Neil Young and LincVolt Stop In Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Neil Young & Jeff Broin
Poet Biorefining - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
(Click photo to enlarge)
Neil Young and LincVolt continue to make their way across the country on their road trip to promote sustainable fuels.

The latest stop was Poet Biorefining in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a producer of celulosic ethanol.

“It's a fuel made by Americans in America that is cleaner than fossil fuels, that's the message.

Which is incredible for the planet is what we are talking about, climate change and the problems with that that are happening.You don't see much about what's going on in the climate and media, it's not a fast moving subject, kind of a slow moving story, but it's not going to be going away unless we do something.

“The planet needs a publicist then it would be a big star and everyone would pay attention to it.

KELOLAND.com | Neil Young Stops In South Dakota

Where's LV heading next? Indications are Detroit bound.

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Coffee & Breakfast with Neil Young + Five Good Covers: Cortez the Killer

Neil Young, ~1974
Coffee & Breakfast with Neil Young on a Saturday morning sounds pretty good. Zuma days on the beach.

Also, Five Good Covers: Cortez the Killer (Neil Young) » Cover Me:

• MP3: Carrie Rodriguez and Tim Easton — Cortez the Killer (Neil Young cover)
  
  
• MP3: Jason Isbell & Dawes — Cortez the Killer (Neil Young cover)
  
  
• MP3: Matthew Sweet & The Indigo Girls — Cortez the Killer (Neil Young cover)
  
  
• MP3: Calexico — Cortez the Killer (Neil Young cover)
  
  
• MP3: Built to Spill — Cortez the Killer (Neil Young cover)

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Rockin' in the U.S.S.R.: Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young?!

Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan
OK, file this under the heading of diplomatic nirvana.

Apparently, back in the 1970's, someone thought it would be a good idea to have Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young fight communism. Per recent Wikileaks disclosures of diplomatic cables, the US embassy in Moscow thought the singer-songwriters might connect with Russian youth.

US ambassador Walter Stoessel Junior wrote:

“Soul genre not of top interest here, and suggest priority consideration be given to soft rock, blues/rock or country rock. Previous country music efforts have succeeded in establishing acceptability of this genre and we believe time is right to expand musical horizons.

Top performers who are both eminent in the field and genuinely creative artists should be approached first before considering ones of lesser stature and perhaps less creative talent."

No indication of whether the US embassy in Moscow was aware that Neil & Joni are Canadian.

Needless to say , these concerts never happened and there's no indication the artists were ever even aware of the possibility. It is highly doubtful any of the artists suggested would have ever accepted such an arrangement.

Now would that have been rockin' in the free world or what?

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Neil Young's LincVolt: Out of the Sunset

Neil Young's LincVolt: Out of the Sunset
(Click photo to enlarge)
A lovely image of Neil Young's LincVolt heading out of the Sunset heading east.

From the road on LincVolt Continental | Facebook:

Hi.
LV is running beautifully. We have an app onboard that tells us in real time exactly what our continuous CO2 savings are compared to a regular gasoline powered car or truck of equal size and weight. Currently we have saved a half-ton of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, traveling a little over 1100 miles.. Our goal is to save the weight of Lincvolt in tons of CO2 over the next few weeks. That weight of Lincvolt is just over 3 tons.

the driver.

Thanks LV for helping save the planet for another day!

A very cool TRANS cover mashup by Uwe G.....



Stay tuned for more road adventures @ LincVolt Continental | Facebook!

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"I Am Not Neil Young" – The Musical

I Am Not Neil Young – The Musical
The event of the season is this weekend's "I Am Not Neil Young" – The Musical.

As part of the 2013 season kickoff, The Youngtown Rock and Roll Museum , which is in tribute to one of Canada’s most outstanding Singers , Songwriters, and Musicians … Neil Young, comes the following details:

Youngtown and Omemee Ace Hardware are pleased to present “I Am Not Neil Young - The Musical” featuring the story of Frank Wilks and his amazing journey touring with “Buffalo Springfield Revisited”.

“A facinating look at the up’s and down’s of life on the road…a multi media event with great music provided by Frank Wilks himself…a must to see and hear” (T.R.H. / Youngtown)

Overview – Frank Wilks met Music Hall of Fame, bass player, “BRUCE PALMER” of BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD in 1984. Becoming fast friends Frank and Bruce along with Stan Endersby, brainstormed the BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD REVISITED. Music Hall of Fame, drummer “Dewey Martin” was then brought up from California to prepare for an American tour as Buffalo Springfield Revisited.
Buffalo Springfield Revisited toured extensively across the USA and Canada for six years appearing with “The Band”, “John Sebastian”, “Skunk Baxter”, “Spencer Davis”. They performed in concerts in front of forty to fifty thousand people at a time, all over the the USA and Canada with such bands as “Spirit”, “Chamber’s Brothers”, “Iron Butterfly”, “The Guess Who” and many more! Buffalo Springfield Revisited has been on the “Jerry Lewis Telethon” at “Caesars Palace” live on international TV. Music Hall of Fame guitarist and singer “Steven Stills” of “Buffalo Springfield and C,S,N and Y” made appearances numerous times with the “Revisited” band.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! @ Omemee Ace Hardware (705)799-2233 or get them at the door!

Event: Saturday April 13th., 8:00PM 1 King Street W. Coronation Hall, Omemee

Visit… http://frankwilks.weebly.com/buffalo-springfield-revisited.html

Thanks Trevor! Good luck!

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Photo of the Moment: Walk Like A Giant

"Walk Like A Giant"
Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (10/03/13)
Photo by Leticia Nischang | Doubtful Sounds
(Click photo to enlarge)
The Photo of the Moment is from the Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (10/03/13) by Leticia Nischang.

At the time, this would be about 14 minutes into "Walk Like A Giant" when Neil is having a heavy duty "feedback is back" moment.

More photos and concert review LIVE REVIEW: Neil Young & Crazy Horse @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (10/03/13) | Doubtful Sounds by Chris Familton:

We may never see Neil Young perform in Australia again with Crazy Horse.

Let’s hope that isn’t the case but if it is, this was the band at the top of their game, displaying the full range of their sound from epic to intimate, doo-wop vocals to thunderous rock. It was an astonishingly good show, a testament to Young’s pig-headedness and boundless creativity.

Long live Crazy Horse.

Indeed. Who could possibly argue?

Long live Crazy Horse.
(Thanks Leticia & Chris!)

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Neil Young's LincVolt Hits The Road!

LincVolt @ Joshua Tree, CA
via LincVolt Continental | Facebook
It looks like Neil Young's long, long awaited roadtrip with LincVolt has finally begun.

Posting on LincVolt Continental | Facebook:

I started my day by visiting Keys View at Joshua Tree.

Nice to get away from the LA smog that had blown into the Palm Springs area. We're compiling data and stats on my fuel economy and the pounds of carbon emissions that I'm saving. look for that soon.

It seems that LincVolt Continental | Facebook will be where regular updates will be posted of the journey.

Where will LincVolt stop next as she makes her journey east? Only The Passenger knows for sure. A White Feather from the North is a good sign.


via Under The Hood
Good luck LV. Have a great trip on your journey thru the future!

ps - Don't forget. There's a hole in the sky.

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Thrasher's Wheat Radio Goes To Europe...Maybe?

Thrasher's Wheat Radio
Tune in on WBKM.org, Saturdays @ 9P EST
Logo design by
Geoff Moore - Silver Moon Graphics
That's right. Thrasher's Wheat Radio is going to Europe for Neil Young & Crazy Horse's tour this summer! But -- actually -- that's a big maybe.

As covered in this issue of Broken Arrow Magazine and on last night's Thrasher's Wheat Radio Hour broadcast, our hope is to make over to Europe.

Here's the deal.

Thrasher's Wheat and WBKM.org would like to provide live radio coverage of this summer's Neil Young & Crazy Horse World Tour leg in Europe. The aim is to broadcast live from venues around Europe with fan interviews before the concert and instant reactions and reviews afterwards. NYAS members, Rusties and Zumans, come be a part of the show!

This is something that hasn’t been done before and it would be historic if it can be pulled off. As you might expect TWRH is a not-for-profit organisation and funding such a trip is a big challenge. Thrasher's Wheat, WBKM.org and others are now trying to raise the necessary funds for travel, logistics, tickets, lodging and other expenses. In order for the trip to be viable, attending 4 - 6 shows would be ideal. But maybe fewer, maybe more. Right now, we are looking to the Neil Young community for any assistance. So if you can make a contribution, provide lodging, transit, tickets or any other support, Thrasher's Wheat and WBKM.org would love to hear from you. Reach out to us at thrasher@thrasherswheat.org. We would love to hear from you with your suggestions and support.

Let's all see if we can make this historic tour coverage happen so that we can bring the music and magic of the Neil Young & Crazy Horse Alchemy World Tour to all of those who are unable to make it to Europe this summer.

This is really all up to you -- our loyal and faithful readers here on Thrasher's Wheat, our radio listeners and the entire Neil Young fan community.

Let's all not be denied.

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BENEFIT: Neil Young's Old Black Guitar Autographed (Reproduction)

Neil Young's Old Black Guitar (Reproduction)
(Click photo to enlarge)
An autographed reproduction of Neil Young's Old Black guitar is up for auction to benefit SLAM - Save Live Australia’s Music .

According to a Noise11 report by Paul Cashmere, the four members of Crazy Horse, Neil Young, Frank Sampedro, Ralph Molina and Billy Talbot, signed the guitar backstage at Melbourne, AUS concert.

On February 23rd 2010, 20,000 protesters marched on Victorian Parliament House to insist that crippling laws that equated “live music” with violence be changed. The SLAM (Save Live Australia’s Music) rally was the largest cultural protest in Australia’s history. Musicians reclaimed the streets of Melbourne and the law was overturned.

More on Neil Young's Old Black Guitar.

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Walk On: Neil Young - From the Buffalo to the Pill

Neil Young
A very major retrospective on Neil Young from the liminal "Walk On: Neil Young - From the Buffalo to the Pill" by Joseph Burnett:

Weirdly, however, Neil Young is these days an even more polarising figure, be it among his fans or music listeners at large, than he was back when he wrote ‘Southern Man’ and ‘Alabama’ to castigate racism in the Deep South.

For many, his decision to seclude himself at his Californian ranch for most of his post-seventies recordings and the increased comfort of his life (marriage, kids, cars, model trains, etc) has led to a dip in songwriting quality and musical standards, with lyrics -usually focusing on war, the environment and eternal love for his wife, Pegi- dashed off as if written on the backs of cigarette packets (which he does a lot, actually). Whilst there’s some truth to this complaint (gone -mostly- are the psychedelically surreal and oddly poetic rambles of ‘Ambulance Blues’ and ‘Cowgirl in the Sand’), it actually seriously misses the point and the bigger picture. Because, even as he becomes more settled into his stable country life (hence all the love songs and ecological concerns), away from the drugs, illness and instability of the sixties and seventies, he still remains rock’s eternal maverick, a constantly contrarian spirit who approaches his life and his music the way he always has, and in the same manner: on his own motherfucking terms. You don’t like a new direction, or some of his new lyrics? Tough shit. Neil Young just keeps on rolling, and in that he is both fascinating and, I swear, as consistent as he’s ever been. The differences between the Neil Young of 2012 and the one of 1966 are of course there, but not as important as they might seem.

It’s where he connects with his eternal muse that Neil Young stands tall, which is handy for me as I sit down to write this tribute.

Thanks Joseph! An excellent career retrospective.

Full article "Walk On: Neil Young - From the Buffalo to the Pill" by Joseph Burnett.

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Broken Arrow Magazine: March 2013 - Win a Free Copy

Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Chicago - 2012
Photo by Francesco Lucarelli
The latest issue of Broken Arrow Magazine, published by the Neil Young Appreciation Society recently hit the streets and we're now finishing up reading the issue. As always a nice read -- especially as we look back while looking ahead.

And -- thanks to the generous support of NYAS and editor Scott Sandie -- we're pleased to be able to offer a free copy of the latest issue of Broken Arrow Magazine to a Thrasher's Wheat reader. Details follow below.

The new issue of Broken Arrow – number 129 – is now out. The 80 pages feature a major 21-page essay on Greendale by Ethan de Seife, a perspective from six days on the road with Crazy Horse in the USA (which amongst other asides includes a fond look back at The Spectrum and a Thrasher led attempt to re-create the cover of Time Fades Away), a report on a legendary concert on Neil’s 1971 solo tour full – ‘Neil Young & The Gate Crashers’ and author Dave Zimmer’s article on his ‘Year of Neil’. The cover is Francesco Lucarelli's glorious shot of Crazy Horse taking a bow onstage in Chicago in 2012. There’s also a full colour centrefold and the usual mixture of fans’ points of views, reports, ramblings and several pages of letter to the editor.

And without tipping our hat too much, there's a special announcement regarding Thrasher's Wheat Radio which we'll have more on very soon. So don’t miss it!

For more information and subscription information visit the Neil Young Appreciation Society or directly contact NYAS editor Scott Sandie at surfer-joe@nyas.org.uk

Don't be denied!

Thanks Scott and everyone who is supporting the NYAS & BA!

Thrasher - NYAS#2476


More on back issues of Broken Arrow magazine.

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HOW TO WIN A COPY OF LATEST ISSUE OF BROKEN ARROW MAGAZINE

One lucky Thrasher's Wheat supporter will win a free copy of the latest Broken Arrow Magazine. We truly appreciate being able to what we do here at TW, and we love being able to give something back in return.

To enter the contest, follow these steps:

#1) Subscribe (or be already subscribed) to one of our blogfeed channels either via Facebook (LIKE us), Twitter (FOLLOW us) and/or subscribe to our email list.

2) Then just email us (thrasher@thrasherswheat.org) with your name, postal mailing address, and which blogfeed channel you signed up for (Facebook, Twitter, email list options noted above in Step #1). *Be sure to identify your complete Facebook ID, Twitter handle, or email address.*

Entries must be emailed with SUBJECT line: Contest - Broken Arrow Magazine: March 2013

Include name, postal mailing address with *country*.

Deadline: April 30, 2013

We'll then randomly select Thrasher's Wheat readers as winners.

Don't Be Denied!

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Paul Williams: 1948 - 2013

Paul Williams: 1948 - 2013
(Click photo to enlarge)
Paul Williams, the pioneering music journalist, has passed away.

Founder of the legendary and seminal Crawdaddy! magazine in 1966, Williams essentially launched pop music criticism as a legitimate and serious endeavor. And he was a huge Neil Young fan and author of a definitive biography Neil Young: Love to Burn : Thirty Years of Speaking Out, 1966-1996.

Mr. Williams once wrote:

“In writing about rock music, my intention was not to judge the records (like a critic) or report on the scene (like a journalist) but to explore, as an essayist, the experience of listening to certain records and feeling the whole world through them.

“My form has always been the essay, talking on paper,” he added. “My subject matter has always been transcendence.”

From correspondence with Williams on his book Neil Young: Love to Burn : Thirty Years of Speaking Out, 1966-1996.:

The intention of my book was to document the kind of very personal response that we listeners and fans have to Neil's extraordinary performances, and maybe to entertain readers like you who might wonder what somebody else would say about Ordinary People or Love and Only Love... I haven't had many letters from readers of this book (as compared to many from readers of my Dylan books), so it's good to get the feedback.

Don't be denied....
Paul

In 2009, we wrote that Paul Williams Needs Our Help due to serious illness and helped raised funds for his health care.

From Remembering Paul Williams, The First Rock Critic | Rolling Stone by David Fricke:

"He wrote with judgment but not superiority or lazy censure; he worked to find paths and connections, through committed, often repeated listening, and presented the results as if you were a fellow traveler, not just a reader.

He was the first of my breed, and he set fundamental standards for integrity and dedication. As a writer, Paul Williams never stopped listening. As a listener, he never stopped seeking. As a colleague, he expected the same."

In 1996, Williams called "The Complex Sessions: Neil Young & Crazy Horse", directed by Jonathan Demme, Neil Young's - and Rock n' Roll's - finest moment. Williams wrote:

"The Complex Sessions seems to me to represent a pivotal moment in rock history (as, say, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" did), not only because it's so good but also because it is a breakthrough in the creative use of a medium (the long-form rock video as a work of art) that has defeated most supplicants, including Neil as often as not.

As a fellow Neil Young fan and music blogger, we can say that Paul will truly be missed.

Don't be denied....

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PHOTO GALLERY: Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Vector Arena March 21, 2013 | The 13th Floor

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Vector Arena March 21, 2013
Photo Gallery by Michael Flynn | The 13th Floor
(Click photo to enlarge)
A very nice photo gallery of Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Vector Arena, AUS on March 21, 2013 by Michael Flynn | The 13th Floor.

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SNEAK PREVIEW: Possible Europe Setlist for Neil Young and Crazy Horse?

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Setlist
Aborted Version for 2013 Australia/New Zealand Tour
(Click photo to enlarge)
As you may recall, after the Australia/New Zealand Tour tour opener in Perth, many, many concert goers reacted in bewilderment to the setlist of Neil Young and Crazy Horse.

"A self indulgent racket of loud grungy guitar instead of playing the true classics I came to hear" was -- sadly -- an all too typical comment.


Poncho Confronting Upset Fans
A Day On The Green, March 9th 2013
Photo by Gary "Old Man Emu"
(Click photo to enlarge)
This led to the notorious "White Zinfandel Riot" when wine infused fans nearly stormed the stage demanding familiar songs. The whole scene at "A Day On The Green" Festival in Hunter Valley, Geelong, AUS was vividly captured and will go down as an almost Tonight's The Night/"Judas" type of Neil Young concert experience with an audience in near revolt.

Exhilarating stuff of the highest magnitude.

In an exclusive Thrashers Wheat investigation, we have learned that in reaction to the early Australia concerts, that Neil seriously considered dumping the standard Alchemy tour setlist and substituting a setlist of all classic songs, in an effort to appease "middle-of-the-road" type fans. The setlist pictured above is one of several versions which were contemplated but ultimately abandoned. Thank god.

As we know, Neil Young and Crazy Horse's Australia/New Zealand Tour eventually continued on with nearly universal enthusiastic, positive reviews.

So what can we expect of the upcoming summer tour of Europe?

As always, only time will tell, but we've learned that based upon the reaction of some of the more "fair weather fans", that Neil is considering a radical setlist for Europe. In typical willfully perverse fashion, Neil is considering doing the opposite of giving audiences the classics. Instead, setlists are being rumored to contain nothing but total, complete obscurities.

How obscure you ask? Basically, as rare and unperformed as possible based on one of the Europe rehearsal setlists that we here at TW have seen.


Neil Young & Crazy Horse Setlist
Rehearsal Version for 2013 Summer Tour of Europe
(Click photo to enlarge)
Now how obscure is that? Based on quick analysis of setlist statistics from Sugar Mountain, it would seem that Neil is considering playing songs which have only been performed once or twice live?!

Now if that doesn't get you booking plans for a summer in Europe, we don't know what possibly could?

p.s. - Happy ARC Day!

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VIDEO: A Giant Walks - Neil Young and Crazy Horse Down Under

Here's a very cool video of Neil Young and Crazy Horse performing "Walk Like A Giant" from the 2013 Australia-New Zealand Tour.

The video consists of three different performances from Sydney, Geelong and Perth finale.

A Giant Walks indeed.

Nice job Rod!

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Induction Film: 2011 Canada's JUNO Award to Neil Young

In 2011, Neil Young was honored with the 2011 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at Canada's Juno Awards.

Here is the complete career highlights film, including the introduction by Producer Daniel Lanois and Neil's touching acceptance speech.

Here's a transcript of Acceptance Speech by Neil Young at Canada's JUNO Awards.

Can there be any doubt that Neil Young is a Humanitarian Rebel With Causes?

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BEST STORY EVER: Ed Robertson Hangs With Neil Young

Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies is a huge Neil Young fan. So when he got the chance to play Neil's Bridge School Benefit, he was happy to do it.

One thing he didn't necessarily expect: getting to hang out with Neil himself, and Crazy Horse to boot. But it happened... And Neil was a great host.

Best. Neil. Story. Ever.

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Guitar Infographic: Neil Young’s Old Black

Infographic: Neil Young’s Old Black
(Click photo to enlarge)
Maybe everything if you've ever wanted to know about Neil Young’s guitar Old Black.

Guitars of Legend: That Rock and Roll Sound by Mike:

Exactly where does that legendary guitar sound come from? You bought a guitar, patched it into an amp, unsheathed your plectrum and played your favorite riff note for note, yet it sounded nothing like it should.

The beautiful thing about an electric guitar is the endless ways you can tweak, modify and manipulate the sound. Whatever guitar sound you have in your head is possible through some combination of pickups, pedals and powered speakers.

This infographic was designed to put together the details of the most legendary guitars (and their sound) of all time. From Neil Young’s Old Black to Stevie Ray Vaughn’s Strat Number One.

More on Neil Young’s guitars and sound and Anatomy of ‘Old Black’ Guitar .

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VIDEO: "Surfer Joe & Moe The Sleaze" by Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Auckland 2013

Neil Young and Crazy Horse perform "Surfer Joe & Moe The Sleaze" for the first time in over 20 years!

Per Sugar Mountain - Neil Young Set Lists, "Surfer Joe & Moe The Sleaze" last played on 1990-11-13, The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, California.

From Auckland, New Zealand concert on Mar 21, 2013.

"Here's a story about Surfer Joe
He caught the big one, and he let it go."

Stunning.

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An Alchemy Tattoo Way Down Under: A Neil Young Fan Story

2013 Alchemy Tour: Neil Young and Crazy Horse
Thanks Lee "Astrolee" B.!
(Click photo to enlarge)One of the best things about running a Neil Young fan site is that you meet up with folks who are more into Neil than we are! Imagine that?!

Lots of fantastic stories from the 2013 Australia/New Zealand Tour of Neil Young and Crazy Horse and here's a very cool Neil story.

Rustie extraordinaire Lee "Astrolee" B., in preparation for the Alchemy Tour, got herself a tattoo for the roadtrip. Lee had her first tattoo done in 2009 when she was 53. On her back she has a large Moon/Sun/Stars layout as they have had a special significant role in her life hence her "handle" name of "astrololee". Underneath the symbols are some words from songs she likes that reflected her life at that stage.

So now the Neil Young and Crazy Horse tattoo has become her 2nd tattoo. Lee "Astrolee" wrote us:

I was so excited that NY&CH were coming down under. Our Aussie Rustie group had all contributed to designing a t-shirt to wear to the shows and I liked the design so much I decided to have a permanent reminder of the occasion.

I only received my T-shirt on the Monday the 25th Feb and on the Tuesday the full moon and the date of Neil and the guys arrival into Australia I went down to "The Tattoo Shop" in Bundoora Victoria to get it done that night after work! (Neil does his best work on the full moon) so that's when I wanted it done as well but arrrrgh, Britt (young lady 30yo) couldn't do it then, so l had to wait until the 27th...only 3 days before the first Oz gig in Perth. It took only 1 1/2 hrs to stencil, outline and colour.

Wooohoooo It was a breeze, NO it did not hurt!

Now here's Lee's report from the Neil Young and Crazy Horse Australia leg where she made all of the continent's concerts.

As part of the privileged group of Oz Rusties, 8 of us graced the front row at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre "looking for a good time" for the 2nd gig of Neil Young & Crazy Horse's Alchemy Tour - Australia and New Zealand leg, and certainly a good time is what we got, only it was so much more than we all imagined it would or could be!

I have always held the notion... "Have no expectations in life and the unexpected will definitely happen". On the other hand one of my friends has an opposing view with the idea of, "If you have no expectations then you will get nothing", so I can now tell you, she is sooooo totally wrong lol!

After waiting on the western side of the venue for GA to open, the day was hot enough to get badly sunburnt and when the venue finally let us in, there was no time to grab water as taking up pole position was the far greater priority! Phew made it to the front rail..lol..hog front frail...stare down anyone coming within two inches of OUR personal space and you are going to cop it!! Yep, us Aussies are brutal but after all this was, NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE!

Precisely at 7.30pm the support act "Husky" an Indie band from Melbourne came on and we all politely listened through "Husky's" melodically harmonised acoustic setlist which included the songs "Tidal Wave, Fake Moustache and The Woods". At times some of the words sung by Husky Gawenda, the bands' lead vocalist, were a little short on fluid diction however the use of their instruments and the bands harmonisation more than made up for the little nuance of not quite hearing all the words! Husky are the discovery of FM radio Triple JJJ with the band winning the "unearthed" title in 2011. They are currently working on their 2nd album after releasing their first album "Forever So" to critical acclaim in July 2012, which they backed up with a short tour last Sept/Oct 2012 to the Netherlands, France and United States. During Husky's setlist they played 3 new tunes, "Wolfman, Weary Soldier & Years Gone By", whether these 3 songs make it to the next album will remain to be seen, as they are still works in progress.

On The Aussie Rail w/ Lee "Astrolee", Stringman & Kaz
(Click photo to enlarge)

As 7 of the 8 of us on the rails, had previously attended the Perth gig 3 days before, we all knew that we would be thoroughly entertained with the antics of the crazy mad scientists reminiscent of "Rust" days whom ran around frantically tuning the oversized amps and generally ensuring that the stage was correctly set to precise measurements as well as ensuring the oversized mike would be lowered in place and correctly positioned with a little help and adjustment from a "digeridoo", which is a wooded wind instrument created by the original aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, consisting of naturally shaped timber, internally bored out and ceremoniously painted and played by using circular breathing techniques in order to produce a haunting sound.

We also basically knew that the setlist would be roughly the same...however we also, all know "that it's only real in the way Neil feels from day to day...so having no thoughts, preconceived or otherwise, about how the gig might progress, we waited and then waited some more, for the lights to dim with the familiar strains of the "Beatles" intro "Day In The Life" whilst the crazy scientists (roadies) stood erect in their white lab coats; as Neil and the guys casually walked on stage to the strains of "Advance Australian Fair", thankfully shortened this time to one verse! The Perth gig included our lesser known and not usually sung 2nd & 3rd verse causing much hilarity amongst Neil's camp when we didn't sing along, so thankfully it was dropped off at the Adelaide gig after much jestering from our end that we dont usually sing it!! One Rustie with the "handle" of "The Old Laughing Lady" remarked that we all probably knew the "Star Spangled Banner" anthem better than our own...haha what sacrilege, and we all bet that Neil would have known the Canadian anthem backwards lol!

Anyway with all that over, Neil slapped Ralph on the back as he headed to the drum riser and then nodded knowingly to Poncho and Billy that it was time to Rock, Loud, Gloriously Loud and with that first strum on the chords, "Love and Only Love" exploded with an unleashed force into the venue, so much more powerful than even the previous Perth gig, 3 days earlier. Maybe it was the smaller intimate venue that made it more vibrant, I'm not sure however from that moment on, we all knew they were all on fire and Neil was gonna show all the whingers, whom only wanted his Greatest Hits repeated, how it's done with The Horse! On hearing that first power chord from Old Black, from the rails, we all went nuts!!!

And so the night progressed with long joyous guitar jams between Neil and Poncho; thunderous feedback distortion fed directly back into those huge amps by Neil and Billy especially during "Walk Like A Giant". Some of songs were interlaced with little side riffs, duals between Poncho and Neil too, as well as borrowed tunes within the tunes, especially when they did "F@#kin Up" which was hilarious! Neil especially added to Poncho's antics of being given the finger and kicked up the bum by refraining in a high falsetto voice, repeating the words " Feels So Good"! It was a brilliant display of the commaradrie between the two with Ralphie and Billy grinning along. Ralph throughout the night gave both his arms and the drumkit an absolute workout with some well timed, powerful drum strokes, in the purest tone, no fancy, artsy fartsy shit that rock drummers today seem to engage in, just for show. This was just tremendous pounding that was a force to be reckoned with which was perfectly executed, the years of experience showed as Ralph made it look like a cakewalk! It was a joy to watch!

Oh Yeah, have I mentioned about some of the best harmony to date, from Billy and Ralph during all songs but especially on Ramada lnn, which was truly epic, and always makes me cry..shit we have all experienced a Ramada Inn situation in our lives, and getting old and reflecting back is an essential part of life's process!

Billy's Bass was truly beautiful in this song, needless to say the bass created the mood and feeling for all the songs, the bass always tells its own distinct story and is often overlooked especially in light of the brilliant guitar work from Poncho complimenting Neil's brilliantly worked lead. If at times you have been guilty of ignoring the essential requirement of adding mood and emotion to a band, like I often had, then try taking the Bass out of this band and you've have nothing but a raucous mess lol!

And now to Neil ....he was amazing, mesmerizing, totally into it, the music he created that night consumed and impassioned him, he was on fire, completely encapsulated by its power to be completely taken to his own private head space and I know us fans revelled in those moments where we were sucked into that vortex and were taken along with him for the ride...it was so Fckn Extraordinary that I know I did not ever want the songs to stop! One of our mob even yelled out to Neil after finishing Ramada Inn, "Do it again"....Hahahahahaha but this night was never gonna be a repeat of Neil's "Tonight The Night" days...lol!

Now we all know that Neil can really rock it with The Horse, real loud but they also have their quieter moments. The acoustic songs numbered to only three. "Twisted Road" from PP as well as a newie named, "Hole in the Sky" and then the usual singalong from the crowd for "Heart of Gold". Then the unreleased "Singer Without a Song" was tunefully played by Neil on the piano whilst a "un-named" person sauntered wistfully across the stage with a guitar case in hand, to visually display the content and forlorness of the song!

The setlist http://www.sugarmtn.org/getshows.php?venue_key=962 numbering in the low teens was a mix through the decades with Mr Soul and Cinnamon Girl from the 60's, Hey Hey, My My & Like a Hurricane from the 70's, Love and Only Love from the 90s.

The night of course went too quickly and one the biggest highlights for our mob came at the end of the show when Neil embraced by his mates to do their final bow; that was when Ralph pointed out our "WooHoo" sign to Neil, Poncho and Billy to which they responded by all shouting back to us, several "WooHoo's" It was a real hoot and we loved it!
Other highs for the night were of course ...

"Fuckin Up", "Walk Like A Giant" "Ramada Inn" and the encore "Like A Hurricane". Yep the night was memorable even psychedelic without consuming any "pill" to induce euphoria as the magic came from the thrill of seeing and hearing Neil and Crazy Horse in full flight!
Woooooooooooohoooooooooooo!

Lee "Astrolee" concludes with this:

I love getting tattooed...feels pleasant and soothing, you can just zone out...key to success just talk to the other guys in the shop...yep thats easy, l can talk heaps.. lol....talk about music..even easier.....and bingo you're done..lol!

Folks reactions - hahahahahahhahaahahahahahha....ranged from:-
OMG OMG OMG OMG CRAZY (Sister)
AWESOME (Niece)
KEWL (Nephew)
AMAZING (Best friend)
OUCH (Friend)
DON'T GET "IT" (Friend)
WOW - DIDN'T THINK YOU WOULD GO THROUGH WITH IT (rustie - Little Reggie)
LOTS OF POSITIVE COMMENTS FROM ALL THE RUSTIES - YAY!!!!

and my reaction
WOOHOOOOOOO LOVE IT
"The Tattoo Shop" provided a professional and hygienic experience. All staff were a treasure and l will go there again.

Lee "Astrolee" B. at "The Tattoo Shop"
(Click photo to enlarge)Thanks Lee "Astrolee"! What a terrific Neil story. Thanks for sharing with all of us.

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