By DJ Astrocreep
A long jaunt down to London for the first time in a couple of years sees me once again take in the delights of Hyde Park in the sun. This year’s trip takes in the rabble rouser Neil Young with many able supports, such as Cat Stevens, Van Morrison and many more. I take up my spot on the viewing platform to catch the day’s first act, who is starting as I arrive at the site.
Naima Bock is first up on the Great Oak stage, coming into her second song as I grab a spot on the viewing platform. There isn’t too much of a crowd at this point, but Bock and co are making some really sweet, soulful noise on the stage. Soft, harmonic Celtic style folk oozes out from the speakers, the absolutely perfect background for the setting, basking in the 30 degree sun. There’s a polite smattering of applause after each song, which is scant reward for just how enjoyable it all is, but it’s the perfect way to start up the day.
While I didn’t get to visit the smaller stages, I do quite clearly get to hear Holiday Mystics as they take to the Birdcage stage, opening with an excellent cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon, before laying out what sounds like some pretty good riffs. Unfortunately, the distance going all around in a wheelchair makes the journey unfeasible, but it sounds very much like my kind of thing.
Amble are next on next on the main stage, with the Irish troubadours creating some excellent neo folk, in a Celtic style you would expect from an Irish act. They are highly melodic and so smooth voiced that I find myself just closing my eyes to focus on the music, almost drifting off as I’m so relaxed. Considering they’ve only been together for a couple of years, they have an extraordinary sense of musical self as they play. The crowd has doubled from our earlier act and we are all treated to some excellent harmonious sounds. A very fitting addition to the bill.
The first of the evening’s veterans and Van Morrison is up on stage. A lot of his snarl is now gone – fully understandably why, given his now 77 years on the planet, but there’s still enough in him yet to put on a good show. It’s pretty much non-stop, too, which, when you factor in his saxophone time too, is good going still, too. A glance at previous setlists means perennial fan favourite Brown Eyed Girl shouldn’t be expected, but there’s still plenty to enjoy with his bluesy jazz crossover.
It’s at this point that the crowd have finally shown up en masse and it’s busy everywhere you look. The sound is fantastic and the entire backing are completely on point – even so important when everything goes with so little breaks inbetween. Working in songs such as Into The Mystic and Gloria as the start and end tracks, it’s a good showing that shows there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.
Yusuf/Cat Stevens takes to the stage for one of the first times in almost half a century and while showing a couple of slight signs of nerves early on, he quickly works them out. It’s great to see that he has lost none of his touch or sparkle in all his time away, his voice as smooth as ever. The band around him support him well and provide more than ample backup and layers of sound to fully enhance the experience.
With the sun finally behind the stand behind me, we do get, not unexpectedly, a mention of the conflict ongoing in the Middle East, which leads to a man behind me being escorted out for an absolute tirade of nonsensical abuse. Things continue on stage, though at an otherwise break neck pace. I’d actually forgotten how many tracks I know and love by this talented artist and it’s a genuine pleasure to find him in such rare form and energy for everything. He closes out asking the crowd if we want one or two more, despite being quite obviously told one more by the stage manager. The crowd shout for two and we get renditions of both ‘Wild World’ and ‘Peace Train’ to close out a sumptuous set by the peace loving artist.
Headliner time and there had been poor reports from Glastonbury about poor crowds and vocals from Young. I do, however, remember the same being said about Axl Rose two years ago, when I saw Guns N Roses in exactly the same circumstances, only to enjoy one of the best performances Axl had put in for years. I waited slightly nervously and impatiently for him to start.
I need not have worried. As with each artist before, Young sounds sensational. There’s the occasional fraction of a second a note is slightly off, but this is live music, a rare imperfection shows how good the rest is, and boy, is it good. The backing band are also phenomenal, hitting everything perfectly, showing a great rapport with each other as Young, the rhythm guitarist and bassist are forever communicating and watching each other for all the cues, which bandleader Young is quite ready to do.
As I glance around the arena, it’s an absolute sea of faces in every direction. With the positioning of the stage from where I am, my entire view is of the Great Oak stage, trees, people and the sky, almost making it feel like a surreal bubble that only those lucky enough to be inside can be a part of. It increases that feeling of the perfect day that Lou Reed sang about so many years ago, making you feel like it’s something truly special.
We get two hours – well, a little over to the point the ending of ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ is curtailed by the sound guy as we hit curfew and there’s one false ending too many. It’s been a fantastic day in the sun, the perfect scene for a fantastic day of live music.
Now just for the little matter of dodgems along the pavement in a wheelchair to make the coach home…
- Photos courtesy of BST Hyde Park.
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