Neil played the 2016 Lucca Summer festival with his current band “Promise of the Real”. The Festival also included Van Morrison and Tom Jones amongst others. It w as a perfect Tuscan summer night with a waxing moon and a light breeze. The gig was mostly standing room, with a few raised “VIP” spots and two big screens. Neil began solo with his bartered acoustic guitar and played many classics from the Harvest era. Once the band tuned up we got 2 hours of electric Neil (my preferred kind of Neil). Lots of extended guitar jams with the other two guitarists and the bass and drums. We wandered home happily after 2.5 hours as the show meandered towards its conclusion, through scattered gatherings of external listeners lolling about the perimeter. It’s surprising how many important musicians play Lucca but not larger Florence nearby. One Lucca resident told me it was due to the guy who runs the festival and his connections within the music biz.
