"We Will Be In Glastonbury": Neil Young Confirms Festival Performance

T-C | Letters | Neil Young Archives
 (Click photo to enlarge)

Neil Young has confirmed he will perform this summer at the Glastonbury Festival saying: "We Will Be In Glastonbury" per a Letter to The Editor | Neil Young Archives.

Neil Young Glastonbury Festival 2009(Click photo to enlarge)

Neil Young's appearance at the Glastonbury Festival has been on and off for weeks now, but Neil adds that "The problems have apparently been solved".

Earlier, Neil Young declined a Glastonbury slot because "The BBC wanted us to do a lot of things in a way we were not interested in".

Then, Neil did a 180 and said:

"Due to an error in the information received, I had decided to not play the Glastonbury Festival, which I always have loved.

Happily, the festival is now back on our itinerary and we look forward to playing. Hope to see you there!"

Recall last November, when a new  Timeline Concert of the Moment streamed on NYA of Neil Young @ Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival on June 26, 2009.

Glastonbury 2009

Timeline Concert of the Moment | NYA

From TW coverage in 2009, Review: Neil Young rocks Glastonbury - Glastonbury - QTheMusic.com:

"No review’s going to do this justice, so let’s just get this out the way. Neil Young was just phenomenal.

Michael Eavis has tried and failed four times previously to get Neil Young to play at his little party down on Worthy Farm dating right back to the days when local stores would put ‘No Hippies Allowed’ on their windows.

Why Old Farmer Eavis has been so determined to book him is apparent from the moment Neil Young hits the stage. There’s no farting about, his trusty scarred Gibson Les Paul, Old Black, comes straight out and he clangs straight into My My Hey Hey. Seldom has the lyric “better to burn out than fade away” been more pertinent than the day after the death of a King. But also because at this festival of legends there are some here who have faded beyond repair. What this set proved more than anything is that Neil Young isn’t among their number."

Photo by Gary Wolstenholme// Drowned In Sound

Also, BBC Responds to Coverage Criticism of Neil Young's Glastonbury Concert (2009). 

+ Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts: Europe Summer 2025 Concert Tour Planning Underway

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On This Date: Neil Young Returns to Winnipeg - January 13, 1971

 "Neil Young: Don't Be Denied - The Canadian Years" by John Einarson

On this date, Wednesday evening, January 13, 1971, Neil Young made his triumphant return to Winnipeg.

From "Neil Young: Don't Be Denied - The Canadian Years" by John Einarson (thanks HtH!)

On this date, Wednesday evening, January 13, 1971, Neil Young made his return to Winnipeg. It had been six years since he last graced a stage there and many old friends and fans came out to welcome him home. He had left Winnipeg years earlier as a rock 'n' roller with a dream; now he had returned as rock's premier singer/songwriter. It had been quite a journey.

With barely any advertising, ticket demand at the Centennial Concert Hall was so great that two shows were scheduled that evening [I attended both]. The word was out that Neil was back. Everyone entering the hall was checked for cameras and tape recorders. Neil did not like to be distracted by camera flashes concertgoers were informed as they shuffled through the turnstiles.

Appearing alone on the stark stage with just acoustic guitar and piano, lumberjack outfit and back brace that kept him stiffly in a wooden-backed chair, Neil proceeded to mesmerize the capacity crowd. Bent over his acoustic guitar, head down, eyes closed, long, straight hair draping past his shoulders, Neil spoke rarely, choosing, like he always had, to let his music speak for him. The odd reference was made to being home and to people in the crowd. "There's a guy out there in the audience who used to tune my guitar," he offered. The intensity of his performance led those in the audience to feel that they were in the presence not of a local boy-made-good, but a world-class singer/songwriter. It was a magical night.

Walking onstage without introduction and offering no greetings, Neil opened the show with the Buffalo Springfield's On the Way Home. It seemed a fitting number for the tour. Throughout the concert, Neil interspersed the familiar with new material, much of it written recently on his ranch. Some, like Heart of Gold, Old Man, and A Man Needs a Maid, appeared a year later on his HARVEST album. Others, like See the Sky About to Rain, Dance, Dance, Dance, and Bad Fog of Loneliness would wait much longer to appear on vinyl. For the Winnipeg show, Neil added Clancy to unrestrained applause.

Afterwards, Neil hosted a party for family and friends at the posh, downtown Winnipeg Inn. The general theme of the conversations floating about the room focused on how each individual present just knew that Neil would make it someday. Neil mingled among the patrons, hugging, shaking hands and reminiscing. As is the case with these post-concert soirees, the room was well represented by hangers-on, the radio and record company set, most of whom didn't know Neil's name from Adam two years earlier. Neil was disappointed that many of the former Squires were not present. In particular, he had wanted to see Allan Bates and Ken Smyth. "I was looking for them but I didn't find them," recalls Neil. "You never realize at the time that you'll never see people again." Asked years later about his absence that night, Ken replies, "We weren't sure if he would remember us." Pam Smith adds, "I was afraid that my life would seem so trivial compared to who he was now and all the things he had done. He was somebody and we were all still just here."

Neil spent some time the next day visiting a few old haunts but the hectic pace of the tour forced Neil to move on. His brief stop in his old hometown had been a personal triumph and a kind of reconciliation with his past.

The Journey thru The Past tour would bring Neil to Massey Hall, Toronto's premier concert venue, on January 19 for another triumphant homecoming and a reconciliation with his father. During the Massey Hall concert, Neil acknowledged his father's presence in the audience. He also sang Old Man which Scott Young heard as a note of reconciliation. The Massey Hall concert was recorded and released decades later as part of his Neil Young Archives series.

Thanks for this historic reminder from 50+ years ago John! 

And thanks to those of you who said to go ahead with this (you know who you are) and today's part goes like this: THE KEEPER OF THE FLAME: there is rock. There is roll. And there is Neil Young.

More on "Neil Young: Don't Be Denied - The Canadian Years" by John Einarson @ Neil Young Book Reviews. 

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What Might Neil Young's 2025 Bring Us?

Oceanside Countryside by Neil Young
"Original Analog Series"  (Click photo to enlarge)

 

You ask, "so what might Neil Young's 2025 bring?"

Good question and a comment by Dionys whets the appetite with expectations: 

• Talkin’ to the Trees (the new album) 
• Oceanside Countryside (the vinyl version)
• Tennessee (The Int’l Harvesters rediscovered 1985 tape) 
• ORS set (with Mirrorball, Sleeps with Angels) 
• Mirror Ball Live  (w/ Pearl Jam)
  
• Homefires
• Europe + U.S. tour with The Chrome Hearts

Thanks for the "informed speculation" Dionys. That pretty well tracks what we're seeing as well.  Obviously, all eyes on tour planning.

Regarding Oceanside Countryside, a comment by Tomatron notes that "Field Of Opportunity" landed on streaming services such as Apple Music last Friday. This is the mix with Neil’s original harmonies, before Nicolette Larson vocals were added to the track. 

There is some level of confusion on the release details of "Oceanside - Countryside" which is also available as a standalone CD  -- with the same cover -- from "Neil Young Archives Volume III". This CD of the same name contains eight of the ten songs, five of which are identical versions, however as a digital mix instead of analog. 

Here's what seems to be the difference: the order of the songs. The 1977 version sequence is as originally planned by Neil Young, as opposed to the CD of the "Archives Vol. III" which is arranged chronologically by recording date. In addition, two songs - "Field Of Opportunity" and "Dance Dance Dance" - are missing the vocals by Nicolette Larson, which were added later via overdub. 

Got it?  Another Valentine's Day gift from Neil with a February 14th release date of a black vinyl and a clear vinyl limited edition.

Or, just sit back and enjoy Neil Young's "Fireside Sessions".

Neil Young's "Fireside Sessions" 

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Neil Young's "Fireside Sessions" Resumes

Fireside Sessions II  | Neil Young Archives  (Click photo to enlarge) 

Late last year, Neil Young announced that he planned to stream another "Fireside Session" concert during the Christmas season.

As 2024 ended, Neil Young posted a video of the song "Silver & Gold" that his wife Daryl Hannah  recorded in front of their Colorado home fireplace. "Silver & Gold" was originally recorded during the 1985 sessions in Nashville and remained unreleased until 2000, when it appeared as a solo version on the album of the same name. The song had not been played since Farm Aid 2007.

 

Fireside Sessions Announcement| Neil Young Archive   (Click photo to enlarge) 

In the 2nd  "Fireside Sessions" installment, Neil Young pulls out "Pardon My Heart" for the first time in 50 years.  

Neil plays the song before a crackling fire and a sleeping dog.  "Pardon My Heart" was originally released on the album "Zuma" in 1975 and again in 2022 on the "Official Bootleg" series from New York's "The Bottom Line" club in 1974.

Neil Young's 2020 Fireside Sessions on NYA
Fireside Sessions #4
Fireside Sessions #3
Fireside Sessions #2
Fireside Sessions #1

 

In 2020, Neil Young produced four extremely intimate mini concerts with his wife Daryl Hannah.

Neil Young's Fireside Sessions #4 | NYA 

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Neil Young's 2024 Year in Review: Crazy Horse Fades and The Chrome Heart(s) Burns

Our Concert Memories of Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse - Bristow, Virginia - May 11, 2024  

 

Similar to those years of Neil Young past -- 2024 was as "newsworthy" as ever -- both in terms of quantity and quality. 

 

After a nearly 4 year concert tour hiatus, Neil Young did finally tour again in 2024 with Crazy Horse.  However, a planned 2nd leg of the tour was canceled and many feel that, sadly, this was the last ride for The Horse. 

 

But hope springs eternal that from The Barn emerges yet another new band: the cleverly named The Chrome Hearts.

 

From the intensity of the "LOVE EARTH" Crazy Horse Tour to the ongoing  Archival releases and their staggering volume, 2024 was a year that was definitely both exhilarating and exhausting.

 

So, walk with us on a journey through the past year of 2024 ...

"Fu##n' Up"  - Neil & the Horse +REVIEWS: "Fu##n' Up" Album by Neil [Young] & The [Crazy] Horse

 

INTERVIEW: Micah Nelson on Joining Neil Young and Crazy Horse: ‘I’ve Been Rehearsing for This My Whole Life’ +

Review: Particle Kid (Micah Nelson), @ Barboza, Seattle, WA - 4/4/24

 

UNCOVERED: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young @ Fillmore East, 1969 +
REVIEWS: First Impressions: Live at Fillmore East, 1969 by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young  

 Neil Young Patron ZOOM Call - April 15

 

54 Years Later: "Ohio", Kent State, Student Protests & The Tin Soldiers March On | #MayTheFOURBeWithYou  

ECLIPSED: What's The Deal with Neil Young & The Moon? + A Message From Neil Young: RISING WITH THE MOON

 

Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse Love Earth Tour(Concert reviews)  

  WRAPUP: Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse's Love Earth Concert Tour Leg #1 - Statistics, Links + More  

Neil Young's Return to "Low Res" Spotify 

REVIEWS: "Early Daze" Album by Neil Young and Crazy Horse 
 

 

The Story Behind The Photo: "Neil Young in the Big Chair" by Tom Wilkes 

Exclusive First Look: Neil Young - Archives Vol. III

 

Unboxing Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976–1987) 

Neil Young Empties the Vaults: "The Bootleggers Were Right" 

Neil Young Patron ZOOM Call - August 28

New Band & Tour Planning Underway  

 

Today's The Day! Neil Young Archives Volume #3 Drops

On The Beach Album by Neil Young: A 50 Year Old Masterpiece  +
What Happens When a Beloved Rock Star Gets Fed Up? | Neil Young's 1974 On the Beach Album

A CSNY Family Weekend Featuring The Our House Band and Calvin Fuzzy Samuel

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts  

Farm Aid 2024: Saratoga Springs, NY, Sat., Sept. 21  

(Our Farm Aid 2024 Report!)

 

CONCERT REPORTS: Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts: Capitol Theater, Port Chester, NY - Sept 23 & 24 

 

Harvest Moon: 

A Gathering To Benefit for The Painted Turtle & The Bridge School

w/ Stephen Stills & Neil Young

 

 

"Analog Originals": Neil Young Official Release Series - Box #6

 

 

CITIZEN NEIL SAYS VOTE: Remember, Remember the 5th of November - Freedom vs Tyranny 

 

Neil Young Archives Volume #4 Creation Begins 

 

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts: Europe Summer 2025 Concert Tour Planning Underway  +IN THE STUDIO: Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts Recording New Album

 

 

Once again, as we conclude 2024, we ponder that age old question: Is Neil Young burning out or fading away? 

We've argued that he is neither.

Neil Young is the quintessential survivor.  So we here at Thrasher's Wheat say thank you so much for all of the love and support over the past decades from the rustie grains fan communities.

Neil Young Independent WebsitesTimes-Contrarian | Neil Young Archives
 (Click photo to enlarge)

Back in 2023, Neil Young Archives posted a listing of Neil Young Independent Websites, which prominently featured Thrasher's Wheat.

We are honored and humbled to be recognized as "Independent Media". And we are committed to continuing our struggle to exercise our freedoms and rights to "speak truth to power". It brings us joy to share our "truths" -- whether it be an opinion on Neil Young's music or something much heavier.

 

And -- much to our delight -- even Neil now is seeing the light on media diversity as NYA makes a "Big Shift".

Most of you know our backstory well here after  25+ years cranking out the posts.  It has been an amazing journey with so many rewards which we continue to reap the most valuable of all dividends -- those which are monumentally priceless.

For example, earlier this year we made our annual Farm Aid concert pilgrimage  and connected up with our dear FarmAidians friends.

 

 The FarmAidians 

Rustie Grain Fest: Neil Young w/ Crazy Horse @ Manassas, Virginia - Friday, May 10  

To connect up with our Neil buddies, hang out and enjoy the music is our definition of bliss. As in finding the true meaning of life. And we consider ourselves quite fortunate to be able to travel about the country and world and meetup with our fellow "rustie grains" (as Neil himself refers to us.)

 

It is these note's for us that keep us going, such as this one from The Extraordinary Grain Man Dan on  Thanks for Supporting Thrasher's Wheat.

Last year, we wrapped up 2023 with a post on Thrasher's Wheat's future on  Where Do We Go Now ... or Where Did We Go From There?  

Where Do We Go Now ... 
or Where Did We Go From There?  Charles Theater, Baltimore, MD
December 2012
(Note: Photo not Photoshopped)

 

At the moment, everyone can relax somewhat because Thrasher's Wheat will continue to celebrate Neil Young, his music and the fan communities. So stay tuned for some hopefully exciting announcements in the months ahead as we celebrate our remarkable little milestone as the 2nd longest running music blog in the  history of the internet. 

Maintaining a robust, healthy, engaged community that allows open, honest and free speech is paramount for us here in Neil / RUST & TW grain communities.  There is simply nothing whatsoever which is more important to us and what we do and stand for.  Again, thank you so much for reading our articles, sharing them throughout the web, and contributing your own thoughts through comments and messages. Today, more than ever, we need independent thinkers like you folks out there in the rustie-grains village that rely on a solid moral compass – not a pre-determined agenda – to understand this circus, to stand up, to speak up, and to fight for what is right.

Lastly, if you would like to support what we do here at Thrasher's Wheat, you can make a donation on PayPal link below:

Only your credit card is necessary to apply directly & securely. No PayPal account setup necessary. (NOTE: A portion of ALL donations also help The Bridge School, Farm Aid, Musicares, and other worthy causes.) 
Again, if you can't support TW financially, the next best is to share our mailing list and encourage other Neil fans to join the "Grains Community" here @ Thrasher's Wheat.

 

Thanks and again: everyone enjoy your holidays and Happy Neil Year!!!

 

peace & love,
thrasher & thrashette
#CrazyHorse4HoF
#Willie4Nobel
#WT1sWBW4

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & A Wonderful Neil Year To All!
thrashers
☮️♥️

(& thanks to all The FarmAidians)

 

Our work is far from done.  So we'll see you down the road in 2024.

Neil Young: "happy new year"
via Neil Young Archives

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Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts: 2025 Concert Tour Update + Discovery of 1985 Recordings

EUROPE TOUR - USA?
Neil Young Archives (Click photo to enlarge)

Per a recent Letter to the Editor on NYA, Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts 2025 Concert Tour will include USA dates, as well as Europe 2025 dates.

"Castle Recordings"MESSAGE FROM NEIL
Neil Young Archives (Click photo to enlarge)

Also, NYA has discovered a set of recordings made at Castles studio in 1985. Neil plans to eventually release as an album.

Neil Young and The Chrome HeartsShangri-La Studio, Malibu, CAvia John Hanlon | Instagram 
 (Click photo to enlarge)

In other news, Neil Young is announcing the title of the upcoming Chrome Hearts album: "Talkin to the Trees". (see IN THE STUDIO: Neil Young and The Chrome Hearts Recording New Album.)

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COMING SOON: Another Neil Young "Fireside Sessions"

Fireside Sessions | Neil Young Archives  (Click photo to enlarge)

 

Neil Young has announced on Neil Young Archives that he will stream another   "Fireside Session" concert during the Christmas season.

During the "pandemic", Neil Young presented several  "Fireside Sessions" which some labeled as the "The perfect pandemic antidote". Or -- if you preferred -- "splendid isolation".

Neil Young's Fireside Sessions on NYA
Fireside Sessions #4
Fireside Sessions #3
Fireside Sessions #2
Fireside Sessions #1

 

In 2020, Neil Young produced four extremely intimate mini concerts with his wife Daryl Hannah.

Neil Young's Fireside Sessions #4 | NYA

Also, Neil Young has released a fireplace video with nearly two hours of music on  YouTube. The holiday soundtrack with a crackling fireplace has back catalog songs along with other Christmas songs by other artists.

More on Neil Young's 2020 "Fireside Sessions".

"Stunningly intimate & unprecedented" says TW.
Neil Young's Fireside Sessions on NYA - STREAMING NOW: Details on Sessions #1, #2, #3, & #4 @ https://t.co/H2XvxC7cTG
☮️♥️ @NeilYoungNYA
@dhlovelife pic.twitter.com/HNt4YL0iWL

— ThrashersWheat (@ThrashersWheat) May 9, 2020

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A Big Shift Coming at Neil Young Archives

MAINSTREAMINGT-C | Neil Young Archives (Click photo to enlarge) 
 

An interesting item appearing on T-C | Neil Young Archives regarding "MAINSTREAMING".

Neil Young, as Editor of Times Contrarian on Neil Young Archives,  has published a statement that:

"Going forward, we will be publishing independent political journalists who do not carry the burden of poisoned corporate support."

Certainly, a rather major shift in thinking at Neil Young Archives and the newspaper Times Contrarian. And obviously, should have been done long ago.

At the risk of saying "told you so", Here Comes "The Big Shift" and the  corruption of mainstream media is blatant and dangerous, it is sadly ironic that this all comes so late in the game for those who should have been paying attention. But, better late than never.

More on the intersectionality of politics, art and the media.

'She was welded to the eagle's beak
Sun Green leaned into that megaphone
and said, "Truth is all I seek" '
"Sun Green" by Neil Young  

(see  "Resist The Powers That Be": Neil Young's New Song "Children of Destiny")

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