Tonight it is the Canadian flag that flutters in the wind atop Malahide Castle. An eclectic mix of hippies, folkies and rockers of varying ages linger expectantly in the sunshine – Shakey is in town!
And here they come, Neil and the Chrome Dreams band. Clad in brilliant white, his presence is beatific. Appropriately, he is welcomed on stage with almost religious zeal.
For the next 20 minutes we are enthralled by ‘Love And Only Love’ from Ragged Glory, which kicks off with an extended guitar solo. Who else could open a show and captivate an audience in this manner?
A diverse set that spanned the decades from ‘I’ve Been Waiting For You’ off his first solo album and Buffalo Springfield’s ‘Mr.Soul’, with its ‘Satisfaction’ guitar riff, to later material such as ‘Spirit Road’ from 2007’s lauded Chrome Dreams II, served as a compelling career retrospective.
A powerfully audacious ‘Hey. Hey, My, My’ and chillingly potent ‘Needle And The Damage Done’ were particularly noteworthy, as was a startlingly uplifting ‘Old Man’ which provoked one of the heartiest singalongs of the evening.
Neil was in amiable form, thanking the organisers for the Canadian flag and commenting on the aesthetically pleasing crowd! The Chrome Dreams band, a staggeringly talented group of musicians, including the legendary pedal steelplayer Ben Keith and Neil’s wife Pegi on backing vocals, were the perfect accompaniment to his two-hour rock-driven sonic extravaganza.
Leaving the stage to a stunning version of The Beatles’ ‘A Day In The Life’, we unfortunately didn’t get a ‘Keep On Rockin In The Free World’, but we got the message.