Neil Young Concert Review

Well, after a 12 hour flight from the UK, a good night's sleep and
the joy of discovering Neil and the band are in the same hotel (of
which more later), I can confess to you that there will definitely
be one rustie in the shows on Thursday and Friday - l'il ol' me.

I used up all my lingering authority as a newspaper journalist to
wangle tickets from Warner Bros UK for the two mights. Well, I say
wangle, the Observer (where I work) is undeniably the official
newspaper of Rust and Warner's will get a decent spread in the
Observer Music Monthly out of it. So everyone's happy.

Especially me. I went down to the bar last night to have a beer and
a sandwich to ease myself down after the long flight (change at
Charlotte, circle Nashville for 30 minutes due to adverse weather
conditions, only sound on the airplane the clicking of the guy next
to me who played with his Palm Pilot the whole trip and one snoring
Rustie). Anyway I'm in the bar sitting there and a guy who looked
familiar comes and sits down with what appears to be his family to
eat. A bit shambling, fairly ordinary looking guy but I'm sure I
recognise him. Maybe he was on the plane or something. Actually, I
thought, he reminds me a bit of Spooner Oldham. Mainly because, when
I looked slightly less closely it actually was Spooner Oldham. He's
definitely in my next coffee table book - rock stars and their
cardigans...

Then when I looked around the bar I realised thaqt there were a few
people whose dress and facial hair didn't entirely fit in at
Nashville's primmest hotel. The default conversations all seemed to
be about selling electronic equipement ad the history of the Baptist
church. I caught snatches of one couple talking about how Americans
would actually all speak German if it wasn't for the English...which
is a favour you happily returned us in 1945 - thanks...

Four guys round the bar. They look like musicians for sure but hell
this is Nashville right, so that doesn't mean much. Two grey-haired
blokes and one with straight long black hair and a black leather
jacket that made him look like a teenager from behind but with a
face that was just about to give up fighting back the years. One
red-haired short guy, mid Atlantic or English accent - hard to tell.

Anyway I was just stopping wondering who they really were when Neil
walks in and strides into the middle of them and offers to buy them
all a drink. Stops for a minute to chat and then leaves the bar,
passing approximately two feet from my table (where I'm now
studiously reading my copy of Scientific American Mind so as to
avoid gawping and dribbling). Then I start putting it together, like
one of those sting movies where suddenly all the people in the room
reveal their true identity. The leather jacket guy is Rick Rosas
(who incidentally has some nice photos of Neil and band at the
Nashville recording at www.rickrosas.com). One of the grey hairs is
Chad Cromwell. The other is Karl Himmel. And I still can't work out
who the mid-Atlantic accent is.

Anyway, Mike Expecting2Fly turns up today and we're meeting for
lunch. If we don't score tickets for him via the Rippys route or the
rock Hummer, we'll at least know where to beg the band. Haven't been
out of the hotel yet. More to follow as the next couple of days
unfold... including instant review of the gig on the night if anyone
wants it ... anyone got any special requests, info or ideas email
them to me on or offlist on my hotmail (you know how to fill in the
*) - ru*tie_duncan@...*m

JD
A love that never stops

Postcards from Nashville - A Concert Odyssey

August 18-19, 2005 - Grand Ol Opry - Ryman Auditorium

Nashville, Tennessee

by John Duncan

Part #1