See copyright notice at
 http://www.expectingrain.com/dok/div/copyright.html

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?


2000: March - April - May - June - July - September

Tour