Neil Young, Adidas Arena (Paris)

One of the greatest ambassadors of folk and rock, Neil Young, was in Paris on July 13 at the Adidas Arena. A true legend, he more than succeeded in his return to France after nine years away, delivering a performance of nearly two hours. Blues Actu was there and tells the story.

Rock and roll can never die

Last March, Neil Young announced he would be stopping in several European countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium. After an endless wait, a French date — in Paris — was finally confirmed by the Canadian “Loner” as the final stop of his tour. He specified that he would be joined by his new band, The Chrome Hearts, made up of Spooner Oldham (keyboards), Corey McCormick (bass and vocals), Anthony LoGerfo (drums) and Micah Nelson (guitar and vocals), the son of Willie Nelson. Neil Young surrounded himself with both experience and youth: Micah Nelson is 35, Spooner Oldham is 82.

Guitar slung over the shoulder

The concert was scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m., but it was finally at 7:40 that the legend appeared, in front of a packed Adidas Arena. The crowd was dense, the atmosphere electric. Neil Young opened his set with Ambulance Blues (On the Beach), against a huge backdrop reading “Love Earth.” He quickly moved into electric territory with Cowgirl in the Sand and Be the Rain, injecting rock into the evening with an opening epic of more than ten minutes. Slightly off-center on stage, he didn’t claim the spotlight: Neil Young played as part of a band, visibly sharing the joy of performing with his musicians. He announced the next one, familiar to everyone: When You Dance, I Can Really Love. Then came Fuckin’ Up, before calming the decibels with an acoustic version of The Needle and the Damage Done (from the iconic Harvest): a suspended moment on acoustic guitar, before a “Madonna” microphone.

A steady build-up

Neil Young continued his journey through his repertoire. With Harvest Moon, the Adidas Arena practically floated. The Canadian, firmly at the helm, guided his audience toward starry skies. He detoured through the world of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with Looking Forward, then returned to his electric set (which he had never really left) with majestic, 10-minute-plus versions of Sun Green and Love to Burn.

A suspended piano then descended from above the stage. Like a Hurricane rang out, the piano swinging in the air under the chords of Micah Nelson. The sound grew, the audience rose to its feet. Young moved to his organ at the back of the stage for Name of Love (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), then quickly followed with one of his classics, Old Man. At 79 (he will turn 80 on November 12), his voice is nearly intact, angelic, with the same depth it had in 1971 when Harvest was recorded. Simply breathtaking.

After leaving the stage, Neil Young returned for a final encore: Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) in an electric version, taken from Rust Never Sleeps. The decibels rose again. It was loud, very loud… but what power: “Rock and roll can never die.” Rock’s ambassador, Neil Young proved it once again tonight.

He left the stage for good, the audience on its feet, still calling his name. There would be no second encore, but there had already been so much. In 1 hour and 55 minutes, the Canadian made Paris sway in absolute ease. Neil Young is immense. The legend was here, on July 13, 2025. Will he return to the Old Continent?