NEIL YOUNG
thrilled a sell-out 3000 crowd at the Playhouse last night with an
exhilarating two-and-a-half hour set. A living legend, and one of the
most influential songwriters in music with songs such as Harvest Moon
and Heart Of Gold, the 62-year-old's rare appearance in the city did not
disappoint.
When the concert was initially announced, tickets were snapped up in
less than half-an-hour. Briefs were like gold dust, and before the show
yesterday people stood outside in the freezing cold in the vain hope of
finding a spare. Some wore placards around their neck begging for
tickets, while others offered up to £250 for a ticket in order to see
their hero.
Inside, however, Young's wife, Pegi, warmed things up with a 50-minute
set of breezy, easy-listening country tunes. The air was already thick
with anticipation, and when Young finally arrived on stage the audience
greeted him with a standing ovation.
Opening with an acoustic set, from the opening chords of From Hank To
Hendrix, the sound of "Shakey's" signature nasal tenor had the audience
spellbound. Indeed, as classic tunes such as Heart Of Gold eased by,
Young emoted every bit of feeling from his songs as though he'd written
them that very afternoon. Usually a man of many words, Young chose to
let his music do the talking last night; at one point holding up his
hands to the crowd, as if to repel the constant, tediously irritating
shouts of what song he should play next.
After the break, Young put down the acoustic and picked up the electric,
delivering a blistering grunge-rock set that surely scalded the earlobes
of those sitting in the front row. Dressed in a dusty suit, and pounding
furiously away on his famous Les Paul guitar ("Old Black"), fan
favourite Hey Hey My My (Into The Black) was an obvious standout, as
were Oh Lonesome Me ("I messed up Don Gibson's song with my own melody,
but the words are still pretty good"), and, The Believer, a song, Young
revealed, was originally written for his mother.
One of the most compelling aspects about the show, however, was the
visual element of the stage set. Comprising old movie-set style
lighting, a gigantic fan and large neon-lit letters and numbers, what
really made the show unique, though, was Eric Johnson. While Young
bashed away on his guitar, Johnson stood at the back painting original
works, before standing them upon a large easel at the right of the
stage, each song's title appearing within the painting. Highly
imaginative – the paintings are to be sold to raise money for the Bridge
School, an innovative educational environment close to Young's heart.
Young, however, had the last word, encoring with arguably his finest
song of the night, the irresistibly catchy Cinnamon Girl. Which, just
like this concert, was a joy to behold.
Fans hail icon after gold rush for tickets
THE anticipation in and around the Playhouse Theatre building started
well before 7pm.
In the queue before the concert, Canadian Lynne Boyle, 25, a nurse from
Leith, said: "I've seen him about eight times in various guises, on his
own, with Buffalo Springfield, with Crazy Horse and with Crosby, Stills
and Nash and I can't wait for this. I've never seen him in a theatre
like this and it's going to be really interesting."
Crowds swarmed into the local bars, and numerous touts – probably more
than have been seen in years in this area – circulated the huge pavement
outside.
Unfortunately, there weren't nearly enough to meet the demand of the
scores of fans.
Everyone gathering outside was desperate to get in by 7.30 prompt to
ensure not a chord, strum or pick of Neil Young's guitar was missed.
Afterwards Norval Barclay, 37, who has played live music in and around
Edinburgh for more than a decade, said it was the best live music event
he'd been to in the city.
David Ferguson, 36, an IT executive from Broughton, added: "I've never
seen so many guitar amplifiers on a stage and don't remember enjoying a
gig as much as this since I saw David Bowie in Manchester a few years
back."
Young wowed the crowd and didn't appear to have lost the legendary
quiver in his high voice which has made him so famous.
Rae McQueen, 48, a home help from Dalkeith, said: "I just wish Edinburgh
could host more gigs like this, that was absolutely fantastic."
