Neil Young Plays Rare Full-Band ‘Ambulance Blues’ With The Chrome Hearts

Neil Young treated fans in Groningen, Netherlands, to a once-in-a-generation moment during his Love Earth Tour on July 1, performing a full-band version of “Ambulance Blues” for only the third time in his six-decade career.

The performance took place at Drafbaan Stadspark, where Young was joined by his current touring outfit, the Chrome Hearts, featuring guitarist Micah Nelson (aka Particle Kid), bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo, and longtime collaborator Spooner Oldham on organ.

“I haven’t played this in like 100 years,” Young told the crowd as he stepped into the spotlight. What followed was an eight-minute rendition of the On the Beach deep cut, a song revered by fans for its raw lyrics reflecting cultural malaise and change: “You’re all just pissin’ in the wind.”

Originally released as the closing track of Young’s 1974 album On the Beach — part of his so-called “Ditch Trilogy” alongside Time Fades Away and Tonight’s the Night — “Ambulance Blues” has almost exclusively appeared in stripped-back solo acoustic performances. Its full-band treatment is exceptionally rare, previously documented only at the 1998 Bridge School Benefit with R.E.M. and during a private 2016 show in Paris with Promise of the Real.

The Groningen show was the sixth date of Young’s European run, which has seen him lean heavily on classics. The setlist included fan favorites like “Cinnamon Girl,” “Harvest Moon,” “Like a Hurricane,” “Old Man,” and a poignant solo acoustic “The Needle and the Damage Done.”

In recent performances, Young has revived several deep cuts. The rock legend also revisited one of the most personal songs in his extensive catalog during a special benefit concert on May 23, delivering the first live performance of “My Boy” in more than four decades

While the May set featured classics like “Heart of Gold,” “Comes a Time” and “Sugar Mountain,” it was the mid-show performance of “My Boy” that drew audible emotion from the crowd. Originally released on 1985’s Old Ways, the banjo-led ballad is a tribute to Young’s eldest son, Zeke. The song had not been performed live since the 1983 Solo Trans tour.

Young’s European leg continues July 3 with a stop at Berlin’s Waldbühne, followed by two additional European shows before heading back to North America for a 15-date run stretching through Sept. 15.