Neil Young Performs Third-Ever Full Band “Ambulance Blues” with the Chrome Hearts
Neil Young, photo by Wes Orshoski
Neil Young’s connection with his new backing band the Chrome Hearts has clearly been a shot in the arm for the six-decade rock icon. In 2025, the legendary singer-songwriter has exhibited a fiery passion even beyond his reputation, resulting in a surge of bold new material, titanic treatments of signature tracks and several surprising live returns to deep cuts from his expansive catalog. Last night, for the sixth performance in the European leg of his Love Earth Tour, Young and his new collaborators continued the latter thread by offering up an exceedingly rare public full-band performance of “Ambulance Blues.”
“I haven’t played this in like 100 years,” Young said as he stepped into the spotlight at Gorningen, Netherlands’ Drafbaan Stadspark. “We’ll see what happens.” The ensuing eight-minute “Ambulance Blues” was the performer’s first treatment of the rough-edged ramble on changing times and “pissin’ in the wind” since a 2019 solo set in Minneapolis. Since its release as the album closer for 1974’s On the Beach, the “Ditch Trilogy” fan favorite has appeared nearly exclusively in solo acoustic stagings; Tuesday’s was only the third full-band version on record, following a memorable performance with R.E.M. at the 1998 Bridge School Benefit and a 2016 private concert backed by Promise of the Real in Paris.
After this historic introduction, the remainder of Young’s set with guitarist Micah Nelson (a.k.a. Particle Kid), bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo and organist Spooner Oldham was consistent with the Love Earth Tour’s tight setlists, cycling through essentials like “Cinnamon Girl,” “Harvest Moon,” “Like a Hurricane,” “Old Man” and a solo-acoustic version of “The Needle and the Damage Done.” The series so far has notably omitted songs from the band’s debut album Talkin to the Trees, which arrived on June 12 after “Big Change,” “Let’s Roll Again” and the title track.
Neil Young will return to the stage tomorrow, July 3, for a set at Berlin’s Waldbühne, then present two more European shows before returning to North America for 15 stops through Sept. 15. Find tickets and more information here.
Watch a fan-recorded video of “Ambulance Blues” below.
