REVIEW | NEIL YOUNG | BIG DAY OUT
February 3rd 2009 03:26
NEIL YOUNG AT THE BIG DAY OUT
It's difficult to find words for the emotional impact this concert took on me. What a fantastic musician, singer and personality Neil Young is. Why was I emotionally staggered seeing/hearing him? The simple answer is - he has been a constant all my life. In fact we used (my older sister) to have a green vinyl bootleg of a concert he gave in 1978 or thereabouts. It had his classics of the day on it, a good deal of rambling philosophy leaning towards preserving the natural world of the time... Mother Nature featured big then, and although she still does, it was his intense rocking soul that cracked through the generations.
Surrounded by younger folk who had spent hours and hours hearing all sorts of great music, Big Day Out crowds in Adelaide certainly took a little while to place Young's sound and appreciate it. A stinking hot day didn't really stop anyone from enjoying the day, it was awesome over all; not the least because so many of Young's songs have been part of the fabric of life for at least thirty years. When he sang Hurricane there was a swell of recognition - it was all on for the massive 30,000 strong crowd. Maybe 6000 of them were my age (mid 40's) and they mostly seemed to be sitting in the shade up the back quietly enjoying the view and the music.
Sure, down the front in the mosh pit some yelled disrespectfully "Play some rock and roll" but they didn't do that for long. Needle and the damage done caused a bit of a quiet riot. One 20-something lad who had been bagging the "old dude" on stage suddenly shut up and sat down on the cool grass. There's always been power and emotion in Young's work. Part of my excitement and enthusiasm was a direct result of watching many younger people hearing some of his classics in the flesh. The songs still mean as much, if not more, today as they did 30 years ago.
The set was dressed with a range of novel fans, hanging letters and golden light. All in all it was an excellent concert and I was just as excited at the end of it as my 15 year old was; and he was very skeptical about the whole idea of an elder statesman of folk rock (nearly as old as his grandfather) until the messages and emotional journeys.
Top quality, no holes barred - beautiful concert.
NEIL YOUNG at BIG DAY OUT? You better believe it. From the festival that brought you the likes of Iggy Pop, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica and Nick Cave. In 2009, BIG DAY OUT presents legendary guitarist and songwriter NEIL YOUNG –Anti-war protestor. Hall of Famer. Environmental crusader. Instantly recognisable vocalist. Father. Social activist. Filmmaker. Godfather of Grunge. Oscar-nominated songwriter. Crazy Horse. Buffalo Springfield. Crosby, Stills, Nash and…
YOUNG’s 90-minute BIG DAY OUT sets around the nation will crackle into life at 8.30pm on the main stage and are guaranteed to be full of classics. His electric band features long-time cohort and pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, bassist Rick Rosas, drummer Chad Cromwell, guitarist Anthony Crawford and singer/guitarist (and wife) Pegi Young.
For a taste of what you’re in for, check out this hit-heavy setlist YOUNG played at Denmark’s Roskilde festival earlier this year: Love and Only Love; Hey Hey, My My; Powderfinger; Spirit Road; Cinnamon Girl; All Along the Watchtower; Oh, Lonesome Me; Mother Earth; The Needle and the Damage Done; Unknown Legend; Heart of Gold; Old Man; Get Back to the Country; Words; No Hidden Path; A Day in the Life.
Reviews from YOUNG’s string of festival appearances this past European summer have singled the shows out as some of his best in years – pointing to the feelgood singalong moments, the band’s awe-inspiring rock playing and “full-on electric assault”, the moving and “simply harmonious” nature of the “quieter section” of the set, the frontman’s good mood, and the great atmosphere in the crowd.
“NEIL YOUNG is… NEIL YOUNG. How else can it be put? No one else can do this. Live, he’s the greatest, hands down. A cathartic and primal musical experience.” (Epoch Times, July 2008)
Back in the States in October, Spin witnessed this elder statesman of rock kick off his US tour by breathing “new vitality into songs more than three decades old… his set became a veritable greatest hits collection”.
It’s been five years since YOUNG last toured Down Under – and even longer since he delivered such a dream setlist for fans. Who knows when he will be back again? So whether you’ve followed him for years, or you’re in need of a rock’n’roll history lesson, NEIL YOUNG at BIG DAY OUT 2009 is a rarefied experience you can’t afford to miss.
Tickets to his Sydney and Melbourne solo shows and to the Sydney and Gold Coast BIG DAY OUTs were snapped up within hours of going on sale but if you’re quick you may still be able to experience one of the greatest rock and roll experiences of your lifetime at one of the following shows.
NEIL YOUNG SOLO SHOWS
supported by My Morning Jacket
BRISBANE l Wednesday 21 January l BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Tickets: Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au Outlets and Phonecharge 132 849
SYDNEY l Sat 24 January l SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Tickets: Ticketmaster www.tickemaster.com.au Outlets and Phone charge 136 100
MELBOURNE l Wednesday 28 January l MYER MUSIC BOWL l SOLD OUT!!!
Please go to bigdayout.com for all ticketing details.
NEIL YOUNG AT THE BIG DAY OUT 2009
GOLD COAST l Sunday 18 January l Parklands
SOLD OUT ticket ballot in place
SYDNEY l Friday 23 January l Sydney Showground
SOLD OUT ticket ballot in place
MELBOURNE l Monday 26 January l Flemington Racecourse
BDO website SOLD OUT
Available from Ticketmaster outlets/Phonecharge 136 100, www.ticketmaster.com.au
ADELAIDE lFriday 30 January l Adelaide Showground
Available from Krypton Discs (Glenelg), Mr V Music (Semaphore), Elevator Music (Seaford), Globalize (Rundle Mall, Elizabeth, Noarlunga), Ticketmaster outlets/Phonecharge 136 100, www.ticketmaster.com.au and from our website www.bigdayout.com
PERTH l Sunday 1 February l Claremont Showground
Available from 78 Records (Perth), Mills Records (Fremantle), Planet Video (Mt Lawley), Live Clothing, Malibu Dive (Perth), Bassendean Newsagency (Bassendean), Cellarbrations (Bayswater), Trax (Mandurah), Collins Music (Bunbury), Blue 62 (Busselton), Geraldton CD Centre (Geraldton), Kalgoorlie Sound (Kalgoorlie), Vibes (Albany), Chinatown Music (Broome), Ticketmaster outlets/Phonecharge 136 100, ticketmaster.com.au or go to bigdayout.com for all ticketing details.
It's difficult to find words for the emotional impact this concert took on me. What a fantastic musician, singer and personality Neil Young is. Why was I emotionally staggered seeing/hearing him? The simple answer is - he has been a constant all my life. In fact we used (my older sister) to have a green vinyl bootleg of a concert he gave in 1978 or thereabouts. It had his classics of the day on it, a good deal of rambling philosophy leaning towards preserving the natural world of the time... Mother Nature featured big then, and although she still does, it was his intense rocking soul that cracked through the generations.
Surrounded by younger folk who had spent hours and hours hearing all sorts of great music, Big Day Out crowds in Adelaide certainly took a little while to place Young's sound and appreciate it. A stinking hot day didn't really stop anyone from enjoying the day, it was awesome over all; not the least because so many of Young's songs have been part of the fabric of life for at least thirty years. When he sang Hurricane there was a swell of recognition - it was all on for the massive 30,000 strong crowd. Maybe 6000 of them were my age (mid 40's) and they mostly seemed to be sitting in the shade up the back quietly enjoying the view and the music.
Sure, down the front in the mosh pit some yelled disrespectfully "Play some rock and roll" but they didn't do that for long. Needle and the damage done caused a bit of a quiet riot. One 20-something lad who had been bagging the "old dude" on stage suddenly shut up and sat down on the cool grass. There's always been power and emotion in Young's work. Part of my excitement and enthusiasm was a direct result of watching many younger people hearing some of his classics in the flesh. The songs still mean as much, if not more, today as they did 30 years ago.
The set was dressed with a range of novel fans, hanging letters and golden light. All in all it was an excellent concert and I was just as excited at the end of it as my 15 year old was; and he was very skeptical about the whole idea of an elder statesman of folk rock (nearly as old as his grandfather) until the messages and emotional journeys.
Top quality, no holes barred - beautiful concert.
NEIL YOUNG at BIG DAY OUT? You better believe it. From the festival that brought you the likes of Iggy Pop, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica and Nick Cave. In 2009, BIG DAY OUT presents legendary guitarist and songwriter NEIL YOUNG –Anti-war protestor. Hall of Famer. Environmental crusader. Instantly recognisable vocalist. Father. Social activist. Filmmaker. Godfather of Grunge. Oscar-nominated songwriter. Crazy Horse. Buffalo Springfield. Crosby, Stills, Nash and…
YOUNG’s 90-minute BIG DAY OUT sets around the nation will crackle into life at 8.30pm on the main stage and are guaranteed to be full of classics. His electric band features long-time cohort and pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, bassist Rick Rosas, drummer Chad Cromwell, guitarist Anthony Crawford and singer/guitarist (and wife) Pegi Young.
For a taste of what you’re in for, check out this hit-heavy setlist YOUNG played at Denmark’s Roskilde festival earlier this year: Love and Only Love; Hey Hey, My My; Powderfinger; Spirit Road; Cinnamon Girl; All Along the Watchtower; Oh, Lonesome Me; Mother Earth; The Needle and the Damage Done; Unknown Legend; Heart of Gold; Old Man; Get Back to the Country; Words; No Hidden Path; A Day in the Life.
Reviews from YOUNG’s string of festival appearances this past European summer have singled the shows out as some of his best in years – pointing to the feelgood singalong moments, the band’s awe-inspiring rock playing and “full-on electric assault”, the moving and “simply harmonious” nature of the “quieter section” of the set, the frontman’s good mood, and the great atmosphere in the crowd.
“NEIL YOUNG is… NEIL YOUNG. How else can it be put? No one else can do this. Live, he’s the greatest, hands down. A cathartic and primal musical experience.” (Epoch Times, July 2008)
Back in the States in October, Spin witnessed this elder statesman of rock kick off his US tour by breathing “new vitality into songs more than three decades old… his set became a veritable greatest hits collection”.
It’s been five years since YOUNG last toured Down Under – and even longer since he delivered such a dream setlist for fans. Who knows when he will be back again? So whether you’ve followed him for years, or you’re in need of a rock’n’roll history lesson, NEIL YOUNG at BIG DAY OUT 2009 is a rarefied experience you can’t afford to miss.
Tickets to his Sydney and Melbourne solo shows and to the Sydney and Gold Coast BIG DAY OUTs were snapped up within hours of going on sale but if you’re quick you may still be able to experience one of the greatest rock and roll experiences of your lifetime at one of the following shows.
NEIL YOUNG SOLO SHOWS
supported by My Morning Jacket
BRISBANE l Wednesday 21 January l BRISBANE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Tickets: Ticketek www.ticketek.com.au Outlets and Phonecharge 132 849
SYDNEY l Sat 24 January l SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Tickets: Ticketmaster www.tickemaster.com.au Outlets and Phone charge 136 100
MELBOURNE l Wednesday 28 January l MYER MUSIC BOWL l SOLD OUT!!!
Please go to bigdayout.com for all ticketing details.
NEIL YOUNG AT THE BIG DAY OUT 2009
GOLD COAST l Sunday 18 January l Parklands
SOLD OUT ticket ballot in place
SYDNEY l Friday 23 January l Sydney Showground
SOLD OUT ticket ballot in place
MELBOURNE l Monday 26 January l Flemington Racecourse
BDO website SOLD OUT
Available from Ticketmaster outlets/Phonecharge 136 100, www.ticketmaster.com.au
ADELAIDE lFriday 30 January l Adelaide Showground
Available from Krypton Discs (Glenelg), Mr V Music (Semaphore), Elevator Music (Seaford), Globalize (Rundle Mall, Elizabeth, Noarlunga), Ticketmaster outlets/Phonecharge 136 100, www.ticketmaster.com.au and from our website www.bigdayout.com
PERTH l Sunday 1 February l Claremont Showground
Available from 78 Records (Perth), Mills Records (Fremantle), Planet Video (Mt Lawley), Live Clothing, Malibu Dive (Perth), Bassendean Newsagency (Bassendean), Cellarbrations (Bayswater), Trax (Mandurah), Collins Music (Bunbury), Blue 62 (Busselton), Geraldton CD Centre (Geraldton), Kalgoorlie Sound (Kalgoorlie), Vibes (Albany), Chinatown Music (Broome), Ticketmaster outlets/Phonecharge 136 100, ticketmaster.com.au or go to bigdayout.com for all ticketing details.
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