As the start date for Bob’s return to UK stages in October gets closer, we take a look at how he is coping with the rigours of age … we also re-publish recent reviews of his dates, this time from Philadelphia…
A while ago we met up with friends from Spain in Bratislava … we’d been doing it for a while, meeting up in different cities in different parts of the world to see old rockers perform.
This time we were about to witness Alice Cooper’s bizarre theatre of rock and the macabre.
After all the prempatory pomp and circumstance of a rock show that had become so polished it should have been on the skids Alice rattled old bones on to stage … his hair was lank, his make-up looked sweaty, his knees were creaky and his voice was pretty weak.
But worst of all he was using a walking stick.
There’s a reason for telling you this about Alice in a compendium dedicated to Bob |Dylan. And this is it…
Just at the right moment when his old man act was beginning to wear and his big scary dolls were fed-up of bouncing off the scenery, Alice transformed … he became a young man. He posed, he threatened, he screamed, his trashed his air guitar and strutted like the madman he has always been.
And surely, this is exactly what Dylan’s been doing! It is a simple fact that he is finally the Ol’ Blues Man, who’s been singing the blues since time began ,,, but is he geriatric, like so many have been saying?
No! Of course he’s not!
He is made of smoke and mirrors and since the rough and rowdy tour began he might have appeared to be badly built and walk on stilts … but look hard in to his shadowy kingdom.
Like Alice, Bob is doing it through a looking glass, a whole mirror of art, invention, thought, brilliance and power.
Bob is still on his feet, bending the knee, glowering, using his joker smile and tripping lightly over the snake-pit tangle of stage wires, he just kept it all hidden for a while..
Yep, sure there is the Ol’ Blues Man, the elderly man, the grandad of music, but there is also the young man who never went away. The performer and the artist.
Look at the Mephistophelian grin, the lighting from the bowels of the stage, the tall red curtain and the men in black with lyrics like “Twelve years old, they put me in a suitForced me to marry a prostitute…”
Just like Alice the fire is still there in his heart and his eyes. And his soul is dancing in the stars…
Here are some reviews below, this time from his recent shows in +Philadelphia
Alexander Leik writes:
“There are no changes to the set list. This is the direction in which our
hero has been headed for some time now. A show, performance, theatre of
sorts. It’s no longer about “what song is next, can I surprise the
stalwarts?” But it has become “I’m playing to the multitudes that I
contain, F the stalwarts!” And it is brilliantly done. The 8 new songs
(out of 10 possible) that are the foundation of this show are delivered to
near perfection nightly. When is the last time our hero played 80% of a
new album for us on tour?!
The show will continue, I hope our international friends are able to
indulge in early 2022. I’ll sign off after The Anthem in DC. Very
curious to hear what our hero has to say about “the swamp” . And
the cheesesteaks … well you don’t have to eat for the rest of the
year, no doubt! Yummy indeed!”
Laurette Maillet again!
“Bob is right on time. Dressed the same as last night but with the red shirt.
The few first words of "watching the river flow" are lost in the air. But the
sound will improve for the best.
The ambiance is festive. The public reacts to the songs.
Some fans are dancing on " You've gotta serve somebody " and the entire
right section of the floor is dancing on " Good bye Jimmy Reed ".
I have the feeling Bob is looking in that direction and he is impressed.
Joking about the Philadelphia cheese-steak (Something like 'if you eat one ,
you don't have to eat for the rest of the year!') before introducing the Band.
Great show. Close to the second one at the Beacon.”
David Mendick writes:
“Dylan says “yummy” for the first time on stage ! Nobody was enjoying
this show more than Dylan himself. From beginning to the very end he was
in as good a mood as I’ve ever seen. It’s strange cos I felt this was
going to be a disappointing audience - it was a little slow to fill and
seemed somewhat quiet until the lights went down. And then - oh boy - the
place was brilliant all night long and Dylan fed off the superb
atmosphere. For instance Serve Somebody has been ok for most of the tour
but tonight was a highlight. As for Dylan stuck behind the piano and all
the talk of he can’t walk and can barely move - well he’s heard the
talk. I Contain Multitudes he’s center stage with his arms outstretched
telling all the world “here I am” And he kept coming back for more. I
wouldn’t dare say “like Rocky” - there, I just did.”
Barry Gloffke writes:
“It was a crowd pleaser. Bob looked good, sounded good, seemed happy and the
audience responded in kind. We cheered, yelled, danced and sometimes stood
awestruck at the sheer sincerity in Bob’s singing/playing. The Band was
muscular and tight tonight when necessary, light and airy when needed.
Thanks Bob for a string of excellent shows and a lifetime of memories and
lessons. Hope to see all you Bobcats on the next tour!”
Stephen Goldberg writes:
“Last night was our third for this tour after Hershey and one night st the
Beacon. Surprisingly, many unsold seats in the Loge. I guess Philly
isn’t his town. I mean the side sections except for the first few rows
were completely empty. Dylan stood at the mic center stage for the entire
I Contain Multitudes. I have to admit I prefer it when he doesn’t play
piano. To me his piano playing muddies the mix ( not counting the
clunkers). False Prophet as usual was a standout as was My Own Version If
You. The crowd really responded to Serve Somebody. Bob flubbed part of Key
West and you could see him turning the pages on his piano. Key West seems
to be getting faster and harder each time he plays it.”
