Joni Mitchell gives first full live performance for 20 years

Joni Mitchell has given her first full live performance in 20 years after making a surprise appearance at the Newport Folk Festival.

The 78-year-old joined Brandi Carlile during her set to perform some of her classics including 'Both Sides Now', 'A Case of You' and 'Big Yellow Taxi'.

The musician, who has lived largely outside the public eye over the last two decades due to various health issues, performed 13 songs in total.

Read more: Joni Mitchell still struggling to walk, five years after brain aneurysm

Mitchell and Carlile were also joined on stage by an all-star folk lineup of Marcus Mumford, Wynonna Judd, Blake Mills, Jess Wolfe, Holly Laesig, Celisse Henderson and Tim and Phil Hanseroth.

As they performed, Carlile said to the crowd: “I just realised, Joni’s the least nervous person up here."

Mitchell first appeared at the Newport Folk Festival back in 1969 as part of a bill that also included the Everly Brothers and Arlo Guthrie.

Mitchell suffered a brain aneurism in 2015 but did appear in public in 2018 to celebrate her 75th birthday at a tribute concert which included performances from Carlile, Norah Jones, Chaka Khan and James Taylor.

Earlier this year, Mitchell followed Neil Young and removed her catalogue of songs from Spotify in protest against the music streaming company's support of Joe Rogan and his podcast which has been criticised for featuring several racist, sexist and homophobic remarks as well as spreading misinformation about Covid-19.

At the time, she released a statement which said: “Irresponsible people are spreading lies that are costing people their lives. I stand in solidarity with Neil Young and the global scientific and medical communities on this issue.”

sMitchell's comments echoed Young's, who was critical of the streaming service for allowing misinformation to spread: “Spotify represents 60% of the streaming of my music to listeners around the world... Yet my [record label] stood with me, recogniing the threat the Covid misinformation on Spotify posed to the world — particularly for our young people who think everything they hear on Spotfiy is true. Unfortunately it is not.”

Watch below: Joni Mitchell joins Neil Young in removing music from Spotify over anti-vaccine content