more time to heal so it's a medical issue. Re: refunds. I checked the receipt for out tickets. It's noted "All sales are final. There are no refunds, no exchanges for any reason." Since there is a slate of other performers, I would think that refunds would not be offered just because Neil and Crazy Horse have cancelled. Other acts will be added to fill in the gap. In fact, Pegi Young & the Survivors (with Special Guests) were recently added to the line-up.
ReplyDeleteJust found out they're offering a partial refund -- $40 -- for Greenbelt Harvest Picnic tickets in light of Neil and CH's cancellation. Tickets to the event are now selling for $99.50 (instead of $139).
ReplyDeleteJason mention this as unusual to cancel . Van Halen canceled a tour date here for illness . Aerosmith canceled several dates when Joe Perry was ill . Even Bruce has canceled some dates in his long and storied history . Band members chemistry matters . If he appeared without Pancho some would say HEY where the real Crazy Horse . If he played alone the hard rock fans would say HEY I bought tickets for Crazy Horse Show . Where the new stuff.
ReplyDeleteSo he did what was best for them Neil knew no matter what someone complain. The refund that the venue deal not Neil's . Willie Nelson has cancelled a show here . Dylan has cancelled show . Life happens eat a peach. Peace all hurry back Pancho and the horse .
I do I msut add agree a bit the folk festival being at Ottawa may be possible Neil alone would fit the theme . The Searcher from Michigan Peace
Hey Folks, don't forget the code word for (Neil is done with this gig!) Ask Stills or Furay, they'll tell ya what it is...
ReplyDeleteAll four of us in the Horse are extremely disappointed in this turn of events. We've never had to cancel a show before. After being together for 40 years, we know there's no way we can play without Poncho, or any one of us. The four of us have to be there for it to be NYCH. If there's any way that we could have played these shows, we would be there. This is an extremely hard twist of fate for us to accept.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons that we love what we're doing and it rocks so much, is the fact that we respect that it comes from the four of us. A unified passion.
I would not want to see Neil, Billy, Ralph and some other dude. Nope, rather have my money back. It is not a Crazy Horse concert without all the boys.
ReplyDeleteNo one would expect Neil to replace Poncho and continue as Crazy Horse for the remainder of tour. HOWEVER, contrary to the news release, refunds are not being offered at the festivals. Neil definitely could do a solo show at the Greenbelt Festival, knowing the tickets were bought to see him. A $40 refund on a $140 ticket is a joke. PLUS, Pegi is playing there as well, so just show up and do 1 hour solo.
ReplyDeleteI understand that shit happens, etc., and I would have no concern if a refund was provided, but it's not ! The artist could take that into account.
The broken hand and people investing in lost travel costs was beyond Neil's control. The upcoming festivals and a reasonable solution are not.....
I was lined up for the second of NY and CH shows in London and I'm as gutted as anybody. Neil has been my idol for 40 years and until the first of the London shows in June, I'd never seen Neil with the band. But having said that, I think the decision to cancel was the right one. I get the feeling that in good time Neil will make it up to all of us who missed out. All good things come to those who wait.
ReplyDeleteYes it's a NYCH tour, but Neil is the star, the one we go to see. How many NY shows have you been to vs. how many CH without NY shows have you gone to? Very likely the answers are: a lot and none. If this was just a NY tour, would you still have gone? Of course you would have. So would it really kill NY to have done the remaining tours show with other players? Most of us (not all of us though) would have been happy with that and fully understanding of why it couldn't be a NYCH show. Why can't Neil show a little flexibility towards his fans for once? Being rigid doesn't make it right. The show must go on. Still looking forward to the next show.
ReplyDeleteI agree that NY&CH cannot continue without Poncho. Like 2003, for example, when Poncho did not play a note on the entire greendale CD, and did not play a note on guitar until the rather short encore each night on the Greendale tour...There's an idea: finish the tour as a trio and do Greendale in its entirety each night without the stage show. Oh to see the jaws drop again...I was going to pass on the Ottawa show anyways: hmmmm, see pretty much the exact same show with the exact same opening act within 8 months. Unlike many of you, I kinda have a life outside of my favorite artist and his tours...for the same reason I passed on the second roger waters Wall concert that passed through here within the same 12 month period - zzzzz. At least nothing here sucks as bad as the new Pearl Jam material - yikes - almost comical in its awfulness...
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear...but if you can't play give the money back. Not $40 out of $150. I would not go to Hamilton if not for the band.
ReplyDeleteWe will have to agree to disagree Phil at 8:20, But I do not believe that Neil is the star of Crazy Horse, nor would I attend a NY&CH concert without all four of the band members: Poncho, Ralph, Billy, and Neil. I think Neil, on many occasions, has made it quite clear that he is a member of the band...not THE band. I would never attend a show with replacements. I know people are very disappointed, and I am sure the band is disappointed as well. I am disappointed too, but there is nothing that can be done at this point. Poncho needs our compassion and time to heal. Even the band members have spoken with us in several different forums to disabuse the notion that this is some conspiracy of Neil's to walk away. It makes me sad to see so many comments on this page dissing a group that has put their heart and soul into this tour, and has given us much joy. They are not kids anymore, and shit happens to people physically. I choose to believe Ralph and Billy...Poncho broke his wrist. Crazy Horse does not want to continue with out him...I agree with them. I see no conspiracy on Neil's part. The Horse will ride again in the future, and I will be right there on the rail. We have had a long and wonderful summer because of NY&CH, and it will be just as wonderful when they return. Please...let the poor man heal with our love and compassion. I am sure when he is feeling better, we will hear from him too. Neil isn't going to make any more statements...it's clearly not what he does in most situations. Keep the faith! And yes, before the question is asked. I've lost a lot of money too, but I am not taking it out on an individual who is truly hurt. JMHO
ReplyDeleteI think Neil, on many occasions, has made it quite clear that he is a member of the band...not THE band.??????? so when was then the last time the other 3 say hey Neil we've got some songs we want to play live let's go on tour? Neil is the leader of this band and does as he pleases. Neil sees himself as a member of this band but they do as they are told.
ReplyDeleteWow, those of us at the Greenbelt harvest picnic are getting royally screwed.
ReplyDeletePaid $150 through Neil Young website and getting a $40 credit because he can`t play. So Neil is worth $40 I guess.
F`n ridiculous. Now stuck seeing a bunch of bands I couldn`t give a damn about and mostly never heard of for the low low price of $110 per ticket, and taking a family of 3.
Christ I hope someone from the Neil Young conglomerate stands up and tells the promotor this isn`t right, but I guess unfortunately for me Neil is buddies with Daniel Lanois and the promoter, so I`m sure nothing will happen.
And guess what: if there is terrible weather half way through and it forces a cancellation, you are screwed as well. The fine print on any festival ticket is well understood: you are not paying for a single performance, and any change in artists is not the responsibility of the promoter. Guess what: I bet they had no legal obligation to pay you back anything. blah blah. If you are upset about two or three hundred bucks, then you and your family were never in a financial position to go in the first place. It is an angry world, full of intolerance. Life the guy behind me this morning who started honking before my foot had any real chance of even getting from the brake to the accelerator...
ReplyDelete