Bob Dylan 2000.09.28 in Hamburg, Germany
Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Krochmannstrasse 55
Capacity: 6500
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2000 02:17:41 +0200 (METDST) From: Mattias Davidsson mattias@quark.lu.se To: billp61@execpc.com cc: karlerik@expectingrain.com Subject: Hamburg Review. Got back from this evenings show, and hope I managed to pull myself together enough to spell, to some extent, correct. Met a collegue and Bob-cat on the bus to the "Sporthalle" who said that the sound in the auditorium usually is quite bad. This evening he was wrong, apart from the first 30 seconds of "I am the man Thomas" the sound was crisp and clear. Dylans singing was focused, always in tune, and really inspired. He bended the wovles, turned the words around, stopped and started, paused, and delaied the phrasing and verses, over and over. Just like we are used to. But this evening, I'll tell you, he did it no less than great, and I'm sure the tape will say the same (not mine, but someone elses). The venue vas not full, my guess is 5000 people, and those who did not by the remaining tickets I can only feel sorry for. A few notes on the songs this evening. I am the man was a nice starter, even though the first verse was screwed up since they simply did not turn all the amps on. MBP was great you could tell that Bob was in great form, wearing his dark/black suite, I am to short to tell what shoes he was wearing. It's alright Ma was probably the best I've heard. Focused great playing and really inspired and expressive. Love-0 was also just that. Tangled featured some really cool (weird) guitarr playing from Bob, and it was by far the best version of it I've heard. Bob used his voice this evening in so many ways it was really amazing. From the depths of the darkest oceans... all in one breath. A cool thing to note is that the light technicians here used spot lights from fron/below casting huge silhouette shadows of Bob and the band on the back of the stage. A picture of that (which noone took I'm afraid) would be worth the ticket. Searching, was nice with great singing from the three front row guys. Country pie rocked and coutrified major parts of Hamburg, and after that came Standing in the doorway. Need I say it was amazing, and I was not prepared for this one. A friend of mine commented on the cool cymbal work that made me think of "sad eyed lady". Guess that is since its in the same beat. Following that great rendition (first live I've heard ever) came a simply splendid Tombstone blues, which seemed to end up in quite a different arrangement when it comes to the timing between instruments and vocals. Bob just found something there, and he kept it. This is exactly the way it would have sounded if it would have been on the q-sheets in 66. Dignity was great, and I sure want to hear it on a recording. My guess it will sound even better there. Cold Irons... well, this was really something, heard this version before, but this was by far better. The best way to describe would be like driving a convertible in 150mph in the middle of the night on a higway crashing into hells-ditch, over and over again, SPOOKY. Leopard Skin. Here it is time to say a few words of praise to Charlie. That man is amazing when it comes to what he does best. And we all know what that is. This version was the third different kind of blues in the last four songs, and the word is HEAVY (perhaps even more so when it comes to Tombstone). This was the first set, and the applause was enormous. Bob and the band stood in line, basically still, recieving them for more than a minute or so. After a quick break they came back to give us a great Things have changed, which had changed, only a tiny, but still a bit, from this spring. Like a rolling stone was, once again, the best live version I've heard, and, I mean, it's not a bad song or anything... 4'th time around...... cannot come up with anything here, how about "great" or "mindblowing". That will have to do. Bob's singing was simply great. Perhaps the weakest part of the show (at least if you look at the songs surrounding it) was Watchin the river. It was still by far the greates version of it I've heard. Now, I shall be released, and everybody sings along. Highway 61, rocks harder than ever before (perhaps once againg the best live version...) Blowing in the wind, by far the best live version. There was one passage where I just could not believe the way he sang it. I did not think he could do that anymore, reaching down really low. Will be quite evident on the tape, which I btw. would like to announce my interest in... have lots of stuff you'd be interested in.... I just have to end by saying that next to me stood a 70+ year old lady that Bobbed along with the rest of us. Her hair was grey, she was happy, and man, was I happy to see her. SUM = Mindblowing. CONLUSION: What the hell is he going to give us next? Paradise city?