Live Review: Neil Young – 11th July 2025 – BST Hyde Park, London, UK

Friday afternoon we made our way down to Hyde Park for the eighth day of this years BST Hyde Park Festival. It was a gloriously hot day that was to prove dazzling with the selection of legendary acts taking to the main stage. 

First up was Belfast’s Van Morrison. His free-wheeling attitude to playing, as well as his jam-packed live band, led to a set of non-stop songs. When he did speak it was to thank his band, introducing each individually, including his percussionist for his personality. To the crowd, it felt like being invited to a jam in the back of bar somewhere cosy. He orchestrated the band with a relax ora, asking for a trumpet solo here, or for a singer to take over there. Carrying The Touch, If I Ever Needed Someone, and closer Gloria were some of the highlights of the afternoon.

The arrival of Yusuf/Cat Stevens was something unto itself. He appeared prematurely, an animation playing out over his song Tea for the Tillerman before the real set began. His voice immaculate, his band exceptionally tight, classics like The Wind, Moonshadow, and Where Do The Children Play? washed over the audience as though listening to the original records. A cover of Jimmy Reed’s Big Boss Man and a performance of his own The First Cut is the Deepest had everyone enchanted. He mentioned a new book he’s been working on, stating that ‘it’s about all the things people got wrong’, before later dedicating his song The Little Ones to those who lost their lives in the Srebrenica Massacre 30 years ago, and the Palestinians losing their lives to war today. His calls for peace, love, and freedom were warmly received and reciprocated. 

Yusuf also managed to show us a little of his rockstar side, being told to hurry by the organisers before given the audience a choice. “One more song, or two?” He led cheers for each, the latter being the obvious choice. “Let’s be rebels … if they pull the plug we’ll start a revolution.” It was clear nobody wanted to cut him off. In fact, he even apologised to Neil, before saying “he can come on a little later, he won’t mind.” Charismatic, capable; a true showman.

Neil Young made a point of putting his sunglasses on. He meant business, but was also – much like the rest of us – blinded and boiling. He spoke very little, but his playing did the talking. Opening with the eight-minute Ambulance Blues and following it up with the solo laden Cowgirl in the Sand, his set was truly separating the hardcore fans from the casual. “Thanks for being here,” are his only words before Be The Rain blew the crowd away. His four piece back ruled the stage, creating an almighty sound. When You Dance, I Can Really Love, Fuckin’ Up, and Cinnamon Girl come one after the other, each with their own heavier take. 

Neil appeared to be keeping his team on tender hooks too. The first of many times he misdirected them was by keeping hold of a guitar that was clearly intended to be switched over. This happened again later on, when Neil walked away from his guitar tech completely, instead hitting the piano for a surprise rendition of After The Gold Rush, a first time play on this current tour. The last and possibly funniest moment was when the floating keyboard, used at his Glastonbury set, descended from the heavens only to be completely ignored. After a brief chat with the band, Neil launched into Hey Hey, My My. “How we doing out there?” came before Neil went into Old Man, and after a brief stint off stage he returned with the band for two final rocking belters, Throw Your Hatred Down and Rockin’ In The Free World, the latter of which provided one final rockstar moment, being cut off after three false ending due to the curfew. It’s hard to know what people expected, but what was delivered surely blew preconceptions out of the water. 

Setlist:
Ambulance Blues
Cowgirl in the Sand
Be the Rain
When You Dance, I Can Really Love
Play Video
Cinnamon Girl
Play Video
Fuckin’ Up
Play Video
Sun Green
Play Video
Southern Man
The Needle and the Damage Done
Harvest Moon
After the Gold Rush
Love to Burn
Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)
Name of Love (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cover)
Old Man

Encore:
Throw Your Hatred Down
Rockin’ in the Free World

Ryan Bulbeck

Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.