Neil Younger warms up for Glastonbury and airs reside rarities as he kicks off 2025 world tour with Chrome Hearts

Neil Younger kicked off his 2025 world tour with Chrome Hearts this week, performing a sequence of reside rarities and classics within the lead as much as Glastonbury.

• READ MORE: Glastonbury 2025: learn how to purchase tickets, who’s taking part in and every little thing you must know

The run of dates will see the Canadian musician make his means throughout Europe with stops in Norway, Denmark, Eire, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, joined by his new backing band, comprised of guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony LoGerfo, and organist Spooner Oldham.

In August, they’ll head over to the US for a 15-date run throughout the nation beginning with a gig on August 8 on the PNC Music Pavilion in Charlotte, and can make additional stops in Richmond, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto, New York, Chicago, Denver, Vancouver and extra earlier than wrapping up on September 15 on the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Kicking off the tour on the Dalhalla open-air theatre in Rättvik, Sweden, on Wednesday (June 18), the present noticed Younger and co. wheel out classics together with ‘Like A Hurricane’, Cinnamon Woman’, ‘The Needle and the Injury Achieved’ and ‘Harvest Moon’, with followers in attendance saying the setlist was “splendidly left area”.

The live performance kicked off with a solo from Younger, an acoustic model of ‘Sugar Mountain’ that gave approach to ‘Be The Rain’ as soon as the remainder of the band joined him. The observe comes from Younger’s 2003 rock opera Greendale, and hasn’t had a reside outing since 2014.

Neil Younger and the Chrome Hearts at Rättvik’s Dalhalla performed:

‘Sugar Mountain’
‘Be The Rain’
‘When You Dance, I Can Actually Love’
‘Cinnamon Woman’
‘F*!#in’ Up’
‘Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)’
‘The Needle And The Injury Achieved’
‘Harvest Moon’
‘Wanting Ahead’
‘Solar Inexperienced’
‘Love And Solely Love’
‘Like A Hurricane’
‘Identify Of Love’
‘Previous Man’
‘Rockin’ In The Free World’

Extra curveballs got here later within the present when Younger broke out two obscure Crosby, Stills, Nash & Younger tracks – 1999’s ‘Wanting Ahead’ and 1988’s ‘Identify Of Love’. Discussing the setlist on Reddit, one fan steered “the entire vibe was all about love and freedom”, and will doubtlessly clarify the music decisions.

“I could be improper,” they continued, “however I personally suppose that is the message that Neil desires to share proper now, so it is sensible that he didn’t play songs like ‘Cortez The Killer’ for instance. I didn’t count on so many hits, however as I stated the entire set felt actually cohesive within the message of affection. A really fantastic expertise.”

Earlier this month, Younger shared a publish on his Neil Young Archives blog following a row between Bruce Springsteen and Donald Trump, wherein he expressed his hopes for peace and referenced the President’s past as a fan of his music.

“Once I tour the USA this summer season, if there may be not martial regulation by then which might make it not possible, let’s all come collectively and stand for American values,” he wrote.

Addressing Trump, Younger continued: “We is not going to be doing a political present. We will probably be taking part in the music we love for all of us to get pleasure from collectively. President Trump, you’re invited. Come and listen to our music simply as you probably did for many years.”

The Canadian icon has up to now questioned if he’ll be capable of re-enter the USA when the European tour wraps, attributable to his many criticisms of the President. This comes after the Trump administration has deported and detained several immigrants over their political views, including pro-Palestine activists, as well as those backing Ukraine over Russia.

Later this month, he’ll play a bill-topping set at Glastonbury Pageant, and a headline slot at BST Hyde Park the next month.

Younger was confirmed as the primary headliner for Glastonbury 2025 in early January, after he initially pulled out of the pageant attributable to it being “a company turn-off”, owing to its partnership with the BBC. He first headlined Glastonbury Pageant again in 2009 alongside Bruce Springsteen and Blur.

Younger’s BST Hyde Park present will see him headlining this yr’s version of the London live performance sequence together with Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Stevie Surprise, Zach Bryan, Noah Kahan and Jeff Lynne’s ELO. You’ll be able to find any remaining tickets here.

He lately launched his first album with the Chrome Hearts, ‘Talkin To The Bushes’, which was previewed with politically-charged single referred to as ‘Let’s Roll Once more’. Followers famous that the Rättvik gig didn’t embody any of the brand new numbers, however that’s prone to change in some unspecified time in the future alongside the trek.

In August, Younger is because of return to the US with Chrome Hearts for a run of North American tour dates.