A guilty pleasure??? I know that some of you share my interest in Neil Young, so here's my review of last night's gig:
Inspired by seeing my favourite singer/songwriter in Mansfield, I was determined not to waste my ticket for Neil Young, so the wheelchair and slippers set off for London last night (many thanks to my long-suffering wife!).
The staff at the Hammersmith Apollo were brilliant – I hadn’t got a wheelchair spot (as I was alright when I bought the ticket!), but my seat was on a row with an aisle leading through it, so no problem getting there.
Now the shows on this tour have been running like clockwork:
7.30 – 8.15 Neil’s wife Pegi and the band play a 45 minute acoustic set. A couple of nice blues numbers – and one great song featuring an electric sitar played like a lead guitar – a first for me!
8.30 – Neil rambles onto the stage which resembles a cross between an artist’s studio, an abandoned film set and someone’s loft! He even has a painter at the back providing paintings to represent his songs – not too sure about that. During the set Neil wanders between the guitars and keyboards, absent-mindedly stroking objects, waving to the painter, etc. – performance art? (The paintings are placed at the stage side during the electric set to introduce each song.)
Anyway, a GREAT acoustic set follows – 65 minutes worth!
1. From Hank To Hendrix
2. Ambulance Blues
3. Sad Movies
4. A Man Needs A Maid
5. Flying On The Ground Is Wrong
6. On The Way Home
7. Harvest
8. Journey Through The Past
9. Love In Mind
10. Mellow My Mind – on the banjo.
11. Love Art Blues
12. Love Is A Rose
13. Heart Of Gold
14. Old Man
A short break, and at 9.55 Neil returns with the band: Rick Rosas, Ben Keith, Ralph Molina, Anthony Crawford and Pegi Young.
15. Mr. Soul
16. Dirty Old Man
17. Spirit Road
18. Down By The River
19. Hey Hey, My My – absolutely fantastic!
20. Too Far Gone
21. Oh, Lonesome Me
22. Winterlong
23. Powderfinger
24. No Hidden Path
Encore:
25. Roll Another Number
Just gone 11.30, and that’s it!
Now I was grateful that people sat during the acoustic set as I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand for long – but the buggers actually sat during that electric set! Part of me was grateful, but part of me couldn’t believe they only stood for the encore! How the hell anybody could sit during Hey Hey My My amazed me – I wanted to dance and I’d have fallen over!
Anyway, first time I’ve seen Neil Young live and I’m already looking forward to seeing him again when I’m fit. Talking of fit, the guy is 62, had a brain aneurysm two years ago and famously has severe back problems but I’ve rarely seen anyone of any age throw themselves and their guitar around the way he did during that electric set – got to bode well for some cracking future gigs! The Godfather of grunge indeed!!!
There are some great clips from this tour on YouTube – enjoy!