Reviews

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm Waterfront Auditorium

October 12, 2013


[Anders Tidström], [Lena G]

Review by Anders Tidström



Bobby landed safely, Saturday in an almost surrealistic Swedish landscape. 
Fall shot bright flames to accomplish the night´s concert in the Stockholm 
Waterfront auditorium. At least I felt like the seasonal sunlit forest fire flashed 
as hell in honor of Dylan. And … he gave us a vivid and great show from first 
spark. 

No announcement due to any slave contract with the record company - simply 
lights on stage when the band entered (ten minutes late). Nice, we don´t 
need a resume to know Dylan is a competent and exceptional contibutor to 
contemporary music … and more.

Bob opened center stage, with a microphone, no instrument. A brave start. 
The real and nude sing and dance man, greeting his audience with Things 
have changed. But something is nevertheless like before - the Oscar statuette 
he received for this song was as usual parked through the show on an amplifier 
close to Dylan. A worthy trophy, a mascot? And the obvious and beautiful 
artistic relationship between Bob and Charlie Chaplin is also present and 
continuous. They definitely share the spirit when on stage and in a way they 
look alike too. Unchanged! But for a change this was a night when Dylan made 
hatless tricks … which means he left his hat nearby on the floor until the show 
was over. And who needs a hat the hour when the ship comes in. Hat off for 
this arena as a new and attractive venue with excellent sound and an audience 
of less than 3000 (sold out). Through the night a mild moonlight hangs like a 
paint brush over the stage, no sharp white spots and just a soft black 
background behind the band. His Bobness in a nice black suit with some 
sober silver decoration on his trousers - no less than the look of a Mexican 
bull fighter.

Bob stayed on the spot. Singing She belongs to me and excercising shortly on 
harp too. Can´t help my flashback of1966 here. Dylan started the very concert 
center stage in Stockholm Concert House with this very song! Here we go 
again, 47 years later - that´s life and life only. Why didn´t I bring a brand new 
leopard skin pill box hat for this occasion? Anyway I brought my wife instead 
and she honors Dylan more than any fury leopard skin. That will do!

Next Bob positions behind the grand piano and Beyond here lies nothin´ is 
brought to air. Dylan and his band is following the set list from Oslo (October 10) 
with only two exceptions: Blind Willie Mc Tell, added last before intermission and 
Thunder on the mountain replacing Summer days. 

No, no nostalgia! Not for me and not for Bob and hopefully for nobody around. 
We love old and new stuff, original or totally reshaped.  Tonight we were 
offered six out of ten songs from last year´s cd Tempest. A third af the concert 
was thus brand new poduction: Pay in blood, Duquesne whistle, Early Roman 
kings, Scarlet town, Soon after midnight and Long and wasted years. Actually all 
six songs were performed with great warmth and feeling. This brought a special 
dynamic athmosphere to the whole concert.

Simple twist of fate and Thunder of the mountain went right to my heart. Fine 
poetry, harmonic melodies and an enormously tight band makes it. Earlier It´s 
alright, ma (I´m only bleeding) was really rocking. The violin of Donnie Herron 
was excellent. And the whole concert was an even performance in high spheres. 
A Bob fan may be a poor critic. If I try my best I could find an exception for a 
little rough, not top version, of Blowin´in the wind. 

Dylan made some gestures and dancing center stage. Those were exceptions. 
Also harp playing was just for a couple of songs. Most of the time he sang and 
played the grand piano.

Finally, when I saw Bob first time, April 1966, his set list was eight songs poorer 
than tonight and he also was more than an hour late to the show then and in 
spite of that he had no time for encores in the end. Obviously Bob was so
much older then, he´s younger than that now!

Anders Tidström

[TOP]

Comments by Lena G



Bob Dylan – The voice with a built in copyright!

DON’T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR HIM!
The sound of Dylan and the sound in the concert hall was perfect!
Only favorite songs, Beyond Here Lies Nothing is always right and Blind
Willie McTell touched me deeply just like Soon After Midnight did. I
pounded round Stockholm for hours looking for a handkerchief to wave.
“If you see me comin’ And you’re standing there, Wave your
handkerchief In the air”. I couldn’t find any so I waved my white
scarf three seconds in that moment of the song and suddenly the guard
pointed a stoboscopic lamp on me for almost five minutes. If that line had
been in the refrain I surely would have had my 15 minutes in the
spotlight. Please do me a favour and bring your handkerchief with you –
I really would like to know how many lamps they can handle at the same
time! I was hoping for Narrow way (can be heard over and over again) and
Tin Angel (a brilliant song) but I put that on my
“dreamstocometrueaccount”. Thank you, really thank you Mr Dylan! And
Don’t ever take yourself away.........

Lena G

[TOP]

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