Neil Young + Promise of the Real will be performing tonight, June 13 at Zenith Arena in Lille, France.
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 + Promise of the Real 2016 Concert Tour Dates for reviews, photos, videos and more.
2016-06-13
ReplyDeleteLe Zénith, Lille, France
w/ Promise Of The Real
1. After The Gold Rush
2. Heart Of Gold
3. Long May You Run
4. The Needle And The Damage Done
5. Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)
6. Out On The Weekend
7. Human Highway
8. Western Hero
9. Someday
10. Words
11. Alabama
12. Walk On
13. Love To Burn
14. Mansion On The Hill
15. Country Home
16. Monsanto Years
17. Seed Justice
18. After The Garden
19. Wolf Moon
20. Love And Only Love
---
21. Cinnamon Girl
22. When You Dance I Can Really Love
Great show! Neil having a lot of fun, singing really good, assaulting his guitar (Old Black)....
ReplyDeleteLovely evening.
The encore was amazing, I didn't expected Cinnamon Girl, couldn't stop smiling when he started the riff.
Re: Cinnamon Girl. Well guessed Topanga!
ReplyDeleteScotsman.
Thanks Scots, though one show too late for you in London!
ReplyDeleteFrom a distance, it seems to me the London set-list was the "least inspired" of the tour to date. That being said, you did get "Revolution Blues" which to me would be worth the price of admission by itself.
Any other thoughts about the show? I haven't seen or heard any real negative comments about the show, but reading between the lines (largely of omission), I get the feeling fans were a little more stoked by the Leeds show and others..
Take my advice
don't listen to me
A few more impressions from London/11 June.
ReplyDeleteI thought the acoustic set was strong, and the acoustic set with the band was simply faultless. Amazing. Was this 2016, 1992 or 1972? I don't know. And it was a real treat to hear Western Hero, from one of favourite albums.
I'm sure that a lot of people felt that the first half eclipsed much of the second. Certainly, a lot of the younger people around me were literally in awe for the first two-thirds of the show, but collectively began checking their phones and watches during the last few songs. They were up for it from song one, Neil grabbed their attention, but somehow managed to let it slip away. I think this was simply a matter of slightly-dodgy pacing (a common theme in recent years), which could very easily be rectified in later shows.
I do like the idea of an acoustic song near the end of the electric set, as it adds a different dimension to the sound, some variation. It works (e.g Music Arcade/1996). But it needs to followed by something more exciting than the 2015 version of Love And Only Love, which has lost so much of it's intent and drama in recent years. POTR try too hard, they jump around, pose, play rock stars, try to disguise the fact that the song itself sounds bloated and directionless and padded-out to the extreme.
These Euro versions of LAOL have so far been a little better, Neil has reclaimed most of the lead guitar duties, which has improved the song no end. But there's still too much noddling around; it drags, it's too jazzed up, there's too much superfluous nonsense (having said that, my Dad loved it).
And recently it's just too similar to Love To Burn, as I commented on here shortly before the gig. Neil himself proved the accuracy of that observation: just before LAOL, he started to play the riff to Love To Burn again, before quickly realising his error and going into LAOL. It's all one song, perhaps, but on the other hand, you don't have to exaggerate that.
F*!#in' Up was good fun, but an an encore it makes me remember the days when the show would go out on a real dramatic moment. Something heavyweight. Cortez or Hurricane or Watchtower or Tonight's The Night. Or Revolution Blues (as in Texas back in April), which was a real highlight of this London gig. Succinct, powerful, dramatic, punchy, beautiful, sinister etc etc etc. You've heard me raving about the April version for weeks now, so it was a real treat for me to experience it first hand in concert.
Mansion On The Hill was the other clear highlight of the Old Black set. Another timeless performance, rolling back the years.
The sound in the venue was good. Some of the time, the sheer volume of the electric set caused the guitars to sound indistinct and distorted. It all mushed together a bit too much. Neil's guitar solos are supposed to come through with graceful ease and awe-inspiring clarity, not be buried in a wall of chugging guitars. This was probably less of a problem for those further back in arena, and those of you listening to recordings will be unaffected (unless you really crank up your speakers).
Overall, I left the gig feeling like I'd witnessed a powerful and energetic electric set but an extraordinary, timeless acoustic set. So I really enjoyed it. It wasn't the best Neil Young gig of all time. That's an insult to the sheer brilliance of 1978 and 1989 and 1991 etc. But it absolutely was the sound of a man who has been on this planet for over seven decades, playing to a standard easily comparable to his brilliant best. The acoustic set in particular was beyond criticism.
At this stage, what more could I possibly ask for?
Scotsman.
Scots, thanks for the additional details.
ReplyDeleteYour thoughts echo how I think I would have felt if I was at the show. Neil is still delivering the goods, from the good to the great to the somewhat curious with his own defiant streak. It's great how he's playing the acoustic and mid-tempo rockers with the POTR. Great song selections and performances from what I've seen...
Then, the heights of the show are brought down a notch with the new song selections followed by a tedious extended jam or two which are ok, but largely droning and muddled.
I think the London show probably sums up most of Neil's career and his attitude. Virtually since day one, he's been giving us a cross section of brilliance, creativity and independence, detracted (or enhanced) from by a few unique head scratchers.
In our minds we "know" what could and would make it "better" but Neil just keeps on plowing knowingly or unknowingly giving us what we may or may not want to hear.
As a live performer he's played majestically for 50 years, flaws and all...
Take my advice
don't listen to me
re London v Leeds, etc, having seen all the UK & Ireland concerts from on the rail or a row or two back for me Belfast and Leeds were the top two, London and Dublin were just fucking awesome, once in a lifetime experiences and Glasgow was merely a fantastic concert from a man and a band right on top of their game.
ReplyDeleteNo Cinnamon Girl on these islands but we've all heard that plenty of times; Neil came out with the "Here's one you haven't heard" line at one gig and I thought 'Here we go , Cinnamon Girl' but it was actually a song that I'd never heard before.
Can't wait for Amsterdam!
and, Love and only Love was my favourite song for years and I was thrilled when Neil started opening shows with it; now it's the song that closes the show it's got even better in my judgment.
ReplyDeleteLove to Burn is my favourite track on Weld. I love the way Neils guitar builds up to the first verse. It gives me chills. But Ive always thought of Love and only love being its companion, sort of similar, and though I love them both, I couldnt place them both on a favourite list simply because of that. But the real difference may be LAOL crashing type of riff, most people will find that the coolest. But Love to Burn has more of a slighter slow burn, and these longer stretches of Neils delicate guitarplaying. And I may be more touched by seeing this fighting couple in a broken house. LAOL Doesnt give me these images of real people.
ReplyDeleteI love every single track on Weld.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to pick one "desert island" Neil Young album, Weld would be a strong contender. His electric guitar playing was never so consistently great and intense as 1990-1991. There was no nonsense on that tour, no mucking about; straight to the point.
The Weld versions of Love To Burn and Love And Only Love are both superb. Back then, they did sound quite different to one another, as Unknown describes.
But Love And Only Love in particular has in modern times become a over-extended noodle-fest, the guitar solos have lost their urgency and sense of presence (even when played with Crazy Horse). It feels turgid and bloated, like the song has eaten too much fast food. Love To Burn is okay but tends to "chug along" a bit as well. Neither song benefits at all from the three-guitar approach.
But yes, the renditions from 1991 are very different, and very superior.
Scotsman.
does anybody know the name of the supporting act? I liked these guys very much!
ReplyDelete