Neil Young

[Badlands]

Harvest Moon was pretty much as perfect a performance as I’ve seen on the pyramid.

 

 

[itschris]

Whilst fully acknowledging the beauty of Glastonbury is the breath of options, I was amazed just how uninteresting, uninspiring and totally boring I found Neil Young given the adoration he gets from some on here.

[balti-pie]

I thought he was absolutely majestic, spellbinding, and ticked off just about everything I personally wanted to hear - some folky acoustic stuff, some jamming bits, lots of scuzzy grungy bits, and my favourite song ever - the needle and the damage done - done delicately and beautifully, to the point I was riven by tears. But that was always going to happen 🤣 I can kind of see why people might not have connected with it, but it’s not a surprise that he got up there and was Neil Young, after all that’s who he is. If people wanted bells and whistles and things, loads of other stages to go and see exactly that. 11/10 for me and I’ve yet to decide on the set of the weekend but this is up there with the most amazing things I’ve ever seen live.
 

(Though I acknowledge I’m basing that on wanting to see him for years now and not having managed to do so, the satisfaction of ticking him off so thoroughly is personally beautiful) 

[Badlands]

Paraphrasing my mates story told to me over the weekend.

Apparently back in the 90’s Shakey played a set with an intermission, beginning the first part of it by telling the crowd he was to play a few tracks that they hadn’t heard before, then proceeding to play his new album. 
 

The somewhat aggrieved crowd were pleased when he started the second set to proclaim that for the second set, he was going to play a few songs that they had heard before….. only to play the new album again!!!

[CaledonianGonzo]

33 minutes ago, itschris said:

Whilst fully acknowledging the beauty of Glastonbury is the breath of options, I was amazed just how uninteresting, uninspiring and totally boring I found Neil Young given the adoration he gets from some on here.

 

He's not a particularly mainstream entertainer.  Like Dylan he's a uniquely popular cult act.

[The Nal]

34 minutes ago, itschris said:

Whilst fully acknowledging the beauty of Glastonbury is the breath of options, I was amazed just how uninteresting, uninspiring and totally boring I found Neil Young given the adoration he gets from some on here.

 

Thats been Neil Young for nearly 60 years.

 

1 minute ago, Badlands said:

Paraphrasing my mates story told to me over the weekend.

Apparently back in the 90’s Shakey played a set with an intermission, beginning the first part of it by telling the crowd he was to play a few tracks that they hadn’t heard before, then proceeding to play his new album. 
 

The somewhat aggrieved crowd were pleased when he started the second set to proclaim that for the second set, he was going to play a few songs that they had heard before….. only to play the new album again!!!

 

That was the Tonights the Night tour in the 70s. Playing the entire unreleased album.

 

Album starts and finishes with Tonights the Night. 

 

*Over a chorus of boos* "Wait wait, you know this one"

 

Plays Tonights the Night again.

[CardiffWanderer]

I'm reflecting on the show on my bus back home. For me it was up there with Nile Rodgers as the gig of the weekend (no doubt there were loads of other great contenders that I missed). I was there for Neil Young in '09 too, and that was one of my very favourite Glastonbury shows. I slightly feared this year that he'd have lost it somewhat - his voice, the mojo, whatever. But this gig was somehow every bit as good, the guitar as fiery as I could have hoped, and the song selection even better.

 

The show reminded me of Kanye West in its completely minimalist, no concessions to showbiz stylings. But whereas Kanye seemed to do that as a twisted ego trip, NY did it because it's what he's always done. Yes, just a tad more crowd interaction would have been lovely, and I'd have replaced at least one of the songs with something from After The Gold Rush, but I genuinely think the show would have been worse if there'd been more flashing lights or grandstanding moments.

 

It was simply one of the greatest singer-songwriters ever being 100% himself, and letting the music and words speak for themselves. And it won't have been everyone's cup of tea. But it was very much mine. 

[TheNewUnion]

Watcing it for the second time, still very much enjoying it. I think the slow start might have put people off a bit, but for me from Cinnamon Girl onward it hit the spot.

Maybe Sun Green was a slight misstep, could have done Powderfinger just for me there 🙂

Anyway, I'll be watching this a good few times in the coming weeks.

[NorthernSoul52]

Watched back. Good, occasionally close to great. Spooner looks fantastic for his age. 

[TheNewUnion]

20 minutes ago, TheNewUnion said:

Watcing it for the second time, still very much enjoying it. I think the slow start might have put people off a bit, but for me from Cinnamon Girl onward it hit the spot.

Maybe Sun Green was a slight misstep, could have done Powderfinger just for me there 🙂

Anyway, I'll be watching this a good few times in the coming weeks.

Copies of the set are out there, which is nice.

[AlanFish23]

I've only seen Neil 3 times (one of those was Glastonbury 2009) but this one was my favourite. We got straight into the pit 15 minutes before it started. Fantastic set and Neil totally feeding off the group. Plus a 100% genuine 2nd encore.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Tried so hard to manifest Cortez for the second encore but he just wasn't picking up the signals I was sending him.

[Gnomicide]

It was incredible. The crowd around us was excellent, everyone wanted to be there and hung on his every note, zero talking when he was playing, and very little when he wasn't. The collective sigh when he started Needle... it was like everyone was getting a hug off their favourite person.

 

I even enjoyed Sun Green. Greenslade is one of his albums that I am not very familiar with, but having followed his setlists on this tour, it's had a fair few plays. We were just disappointed he didn't do the swearing at the cat bit.

 

Magnificent set and absolutely the perfect place for it. Still bitter we didn't get Cortez when he decided on an extra encore, though 😁

[homesick]

7 hours ago, AlanFish23 said:

I've only seen Neil 3 times (one of those was Glastonbury 2009) but this one was my favourite. We got straight into the pit 15 minutes before it started. Fantastic set and Neil totally feeding off the group. Plus a 100% genuine 2nd encore.

2nd encore? Am I missing something?
 

The only encore consisted of Rockin in the Free World and Throw Your Hatred Down no?

[CaledonianGonzo]

23 minutes ago, homesick said:

2nd encore? Am I missing something?
 

The only encore consisted of Rockin in the Free World and Throw Your Hatred Down no?

 

For the other dates on the tour he's only usually played one final song. TYHD seemed like a genuine spir of the moment thing.

[dicka]

20 hours ago, Badlands said:

Paraphrasing my mates story told to me over the weekend.

Apparently back in the 90’s Shakey played a set with an intermission, beginning the first part of it by telling the crowd he was to play a few tracks that they hadn’t heard before, then proceeding to play his new album. 
 

The somewhat aggrieved crowd were pleased when he started the second set to proclaim that for the second set, he was going to play a few songs that they had heard before….. only to play the new album again!!!

I went to see him in 2009 (I think) he played about 3 of his well known songs.  One person near us had created a green door with Shakey inside and written on it was something like "Shakey Rocks Glasto"  they were interviewed by a television crew and he didn't even sing Green Door.  For me it was one of the most disappointing sets of my 8 times at Glastonbury.  

[dicka]

22 hours ago, fantomas said:

You can watch the whole set here, at least until it is taken down.

 

It's been taken down 😢

[AlanFish23]

3 hours ago, homesick said:

2nd encore? Am I missing something?
 

The only encore consisted of Rockin in the Free World and Throw Your Hatred Down no?

Yep sorry badly worded. I meant the 2nd the song of encore was genuinely not planned and came as a genuine surprise. 

Edited July 1, 2025 by AlanFish23

[NorthernSoul52]

Must admit Sun Green played better on the box than I expected. Think the mix was off for the BBC feed for Sugar Mountain and The Needle and the Damage Done, unless he was just mumbling.

[homesick]

19 hours ago, TheNewUnion said:

Copies of the set are out there, which is nice.

If you find one, I would very much appreciate a link.

I was absolutely blown away for about 80% of the set. A couple of the deeper cuts I found a tad difficult to get in to, but I knew that was likely to be the case going in to it, so that's okay. It wouldn't be the Neil Young experience without them!

[CaledonianGonzo]

I thought this wasn't broadcast on actual TV but I recorded everything to my box with a series link and lo and behold its in there.

[The Nal]

1 hour ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

I thought this wasn't broadcast on actual TV but I recorded everything to my box with a series link and lo and behold its in there.

 

Yeah the old goat changed his mind on Saturday morning. 

[Stokesy10]

8 minutes ago, The Nal said:

 

Yeah the old goat changed his mind on Saturday morning. 

Haha, I thought he was being sarcastic when he said "hope you folks at home are enjoying this on the TV in your bedroom".

 

Seems not!

[CaledonianGonzo]

32 years since I last saw him do Like A Hurricane.   Doubt there'll be another time  😭 

[dicka]

1 hour ago, homesick said:

If you find one, I would very much appreciate a link.

I was absolutely blown away for about 80% of the set. A couple of the deeper cuts I found a tad difficult to get in to, but I knew that was likely to be the case going in to it, so that's okay. It wouldn't be the Neil Young experience without them!

I'm on downloading one but it 22GB if anyone knows somewhere I can upload it and share I will.