Back home from the show (and some clubbing afterwards) I've had a very nice night out. Having seen Young at the same venue 16 years ago with Booker T & the MGs, I was which incarnation I was going to see this time.

The "Tanzbrunnen" is a nice outdoor venue, right in the middle of Cologne, not far from the river Rhine, facing the City Center with the great Cathedral, which is located vis-a-vis on the left bank of the river. It's a nice place to watch a band because you have a perfect view of the stage from almost every place within the site and it's always relaxed there, enough space to move or to get a beer and get back safe and fast.

The conditions weren't perfect for an outdoor gig today, though, as it was quite windy, and the enormous waves of sound Neil was sending out with his "Old Black" were kept back by the constant winds. Also, during the first songs (Hey Hey, My My was the opener) the marvellous rythm guitar of Poncho Sampedro was sorely missed. But these were the only downers today.

Appearing with the band which accompanied him on "Fork On The Road" (among them bassist Rick Rosas and Ben Keith on Rythm Guitar and Pedal Steel), Neil played a blistering set of songs and was in a great mood - especially after a long interplay with the audience during the extended ending of one of his full flight Crazy Horse tunes, which earned him a mighty applause from the audience.

After that he seemed happy, even talking in between songs and smiling. What I liked most about the show was that he covered every Neil incarnation that we're used to, as there were stomping Rockers like "Rockin' In The Free World", sprawling epics like "Down By The River, solo numbers (the acoustic "Don't Let It Bring You Down" was the highlight of the evening to me), ensemble acoustic playing (Goin' Back) and vintage Country/Rock tunes like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.

As for the complete setlist I found it somewhere on the net already:

Köln, Tanzbrunnen 19.6. 2009

1. Hey Hey My My
2. Mansion On The Hill
3. Are You Ready For The Country?
4. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
5. Pocahontas
6. Words
7. Cinnamon Girl
8. Mother Earth
9. Don't Let It Bring You Down
10. Goin Back
11. On The Way Home
12. Unknown Legend
13. Comes A Time
14. Harvest Moon
15. Down By The River
16. Get Behind The Wheel
17. Rockin' In The Free World
18. A Day In The Life (encore)



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-20 12:48 by Greenblues.

So it was a good show?!
Originally I wanted to go too!

He's still doing "Rockin' in the Free World"...grrrrrr Time to retire it.

Quote
CousinC
So it was a good show?!
Originally I wanted to go too!

Yeah, it was a great show to my ears. You should've come too ;-)

Hi Greenblues,

Good to hear that Mr. Young is still on form:I'll be seeing him at Nottingham next Tuesday.
Loadsa noise!

Cheers,

Si.

Yeah looking forward to Nottingham also - how long was he on for~?

I'm seeing him tomorrow...and next Saturday.

Quote
yorkshirestone
Yeah looking forward to Nottingham also - how long was he on for~?

He was only playing for two hours (which is less than his usal set length). But that was due to certain noise reduction regulations, I guess. Being an outdoor venue, the Tanzbrunnen can only be played until 10 p.m. which is exactly when his set ended with "Rockin' In The Free World". And what a great version that was, containing circa 4 or 5 false endings - wow! And then, after a rousing ovation he came back and played "A Day In The Life", five minutes into the noise reduction deadline.

So I think prospects are good that you'll see an inspired Neil over there in Britain (and Ireland, of course ;-)!!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-20 17:38 by Greenblues.

Would this be considered a standard setlist? I would have enjoyed this set of songs A LOT! He even played the great Goin back which I would consider one of the rarer songs...!?

disappointed that more new songs aren't appearing in the setlists...i think his new album is one of his strongest in years...

McPhisto, seems like he's changing the set list considerably from gig to gig, at least that's what's transpiring from the two previous shows in Germany in Berlin and Munich.

And StonesTod: Count me in - I would've loved to hear two more tracks off the new album (preferably in an additional segment, as I loved all of the songs he did play that evening). By the way: the one song of Fork On The Road they actually performed, "Get Behind The Wheel" sounded fantastic and was very well received too.

Here you find some pics the Kölner Stadtanzeiger (one of them must have been shot through "Hey Hey, My My" ... ;-)

Review Neil Young at Tanzbrunnen - Kölner Stadtanzeiger



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-21 01:58 by Greenblues.

Quote
Greenblues
Back home from the show (and some clubbing afterwards) I've had a very nice night out. Having seen Young at the same venue 16 years ago with Booker T & the MGs, I was which incarnation I was going to see this time.

The "Tanzbrunnen" is a nice outdoor venue, right in the middle of Cologne, not far from the river Rhine, facing the City Center with the great Cathedral, which is located vis-a-vis on the left bank of the river. It's a nice place to watch a band because you have a perfect view of the stage from almost every place within the site and it's always relaxed there, enough space to move or to get a beer and get back safe and fast.

The conditions weren't perfect for an outdoor gig today, though, as it was quite windy, and the enormous waves of sound Neil was sending out with his "Old Black" were kept back by the constant winds. Also, during the first songs (Hey Hey, My My was the opener) the marvellous rythm guitar of Poncho Sampedro was sorely missed. But these were the only downers today.

Appearing with the band which accompanied him on "Fork On The Road" (among them bassist Rick Rosas and Ben Keith on Rythm Guitar and Pedal Steel), Neil played a blistering set of songs and was in a great mood - especially after a long interplay with the audience during the extended ending of one of his full flight Crazy Horse tunes, which earned him a mighty applause from the audience.

After that he seemed happy, even talking in between songs and smiling. What I liked most about the show was that he covered every Neil incarnation that we're used to, as there were stomping Rockers like "Rockin' In The Free World", sprawling epics like "Down By The River, solo numbers (the acoustic "Don't Let It Bring You Down" was the highlight of the evening to me), ensemble acoustic playing (Goin' Back) and vintage Country/Rock tunes like Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.

As for the complete setlist I found it somewhere on the net already:

Köln, Tanzbrunnen 19.6. 2009

1. Hey Hey My My
2. Mansion On The Hill
3. Are You Ready For The Country?
4. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
5. Pocahontas
6. Words
7. Cinnamon Girl
8. Mother Earth
9. Don't Let It Bring You Down
10. Goin Back
11. On The Way Home
12. Unknown Legend
13. Comes A Time
14. Harvest Moon
15. Down By The River
16. Get Behind The Wheel
17. Rockin' In The Free World
18. A Day In The Life (encore)

Well Down by the River is one I didn't get to hear when I saw Neil last year. But otherwise,the setlist has gone downhill. No,Love and Only Love, Powderfinger,Cortez The Killer,Cowgirl in the Sand,The Needle and the Damage Done.

"It's just some friends of mine and they're busting down the door"

Quote
sweetcharmedlife

Well Down by the River is one I didn't get to hear when I saw Neil last year. But otherwise,the setlist has gone downhill. No,Love and Only Love, Powderfinger,Cortez The Killer,Cowgirl in the Sand,The Needle and the Damage Done.

Well, you can't please everybody. And if you want a fresh, intersting setlist he can't play all of the classics every night. But he did play "Needle And The Damage Done" and "Cortez The Killer" in Berlin. So to me he's operating exactly the way I'd like the Stones to operate.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-06-21 15:02 by Greenblues.

Quote
sweetcharmedlife
the setlist has gone downhill.

Maybe Neil's been in touch with Jagger when he ought to consult Springsteen regarding setlist matters.

"the setlist has gone downhill."
Well it's a greatest-hits tour. For the rarities you should have caught him in 2008...

We were there, too, and enjoyed the show. It was my first time to see him and he didn't disappoint.
But I left with some questions on my mind, which none of my friends who attended, could answer. Maybe you can help.

1. Why the red telephone?

2. Why did they have a painter in the background?

3. Does he always need the text in front of him, even with songs like 'Pocahontas'?

Hmm... even Mick is using an autocue on stage, it just seems that the older you get and the more songs you have written (and Young is a very profilic writer), the more you tend to forget certain lyrics, especially under pressure. So I don't have any problem with this.

I can't tell you anything about the telephone, but with the painter this link might help:

www.trasherswheat.org