VIDEO: "Winterlong" - Neil Young + Promise of the Real, Leeds, UK - June 10, 2016

"Winterlong" by Neil Young + Promise of the Real in Leeds, UK on June 10, 2016.

Comment of the Moment on Neil Young + Promise of the Real's concert in Leeds, UK on June 10, 2016 by carboni157:

I needed a couple of days to reflect on what I witnessed at Leeds on Friday night. This was undoubtedly a special night but what were the ingredients that made it so ?

I have to say the venue is excellent. I'm not a Arena fan but the FD is a purpose built music venue , not a sports arena that doubles up, and the sound was of the highest quality.

The set was incredible, a mixture of the tried and trusted along with the surprises, and given a new feel with the help of the superb Promise of the Real. The numbers played on acoustic with the band had a different sound, due to the lack of the haunting slide work of Ben Keith it was left to Lukas Nelson to add these parts on guitar and he was certainly up to the task, and when they rocked , they rocked!

Neil is a better guitarist when he has another lead player to bounce off as he does with Stephen Stills, and Lukas is a perfect foil. When Neil "goes off" into his improvisations if there is another guitarist that can take over this allows him to take the music to another level. The section in the set of DBTR ,Powderfinger & Cowgirl may appear to the uneducated as 45 minutes of over played , long drawn out self indulgence, to the seasoned Rustie this is Neil at his best, all made possible due to the quality of the musicians around him. I love Crazy Horse and hope to see them again but Promise of the Real are a revelation. The groove was different provided by a rhythm section of drums and bass totally in sync with the bass more prominent in the mix bringing a new energy and drive.

This all added to the fact that Neil is "on it" and is singing and playing better than I've seen him.

I thought the Electric Band Tour would never be bettered, this was really close !

Come back soon

ps I witnessed a couple of people asking the guys behind the mixing and lighting desks if they had a setlist. These requests were met with a smile and " We have no idea what he's going to play"

Thanks for sharing carboni157! We're well aware of that feeling of taking a couple days to process and come down from a Neil gig. Glad you took the time to reflect and compose.

Because sometimes it's NOT "all illusion anyway." Sometimes it is actually REAL... sooner or later...

Neil Young
Leeds, UK on June 10, 2016
Photo by Mike P.

---

---