5 Juny is het weer zover,Neil Young & Crazy Horse staan eindelijk weer eens een keer op Nederlandse bodem.Natuurlijk ben ik van de partij,ik kijk er erg naar uit.Het is al weer 12 jaar geleden dat Neil en The Horse hier waren(2001)en in dat jaar waren ze zelfs 2 keer te gast.Beide malen in Ahoy en alle twee keren was ik erbij.De eerste keer was voor Neil zijn doen een wat kort concert,liep niet zo lekker naar mijn idee(b,v Like Hurricane werd niet gespeeld ,het orgeltje werd terug naar boven gestuurd)maar ik gaf het optreden toch een ruime voldoende.Of het een goedmakertje was weet ik niet ,maar onverwacht werd besloten de Europese tour ook in Rotterdam af te sluiten ,en hoe!Een bijna 3 uur durend optreden,Neil en de band in topvorm.alle grote hits kwamen voorbij ,met deze keer wel Like A Hurricane en een lange ,heftige uitvoering.(het klonk dan ook echt als een orkaan)en alle snaren moesten er aan geloven.Twee lange toegiften,de eerste toegift volkomen onverwacht ,Tonight,s The Night ,het nummer over roady Bruce Berry,voor mij dus een"kippenvel"moment...
Bruce Berry was a professional roadie for the members of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, both as a group and individually.
He got his start by working at his brother Ken's store SIR (Studio Instrument Rentals) which brought him steady gigs. His happy, charismatic personality endeared him to the group and he was always on the road with them. He used to load all of his instruments into his trademark white Ford Econoline van, until he moved to England to work with Stephen Stills.
Supposedly, when he came back to the USA he was a completely different person. Danny Whitten (of Crazy Horse) had turned him on to heroin and it now controlled his life. One time, he was working for David Crosby when he told everyone that David's car had been broken into and that his beloved Stratocaster had been stolen. However, everyone knew that he was now a junkie and that he had sold the guitar for drugs (but no one knew it was for heroin).[citation needed] Berry died of an overdose of heroin on June 4, 1973, just a few months after Danny Whitten met the same fate. Bruce Berry's story has been immortalized in the lyrics to "Tonight's the Night" by Neil Young.
Bruce Berry is the brother of Jan Berry of Jan and Dean.
"Tonight's The Night"
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night.
Bruce Berry was a working man
He used to load that Econoline van.
A sparkle was in his eye
But his life was in his hands.
Well, late at night
when the people were gone
He used to pick up my guitar
And sing a song in a shaky voice
That was real as the day was long.
Tonight's the night, yes it is,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, yes it is,
tonight's the night.
Early in the mornin'
at the break of day
He used to sleep
until the afternoon.
If you never heard him sing
I guess you won't too soon.
'Cause people let me tell you
It sent a chill
up and down my spine
When I picked up the telephone
And heard that he'd died
out on the mainline.
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night.
Bruce Berry was a working man
He used to load that Econoline van.
Well, early in the morning
at just about the break of day
He used to sleep
until the afternoon.
Tonight's the night, yes it is,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night.
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night.
Bruce Berry was a working man
He used to load that Econoline van.
A sparkle was in his eye
But his life was in his hands.
Well, late at night
when the people were gone
He used to pick up my guitar
And sing a song in a shaky voice
That was real as the day was long.
Tonight's the night, yes it is,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night, yes it is,
tonight's the night.
Early in the mornin'
at the break of day
He used to sleep
until the afternoon.
If you never heard him sing
I guess you won't too soon.
'Cause people let me tell you
It sent a chill
up and down my spine
When I picked up the telephone
And heard that he'd died
out on the mainline.
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night.
Bruce Berry was a working man
He used to load that Econoline van.
Well, early in the morning
at just about the break of day
He used to sleep
until the afternoon.
Tonight's the night, yes it is,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night
Tonight's the night,
tonight's the night.
