“Death threats and bomb-sniffing dogs”: The story of Neil Young’s most manic tour
If there’s one artist from the history of rock music who has always done things their own way and never been perturbed by the potential for backlash, it’s hard to think of many more people who are as unshakeably principled as Neil Young.
Having never shied away from sharing his points of view or his politics in his music, while also being undeterred by the potential impact of taking stylistic risks that might alienate sections of his fanbase who are expecting him to deliver in a particular vein, Young has often been celebrated for his approach, but at the same time, this has led to him having to confront many audiences that have actively seemed to resent his stubbornness, leading to some uncomfortable touring experiences.
In 2006, he reunited with Crosby, Stills & Nash for the Freedom of Speech tour, which was largely used as a means of promoting Young’s Living with War album, which touched on a number of prevalent socio-political issues relative to the time, being openly critical of President George W Bush and his involvement in the Iraq War, and while many celebrated Young for his bravery in tackling these subjects head-on, others were left unimpressed by his choice to take such a stance.
Given how support for different political ideologies in the US is so frequently rooted in regional identity, Young would have been acutely aware of there being an increased danger in taking his opinions to the south of the US, where support for Bush and his actions was significantly more prominent than in other regions.
“We were aware of it, and we could see it,” he confirmed to Rolling Stone in 2008, two years after a catastrophic showing in Atlanta, Georgia, adding, “I was a nervous wreck by the end of that tour. I never want to do another tour like that in my life. I mean, that was so different from every other tour I’ve done.”
Despite knowing there was a risk behind performing songs that didn’t sugar-coat his distaste for the actions of the president and his war-mongering attitude, the backlash was perhaps far more extreme than he could ever have expected.
The songwriter went on to explain that the most disturbing things he had to deal with, which included “death threats and bomb-sniffing dogs and everything every night, and people glaring at you and standing up and giving you the finger”. Standing up for what you believe in can be a scary thing, but it is perhaps even more terrifying when you know the people you have to speak up against are out to get you in numbers.
“It was just that critical time in history where things were turning,” Young continued, “Things were changing. At least, they didn’t change that much, but the balance shifted. Those who feel the way we do had some hope, and those who don’t feel the way we do were angry that the change happened.”
There was always going to be a risk with touring this album, but because of how fearless he’s always been with doing things his own way and spreading the messages that he feels strongly about, there was absolutely no reason to shy away from embarking on said tour, regardless of the outcome. You have to commend Young for his bravery in this sense, and the fact that he was able to survive this tour has perhaps put him in an even stronger position to continue doing it at an even more politically volatile time in the US.
