Neil Young Celebrates 69th Birthday On A Roll

Exclusive Neil Young photo album of Blue Dot Tour in Vancouver with David Suzuki

By Stephen Pate – Neil Young called the Keystone pipelines “scabs on our lives,” calling on Canadians to keep Canada’s environment healthy on the eve of his 69th birthday.

Neil Young performed at the November 9 Blue Dot concert in Vancouver with The Barenaked Ladies, David Suzuki, Feist, Shane Koyczan, Raine Maida and Raffi.

Check out the exclusive photo gallery by KK+.

“Those people who are the Fort McMurray people, either they’re oil people or they’re occupied by oil people. So of course they’re going to be upset because I just said we don’t want that. It’s not good for our families,” Young told the Globe.

“I see the world the way I see it. I’m going to do what I think should be done because people are watching me. Then they’ll say, `Why’s he doing that? Doesn’t he care about selling records?’ No, I don’t.”

Young’s new record, Who’s Gonna Stand Up  wants “ban fossil fuel and draw the line before we build one more pipeline.”

“The real issue is do we want to have a clean planet,” he said. “Do people in Canada deserve to have food that’s good and breathe clean air? If people in Canada all wanted that, it might be a good idea to put it in their constitution like so many other countries around the world.”

“There are some people who say that I’m not a true Canadian because I roam the earth. To me that’s the most Canadian thing to do is roam the earth.”

The Harper Government touts the pipeline as jobs for Canadians. “That’s not a job. It’s a disaster,” retorts Young.

Some criticize Neil Young for his views as an ex-patriot Canadian living in the United States but Neil Young is a US environmentalist as well and has maintained his connection with Canada throughout his career.

Neil Young turned 69 on November 12th, 2014. He had childhood polio and has begun to experience the Late Effects of Polio, although he still actively tours and records music.

Other artists on The Blue Dot Tour, which started in September, include:

■ Margaret Atwood
■ Robert Batemen
■ Bruce Cockburn
■ Jim Cuddy
■ Cris Derksen
■ Jeremy Fisher
■ Grimes
■ Emily Haines from Metric
■ Jenn Grant
■ Greg Keelor
■ Chantal Kreviazuk
■ Stephen Lewis
■ Joe MacInnis
■ Raine Maida
■ Joel Plaskett
■ Jimmy Shaw from Metric
■ Kinnie Star
■ Raffi
■ Royal Wood

The song “Who’s Gonna Stand Up” is on Neil Young’s new CD Storytone available from iTunes and Amazon.com in the US and Amazon.ca  in Canada.

For more information on the Blue Dot environmental movement, see Blue Dot The Tour.  With Neil Young quotes from The Globe and Mail.

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