October 8, 2011
Review by Paul Ryan
Well, well, well . . . what a difference a couple of years make. I last saw Bob
when he played in Scotland in May 2009.
One of the things that struck me most about the film "I'm Not There" was how
inspired was the choice of Cate Blanchett. Not just that she's a good actress,
but more that being a woman made her perfect for portraying the Dylan of 1966.
There used to be much discussion about supposed clues in Dylan's lyrics that
revealed his secret homosexuality. Several of the lines in Ballad Of A Thin
Man, for example. Don't have it to hand, but I'm sure that Michael Gray's "Song
And Dance Man" covered the matter. It was all puerile stuff, of course.
What was certainly true, though, was that there was always something about
Dylan that was . . . well, the word I've seen used before is "camp". I
prefer "fey" myself, but let's not debate such finer points just now. And
Cate got it just right. The small steps, weight on the front of the foot,
almost skipping.
Dylan opened tonight with two songs at the keyboard. (Just my luck to be
staring at the back of his head.) In my comments on the May 2009 Glasgow
concert I referred to the pleasing groove that the band got into. This time it
seemed that I'd be saying much the same thing.
Until, that is, the third song came around. Bob left the keyboard and came
centre-stage. We were then treated to a rendition of Things Have Changed that
it's going to be very difficult to describe in any way that does justice to it.
He danced. He pranced. He gestured. He acted it out. He . . . oh well, you
just have to see the video. Perhaps not "camp" exactly, but - this may be
stretching things a bit - Kid Creole did come to mind at one point. It was Bob
Dylan doing Cate Blanchett.
This continued for Tangled Up In Blue, except that - in keeping with the
lyrics - the campness went and he seemed more conventionally macho.
Microphone in right hand, left hand with thumb in belt loop.
Then came Honest With Me. All trace of campness disappeared completely. He was
the front man for a rock band. Legs apart (not quite "akimbo") he strutted the
stage, bouncing around. For those of you in the UK, he did the Vic & Bob dance
(the one they do with their hands on their thighs).
Some songs back at the keyboard. (A really good Hattie Carroll, which
pleased Number One son.) Then back to centre-stage for Tryin' To Get To
Heaven. Again, he acted out the song for us. Tremendous stuff.
I'm not going to comment on every song. I said in 2009 that I had enjoyed
the concert because the groove the band had got into was consistently good. I
meant every word at the time, but re-reading it now, there's more than a hint of
damning with faint praise. This time I want to say something very different. I
really didn't pay attention to the sound quality, because I was too busy
watching the show. I don't know what the audio recordings are going to be like.
All I know is this: Bob was having fun and that meant that we did too. That's
fun as in F-U-N.
I hope tomorrow is as good. I've long since given up on downloading every
show. (I still haven't cleared my backlog in any case.) But I've never
lost faith. Tonight my faith was both rewarded and justified.
Two shows in Glasgow was going to be enough for me. Now, I'm wondering if I can
find an excuse to be in London in November.
Paul Ryan
Review by Robert Muir
Just got home from tonight's gig. Was a little nervous as had heard so many
stories about the acoustics of this venue. Shouldn't have bothered. Bob and his
band nailed it. I have been going to Dylan concerts since 1978 (Earls Court
15/06/78 - and just about all UK appearances since) and have never seen Bob so
animated when centre stage as he was tonight. Not even in the past when it was
just him, his guitar and a mouth harp. He really is a "Song and Dance Man"! A
great one at that. Won't go into a blow by blow account but the highlights for
me tonight were (in no particular order): Baby Blue; Trying to get to Heaven;
Tangled up in Blue and Honest with Me. Bob looked as though he was enjoying
himself tonight - and it came through in his delivery. Can't wait until tomorrow
night now. Won't be there early though. Mark Knopfler's set was mediocre and
disappointing at best.
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