neil young and the chrome hearts at BST (Review)
Humbly walking onto the stage with his trusty guitar, Neil Young – in his traditional white flat cap and black t-shirt – began his set with the mighty Ambulance Blues. The eight-minute rendition, accompanied by the absorbed rocky riffs of the Chrome Hearts, set the tone for this warm, Friday night in Hyde Park, London — as hit after hit provided an unforgettable soundtrack. Cowgirl in the Sand and Be the Rain propelled the 18-song setlist, with Southern Man and The Needle and the Damage Done quickly following. Each track ensured fans got a taste of every era of their beloved Young.
“Thank you, folks, I really appreciate you being here,” he told the sold out crowd. Behind him, a ‘Love Earth’ symbol was emblazoned across the stage — a nod to Young’s 2022 hit alongside Crazy Horse. “We’re all happy to be here.”
Then there were the classics, infused with both the subtle sentiment and power rock Young, 79, is globally famous for. Cinnamon Girl, After The Gold Rush and Name of Love had the crowd mimicking their idol’s talents on the guitar; the beautiful Harvest Moon timed perfectly with the sun going down.
“Take care of each other,” advised the singer, before suggesting the headline set was coming to a phenomenal end. And so it did, pushing two hours on stage, perfectly completed by an encore featuring two of Young’s most famous tracks: Throw Your Hatred Down and Rocking in the Free World. With each song supported gloriously with the untamed licks of the Chrome Hearts, the world-renowned chorus repeated until the music faded…
It wasn’t just the one legendary musician performing on the Great Oak Stage this evening. Yusuf/Cat Stevens was the first of the exemplary line-up to support Neil Young. “Wow, thank you. Thank you for being here,” he expressed gratefully.
Launching his set with trad-tracks, Tea for the Tillerman and The First Cut Is The Deepest, Yusuf wasted no time in pulling out his best, lining up Big Boss Man, Where Do The Children Play? and Miles From Nowhere. “Someone very cool is coming on later,” he teased.
Father and Son, Moonshadow and a thoughtful offering of Little Ones followed — the latter dedicated by Yusuf to those who lost their lives in the Srebrenica Massacre 30 years ago, and the Palestinians losing their lives to war today. The beautifully crafted set of 14 tracks came to an end after an almighty 60 minutes, but not without some playfulness from the man himself. “You have a choice of one or two more songs,” he instructed the crowd. “One? Two?” Naturally the answer was two. And, so ended a magical musical masterpiece — with the mighty Wild World and Peace Train.
Wearing a baby blue shirt with a matching fedora, Belfast musician, Van Morrison, began his much-anticipated set with an extended version of I’ll Take Care Of You / It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World. The 79-year-old singer proceeded to unleash a string of thrilling musical genius, including 1991 classic Carrying the Torch, Dweller on the Doorway and If I Ever Needed Someone (originally a duet with Mavis Staples from 2015). A man of few words, he only spoke at length to introduce his band, keeping his audience on their toes with the likes of Summertime in England and the brilliant Gloria.
Irish folk band, Amble, seemed adequately gobsmacked to be performing on the same stage as huge names such as Neil Young, Cat Stevens and Van Morrison at BST Hyde Park. “To share the stage with these names is just a pinch me moment for us,” said lead vocalist, Robbie Cunningham, as the band delighted the crowd with their light and airy guitar-laden country sound. Playing unreleased material, Hand Me Downs, to the wonderful Mary’s Pub, Cunningham added: “We just found out this morning that [our] album [Reverie] is the Number One folk album in the UK,” before launching into their leading track Swan Song. “Thank you all for coming in early and listening to us… lovely warm weather, it’s perfect for a Guinness.”
Glastonbury-born, Naima Bock, brought her memorable vocals to London, sharing her catalogue of tracks from latest singles Feed My Release and Gentle to the Brazilian sounds of Berimbau. Bock, who was once the basses for British indie rockers, Goat Girl, released her album Below A Massive Dark Land in autumn 2024.
Meanwhile, Alice Merton took to the Rainbow Stage this evening to showcase a range of her top tier tracks. Fan favorites Run Away Girl, Charlie Brown and Vertigo all featured on the list, as she geared everyone up for the incredible music still to come. “This is our first time playing London,” she said. “Cat Stevens was one of the very first people I ever listened to as a musician,” she added, attributing her love for his music to her mum, who “danced in the kitchen to his music”. Her European hit, No Roots, ended the set with a bang.
Appearing on stage in a black suit jacket and jeans, Nick Hodgeson of Everyone Says Hi had a valid question for the crowd: “Who thinks I can do this whole set in this jacket?” Somehow, the Kaiser Chiefs star managed the memo, despite the 32C heat descending over Hyde Park. Unsurprisingly, the set was impressive, with a highlight being Lucky Stars. The story of Everyone Says Hi is a good one. Composed of Nick Hodgson from the Kaiser Chiefs, Pete Denton from The Kooks, Ben Gordon from The Dead 60s, Glenn Moule from Howling Bells And Tom Dawson, friend and guitar guru, the band are named after a David Bowie song.
Earlier, pop trio Bluai – who have already been plastered across the billboards of Times Square – brought their laidback summer spirit to the Rainbow Stage. Catherine Smet (vocals and guitar), Mo Govaerts (drums) and Caitlin Talbut (bass) entertained the growing audience as sizzling temperatures reigned over Hyde Park. “We’re Bluai and we’re from Belgium!” they announced.
Fresh from the release of their Only Making It Worse EP, released in the spring, Dutch sister duo Sarah Julia launched the festivities on the Rainbow Stage this afternoon. Wearing upcycled vintage — Sarah (Nauta) in a porcelain-pattered ruched maxi dress and Julia in a plaid jumpsuit adorned with bows — the pair were delightedly gobsmacked to be playing Hyde Park. “We’re so excited to play these songs for you today,” Julia beamed.
London Americana outfit, Our Man in the Field, drew in a crowd on Birdcage. Nashville country starlet, Kelly McGrath, played it cool under the shade of the London Plain trees, while Sam Wilkinson dulcet vocals complemented his latest EP Why I Live In A Bungalow. Finally, Tasmania four-piece, HOLiDAY MYSTICS, labelled ‘a modern-day Fleetwood Mac’ kicked off today’s musical extravaganza.
BST Hyde Park returns with more superstars and unique shows. It has become THE place to be in the London summer, a date in the diary for hundreds of thousands of fans every year. This June and July will see more legendary artists take to the stage over three weekends with headliners Olivia Rodrigo (27 June), Zach Bryan (28 + 29 June) Noah Kahan (4 July), Sabrina Carpenter (5 + 6 July), neil young and the chrome hearts (11 July), Stevie Wonder (12 July) and Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July) taking over Hyde Park.
