Neil Young concert canceled
City of Tel Aviv calls off performance for security reasons
Jessica Steinberg covers the Sabra scene from south to north and back to the center.
The Neil Young and Crazy Horse concert scheduled for this coming Thursday, July 17, in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park, has been canceled due to security concerns.
“We’re canceling the concert in light of the continued rocket attacks and concerns for the safety of the large audience,” promoter Shuki Weiss announced in a press release.
The cancellation was the decision of Weiss and the Tel Aviv municipality, said Merav Lahav, a member of Weiss’s public relations team. It had nothing to do with Neil Young and his band, she said.
“I will be making donations to both the Louise Tillie Alpert Youth Music Centre of Israel, and Heartbeat,” Young said in a statement, “two organizations that teach music to Palestinian and Israeli youth simultaneously by enabling them to play music together.”
Young’s official Facebook page has featured a long and intense thread of comments regarding the musician’s planned appearance in Israel, as fans called for him to boycott the concert due to the current spate of events. Israelis, Arabs, and supporters of both sides of the conflict weighed on the thread.
“Neil – I suppose you’re packing your toothbrush and suchlike to head off to Israel, happy in the knowledge that the ol’ bank balance will be getting a real boost. Good for you Neil. Just don’t expect anyone to take your causes; first people, treaties, tar shales, seriously again dude. You’ve made it clear what this is about,” wrote Kosmo Elvis Logan.
In response, another fan, Nimrod Yavin Avnon wrote, “Neil, i don’t know about- roger waters, but your the musician i LOVE the most! & also i appraise your music more than all other extremely talented musicians i listened in my life (Pink-Floyd included). I’m telling you this, just for you to know that you don’t have to make so much political noise for people we’ll remember your golden years.”
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Posted by Neil Young on Monday, 7 July 2014
The Neil Young Facebook page and website have yet to mention the cancellation.
The more expensive, NIS 890 ($260) Zone A and Silver tickets for the concert, one of the first scheduled in the long list of performances taking place this summer, had sold out weeks ago.
Weiss says that information regarding ticket reimbursements will be published throughout the week in local newspapers and ticket offices.
No other news about other upcoming concerts; Lana Del Rey is due to perform in Tel Aviv on August 20, while the Backstreet Boys will appear in Ra’anana on July 29 and 30 and Lady Gaga arrives in September.
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