Reviews

Cork, Ireland

Docklands
Live at the Marquee (Festival)

June 16, 2014


[Tiernan Henry], [Colin Lacey], [Tim Coakley], [Steinar Daler]

Review by Tiernan Henry



"We must reconcile ourselves to the stones
Not the stones to us."
MacDiaramaid might have been talking about our relationship to the world
around us, but it sort of applies to the world of Bob too. There are
mountains of Pi and there are oceans of Bob, and every so often - for
about 100 days a year - we get to dip in that ocean and reconcile
ourselves to that odd little man in the hat. And there he was again last
night, walking onstage as if he'd just walked off stage in Hawaii, not
breaking stride and inviting us all along for another swim. Colin's
already given you a really succinct review and I can't add much, other
than to say Charlie's playing was mixed higher and he seemed to be given
just that bit more room to play and to allow us to hear him: the solos are
short, punchy and oh, so sweet. Everyone else rolled right along with the
show, and it was highly entertaining with few lows, and the probably three
quarter full tent was fully behind Dylan and ready to be enticed. A lovely
evening, following a scorching day, meant that the mood was relaxed and
festive and the sight of the pair of dancers riffing gloriously behind Stu
and then sprinting behind the risers to continue their jump-jive
accompaniment to High Water behind, and to his left, of Bob was a joy. It
goes without saying that none of the suited gents at the front of the
stage as much as acknowledged the carry-on that was going on behind them.
Up front Bob's in fine voice and hammering away at the piano as if there's
a mouse loose on the keyboard. Well, if he's happy... Highlights: the
opening duo of Things Have Changed and She Belongs To Me; the possible nod
to his location in referring to the waterfront docks in Simple Twist; Love
Sick and Highwater were powerful and powered; and that closing few minutes
where the shadows fall away, the air clears, the light gets just that bit
sharper, and Bob stands stage front and opens up, filling the tent with
the enormous, engulfing Long & Wasted Years. It's a tsunami of a song,
triggered by something deep deep down, some shift of a plate against
another one, and if not many there knew it at the start, by the end it had
carried everyone on it's odd tale. With some of songs he sings them just
fine, with this he performs it and he nailed it. You can sense his pride
in the song, his sheer unabashed joy in belting it out. Reconcile yourself
to that, he seems to be saying. For the clockwatchers: the promoters
announced about 7:45 that he'd be onstage at 8 and right on the button,
the lights went down and Stu started his strumming. So don't be late in
Dublin tonight, and you'll still have time to get a couple of pints and
get home for Russia v South Korea.

Tiernan

[TOP]

Review by Colin Lacey



Good, solid, entertaining show in Cork tonight.
Bob sang well, seemed in great form. Band rocked whole show through. Nice
trade offs between Bob on piano and lead guitar. In fact, excellent piano
by Dylan throughout. Highlights included opener Things have Changed,
Tangled Up in Blue and best performance of the night, Love Sick. Coulda
done without Beyond Here Lies Nothing. Set two opened with tough, tight
High Water. Good Duquesne Whistle and excellent Long and Wasted. Groove on
Early Roman Kings got deeper as song went on. One thing to remember - this
is coming on like a real show, a piece of entertainment - it was, after
all, in a big tent. But it's a fun time performance.  Great touch was the
dancers (!) to Bob's left for High Water - like something out of
West Side Story. Overall, a fun show, with Bob putting in loads of effort
and singing his ass off. 

Colin Lacey

[TOP]

Review by Tim Coakley



Dylan gave one great show in Cork Marquee  tonight. It started smack on
time..maybe a minute or so before 8pm ! Then it  was one highlight after
another. We had smiles from the man himself, water freely handed out by
the organisers, dancers (yes dancers) , we got a break after 45 minutes
but considering the pace, we needed it. A beautiful setting in every sense
of the word. Special mentions. " Tangled up in blue" and "Long and wasted
years". The band- well they are Dylan`s - enough said. It was a privilege
to be there.  Lesson from tonight: Men are at their best at 73. 

[TOP]

Review by Steinar Daler



Back on tour with Dylan again.. Two real good concerts in Ireland. Exactly
the same setlist as last time I saw him at Royal Albert Hall in London inn
November,. With such a strong performance and a very well composed
setlist, I don?t care so far about the non changing setlist. Bob?s vocal
is also very strong. In Cork he was ?on? from the first note. I?m not a
big fan of Things Have Changed, but in Cork I felt it was better than ever
before. The whole first half of the concert in Cork were strong, I can?t
remember having heard Dylan that good at the first concert of a tour
before. I read on Expecting rain that he had been in Cork for 3 days
before the concert. Maybe that made him so good. The first half in Dublin
was good too, but in my opinion not as strong as in Cork, except for an
outstanding version of Tangled Up In Blue. So much power and expressions
the whole song through. The second half was great - same level - on both
concerts. The biggest highlight is of course Long And Wasted Years. A guy
in his mid 60?s sitting next to me in Dublin told me he had followed
Dylan?s career since 1964 and seen him live every time he had played
Dublin plus some concerts in England and in New York. During Long And
Wasted Years he started crying of joy and being moved almost too much.. I
almost shed a tear myself too. I found Blowin? In The Wind in Dublin as a
highlight too. Soooo  good vocal and really into the lyrics like he?s
still singing straight from his heart. All in all two very good concerts.
A big thank you to the Irish audience as well. Such a good mood both
places. A real good mood at stage too. Next up for me is Slupsk, Poland
July 5th. Can?t wait!

Steinar Daler    

[TOP]

Click Here
to return to the
Main Page

page by Bill Pagel
billp61@execpc.com

Current
Tour Guide
Older
Tour Guides
Bob Links
Page
Songs
Performed
Set Lists
by Date
Set Lists
by Location
Cue
Sheets