Bob Dylan, Manchester Arena
Hail Caesar! (that's enough - Ed)
Started at 1943. Band walked on and started playing. No chat. The MEN arena is huge. We were nearly 70 metres from the stage and all we could see were half a dozen stick men playing various instruments. Took half an hour to decide which one was Bob Dylan (playing piano and occasional harmonica). No chat between songs at all. Songs were OK - reworked versions of old classics but rarely anything that required extensive singing. Bob's voice was there somewhere but he insisted on singing off the beat and raising his voice at the end of a line. Mesmerising stuff. Finished at 2115 without saying a word in between songs. Came back on for an encore and finally introduced the band who were excellent. Did rolling stone and all along the watchtower. Did teh same old trick as he did at Earl's Court in the 80s - switching all lights on as they sang 'how does it feel' and the audience fell for it all over again. Finished at 2137. No support band, no chat just a maverick doing his own thing. Revenue for the night about half a million. (all pints of beer were £3). Took 45 minutes to get out of the car park.
How much did you take Bobby? Do you really need it?
Went home and listened to Blood on the tracks CD.
Started at 1943. Band walked on and started playing. No chat. The MEN arena is huge. We were nearly 70 metres from the stage and all we could see were half a dozen stick men playing various instruments. Took half an hour to decide which one was Bob Dylan (playing piano and occasional harmonica). No chat between songs at all. Songs were OK - reworked versions of old classics but rarely anything that required extensive singing. Bob's voice was there somewhere but he insisted on singing off the beat and raising his voice at the end of a line. Mesmerising stuff. Finished at 2115 without saying a word in between songs. Came back on for an encore and finally introduced the band who were excellent. Did rolling stone and all along the watchtower. Did teh same old trick as he did at Earl's Court in the 80s - switching all lights on as they sang 'how does it feel' and the audience fell for it all over again. Finished at 2137. No support band, no chat just a maverick doing his own thing. Revenue for the night about half a million. (all pints of beer were £3). Took 45 minutes to get out of the car park.
How much did you take Bobby? Do you really need it?
Went home and listened to Blood on the tracks CD.
posted by Julius Caesar at
8:05 pm
