H.O.R.D.E. Beckons Neil Young

Just as we’ve gotten used to Neil Young in his role as the Godfather of Grunge, the veteran rocker is apparently looking to return to his hippie roots.

Young is negotiating with organizers of the annual H.O.R.D.E. tour about taking the headliner slot in this summer’s caravan of jam-rock vibes.

It’s a potentially key move for both Young and the tour. Young’s youth culture, alt-rock icon status of the past several years frankly did little to sell his albums or concert tickets. And H.O.R.D.E., in its fifth year, will be without founding band Blues Traveler for the first time.

Neither H.O.R.D.E. organizers nor representatives of Young would comment on the talks. But sources close to the situation confirmed that a deal is being worked out for Young to anchor the trek, which has earned a reputation as a launching pad for such stars-in-the-making as the Dave Matthews Band and Joan Osborne.

The combination got a test run last summer when Young hooked up with H.O.R.D.E. for one show in Hershey, Pa., and all concerned were said to be thrilled with the experience.

“Neil’s one of the few artists who’s actually been able to develop credibility with the younger generation of musicians,” says Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of the concert trade magazine Pollstar. “In that sense, in helping to make his connection to a younger audience, it’s good for Neil. Not knowing what else they have, it’s hard to say for sure, but it provides an interesting show and makes a more mainstream connection for H.O.R.D.E.

“My initial reaction is positive--provided that they’re not having to pay Neil so much money that the ticket prices are exorbitant.”

Ironically, that’s just what many were saying in ‘95, when Young was lined up to headline Lollapalooza. The results were never seen, though, since the rocker pulled out just before the deal was signed, stating that he had decided to devote his attention to “Mirror Ball,” the album he was recording at the time with Pearl Jam.

If H.O.R.D.E. can reconnect Young with his traditional pre-grunge audience, the timing will be good. He has three album releases scheduled for this year: a live set recorded during his 1996 tour with Crazy Horse; a collection of tracks from his annual Bridge School benefit concerts (which have featured such guests as Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and David Bowie), and the long-delayed first installment of a planned series of unearthed archival tracks--all seemingly appealing to longtime followers.

Some promoters, however, are a bit skeptical about the Young-H.O.R.D.E. combination, having experienced less-than-sensational returns on some of Young’s ’96 shows. Young was an expensive booking, but encountered sluggish sales in some markets. Bongiovanni, though, says that shouldn’t be grounds for dismissal.

“He wasn’t selling out everywhere, but that was typical for 1996,” he says. “That’s why many promoters are crying now. They were paying sellout money to artists who were only playing half houses. But it wasn’t just one artist, it was most of them.”