Neil Young Down Under

photo by Toni Mikola.

Neil Young is coming to Australia to play the Big Day Out and also do some side shows with special guests My Morning Jacket.

BRISBANE - Wednesday 21 January 2008
SYDNEY - Saturday 24 January 2008
MELBOURNE - Wednesday 28 January 2008

I saw Neil at the Myer Music Bowl for the Greendale Tour a few years back where it bucketed down with rain, and then about 5 months ago on his recent world tour when he played at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. Fingers crossed I get to hear Revolution Blues this time!



Tickets for these Neil Young Australian shows are available through Ticketek and Ticketmaster and go on sale September 19th.

Shakey - The Washup

So, we went to the Hammersmith/London Apollo last night for NEIL YOUNG, playing a greatest hits collection over two sets - one delivered solo and acoustic, the other electrified with his band, featuring his wife Peggie and Ralph Molina (Crazy Horse). The sound at the venue was amazing, and Neil (pictured) was in fine voice, but the song choices for the electric set weren't quite as i had hoped. No Cortez The Killer, or Winterlong, or Southern Man, or Like A Hurricane, or Tonights The Night, or Cinnamon Girl or even Cowgirl in The Sand. And lastly, to both Sarah's and my disappointment no Revolution Blues! hmm. Perhaps he'll play them all tonight...

There was also a painter on stage, working away on large canvases, taking inspiration from the music, and Neil would occasionally walk over and check out what he was doing. In the second half the artist brought out paintings with song titles and their themes reflected - No Hidden Path, Down By The River, Hey Hey My My - among others. He's no Rembrant, but it provided an interesting visual distraction from Neil ridiculous sneakers. Still, it was pretty naff.

No videos have surfaced from the last two London shows (a guy comes over the PA at the start saying no phones/cameras are allowed to photo or film the concert) but you can get some idea from this Berlin footage...

Countdown to Shakey

photo by silversmile from Neil Young's recent Vienna show.

I get to see one of my music heroes on Thursday night when Neil Young plays at the Hammersmith Apollo here in London. He'll be supported by his wife Peggie and he'll do two sets, one of acoustic numbers, then a full rock set. Having seen the recent setlists from this tour up on Sugar Mountain i can only cross my entire body that he whips out Cortez The Killer and Like A Hurricane my fave tracks... or Revolution Blues! imagine that! i will squeel and fill my dacks. I last saw Neil in Melbourne playing his Greendale set in the Myer Music Bowl in the rain, so this gig should go someway to make up for my disappointment at that show which was a half baked load of twaddle.

Ongoing coverage of the tour can be found on this great little blog.