Neil Young reveals surprise reason behind recent tour cancellation
Earlier this summer, Neil Young cancelled the remainder of his tour with Crazy Horse, which also included festivals Bourbon & Beyond and Ohana, for unspecified reasons. Now, he has shared the details about why he decided to step aside and prioritise his wellbeing.
Following the initial cancellation announcement, Young confirmed he would be returning in September. The Canadian singer-songwriter is expected to make his return at Farm Aid in New York on September 21st, alongside John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, Lukas Nelson with the Travelin’ McCourys, Charley Crockett, Joy Oladokun, Southern Avenue, Cassandra Lewis, Jesse Welles and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats.
Young co-founded Farm Aid almost 40 years ago alongside Nelson and Mellencamp, making it a flagship event in his annual calendar. The first one, which occurred in 1985, lasted 14 hours and raised over $9 million for various charitable causes.
While Young’s presence at the event is usually expected, his cancellation led some to believe this is the year he does not appear, despite his previous statement claiming that “a couple of us” had been stricken with illness, and it being assumed that someone—possibly someone else in the band—had been taken ill.
The additional shows that Young cancelled were scheduled for several Canadian shows and three US shows at the Hollywood Bowl. Due to his absence at Bourbon & Beyond and Ohana festivals, Sting took his place.
“I listened to my body”
During a recent Zoom video for exclusive Neil Young Archives members, the musician explained why he had to cancel his shows, alongside the importance of nursing better health in the music industry.
“I was doing great and we were moving right along,” he explained. “Everybody’s loving the shows. Then I just woke up one morning on the bus and I said, ‘I can’t do this. I gotta stop.’ It was like I felt sick when I thought of going on stage. My body was telling me, ‘You gotta stop.’ So I listened to my body.”
However, deciding to stop abruptly without processing the more basic formalities is difficult, but Young knew he had to step out if he was intent on performing to his highest standards later in the year. “Then it gets into all the legal matters: ‘You got this, you got that, people bought tickets, they did this, they did that.’ I understand that,” he said before repeating, “My body told me not to do it.”
Thankfully, however, the musician is beginning the emerge from the other side, excited about the prospect of returning to the stage. “I’m starting to feel like I could do it again and that’s a great feeling,” he continued. “Not all of Crazy Horse — this happened to a couple of us, and we’re not all the way back. Crazy Horse will be back, god willing. And we’ll play more.”
Young will appear at Farm Aid on September 21st. He will also be performing shows with Micah Nelson, Anthony Logerfo, and Corey McCormick, although set dates have yet to be confirmed.
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