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30 November 2011
A return visit after the previous night's triumphant gig, and already at 7PM the stalls were significantly more packed than they had been the night before. Having scouted around a little bit, and knowing where Dylan would be, I settled in at a spot which should offer a reasonable view of the stage and Dylan.
Mark Knopfler gave virtually the same set as the night before, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it a bit more - perhaps it was the familiarity that made it more palatable, or maybe it was being able to see all of the band this time. There's definitely a correlation between visual contact and musical enjoyment. If it was busy before the Apollo was rammed by the time Dylan took the stage and I was discombobulated when just as Bob came on stage a wall appeared in front of me - tall people at gigs, don't you hate them ? So there followed some ducking and weaving to try and see something, and a couple of relocations which offered a better view for a song or two - but this was a seething crowd in perpetual motion as it lapped like waves around the stage
Dylan was sporting a frock coat as well as his trademark white wide brimmed hat . At first he seemed somewhat grumpier than the night before - even if his vocals were if anything even better - but by the third song of the set he's settled in and was cool again. The little nods and half smiles were back to the fore. 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue' was again superbly rendered, and Dylan seemed to take particular pleasure over the line "I used to care but things have changed" in the set's third song. Has the seventy year old Dylan come fully to terms with the weight of expectations every time the takes the stage? Is that why he seems so relaxed and at ease now? Is the whole song about performing live? Maybe, it could be read that way.
Mark Knopfler left the stage after the third song - and some people started drifting away as well soon after. Not a large number, but a steady stream; the same thing had happened the night before. How strange. I actually had to read the answer to this puzzle elsewhere to understand - some people had come only to see Mark Knopfler. Well, what can I say about that?
To be honest the tempo dropped a little over the following three songs - 'Spirit On The Water', 'Honest With Me' and 'Forgetful Heart' representing a slowing of the pace song by song and were perhaps too many softer songs in a row. There was definitely some wandering off of audience attention. Let’s be blunt - there was talking in class. The rocking-blues of 'The Levee's Gonna Break' got things back on track, and 'Man In The Long Black Coat' may have lacked the recorded version's eerie soundtrack but did allow Dylan to sing centre stage, strike poses and play his harp - and these are all good things. It's great to see Dylan not stuck behind the keyboards for the whole gig - he'd also played guitar on a couple of songs.
The next six songs were identical to the previous night - which is both a good and a bad thing: these are major works and having them all there is crowd pleasing - but leaves less room for Dylan to completely chop and change the set list on a nightly basis. It is also to be expected that the set list would lack any of Dylan's and Knopfler’s 1980s collaborations – for them to be present would be just too obvious!
On 'Ballad Of A Thin Man' Dylan used an echo effect on the vocals - which seems to amuse him as much as anything. It also adds to the underlying uncomfortable feeling of disorientation and confusion inherent in the lyrics. The volume and the speed continued to build until the dam of joy bursts forth on 'Like a Rolling Stone' with the Apollo shaking with the audience's gleeful sing-a-long on the chorus. "How does it feel?", it feels pretty good. And then Bob speaks: "Thank you everyone, mumble, mumble, Mr Mark Knopfler". Sure enough Mark Knopfler re-joined the band to add additional lead guitar and to duet with Dylan on 'Forever Young' and when he reached the line "may your songs always be sung" he made a big gesture towards Dylan which predictably got a huge cheer, which even Dylan couldn’t pretend he hadn't noticed. As the band took their leave of the stage there was huge and prolonged applause, it took a long time for the house lights to go up raising that small hope of an extra encore - but, well, if you start doing that once then everyone will want one. Leave 'em wanting more is the Dylan family motto.
And so that's it the end of the tour and the last Dylan gig for 2011 - come back soon Bobby Dylan.
Bob Dylan Set List
- Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
- It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
- Things Have Changed
- Spirit On The Water
- Honest With Me
- Forgetful Heart
- The Levee's Gonna Break
- Man in the Long Black Coat
- Highway 61 Revisited
- Desolation Row
- Thunder on The Mountain
- Ballad of a Thin Man
- All Along The Watchtower
- Like A Rolling Stone
- Forever Young (Mark Knopfler on guitar and vocals)
Mark Knopfler Set List
- What It Is
- Cleaning My Gun
- Sailing To Philadelphia
- Hill Farmer's Blues
- Privateering (new MK song)
- Song for Sonny Liston
- Haul Away (new MK song)
- Marbletown
- Brothers In Arms
- Speedway At Nazareth
- So Far Away