Neil Young: "My life is not a political campaign"

Iconic American rocker Neil Young will return to Birmingham's LG Arena on Tuesday (June 11, 2013) to reunite with his band Crazy Horse.

They are touring for the first time in eight years, after releasing their two 2012 albums Americana and Psychedelic Pill.

Young and Crazy Horse haven't performed a full concert together since their Greendale tour in March of 2004, so fans have been flocking to see them in action.

The tour kicked off in Perth in March and has been working its way around the world.

Young's work has been characterised by provocative lyrics, as well as extraordinary songs. However, the performer does not see himself as a politician.

"My life is not a political campaign. I just write about what is on my mind.

"I just play whatever I feel like playing. Whatever is in my soul at the time is what I want to do. I have, thank god, enough people who are still interested in what I am doing so that I can go out and keep doing it."

He seldom looks back on his career achievements, preferring instead to look forward. "I'm worried more about what I'm going to do next week than I am what I did last week. There are too many things to do. Looking back is for everybody else."

Young says there are have been huge changes to the music industry, which is now dominated by the media.

He famously banned cameras from filming his legendary appearance at Woodstock, which would be unimaginable in today's world. That was a turning point when music was becoming media and music was turning into an industry instead of a direct communication between musicians and the audience.

"In my view, cameras had no place on stage. They could film from far away and it wouldn't bother me at all.

"I can't imagine American Idol in the '60s. It's so different you can't compare it. The idea that there is a contest for who can pose the best.

"They are all just imitating other people. I don't know what that is.

"The media has got the whole thing. (sarcastic) But we don't have to worry about that in the United States. We've got CNN. We have the best political team on television working the story, so we've got no problems. (laughs)"

Young still gets excited by new music. "Well, when I get excited about anything nowadays it's either new music or energy. Those are the two subjects I'm most concerned with.

"Yeah, I'm always open to new stuff. I don't sit and try to figure out what to do, I just wait for an idea to come.

"The music is great and it is nice because it gets people thinking, it moves people."