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Edinburgh Live
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Legend Neil Young's Hyde Park concert 'cut off' as he breaks one strict rule
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Music chiefs were compelled to cut the power during Neil Young's Hyde Park performance as he exceeded his allotted time. The star was scheduled to wrap up at 10.20pm on Friday night, adhering to a strict 10.30pm curfew in the Royal park. However, the 79 year old was still energetically performing an extended version of 'Rockin' in the Free World' at 10.32pm, prompting festival bosses to intervene. An insider revealed: "Neil and his band were having a great time and would have kept on going. There were at least three false endings to the song before festival bosses decided enough was enough. Neil and the band looked a bit puzzled when the power was cut but they are strict about these things - especially as it's a royal park." Westminster Council enforces a 10.30pm finish as part of their licensing conditions. There were some jeers near the front when it became apparent that the power had been switched off. However, fans praised Friday night's show, stating: "It was one of the all-time great BST shows. Neil completely rocked out the place." Hyde Park has witnessed high-profile curfew breaches in the past - most notably for Bruce Springsteen in 2012, reports the Mirror. Sir Paul McCartney had joined Bruce and his E Street Band to perform Beatles classics 'I Saw Her Standing There' and 'Twist and Shout'. But as they prepared to start another song, their power was cut by the then-promoters of the Hard Rock Calling festival. BST is managed by a different team. Steve Van Zandt, the E Street Band's guitarist, expressed outrage at the "police state". Then-London Mayor Boris Johnson deemed it "an excessively efficacious decision". However, when Springsteen returned to Hyde Park in 2023, he poked fun at the incident. During a rendition of Glory Days, he quipped to the 65,000-strong crowd: "It's time to go home. I'm telling you, they are going to pull the f***ing plug again." It was previously reported by The Mirror that organisers had planned for Bruce's concert to start earlier, at 7pm, to avoid breaching the 10.30pm curfew. The strategy paid off, as the show concluded at 10pm. Young's BST performance came just two weeks after his headlining set on Glastonbury's Pyramid stage. BST HYDE PARK REVIEW BY TOM BRYANT. Following a magical performance at Worthy Farm two weeks prior, Neil Young surpassed expectations with a captivating show in Hyde Park. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the 79 year old rock legend delivered a hits-packed set list with ease, featuring classics like Old Man, Harvest Moon, and The Needle and the Damage Done. His 1970 hit, After the Gold Rush, made a rare appearance and marked its tour debut. Seated at the piano in the tranquil Royal park, it was a moment of sheer perfection that silenced the crowd. Apart from this, the grunge pioneer was at his peak, with his band creating an extraordinary amount of sound as they jammed into the night, culminating in a thrilling encore of Rockin' in the Free World. That is, until 10.32pm....
Daily Record
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Neil Young's Hyde Park show dramatically cut off as bosses pull the plug
The 79-year-old rocker was playing the gig in London Music executives had no choice but to pull the plug on Neil Young's Hyde Park gig as he was rocking out beyond his allotted time. The star was scheduled to wrap up at 10.20pm on Friday night, in line with a strict 10.30pm curfew enforced in the Royal park. However, the 79 year old was still belting out an extended rendition of Rockin' in the Free World at 10.32pm, prompting festival organisers to intervene. An insider revealed: "Neil and his band were having a great time and would have kept on going. There were at least three false endings to the song before festival bosses decided enough was enough. Neil and the band looked a bit puzzled when the power was cut but they are strict about these things - especially as it's a royal park." Westminster Council enforces a 10.30pm finish as part of their licensing conditions. There were some jeers from the crowd near the front when it became apparent that the power had been switched off. However, fans praised Friday night's performance, saying: "It was one of the all-time great BST shows. Neil completely rocked out the place." Hyde Park has seen high-profile curfew breaches in the past - most notably Bruce Springsteen in 2012, reports the Mirror. Sir Paul McCartney had joined Bruce and his E Street Band to perform Beatles classics I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout. But as they prepared to start another song, their power was abruptly cut by the then-promoters of the Hard Rock Calling is managed by a different team. Steve Van Zandt, guitarist for the E Street Band, expressed his outrage at the "police state". Boris Johnson, who was Mayor of London at the time, described it as "an excessively efficacious decision". Bruce Springsteen saw the humorous side during his 2023 return to Hyde Park. While performing 'Glory Days' to a crowd of 65,000, he joked: "It's time to go home. I'm telling you, they are going to pull the f***ing plug again." The Mirror reported that to avoid breaching the 10.30pm curfew, Bruce's concert was scheduled to start at 7pm. The strategy by BST Hyde Park organisers was successful, with the concert concluding at 10pm. Neil Young's performance at his BST show occurred just a fortnight after his headline act on Glastonbury's Pyramid stage. BST Hyde Park review by Tom Bryant It would take some effort to eclipse what was a magical show on Worthy Farm two weeks ago. But as the sun set on W2, Neil Young did just that with a spell-binding performance for the ages. All the focus had been on Neil's Glastonbury show in the build up to his short European tour. Not least the controversy over whether he would allow the BBC to screen his Pyramid stage performance. But here in Hyde Park it was all about the music - and the 79-year-old rocker delivered with aplomb. There was no scrimping on a hits-packed set list including Old Man, Harvest Moon and the Needle and the Damage Done. There was even a rare outing for his 1970 hit After the Gold Rush which made its tour debut. Sat astride a piano, it was a moment of perfection and you could hear a pin drop in the hushed Royal park. Otherwise, the godfather of grunge was at his rocking best, his band generating an inordinate amount of noise as they jammed away into the night with a thrilling encore of Rockin' in the Free World. Until 10.32pm that is....
The Herald Scotland
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Bruce Springsteen joined by Paul McCartney at Liverpool concert
Springsteen, 75, and his E Street Band are in the UK as part of his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour, which kicked off with three shows in Manchester last month. Sir Paul McCartney previously performed with Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury in 2022 (Danny Lawson/PA) Footage shared on social media showed the surprised crowd cheering loudly as Sir Paul was introduced, before he then playfully pointed at Springsteen and the pair shared an embrace. Before he left the stage after their performance, Sir Paul addressed the crowd and reportedly said: 'Thank you, Scousers.' The two men have previously performed together on several occasions, most notably when Sir Paul delivered a headline set at Glastonbury in 2022. Announced as a surprise all the way from the east coast of America, Springsteen joined Sir Paul, who became the festival's oldest solo headliner, as they played hits Glory Days and I Wanna Be Your Man on the Pyramid Stage. In 2012, Sir Paul had joined Springsteen on stage at the end of the singer's headline slot at Hard Rock Calling in Hyde Park, London, but both stars found their microphones cut off before they could address the crowds after exceeding the curfew. Beginning his career in the 1960s, Springsteen has gone on to have 12 UK top 10 albums and four UK top 10 singles and is best known for songs such as Born In The USA, Dancing In The Dark and Born To Run. His Land of Hope and Dreams Tour, which includes 16 dates across six European countries, will conclude in Milan, Italy, on July 3.
