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Bob Dylan 971003 in Cardiff, Wales


Date: 7 Oct 1997 23:07:20 +0200
From: "Semneby, Jan" (jan.semneby@smtpgw.svd.se)
Subject: Cardiff
To: "Karl-Erik Andersen" 

...
Everything was as usual. All the familiar faces gathering in the bar at Jurys
Hotel before the show. Fans from the UK, Norway, Denmark...you name it. I guess
most of them had seen the shows in Bournemouth but the Cardiff show was the only
show for me and my friend on this short Bobwatching trip from Sweden. And I tell
you, it was worth every penny. Bob was good at the Lollipop festival in Stockholm
last year but he was even better now. The show was much tighter, the long and
almost endless segments of playing was gone and we got fifteen songs in 95
minutes instedad as over two hours as last year. 

People had been complaining about the bad sound in Bournemouth but it was good in
Cardiff, at least from the position where I was standing and later during the
show it became even better. The band was brilliant and followed Bob carefully.
His voice may sound croaky at times but the phrasing was as great as ever.
Highlights? Well, a majestic version of It«s all over now baby blue with intense
singing from Bob and a crying steel-guitar from Bucky. Highway 61 revisited was
really rocking this night and Bob gave us a great Like a rolling stone, probably
the best I«ve heard.

Was there really anything to complain about? Well, he could have done some more
songs from that great new album. But Love Sick was very good, following the
original closely. All in all a great concert experience with Bob.

Jan Semneby
Stockholm


Subject: Re: Dylan yng Nghaerdydd '66 a '97 From: Craig Jamieson (rcj10@cus.cam.ac.uk) Reply-To: Date: 11 Oct 1997 11:49:46 GMT When I saw this posting in Welsh many thoughts came to mind. Certainly I welcome postings in many languages, I know that fans of Bob Dylan, who by definition must have some interest in English language, or a variant thereof at least, are often more comfortable in their mother tongue. And EDLIS always has translators standing by in all the languages Dylan fans use. But when I saw my name linked with the CIA, welllll I thought I better set records straight mighty quickly.... gedge (gedge@veg.org) wrote: : Mae tad yn atgoffa mynd i weld Dylan ym 1966 - taith : Wel, es i i weld Bob Dylan nos Fawrth (3/10/97). : Wn i'n cerdded trwy Caerdydd... cwrddais a^ casgliad : o bobl neis a 'nes i wario'r noson gyda nhw. Aethom : i'r CIA. Craig, Larry, Ray, John, Padraig, ... I am not now, nor have I ever been, involved with the CIA. The cast of characters is, I think, Larry Horton of New York City rather than Larry Eden, though Gedge may have met both, Ray WWWebster, concert-goer extraordinaire, John Baldwin a gentleman of dignity and front row centres, and Padraig Kelly, my old Dublin drinking buddy with whom I go back to the days of Liverpool and... Actually Padraig is almost as young as Ben, old modifies buddy in this case... None of us have ever been in the employ of the CIA. To my knowledge. Now when I find myself in a place I do like to mix with the native speakers, be it Sanikiluaq, Angmagssalik, Tirana or Calcutta. Caerdydd is no exception. Many will know I lived three years deep in Welsh Wales at Llanbedr Pont Stefan. The Welsh language was a live issue then and I can recall attending some of the wildest parties I ever knew given by a general in the Free Wales Army. The insider who got me there assured me the party would end in a style I would never forget. Certainly the middle was wild enough, but standard drink/dance/lively interchange style. My Welsh was not great, but making the effort always goes a long way in these situations. I am not sure I followed all that went on, but my friend said as things wound down, "It's been a lively night, some have been where they should not, and the action starts now!" The general, very drunk, whizzed past driving a Land Rover, standing up, swinging an axe, shouting "Where is he?" in Welsh of course. For a split second I feared it might be me he sought, but no, my behaviour had been pristine, this was about a lady and matters of ownership of which I only saw the undercurrents. I asked my friend to assure me he was fooling around for effect, but no assurance was forthcoming. All left the party at speed, running down the road, while the general sought his prey. When we reached college I rethought my political interests, put a nicely coloured Dylan vinyl on the turntable, and contemplated the calm of college parties with different undercurrents. Be that as it may, my rusty skills came in handy at the rec.music.dylan lunch at a very Welsh restaurant, where people at other tables were speaking in Welsh, and I could help anyone order who wanted my help. I won't say how many turned up at that lunch, but suffice it to say it was very very hard to find, a policeman -- rather than give Padraig and I directions -- got in our car and came with us! Ben had already marched out of the car in disgust, with some others, clearly not enjoying the unexpectedly detailed tour of Cardiff provided. No one who attended was less than an hour late! The Armless Dragon is very hidden away, armless, harmless or whatever! By the way, Padraig fell in love with one of the hundreds of people of whom we asked directions. The woman in the long black coat. The one who said, "Bob who? Don't know him." Anyway Padraig remembered none of your directions he was so smitten, which explains part of our lateness, but if you should read this, or anyone knows her, tall, striking, long black coat, tailored look, Padraig will marry you or anything you ask him to do, just e-mail prison.guard@edlis.org for details. She spoke English. Anyway, I will try my very rusty hand at translating Geraint's review. He and Linda kindly put me up and rather rudely we got in after she was asleep and left in the morning before she awakened. Bob is a very bad influence on people... So here is my translation, promise not to laugh, especially if you are Welsh mother tongue yourself: Dad remembers going to see Dylan in 1966 - the first tour after "Highway 61" arrived in the shops. Dad was working on the door in the Capitol (in Cardiff) at the time, and remembers popping in late one afternoon to see what was happening. My dad's boss had had a need for him earlier that afternoon - because Dylan had been practising in the hall, and there a few helpers were needed for the equipment. He had lost his chance to meet and chat with him. Anyway, my dad wasn't working, but he did wait for the concert. He remember that the set was in halves, starting with an acoustic part, and afterwards the electric half. Before Dylan came back for the second half - after the roadies set up the amps - half the audience left in a protest over Dylan's change from the acoustic sound. Well, I went to see Bob Dylan on Friday night (3/10/97). I was walking through Cardiff... met a collection of nice people and spent the evening with them. We went to the CIA. Craig, Larry, Ray, John, Padraig, ... ^[Cardiff International Arena, not Central Intelligence Agency!] I have only heard Dylan through my father's and brother's stereos before, so I recognised some of the songs - about four of them. But I really enjoyed the gig a great deal. Dylan was looking very old, and he wasn't looking entirely sober either. Despite this, the set was full and round - only every other solo to suggest to me that Dylan is past his best on the stage. One of our crew (that was looking after me) said when a song from the new album was being played - the song was different from the rest - quieter, slower. Dylan was not acknowledging the crowd - I don't like this. But by the last song, Dylan's eyes opened and looked over the appreciative fans through the whole thing! I was third from the front (standing) - I hope he saw a Welshman enjoying - the next generation! I met, later, with people from all parts: England, of course, Ireland, USA, Finland, Germany... A good collection of people who know more than is healthy about Dylan. Worth seeing... in the '60s or the '90s, Geraint Edwards I really appreciate Gedge doing this review. I think he was a bit surprised to get caught up in our wee crew and placed so close to the front. But EDLIS policy has always been to get the newbies with no connections into the good "seats", the old timers have dominated the spitting zone for too long. At Wembley we did a few fun upgrades where people stared at their tickets in total disbelief, but it makes sense, if I have a brilliant extra ticket and give it to someone I know I then have several offended friends who feel they deserved it. If I give it to someone I do not know, a new person sees the boy genius close up and anyone with nose out of joint settles back in their perfectly good seats. Gedge's review is not that of an aficionado, treat it that way. I thought Bob Dylan was sober, but you will know what Gedge means by his description. The Bob Dylan introduction at the beginning of the concert was done in Welsh of course, look forward to that on your tapes and CDs. I say let's have more reviews from first time viewers! In more languages. A fresh approach. Craig -- My heart's in the highlands at the break of dawn By the beautiful lake of the black swan Big white clouds like chariots that swing down low Well, my heart's in the highlands, only place left to go
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