The tour in question

The tour in question

It cost 45 quid, it’s in a venue I can’t fucking stand and it’s a pain in the arse to get to! So why put myself through such an ordeal… Neil Young & Crazy Horse are playing Glasgow, alas the pilgrimage must be made.

Due to the aforementioned struggles in getting to the venue, Glasgow’s SECC, I moseyed in to find the support Los Lobos nearing the end of their set. Thankfully, a large crowd were already in attendance and gave the band a warm and deserved display of affection*.

The cavernous insides of the SECC was slightly daunting at first** clearly putting into frame that this would not be an endeavour in an intimate environment. Considering that this is the first time I have set foot in this venue in over 10 years***, I maintained in my head that despite the setting, I am professional and sensible, it will not ruin the show… and it’s Neil ‘Fucking’ Young with Crazy Horse.

Although not always prominently mentioned or commonly associated with him, Neil Young is not without a healthy dose of humour and, dare I say, flamboyancy. Evidence to that effect was easily evident on stage; the shudderingly high amplifiers****  either side of the stage with the crew dressed in lab coats as though they were ready to apply for a role in a Hammer Horror production added a certain panache to the waiting time before the band entered.

Image

The man in question

Never one to side with the tried and tested posture of gig setlist procedures, Young & Co begin with the ‘Love and only love’ from ‘Ragged Glory’ setting a groove laden almost ambient mood for starters which continued with ‘Powderfinger’. I could go on with the setlist***** but it almost feels unimportant as Neil Young & Crazy Horse jam, mash, noodle, bastardise, fuck up, manipulate and transform their back catalogue according to their mood… it was glorious and pretty obvious that I wasn’t the only person that thought so!

Of course as the seasoned performers that they are it seemed that the band didn’t want to push their luck with the self-indulgence******. Six songs in, Crazy Horse disappear and Neil is left on stage on his lonesome, the nomadic song writing warrior with his trusted acoustic guitar about to do the hits*******. The whole auditorium seemed to join Neil in a rendition of ‘Heart of Gold’, which seemed to create an event that only a venue of this size could provide********. This was followed swiftly by another hit, just not his, as the mass sing along continued with Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowing in the Wind’.

Now that the audience had had their respite, Crazy Horse returned and it was time to get back to where they left off.  As the night wore on, the rockers were more a less left till last, as ‘Fuckin’ Up’ began so did the movement of the crowd, the mostpits********* had begun. Due to the confines of this cavernous venue the sound levels were somewhat lacklustre but hearing those opening cords to ‘My, My, Hey, Hey’ done in the style of its counterpart… well it certainly ended things on a high.

This evening certainly cemented Neil Young & Crazy Horses’ legendary status for another evening and which they will do again night after night wherever they visit I am sure.

*Through… you know… clapping and stuff.

**And throughout.

***It was to see Incubus… look I was trying to pull someone at the time… it didn’t work… and it was a shitty gig.

****I am going to assume they were fake.

*****If you are really that interested there are our websites for that.

******Not matter how good it was it is still self-indulgence.

*******I know what you’re thinking, which one?!

********That is the best compliment that you are going to get out of me with regards to the venue.

*********A poor excuse for a moshpit, not that I was expecting something like that here.