Updated 950414

Bob Dylan Tour Reports

The tour schedule. 
 Fri March 10, Prague, Czech Republic

Date:    Mon, 13 Mar 1995 08:48:17 EWT
From:    Mike Clendining (MCLENDIN@ESOC.BITNET)
Subject: Prague 10 Mar

The show was cancelled. Notices appeared a couple of hours before showtime
'Todays show is cancelled due to temporary illness of Bob Dylan, tickets are



 
Sat March 11 Prague, Czech Republic 
 

Date:    Mon, 13 Mar 1995 03:34:04 -0500
From:    Andrew Muir (Andrew@ZIMMY.DEMON.CO.U)
Subject: Re: Prague 10th-12th

MARCH 11TH 1995

Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)
If Not For You
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
Tangled Up In Blue
Watching The River Flow
---------------------------
Mr. Tambourine Man
Boots Of Spanish Leather
Its All Over Now, Baby Blue
---------------------------
Man In The Long Black Coat
God Knows
Maggies Farm
---------------------------
Shelter From The Storm
It Aint Me, Babe



Date:    Sun, 12 Mar 1995 11:55:51 -0500
From:    CHC2hwy61 (chc2hwy61@AOL.COM)
Subject: bit of news from Prague--want more

What little I have heard from the concert front is that the first night in Prague
Bob was wearing a purple shirt (perhaps sans jacket? definitely looking good:-))
He is said to have played *very* little guitar--mostly dancing around the stage
holding the microphone! Also, *Down In the Flood* was the opener. The show
lasted for two hours.

Does anyone have the entire setlists so far? My information is on good authority,
but I welcome other details or rebuttal. Are there any posters from the Czech
Republic out there?

Christine Consolvo


Date:    Sun, 12 Mar 1995 16:14:10 -0500
From:    CHC2hwy61 (chc2hwy61@AOL.COM)
Subject: Re: bit of news from Prague--want more

Just me again with a little update. It's confirmed that he played guitar
on only two songs or so. When he first came out, he walked right past
his guitar to the microphone and started singing! At some point he did
apologize about cancelling due to illness the 1st night and was said to
be holding his stomach a few times. Word has it it was the flu. Also,
since he was without guitar, he had some slightly awkward (nonetheless
adorable) flailings of his arms as he wasn't used to having them free.
Maybe more later.

Christine Consolvo


Date:    Sun, 12 Mar 1995 17:03:06 -0500
From:    CHC2hwy61 (chc2hwy61@AOL.COM)
Subject: Re: bit of news from Prague--want more

And this just in...I must amend that his arm movements may have
appeared awkward. It was said to be *stunning*. (my apologies)
He said something to the effect that "Prague is a nice place to get
over the flu". His shirt was of royal purple satin. He was said to
have coughed a bit and to seat himself to rest between some songs.
He picked up his guitar during *River Flow* and played maybe 15
chords then put it down again. Perhaps he was too ill to be bothered
with it? During *Me Babe* a slightly drunken woman jumped onstage,
picked up his guitar and started to play. When security started to
close in he waved them off and said it was all right. Then when he
came to the lyric "and anyway I'm not alone" he leaned back and
looked at her. Another woman hopped the stage when the show was
almost over and laid a kiss on him. In conclusion (and it won't be)
 he was in *very* good mood and voice.

Christine


Date:    Mon, 13 Mar 1995 08:59:52 EWT
From:    Mike Clendining (MCLENDIN@ESOC.BITNET)
Subject: Prague 11 March

Down in the flood
If not for you
All along the watchtower
Just like a woman
Tangled up in blue
Watching the river flow
Mr tambourine man
It's all over now baby blue
Boots of Spanish leather
Man in the long black coat
God knows
Maggies farm
(encore)
Shelter from the storm
It ain't me babe
.
.
The very large auditorium was full, the audience were becoming impatient by
the time Dylan came on at 20.15. Bob seemed in a good mood despite explaining
that he was recovering from 'flu. Throughout the show he retired to the rear
of the stage between numbers and sat bent double seeming to gather his strength
but then launched into each new number with even more feeling.
During the encore a young woman got on stage and sat cradling Bob's guitar
- when a security man went to remove her Bob said 'no, she can play it' and
the girl remained to the end.
A real experience, and a pleasure for this novice to meet such erudite posters
as Heike,Ray, etc - some of whom are staying for the extra show on 13th - look
forward to reports!       Mike C




 Sun March 12, Prague 

Date:    Mon, 13 Mar 1995 03:34:04 -0500
From:    Andrew Muir (Andrew@ZIMMY.DEMON.CO.UK)
Subject: Re: Prague 10th-12th

Full details have been on the HOMER line each night of the shows and,
indeed, the non-show - so doubtless you all know the following set
lists :-)

PRAGUE MARCH 12TH 1995

Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)
I Dont Believe You
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
Tangled Up In Blue
Watching The River Flow
---------------------------
Mr. Tambourine Man
Desolation Row
Dont Think Twice, Its Alright
---------------------------
Man In The Long Black Coat
God Knows
Maggies Farm
---------------------------
Ballad Of A Thin Man
It Aint Me, Babe


--
Andrew Muir


Date:    Mon, 13 Mar 1995 12:41:15 MET
From:    Kaj Borum (AFM-KKBO@RISOE.DK)
Subject: Prague setlist 12th March

I am sending this this setlist for Jan Chalupa who I met at the first show
in Prag. He can only read this newsgroup.

Sunday 12th March setlist:

1. Down In The Flood
2. I Don't Believe You    (Thanks to Frank)
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman
5. Tangled Up In Blue
6. Watching The River Flow
---
7. Mr. Tambourine Man
8. Desolation Row
9. Don't Think Twice It's Alright
---
10. God Knows
11. Man In The Long Black Coat
12. Maggie's Farm
---
13. Ballad Of A Thin Man    (Thanks to Frank, again)
14. It Ain't Me Babe

Notes: The show was fantastic! Bob seemed to be almost recovered
from the flu. He didn't sit so many times (only once I think)
and he played the guitar a bit more. There was no girl sitting
in front of the drums during It Ain't Me Babe this time.

Jan



Mon March 13, Prague
 

Date:    Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:19:44 MET
From:    Kaj Borum (AFM-KKBO@RISOE.DK)
Subject: Setlist Prague 14th March - 

I am sending this setlist for Jan Chalupa from Prague. He can only read
this newsgroup.

Kaj

The setlist for the third Prague show Monday 14. March
(Date:    Tue, 14 Mar 1995 11:25:25 MET
Oops sorry, the setlist is from the third Prague show Monday 13. March.)

1. Down In The Flood
2. Lay Lady Lay
3. All Along The Watchtower
4. Just Like A Woman
5. Tangled Up In Blue
6. License To Kill
---
7. Mr. Tambourine Man
8. Times They Are A-Changing
9. Boots Of Spanish Leather
---
10. God Knows
11. Man In The Long Black Coat
12. Maggie's Farm
---
13. Like A Rolling Stone

The last show was cool and again! People were not allowed
to come to the stage during God Knows and had to wait till
Maggie's Farm. There was only one encore but the show
was not shorter than the previous one. I didn't notice it
from my 15th row but Frank claimed that Bob still looked
a little bit sick.

Jan



Prague 13th (from Andrew Muir)


Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)
Lay Lady Lay
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
Tangled Up In Blue
License To Kill
---------------------------
Mr. Tambourine Man
Chimes Of Freedom   (PRAGUE 14th OOPS! - Ah well the dangers of picking things up by mobile phone. The middle acoustic song was TIMES not CHIMES. Apologies!)

Boots Of Spanish Leather
---------------------------
Man In The Long Black Coat
God Knows
Maggies Farm
---------------------------
Like A Rolling Stone

Alternatives on the set list were:

Jokerman as 1st song, Unbelievable as Fifth and Mama Youve Been On My Mind
as one of the acoustics


Thanks to Ray Webster for this. As each show passes there is more
guitar &, therefore, less harmoica and concentration on vocals. Still
sounds pretty great, however.

--
Andrew Muir



Date:    Thu, 16 Mar 1995 18:56:25 GMT
From:    Frank Justesen (Frank_Justesen@ONLINE.POL.DK)
Subject: Prague Revisited

How did the German shows pass away? Any sign of Dylan's sickness
is getting better. What did he play? And did he play at all.
Please ... information is highly wanted.

I attended the three Prague shows and in spite of Dylan obviously
was not feeling very well they were all incredible. For all three
nights I'd seat on the front row and could watch every step Dylan
was making. And from this point of view it seems like there was
something seriously wrong.

The first night he was only playing guitar at the end of Watching
The River Flow. Second night a little bit more but never a whole
song and same pattern the third night. Often between the songs
he had to sit down on the drum podie with an attitude like he was
completely knocked out. Well, I don't wanna judge anybody who
don't wanna be judged, and ... I pay for my tickets and don't
complain ... But something is wrong.

In spite of that Dylan was singing and acting the songs so
beautiful and emotionally that I've never heard before. For
instance I thought I'd heard Mr. Tambourine Man once too much.
But the performance in Prague - Oh Lord - was bringing tears to
my eyes. Desolation Row the second night, I'll never forget it.
Or only singing Rolling Stone the last night in a way never
performed before. Over the years I have attended a number of
Dylan concerts. These in Prague will always live very clear in
my memory I believe.

Well, I'm looking forward to hearing what has happened in Germany
and will appreciate any news.

Best .... Frank





 Tue March 14, Fuerth
 

Date:    Thu, 16 Mar 1995 08:13:20 GMT
From:    Ray Webster (ray@ROTHLEY.WIN-UK.NET)
Subject: Fuerth set

Fuerth - 14 March 95

Down In The Flood
If You See Her Say Hello
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
Unbelievable
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Mr Tambourine Man
Masters Of War
Boots Of Spanish Leather
Stuck Inside Of Mobile...
Man In The Long Black Coat
Maggie's Farm

Like A Rolling Stone

Most of the set was unstrung again, about the same as the previous
night but with less harp playing, Bob looked a little better .

Thanks to Heike

Ray Webster



Wed March 15, Aschaffenburg

Date:    Fri, 17 Mar 1995 12:54:02 EWT
From:    Mike Clendining (MCLENDIN@ESOC.BITNET)
Subject: Aschaffenburg 15 March

 Down in the Flood
 Senor
 All along the watchtower
Just like a woman
 Tangled up in blue
 I'll be your baby tonight
 Mr Tambourine man
 Masters of war
 Boots of spanish leather
Stuck inside of Mobile
 I shall be released
 Highway 61
 (encore)
 Like a rolling stone

 This was not a sellout, I estimate 80%, but very enthusiastic.
 No invasion of the stage this time.
. Bob spoke to the audience a couple of times.
 Masters of war and Tambourine man were excellent.
 Tangled not so good (seemed to rush thro it)
 Is it just me, or are his mouthorgan solos pretty much the same whichever
 number he's doing?....
                 Mike C


Date:    Fri, 17 Mar 1995 10:39:50 GMT
From:    Ray Webster (ray@ROTHLEY.WIN-UK.NET)
Subject: Aschaffenburg set

Aschaffenburg - 15 March 95

Down In The Flood
Senor
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
Tangled Up In Blue
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Mr Tambourine Man
Masters Of War
Boots Of Spanish Leather
Stuck Inside Of Mobile...
I Shall Be Released
Highway 61 Revisited

Like A Rolling Stone

Most of the set was unstrung again, with perhaps a little more
guitar than the previous night. Only one encore printed on the play
list.


Thanks to Heike

Ray Webster



Thu March 16, Bielefeld

Date:    Fri, 17 Mar 1995 12:26:00 +0100
From:    Johannes Massolle (j.massolle@KOMM.WESTFALEN.DE)
Subject: Bielefeld, 16/03/95

Hallo!
Dylan in Bielefeld played a similar set like in Prague (compared to the
setlist, posted here by Kay). In addition to that he played "If Not For You",
"Dignity" and a very, very deeply impressing "Masters Of War". As an
encore he performed "Like A Rolling Stone", which seemed to be the
ultimate version - I'dont need any covers of this songs anymore after
that. The show had a very intimate, fascinating and dense mood - I forgot
to smoke and drink - and the backing band was great. (I did like the
mandolin-playing in the acoustic-parts very much.)
Dylan did some of the guitar solos and vry tender harp-playing.
It was an unforgettable evening.
joh

My friend Ursula says:
- "I was with Johannes in Bielefeld at the Dylan Concert. I`m not a fan of
- Dylan, but I was impressed. He was very stoned, but his voice was clear
- and he didn`t sing very much through his nose. He sang full of impression
- and in his songs you could hear his life. I heard some people in the
- audience say, that he was lame and distanced. I thought that in the
- beginning, too. But after I heard more of his musical life and his kind to
- make shows, I understood his performance. And when I closed my eyes, it
- was like a dream. And today, one day after the concert, I`m filled with
- the impression of yesterday evening. Now I have to to work. Bye, Ursula."
--
PGP-Public-key on demand.
## CrossPoint v3.02 ##



Sat March 18: Groningen, Holland

Date:    Mon, 20 Mar 1995 19:00:45 GMT
From:    "W. Vuyk" (vuyk@LET.RUG.NL)
Subject: Groningen march 18

I tried to remember the set list, if I made mistakes I come back later to
you (with thanks to collegues/friends who helped out on with this).

Groningen, march 18. 1995
Martinihal
2200 visitors
time: 20.15 - 21.30
      21.35 - 21.45 (encore)

1 Crash on the levee
2 If you see her, say hello
3 All along the watchtower
4 Just like a woman
5 Tangled up in blue

6 Mr Tambourine Man (ab)
7 Hattie Carroll (ab)
8 Masters of war (ab)

9 Jokerman
10 It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry
11 She belongs to me
12 Maggies farm
-------------------------
13 Like a rolling stone

Bob seemed in a rather good mood, his voice sounded all right. Wore the same
clothes as before during this tour (purple shirt, black trousers). Didn't
play the guitar much, but (as was said by people who did see previous shows)
more than before this tour. It seems to me he doesn't where to put his hands
and how to stand without a guitar....  Great band, same guys as on the
Unplugged sessions.
Bob had to use handkerchiefs after every two songs and towels. They used
incense on stage, propably to clear the air.
The band travels with 2 tourbusses and 3 trucks, all UK-registered. Bob
arrived on friday 3-17 at 12.00 hours at Groningen Airport (yes, we have
one!), and stayed at the Mercure hotel, just outside the Martinihal,
according to the local press.

Wim

Date:    Thu, 23 Mar 1995 20:13:23 +1200
From:    Andrew McCallum (aam@MATAI.VUW.AC.NZ)
Subject: Re: Groningen march 18

- Didn't
- play the guitar much, but (as was said by people who did see previous shows)
- more than before this tour. It seems to me he doesn't where to put his hands
- and how to stand without a guitar....

What's this about Bob not playing the guitar? Last year the songs seemed to be
extended guitar jams with Bob plucking away on lead like we've never seen him
before.

It would be good if someone could provide more details/description of this
guitarless Bob. What does do while JJ and Bucky solo? Punch a cigarette?
Conduct?

More info someone please.

Andrew.
----------
Date:    Thu, 23 Mar 1995 21:08:57 GMT
From:    "W. Vuyk" (vuyk@LET.RUG.NL)
Subject: setlists - reality

Below you can compare the setlists of Groningen and
Utrecht with what was actually played
The setlists are presented as they were used on stage.

BTW: there was NO tour book and NO tour poster (for
those who are interested in these items)


Setlist:                                  Bob played:

Groningen
Down in the flood                         Down in the flood
Lay lady lay/Man in me                    If you see her say hello
Watchtower                                All along the watchtower
Just like a woman                         Just like a woman
Tangled                                   Tangled up in blue
Takes a train/Tombstone/River flow        It takes a lot to laugh..
-------------                             -------------
Tambourine                                Mr. Tambourine man
God on our side/Masters/Hattie Carrol     Masters of war
Boots/Desolation                          The lonesome death of Hattie Car-
                                          roll
-------------                             --------------
Jokerman/Dignity                          Jokerman
Shooting star/She belongs                 She belongs to me
Dignity/Maggie's                          Maggie's farm
--------------                            --------------
Rolling stone                             Like a rolling stone


####
Utrecht
Down in the flood                         Down in the flood
Senor                                     Senor
Watchtower                                All along the watchtower
Just like a woman                         Just like a woman
Tangled                                   Tangled up in blue
Big girl/Shelter                          You're a big girl now
---------------                           ------------------
Tambourine                                Mr. Tambourine man
Masters/Gates                             Boots of Spanish leather
Boots/Desolation                          Don't think twice, it's all right
---------------                           ------------------
Dignity                                   Dignity
Jokerman                                  Jokerman
Maggie's/Highway 61                       Maggie's farm
----------------                          -------------------
Rolling stone                             Like a rolling stone
                                          It ain't me babe

------------------------------

Date:    Thu, 23 Mar 1995 21:14:24 GMT
From:    "W. Vuyk" (vuyk@LET.RUG.NL)
Subject: Re: Groningen march 18

In article (1995Mar23.201323@matai.vuw.ac.nz) aam@matai.vuw.ac.nz (Andrew
McCallum) writes:
-From: aam@matai.vuw.ac.nz (Andrew McCallum)
-Subject: Re: Groningen march 18
-Date: 23 Mar 95 20:13:23 +1200

-- Didn't
-- play the guitar much, but (as was said by people who did see previous shows)
-- more than before this tour. It seems to me he doesn't where to put his hands
-- and how to stand without a guitar....

-What's this about Bob not playing the guitar? Last year the songs seemed to be
-extended guitar jams with Bob plucking away on lead like we've never seen him
-before.

-It would be good if someone could provide more details/description of this
-guitarless Bob. What does do while JJ and Bucky solo? Punch a cigarette?
-Conduct?

He doesn't know what to do, just is standing there, looking to the floor,
holding up the mike. I think he is not ready for a cigarette yet (still a
bit sick, using the handkerchief and towels between two songs). In Kerkrade
and Utrecht he danced a bit I heard, esp. in Utrecht, where he seemed very
happy with the enthusiastic audience.

-More info someone please.
There's really nothing more to tell....

-Andrew.

Wim
-------------

Date:    Thu, 23 Mar 1995 15:54:33 +0100
From:    gerkepott@VAX.AMERICAN.EDU
Subject: Re: Groningen march 18

small mistake in the setlist:

-
- Groningen, march 18. 1995
- Martinihal
- 2200 visitors
- time: 20.15 - 21.30
-       21.35 - 21.45 (encore)
-
- 1 Crash on the levee
- 2 If you see her, say hello
- 3 All along the watchtower
- 4 Just like a woman
- 5 Tangled up in blue
  6 It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry

  7 Mr Tambourine Man (ab)
  8 Masters of war (ab)
  9 Hattie Carroll (ab)

  10 Jokerman
  11 She belongs to me
- 12 Maggies farm
- -------------------------
- 13 Like a rolling stone

Heinrich
-------------

Date:    Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:45:39 EST
From:    pjest8@VMS.CIS.PITT.EDU
Subject: Re: Groningen

Thank you very much for the setlist material.
I have a couple questions about these days
I saw Desolation Row printed in the setlist but not played, has he played
 this recently, if so, how did he play it?  I have never heard of
 Bob singing this recently.
Also, has he said anything to the audience between songs or any other
 reaction to audience?
Next time you seen , tell him I said, "Hi"
Thanks,
        the grey flannel dwarf


Date:    Tue, 28 Mar 1995 09:57:36 -0600
From:    Ronald Lamars (r.h.lamars@POBOX.RUU.NL)
Subject: What Did the Dutch Newspapers Say ...

NRC/Handelsblad, march 20, 1995. Reviewer: Jan Vollaard.
This is a national newspaper which advertises itself as the 'quality'
newspaper of the Netherlands. It is liberal to a high degree and it balances
in in its views between conservative and progressive (never radically either
way). It is popular among bussiness men and scholars. The review by Jan
Vollaard headlines: 'Bob Dylan cuts down on his carreer a little more'. It
reviews the 18 march concert in the Martinihal, Groningen. We were there.
The first paragraph kicks off with the cited question of a security man: 'Is
this the break?' Of course not; with this, the reviewer strongly makes the
point that 'five quarters of an hour' seems to be a little short. The
assembled forty-somethings leave the building without expressing discontent.
'Listless performance', is the qualification.
The author rambles on about Dylan's lack of new material; his continuation
of the Never ending tour with four 'faceless session' musicians because of a
lack of a VUT-arrangement for musicians (i.e. Earlier Retirement with good
financial conditions). Of course the 'nasal' and 'uninterested' singing does
it for Mr Vollaard. 'Sad renditions of the old protest songs Masters of War
and The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll'. The piece concludes with the
remark that Bob Dylan is 'emprisoned in nostalgia for a time in which he was
considered the voice of his generation.'

The old 'he should never have gone electric' cry, we think. About the
author: Mr Jan Vollaard has a long reputation for writing reviews like this;
if it's not World Music or post-punk, he'll never write a single positive
word. In this he is part of the school initiated by Elly de Waard, a Dutch
feminist self-acclaimed poet.
The concert itself: we thought it was pretty good, our company thought it
was their best so far (out of approximately 4 national and 3 international
concerts). Jokes about 'Joe Cocker' (the arms) and 'Tom Jones' (the facial
expression?) were made good humouredly; at least something new was
happening. To hear If you see her, say hello was great. During Jokerman
there seemed to be some hassle between Dylan and the band and after a good
start it sort of petered out.

Utrechts Nieuwsblad, march 21, 1995. Peter Bruyn.
The Utrechts Nieuwsblad is the local paper of Dylan's favorite hang out in
the Netherlands. It is a reasonable newspaper with, for Dutch standards,
quite a view readers, as Utrecht is the 4 th largest 'city' in the Netherlands.
This review heads: 'Dylan surprisingly in form in Utrecht'. A very positive
and friendly review of the concert at the Muziek Centrum Vredenburg,
Utrecht, March 20. Peter Bruyn sums up that Dylan has been in the
Netherlands for seven times now, three of which in Utrecht. Of the three
1995 concerts, no doubt Utrecht was the best and he adds, probably the best
of all 7. 'Energetic'; 'no masks like hat or sun glasses'; 'great part of
the concert not even behind his guitar'. 'No longer the voice of his
generation (...) he is for Rock what James Joyce is for literature'. The
reviewer gives a short overview of Dylan's career and mentions Highway 61
positively. He gives the names of the musicians and a complete (and
correct!) set list.

Very positive, indeed. We don't know anything about the author. The concert
indeed seemed to us the best of three in a row in the Netherlands. This
venue has great acoustics and we had pretty good standing places near by the
man and his band. Probably our best concert so far, though personally (-
Ronald) I will never forget Avigon 1981.

Algemeen Dagblad, march 20, 1995. Reviewed by Karen Hamerlynck.
This newspaper is an outspoken right wing one, balancing on the border of
tabloid. And national. Never the less, not a bad review (Groningen march
18). It heads: 'Dylan is nostalgia in its purest form'. Indeed, the first
two paragraphs concentrate on the bulk of the 45-somethings [!] who came to
the concert hall to see the hero of their youth. But, after this, the
reviewer concentrates on the smaller group of young ones, wondering why they
have come to see the show; of course, he is one of the few of the sixties'
great performers still alive and performing, so you must have seen him once
in your life time. She interviews a 26 years old, who tells her that for a
lack of contemporary music to be identified with political situations and
revolutions - e.g. the fall of the Wall - he gets back to Dylan, with his
'timeless' lyrics.

Well, not much of a review actually, but not too much dumb talk. We know
nothing about the author.

For the concert in Kerkrade, in the outskirts of the Netherlands (bordering
with German twin town Herzogenrath), we could not find a review, as the
local newspaper Limburgs Dagblad is difficult to find in Holland. Our
experiences were badly influenced by the bad services for food and drink the
town has to offer on a sunday night (or ever) and the pretty bad Roda Hall
(19 march 1995). The concert was probably the least of the three Dutch
concerts, but there really is little difference. Our standing place was near
a mother with her 7 or 8 year old daughter, who enjoyed herself apparently.

Robert Suvaal
Ronald Lamars




Sun March 19: Kerkrade

Date:    Tue, 21 Mar 1995 18:17:26 GMT
From:    "W. Vuyk" (vuyk@LET.RUG.NL)
Subject: Kerkrade/Utrecht set lists

Thanks to Hans Bosch for the following set lists:

Kerkrade, march 19 1995
Rodahal

1 Crash on the levee/down in the flood
2 Lay lady lay
3 All along the watchtower
4 Just like a woman
5 Tangled up in blue
6 I'll be your baby tonight

7 Mr Tambourine man (ab)
8 Masters of war (ab)
9 Don't think twice, it's allright (ab)

10 Dignity
11 Jokerman
12 Maggie's farm
-----------------
13 Like a rolling stone

Good concert, Dylan performed like a real song and dance man.



Mon March 20: Utrecht

Utrecht, March 20, 1995
Muziekcentrum Vredenburg
1800 seats

1 Crash on the levee/down in the flood
2 Senor
3 All along the watchtower
4 Just like a woman
5 Tangled up in blue
6 You are a big girl now

7 Mr Tambourine man
8 Boots of Spanish leather
9 Don't think twice, it's all right

10 Dignity
11 God knows
12 Maggies farm
---------------------
13 Like a rolling stone
14 It ain't me babe

The best concert in Holland, Dylan played and sang very well, and did 2
encores. The audience was very enthusiastic.



Wed March 22: Lille, France
 
Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 07:37:49 UNDEFINED
From:    Heinrich Gerkepott (gerkepott@FEVAX.PICKER.DE)
Subject: Lille, Brusselles, Paris

Some friends reported about the shows of last week:

Lille, March 22

1  Down In The Flood
2  The Man In Me
3  All Along The Watchtower
4  Just Like A Woman
5  Tangled Up In Blue
6  Positively 4th Street
7  Mr. Tambourine Man
8  Masters Of War
9  Don't Think Twice
10 Dignity
11 In The Garden
12 Maggie's Farm
13 Like A Rolling Stone
14 It Ain't Me Babe
15 I Shall Be Released

first 45 minutes absolutely terrible (especially his guitar playing
on 9, but than the show really started, so thay added another encore).




Thu March 23: Brussels, Belgium
 
Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 07:37:49 UNDEFINED
From:    Heinrich Gerkepott (gerkepott@FEVAX.PICKER.DE)
Subject: Lille, Brusselles, Paris

Some friends reported about the shows of last week:
Brusselles, March 23

1  Down In The Flood
2  If Not For You
3  All Along The Watchtower
4  Just Like A Woman
5  Tangled Up In Blue
6  Queen Jane Appriximately (great version + performance)
7  Mr. Tambourine Man
8  Boots Of Spanish Leather
9  Don't Think Twice
10 Dignity
11 I And I
12 Maggie's Farm
13 Like A Rolling Stone
14 It Ain't Me Babe

my friends saw all the shows on the continent, but this was said to
be the best of them, even better than Utrecht.




Fri March 24: Paris, France
 
Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 07:37:49 UNDEFINED
From:    Heinrich Gerkepott (gerkepott@FEVAX.PICKER.DE)
Subject: Lille, Brusselles, Paris

Paris, March 24

1  Down In The Flood
2  I Want You
3  All Along The Watchtower
4  Just Like A Woman
5  Tangled Up In Blue
6  You're A Big Girl Now
7  Mr. Tambourine Man
8  Masters Of War
9  Don't Think Twice
10 Dignity
11 I'll Remember You
12 Maggie's Farm
13 Like A Rolling Stone
14 It Ain't Me Babe

a good show like most of the others so far.


Heinrich




Sun March 26: Brighton, England 
 
Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 04:58:25 GMT
From:    Mark Strong (mstrong@PAVILION.CO.UK)
Subject: Brighton 26 March 1995

Brighton Centre, Brighton, England

Sun 26 Mar 1995

Crash on the Levee/Down in the Flood
I Want You
All along the watchtower
Just like a woman
Tangled up in blue
Simple twist of fate

Mr Tambourine Man
Boots of Spanish Leather
Mamma you been on my mind

Dignity
Man in the long black coat
Maggie's Farm

---------

Like a Rolling Stone
It ain't me babe

---------

I Shall be released

'One of the best Bob Dylan Concerts ever in this Country'
Vincent

'Dead Good'
Ron

'Better than I'd hoped in my wildest dreams and then some and he smiled at the
audience'
Tina

'Dignity was brilliant'
Mark

'Everything counted there weren't any run-throughs'
Sue




Mon March 27: Cardiff, Wales 
 
Date:    Tue, 28 Mar 1995 11:37:04 GMT
From:    "S. J. Bale" (glsjb@MAIL.BRIS.AC.UK)
Subject: Cardiff, 27.3.95

Stonking.

Truly amazing.

I didn't write the setlist down, but the highpoints included Senor, (#2 slot)
Desolation Row, Tambourine Man, Rolling Stone, H61R, Boots of Spanish
Leather, oh, all of them really.

His voice was crystal clear, and he looked like he was enjoying himself.

I just wish that he hadn't worn the purple satin shirt. No dress sense,
that man.

What a show.

I've come over all peculiar.

Simon

oh yes, and the band were as tight as a gnats. Very good.


Date:    Thu, 30 Mar 1995 11:59:38 GMT
From:    david lindsey (dfl1@UNIX.YORK.AC.UK)
Subject: Cardiff set list
 
  For Arnie stuck over there in L.A.
 
 
       down in the flood
       senor
       watchtower
       just like a woman
       tangled up in blue
       born in time
       tambourine man
       boots
       desolation row
       dignity
       she belongs to me
       maggie's
       rolling stone
       it ain't me babe
       highway 61.
 
   back up to 15 songs. Set list courtesy of wanted man
    hot line.  Great concert but not as great as Brighton.
    The band seemed to really be enjoying themselves,
    final half became slightly rock n' roll thrash.
   Superb version of 'boots',  desolation row word
perfect,  and first airing this tour for 'born in time'
    But 9 out of 15 songs repeated every night,
   in a country where at least 25% of the audience
see more than one show ??


Date:    Thu, 30 Mar 1995 18:13:43 GMT
From:    T Casey (mi940005@NEWI.AC.UK)
Subject: Cardiff
 
It was unbelievable, it started when the queues outside the C.I.A
(Cardiff International arena)were asking themselves what type of
mood His Bobness would be in the night, the crowd poured into the
arena at 7.00pm. Made to wait till 8.10pm for the great one to
appear, it was possible that perhaps he was not in to good a mood
but the speculations were soon laid to rest when he smashed into
Crash on the levee.
 
No guitar around the neck, no suit, his suit half undone (t-shirt on
underneath), mike in head and dancing around the stage, was this
the Dylan we all know and love(next he'll be wearing a Tea towel
on his head like prince, or whatever his name is).
 
Anyway to cut a long story short he was amazing, the bloke has come
back to life(has anyone read the artice in NME).
 
The full listing is as follows (not sure if it's in order, the first
four are and the last three, i was in to much of a shock to remember)
 
Crash on the levee, Senor, Boots of spanish leather, Born in time,
Tangled up in Blues, All along the watchtower, Mr Tamborine man,
Just like a Woman, Desolation Row, Dignity, Maggies farm, Like a
rolling stone, It aint me babe, Highway 61
 
Tar
 
P.S i'm new to this net thing, please mail me


Date:    Wed, 12 Apr 1995 15:38:28 GMT

From:    Ray Webster (ray@ROTHLEY.WIN-UK.NET)
Subject: Re: Dylan at Cardiff

I think it may have been me you spoke to Marguerita, my thoughts
since were that he may have been refering to Wales which as you
will know has often been called 'The Land of my Fathers'

An even funnier comment was made last night in Dublin when he
introduced Bucky Baxter as being "The Sheriff of Buckingham" and
then went on to say something about him being "The Law and Order
man" ------- did I hear that right?

Ray Webster

-
-Somebody (I've forgotten who. . . I'm sorry) who attended
-the Dylan concert at Cardiff posted that Dylan said
-something like, "My father's from around here."
-
-What do you think that Bob meant by that???????
-
-                               Marguerita


Date:    Wed, 12 Apr 1995 16:45:05 GMT
From:    Craig Jamieson (rcj10@CUS.CAM.AC.UK)
Subject: Re: Dylan at Cardiff

S. J. Bale (glsjb@mail.bris.ac.uk) wrote:
: U0A75@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU wrote:
: : Somebody (I've forgotten who. . . I'm sorry) who attended
: : the Dylan concert at Cardiff posted that Dylan said
: : something like, "My father's from around here."
: : What do you think that Bob meant by that???????
: And he meant nothing I presume. Just the sort of thing that's expected
: from song and dance men (aka entertainers).
: I'm sure that Bob doesn't give a twopenny one about Cardiff.
: It was a J-O-K-E

Analysing jokes, jokettes or witticisms after the fact is not all
that informative, but I took it to refer to Dylan Thomas as his father
i.e. people insisting his name came from Dylan Thomas, misinformation
which was in the papers again here, + Wales being known as The Land
of My Fathers...

I suspect it was a "you had to be there" situation... :-)



Wed March 29: London, England 
 
Date:    Thu, 30 Mar 1995 14:48:06 GMT
From:    billpannifer (billpannifer@EASYNET.CO.UK)
Subject: 
 
Brixton Academy, London 29/3/95
 
Down in the Flood
I Want You
Watchtower
Just Like a Woman
Tangled Up In Blue
Takes A Lot To Laugh...
Tambourine Man
Boots of Spanish Leather
Don't Think Twice
Dignity
She Belongs To Me
Maggie's Farm
 
Ballad of a Thin Man
It Ain't Me Babe
Like A Rolling Stone


Date:    Thu, 30 Mar 1995 01:13:18 GMT
From:    Tim Anderson (freer@CIX.COMPULINK.CO.UK)
Subject: Brixton 29th March
 
Just got back from an ace Dylan concert in Brixton.
 
Opening set by Elvis Costello, solo, was outstanding. Highlights for me
were Indoor Fireworks and Tramp the Dirt Down (encore). He said nothing
about Dylan but was in fine voice, somewhat under-appreciated by the
audience who after all had come to see Bob.
 
Bob came on and opened with Down in the Flood. The vocal was hard to make
out, partly because it was well down in the mix, partly because of his
delivery. Sometimes he seemed almost to be mumbling; but his voice was
all there since at other times it rang out sharp and clear. His voice
seemed to get louder and stronger as the concert progressed, but it might
just have been that I got more used to it. He seemed to be in a good mood
and the audience was warm towards him.
 
At times he has a haunted, driven look, as if he just has to sing these
songs, he can do no other. Other times he is playful and just enjoying
himself. He constantly re-interprets his old songs; he did a stunning
Tambourine Man that brought back to life what for me had become a tired
song. TUIB was at breakneck speed, disappointing I thought, but others
more than made up for it. I greatly enjoyed I Want You, and also liked
the way he did Don't think Twice; he raised his eyebrows as he sang the
line "...don't think twice it's alright", highlighting the question that
gives the song its power: is it all right, or is it not?
 
He joked about Dignity being a new song "well, only 10 years old".
 
He was playing guitar for most but not all the numbers; without it he
seemed hunched and less confident, as if there was a guitar-shaped hole
in his posture.
 
Like a Rolling Stone was the final encore ... the audience sang along a
little with "How does it feel", bizarre for a song which is about
isolation.
 
It's amazing how hard it is to remember the exact sequence of songs, so
I've just noted down what I remember, not in the right order I'm afraid
and I'm sure I've missed a few out.
 
Down in the Flood (hard to make out words)
All along the Watchtower (excellent)
I want you (very good indeed)
It Aint me babe (a bit perfunctory I thought)
Mr Tambourine Man (very good)
Just like a woman
It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry (great to hear this one
again, pounding train rhythm from band)
Don't think twice (very good)
Tangled up in blue (too fast to my taste)
Maggies Farm (good)
She Belongs to Me
Spanish boots of spanish leather (lovely performance)
Dignity (strong performance)
Ballad of a thin Man (very good, incredible variation in the was he sings
"do you mistahhhh Jones")
Like a Rolling Stone (perfunctory)
 
All in all a special evening.
 
Tim


Date:    Fri, 31 Mar 1995 11:21:48 GMT
From:    "S. J. Bale" (glsjb@MAIL.BRIS.AC.UK)
Subject: Re: Brixton 29th March
 
Tim Anderson (freer@cix.compulink.co.uk) wrote:
 
: He was playing guitar for most but not all the numbers; without it he
: seemed hunched and less confident, as if there was a guitar-shaped hole
: in his posture.
 
: Like a Rolling Stone was the final encore ... the audience sang along a
: little with "How does it feel", bizarre for a song which is about
: isolation.
 
: It's amazing how hard it is to remember the exact sequence of songs, so
: I've just noted down what I remember, not in the right order I'm afraid
: and I'm sure I've missed a few out.
 
Thanks for this. I was wondering if I was the only other rmder to see him
in the uk!
 
I agree about the guitar-shaped hole. It doesn't suit him.
 
And yes, his reinterpretation of Tambourine Man was stunning. At Cardiff
he finished with a very loud, very energetic, absolutely wild H61R which
ripped through the crowd. LARS was done first in the encore then It Ain't
me Babe, the H61R. The last of the main set was an equally lively Maggies
Farm.
 
It's a pity he didn't do It Takes A ot to Laugh: he was in such fine
rocking form.
 
But, why was Elvis Costello NOT at Cardiff? There was no support act at
all. Any ideas?
 
Simon


Date:    Sat, 1 Apr 1995 15:04:11 GMT
From:    Robert Fincher (robert@FINCHER.DEMON.CO.UK)
Subject: Brixton 29th march
 
Well, I was there as well on the 29th in London and I didn't think he was
too good.
Bob looked fine and seemed to be singing okay, but the band....
Just totally boring, plodding stadium rock music (generally). How I
imagine a Simple Minds concert to sound, but with better songs. At least
there were no cigarette lighters lit and being waved around.
 
I liked She Belongs to Me, and Dignity was pretty good but that was about it .
I should add that I went with seven others and they all thought he rated
good to excellent, so perhaps I caught Bob on an off night (mine).
He just didn't move me and he can (and did in 1993)
 
One more thing. On the BBC radio station for London GLR (good radio
station), this morning 1st April at 06.30, they advertised a competition
in which the prizes were 3 copies of Unplugged on CD. Thats all I know
about that as I went back to sleep, so if it isn't out it must be soon.
Maybe.
 
Ah well....
 
Rob


Date:    Sun, 2 Apr 1995 15:26:17 -0400
From:    Andrew Muir (Andrew@ZIMMY.DEMON.CO.UK)
Subject: Re: Brixton 29th march
 
I agree, Rob. It was Bob-by-numbers stuff. Pretty dull by his standards - I
hope you made the next two nights though - they were somewhat better shall
we say!
--
Andrew Muir



Thu March 30: London, England 
  
Date:    Fri, 31 Mar 1995 00:54:03 GMT
From:    Tim Anderson (freer@CIX.COMPULINK.CO.UK)
Subject: Brixton 30th March
 
Well, I have to eat my words. This was even better than the previous
night. EC was rather uncommunicative, maybe not quite as strong, but
still excellent. Dylan's voice seemed stronger and there was more
atmosphere somehow. Songs:
 
Down in the flood
If you see her say hello
All along the Watchtower
Jokerman
Every grain of sand
Positively fourth St
Tambourine Man
Masters of War
She Belongs to me
God Knows
Stuck inside of Mobile
I believe in you
Like a Rolling Stone
Times they are a'changin
I shall be released (duet with Elvis Costello!)
 
The duet at the end was excellent fun, with EC and BD doing alternate
phrases.
 
A very good concert, probably the best I've seen. Don't expect any more
reports from me - I'm not going to any more on the current tour :-(((
 
Tim

Date:    Mon, 24 Apr 1995 13:58:47 +0100
From:    "B.P. Taylor" (B.P.Taylor@NEWCASTLE.AC.UK)
Subject: 1995 Tour report (late entry)

29 March 1995 - Brixton Academy, London, England
================================================
Down In The Flood (Crash On The Levee)
I Want You
All Along The Watchtower
Just Like A Woman
Tangled Up In Blue
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry [/Obviously 5 Believers]
Mr Tambourine Man [acoustic with band]
Boots Of Spanish Leather [acoustic with band]
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right [acoustic with band] [/Visions Of Johanna]
Dignity
She Belongs To Me
Maggies Farm
-
Ballad Of A Thin Man
-
It Ain't Me, Babe [acoustic with band]
-
Like A Rolling Stone

Comment:
I queued from 4:15pm and managed to secure front row in the standing area a
few feet from where Dylan was going to play. I almost didn't make it because
not all of the inner doors opened simultaneously, as had been promised. It's
incredibly frustrating to be held back when you can see dozens of people
rushing to the stage.

Elvis Costello came on at 8pm and performed an excellent 40 minute solo
acoustic set. A quality opening act really makes a big difference. At the
Hammersmith 1993 shows the act was called 'The Stunning' - trust me, they
weren't....

Dylan appeared at 9:20pm, opening with a very loud "Down In The Flood". No
guitar, holding the mic in one hand and the wire in the other. Vocals buried
underneath the electric guitars, seemingly intentionally because all other
songs sounded fine. Mammoth.

Dylan's movement on stage was...idiosyncratic. Black trousers with silver
buttons down the side, blue silk shirt and black waistcoat. Picture him with
knees bent slightly, one hand gently holding the microphone to his mouth,
the other arm in an outstretched 'V' holding up the wire, hand shaped to
point though at nothing in particular, seemingly watching us all (and the
band) intently but in reality looking with his face and not his eyes.
Attempts at dancing which turned out to be jerking to the left or right
whenever it took his fancy. An (only just) controlled staggar.

The next four songs were 'all right'. "I Want You" was given a slow
arrangement. I can't remember if Dylan picked up his guitar before or after
this song. "All Along The Watchtower", "Just Like A Woman" and "Tangled Up
In Blue" were all bog standard performances, Dylan on autopilot. "It Takes A
Lot To Laugh..." was very bluesy, the same great summer 1993 arrangment and
played very well indeed.

And now the acoustic set. I'd heard great reports about this portion of the
show but I'd yet to witness it for myself. "Mr Tambourine Man" was
wonderful. I couldn't believe he had bettered the slow Dresden 1994
arrangement. (Why must people insist on singing along with this song!!)
"Boots Of Spanish Leather" was the highlight of this show. Exquisite,
gorgeous, perfection, so much feeling. I have never heard anything as
wonderful as these two performances. Both without Dylan on guitar.

A three-way conference between Jackson, Dylan and Garnier. By the time I had
resolved to shout out for 'Dark Eyes' I recognised the chords for "Don't
Think Twice, It's All Right". Such a shame because Dylan seemed to have
switched off for this song. The cue sheet alternate was 'Visions Of
Johanna'....

During "Dignity" there was some mix-up with the lyrics. I'm pretty sure
Dylan repeated the "...edge of the lake" verse but who cares! After a
mindless "Don't Think Twice..." it was great to hear him make real sense of
the lyrics to "Dignity"

"She Belongs To Me" and "Maggies Farm" were standard arrangements but nicely
done. During the latter Dylan motioned with an outstreched palm for the band
to quieten.

Dylan rested his left hand on the microphone stand and took a bow, with the
odd flower flying past his head. The band left the stage but could still be
seen in the doorway at the back. They returned for an average "Ballad Of A
Thin Man". Another spell in the doorway and then a beautiful acoustic "It
Ain't Me, Babe". Yet another minute off stage, returning to play "Like A
Rolling Stone". The same arrangement as the broadcast 'Unplugged' but with
more fire.

Another bow and more flowers. He picked one up, blew a kiss and then threw
it back into the crowd. As Dylan turned to leave a woman threw her felt hat
onto the stage but he didn't see it. Garnier mentioned it to him and as they
passed the drums Dylan glanced back but didn't stop.

A patchy night with some real highs to counter the lows. Hmmm, sounds like a
weather report..

I can't remember at what point in the set but Dylan introduced the band.
Approx: 'From the USA, John Jackson. I saw the Oscars last night and
would've given him all of them if I could...'

--


Date:    Fri, 31 Mar 1995 13:02:42 GMT
From:    billpannifer (billpannifer@EASYNET.CO.UK)
Subject: setlist 30 March
 
Brixton Academy, London  30th March 95
 
 
Down in the Flood
If You See Her Say Hello
Watchtower
Jokerman
Every Grain of Sand
Positively 4th St
Mr Tambourine Man
Masters of War
Love minus zero
God Knows
Stuck Inside of Mobile
I Believe in You
Rolling Stone
 
Times They Are a Changin
 
I Shall Be Released (DUET with Elvis Costello)
 
(Elvis - solo acoustic- is opening all three London shows.)
Also present (but not appearing) George Harrison, Chrissie Hynde.
Dylan 20 mins late on stage. Not as animated as previous night. Marvellous
harp on If You See Her.
A rather religious setlist!
All smiles for the duet- well sung with Elvis and Bob alternating lines
within the verses, and Bob pretending to mouth the words into Elvis's ear at
one point.


Date: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 15:50:39 BST
From: Eddie Thornley (ISSUET@razor.wbs.warwick.ac.uk)
 
"It was, incredibly, miraculously, just like the Sixties: crisp,
audible Iyrics sung with passion, tact and poise; clear political
commitment; a concern by the singer to dwell within the songs and
deliver them as if newly written; a deft manipulation of the
overpowering noise that can be made using only a voice and six
acoustic guitar strings. And then the support act (a Mr Elvis
Costello) left the stage and Bob Dylan came on..."
 
This from this morning's Independent review of Bob's show. Laugh, I
nearly spilt my tea.
 
Eddie


Date:    Fri, 31 Mar 1995 23:15:45 +0000
From:    John Perry (John@JPERRY.DEMON.CO.UK)
Subject: Brixton March 30th
 
 Nice to see Bob again after 14 or so years. Good to see him at
 a club sized venue too, with room to move around & not get
 jostled.
 
 I wasn't knocked out by the band .....
 
 For anyone who hasn't seen this lineup - and I don't know how long
 he's been using 'em - try imagining The New Riders of The Purple
 Sage on a dull night with the drum seat taken by the drummer from
 any lightweight heavymetal warmup band you ever saw.
 
 Perhaps the wages aren't so good ?
 
 Material of this class needs subtlety im the ensemble playing,
 either the band weren't up to it, or The Bandleader wasn't having
 any .....
 
 And the arrangements !
 
 This lot must have met at a Rallentando Abuse Group.
 
 It is no exaggeration to say that at least 60 per cent of the
 songs ended with a coda - sometimes TWO - where the band slowly
 restated the primary chord sequence  cf. Stuck Inside of Memphis
 with de Memphis Blues [sic].  Useful thing rall. but like most
 other formal devices it gets no better by being beaten to death.
 
 I suppose if anybody has earned the right to doodle around on
 lead guitar in front of his own bar band it's Dylan. Anyone know
 by what process the man with the strongest body of songs in the
 world came up with this lot ?


Date:    Sat, 1 Apr 1995 01:12:00 +0000
From:    John Perry (John@JPERRY.DEMON.CO.UK)
Subject: Re: Brixton 30th March
 ...
The acoustic set stood out. Balance was right - and I thought -
 rapport between the musicians better. She Belongs To Me was
 lovely.
...
 Well the way he held the mic lead with the other hand, rather
 awkwardly, high, away from the body looked a bit like somebody
 about to do a Jackie Wilson spin !
 
 Something slightly dislocated about the body language.


Date:    Sat, 1 Apr 1995 11:43:55 GMT
From:    Craig Jamieson (rcj10@CUS.CAM.AC.UK)
Subject: Re: Brixton 30th March
 
Re: Brixton 30th March
 
Tim Anderson (freer@cix.compulink.co.uk) wrote:
: Well, I have to eat my words. This was even better than the previous
 
: A very good concert, probably the best I've seen. Don't expect any more
 
No time to post anything detailed, but never have I been to a Bob Dylan
concert where there was more unanimity about the quality of the
performance among those who attend a serious number of Dylan concerts
in an average year. Even the most cynical who can always find fault were
mesmerized, some astounded. You cannot ask for more than Bob Dylan
put into that Thursday performance in Brixton.
 
If you are not going to one of this tour's concerts, wellllll, let's just
say Dylan is giving the sort of performance where to miss it
would be made an imprisonable offence in a just society. For your own
well being you must attend. There is no alternative.
 
Hobartian, Olofian, Caspersian, Gerkepottish, Gustavssonnian, let alone
UKrmderian, information to follow at a later date, in a more leisurely
fashion. Just wanted to avoid anyone saying after Dylan leaves the
UK, "You didn't say it was THAT good, I would have got on a plane and
paid scalpers prices if I'd known that! Why didn't you say while there was
still time?" Well I did. Get your credit card and passport, get on
down to your airport, buy the DAT with mikes at the duty free, and
experience performance of significance. If you have read some of
my past postings you will know I do not enthuse about modern performances
lightly. You miss this, you have only yourself to blame, EDLIS advises
attend at any cost...  You might even consider selling your last pair
of boots and coming barefoot if that's what it takes.               ;-)
 
                                                                     Craig


Date:    Tue, 4 Apr 1995 06:23:46 GMT
From:    Tim Anderson (freer@CIX.COMPULINK.CO.UK)
Subject: Re: Brixton 30th March
 
I'm sorry. Bob did not play She belongs to me at this concert. He played
Love minus Zero. The order is right though.
 
"Tell me nothing about nothing and I just might tell you the truth"
 
Tim


From:          "Wilson, Andrew F" (AFWilson@iee.org.uk)
To:            "Andersen, Karl" (Karl.Erik.Andersen@nbr.no)
Subject:       Dylan in Brixton
Date:          Fri, 07 Apr 95 12:36:00 PDT


As I can't post to rec.music.dylan, here are some comments about the show I 
saw.

Dylan's concert in Brixton on 30 March was absolutely excellent.  If 
anything, the venue is even better than the Hammersmith Odeon, where I saw 
him last.

The first number, Down in the Flood, was somewhat mumbled (or perhaps 
muffled in the mix), but thereafter everything was clear as a bell.  It was 
puzzling to see Bob without a guitar, holding a microphone in one hand, 
swaying slightly rather than dancing.  It's certainly a pose which takes 
some getting used to, and it was reassuring that he picked up a guitar for 
most of the numbers.

Why wouldn't the bass player look at the audience?  For almost all of the 
show he faced the drummer, and hardly ever turned
around.

There seemed to be a lot of debate about the set list during the show. 
 After most numbers there was a confab, presumably
to agree what was going to be sung next.

During one of the songs the slide player stopped suddenly and changed to 
another guitar - presumably a broken string.  Later in the song he changed 
back again - presumably it has been fixed.  The result was two large chunks 
of the song with no slide guitar in it.

The audience did not seem very interested during Elvis Costello's support 
set.  There was plenty of applause, but not much attention whilst he was 
singing.  However, there seemed to be general pleasure when he joined Bob to 
sing I Shall Be Released in the final encore.

Andrew


Date:    Tue, 11 Apr 1995 11:56:10 -0500
From:    rcj@ULA.CAM.AC.UK
Subject: Brixton Academy Thursday 30 March 1995...

Brixton Academy Thursday 30 March 1995

1.  Crash On  The Levee  (Down In  The  Flood)  [Dylan  sans guitar]
2.  If You See Her, Say Hello [Dylan sans guitar]
3.  All Along The Watchtower
4.  Jokerman
5.  Every Grain Of Sand
6.  Positively 4th Street
7.  Mr. Tambourine Man [Dylan sans guitar]
8.  Masters Of War [Dylan sans guitar]
9.  Love Minus Zero/No Limit
10. God Knows
11. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
12. I Believe In You
13. Like A Rolling Stone
14. The Times They Are A-Changin'
15. I Shall Be Released [with Elvis Costello]

Welllll,  you  are  thinking  this  looks  a  mighty  boring
posting, we  saw this  set list  some time ago. Feel free to
skip to  the next  posting if  you like,  I intend simply to
give a meandering review of my impression of this concert. I
have chosen this one because I promised to do it and because
the general  consensus among  those  who  take  their  Dylan
concerts in  large multiples  is that this was the finest of
the recent European tour.

It was an excellent concert. Mr Dylan was working very hard.
He was  delivering. He  was connecting. Everyone I knew left
satisfied.

Those unfamiliar  with my posting style may think that is no
special comment  on a  UseNet Newsgroup  for dedicated Dylan
fans. Those  who know me will know that I rarely get excited
about anything  other than  pre-Columbian  Dylan.  I  am  an
unreconstructed fan  of Bob  Dylan in  the 1960s, especially
the early  1960s. In  later decades  I have even experienced
some concerts  where I felt I deserved my money back, but we
won't go  into that.  I have never been of the deified Dylan
set wherein  all he does is of varying levels of perfection.
So my  simple satisfaction  is a  strong recommendation that
whatever your opinion of Bob Dylan, attend a concert when he
comes near  you now and see if he has preserved the spell he
cast on Brixton on that Thursday night.

England has  been teeming  with  Dylan  concert  goers  from
around the  globe for  some time,  many came  a week or more
early in  order to  have some time before the hard trek of a
tour dominated  their schedule. Several kindly came to visit
me, so  in a  sense the  concert  of  30  March  began  much
earlier. I  shan't bore  you with  information on  each  and
every person,  but I  shall give  a few examples in order to
convey some  of the  flavour of  recent events  for me.  The
first to  arrive on  my doorstep  were Jon and Carol Casper.
Regular readers  will recall that Jon is the EDLIS Promo CDs
agent (and  has some  other agency  as well,  I  disremember
which).

I was  in London  on real  academic business  the  day  they
arrived, no  Dylan connection,  and we  met up  for  a  fine
Gujarati Indian meal and then a few days later they made the
journey to  Cambridge to  see the  EDLIS archives,  computer
systems, lunch  at King's  College, tea  in the  library and
then dinner  at our  house. Tea  was of course followed with
#dylan in  irc where  they met Ben Taylor for the first time
in a  live conference.  And afterwards  they caught  a  late
train from  Royston back  to London,  and I  feel sure I saw
them each  do it  with a  one-arm jump  too! As I drove home
from the  station I swear I could hear two voices singin' in
the distance,  "I got the Great Northern Cambridge & Royston
to King's  Cross train bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-ooo-oo-
ues, oh  Lawdy mamma,  got 'em  in the bottom of my ramblin'
shooo-oo-oo-es, an'  when the  whistle blows I got to go-oo-
oo, baby,  don't you  know-ow, it looks like I'm never gonna
lose the  Great Northern Cambridge & Royston to King's Cross
train blues..." :-)

By Thursday  no fans wanted to be in Cambridge, the EDLISian
encampment was  firmly based  in London.  Luncheon events in
London that day were hard to choose from, I gather many went
to a  Bob Dylan  imitators' contest at the London Dylan pub,
The Coach  and Horses in Mayfair, but a small old guard from
rec.music.dylan convened  at Calabash, an African restaurant
in Covent  Garden. The pair of Bens were there, not a common
occurrence, Ben  of Newcastle  (who is some agent or other I
believe?),  and   Ben  of   Hobart  Tasmania,  EDLIS'  famed
Australian Affairs  agent. Until  that moment  they had  not
known each  other outside of #dylan on irc and e-mail. A lot
of meetings  this tour  have been  like that.  Hugh Eaton, a
relatively new  poster, dropped  by but as he takes his work
seriously he  did not  have time  to stay  to eat. Clearly a
solid Dylan  interest there  though, so  watch  for  quality
postings from  the heart  of London.  Jon, Carol  and myself
were there.  And most eminent among us was Olof Bjorner, who
surprised us all by speaking in sentences, not in set lists!
And where  a person  wished to  attend, but  was unable  to,
there was  often an  envoy. So,  for  example,  Joe  Cliburn
(EDLIS - Who Has Which Boot agent) missed one more important
event, but was brought to life by the tales of Ben of Hobart
who had recently visited him. And Andy Gustavsson, the EDLIS
Swedish Affairs  agent presently on assignment in the United
States, unable to attend, sent his parents in his stead! The
charming Anne-Marie  and Lasse  Gustavsson, well  versed  in
matters  Dylanological,   though  appearing   less   visibly
debilitated by the Dylan bug than Andy seems to be.
We had  a fine meal, a few drinks, and the younger ones went
off to save places in the Brixton queue for the more elderly
(or did Ben say "the more lazy"?).

Brixton is  a rough  part of London, there is no denying it.
When I  moved to  London  after  my  first  degree  we  were
astounded  by  rents  and  looked  through  the  papers  for
something affordable.  We found a flat for 200% more than we
had been paying in rural Wales for a complete cottage and it
was the  cheapest there  was. It  was in Brixton. We did not
know one  London borough from another, it was definitely the
cheapest flat  in the  paper so  we  set  off  to  meet  the
landlord. Leaving the tube station we looked around and knew
this was not going to work out but felt honour bound to show
up. The  landlord came  down to  let us in, for an afternoon
appointment, in his pajamas and dressing gown. Following him
up the  stairs he  turned to  us and said, "I can see by the
look on  your faces  that this  is not what you were looking
for, but  I am  going to be fixing it up." Water was running
down the  walls and  large pieces  of wallpaper were peeling
off. "In  fact I  can fix  it up now", he continued, tearing
the wallpaper off the wall. "There, that's better", he said.
And on it went. And as fate would have it we turned him down
and went  to live on the opposite side of the city in Crouch
End!

Well Britain  has  had  many  years  of  Conservative  rule,
(apparent to tourists who must step over the homeless in the
West End  of London)  and a  place like  Brixton, how has it
fared? You can imagine.

But the  Brixton Academy  is a good venue, well run and with
an excellent  atmosphere. The  queue before  the concert was
good fun, not tedious at all. I spoke with so many old faces
and new,  many of  the latter  I would not have known except
for Internet  connections. John Baldwin was well ahead of us
in the  queue, a rec.music.dylan poster whom you may recall,
but retiring from work soon after the concert and therefore,
EDLIS  is   reliably  informed,   intending  to   contribute
substantially to  the net.  We look  forward to  that. I met
again various  people with  whom I  had queued  overnight in
June of  1978 when that was how one got decent tickets (e.g.
David Agar,  for anyone who recalls the people of those very
real encampments).  And for the first time I met Ray Webster
(EDLIS -  Tours & Tickets agent) in the flesh, a larger than
life figure who knows everyone and is never without a smile.
You will recall he is the one who always attracts the cliche
that, "he  has attended  more Bob Dylan concerts than anyone
else in the world, including Bob Dylan."

Many others  were there,  including many authors and fanzine
writers. Clinton Heylin was in the pub, but I gather did not
attend the  concert though  he had  a ticket? John Baldwin I
mentioned, presumably  most readers now have their copies of
his The  Fiddler Now  Upspoke, but just in case perhaps John
could post  ordering details  to rec.music.dylan?  Alison  &
Phill Townsend  were there, though I did not get a chance to
speak with  them until  Manchester. In  general there  was a
tendency to  try to  get to know new faces at the expense of
the old.  But the  old guard  was there, Clive Barrett again
getting his  priorities wrong,  rushing  off  to  relieve  a
babysitter rather  than attend  one  of  the  after  concert
parties. Larry  the  Lamb,  and  so  on,  all  the  expected
characters at these events.

And several  missed at  the concert were caught up with at a
Greek lunch  in Marble  Arch the  next day.  For example the
unparalleled  Heinrich  Gerkepott,  whom  I  had  never  met
before. Once  more a  gathering of  people with considerable
interest in  Mr Dylan's  work around  one table,  I found it
fun.

So you've  read this  far and  think nothing  has been  said
about the  concert. I  suppose I am stalling. What Bob Dylan
does is  a very personal thing and I find with anyone I know
well all  they need  to say  is something  like, "Tonight it
worked", and  that is  enough for  me to  know all I need to
know. Well,  tonight it  worked. But maybe I'll try and tell
you more.

I sat  in a  front row  balcony seat, neither DAT taping nor
videoing, so  I don't  suppose I deserved that position. Ben
of Newcastle  was in  front of Bob's left foot, at the apron
to the  stage, wondering how anyone could be so boring as to
be so  far back  as  front  row  balcony,  missing  all  the
atmosphere. But  it suits me. (Unfortunately I had forgotten
my torch  and notebook,  so a certain person's fantasies did
not come true... ;-)) I have asked Ben Taylor to put a large
photograph of  the back  of his  head on  his World Wide Web
homepage so  people can  look at that and then recognise him
in the  audience videos.  If you  see him  from the front --
which is possible, he does not stand stock still -- you will
already recognise  him as he is the one with the black make-
up all  over his  face in  the form  of a  Newcastle Student
Union stamp...

The support act was Elvis Costello (many of the UK dates had
no support), who was excellent, but I will leave his part to
be described  by someone more familar with his work, perhaps
Hugh Eaton  might like to comment? As support acts go we are
talking about something rather high quality here.

But with Dylan it starts all at once with a crash of cymbals
and Crash on the Levee (Down In The Flood) (1967)... The man
has no guitar! You knew it would be that way but it is still
startling. And  the enunciation  is poor.  But the  place is
very excited.  Very pleased.  Many recognise the song in the
first few sounds, but many more casually interested in Dylan
take  a   few  lines   of  lyric   before  they   catch  it.
"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyy, mamma  gonna you're  gonna miss  your best
frieeend nowwwwwwwww,  Gonna have  to find yourself a-nother
best frieeend, somehowwwwwwwwwwwwww." Shivers down the spine
on the first song means he is on form, right?

The windmill arms, the wacky shuffling and posing, where did
he dig  this up?  Does it  work? Manic loss of guitar, yes I
think we can say it is weird but captivating.

If You  See Her,  Say Hello  (1974) continues with a guitar-
less Dylan,  but now the voice is clear. Is he aiming in his
first song  at Mr  Jones reviewers like the Telegraph review
many would have read before this concert, a bizarre review I
hope someone  will post.  The old  why are  so  many  people
fooled into  paying top  prices for  a sold  out concert  by
someone so  incompetent and why are they so pleased? With no
acknowledgement that  the reviewers  are  missing  something
they  cannot   understand  but   others  clearly   do.  Poor
enunciation means  only insiders,  dedicated fans, can catch
every word. Casual attenders are left catching very few. But
that was  the first  song, the  second, If  You See Her, Say
Hello, is  beautifully clear,  and clarity  remains for  the
rest of  the evening.  The harmonica gets quite a cheer. And
the crowd  goes crazy  after the song, so much so I wondered
if he  was peaking  too early,  would we have Watchtower and
then a  trough in  the atmosphere?  It was  a hungry  crowd,
demanding a lot.

"Thank you"  and then All Along The Watchtower (1968) strong
and in  appropriately  uncomfortable  spurts,  building  and
building, the  voice is  piercing the night, you can feel he
knows it  is working  tonight and he has no fear of where he
is going  next. "Outside  in the  distance,  a  wildcat  did
growl, two  riders were  approaching, and  the wind began to
howwwwllll." He  had harnessed  his mystic  powers  and  the
wildcat did growl and the wind took on a form of its own. He
wasn't baring his teeth in that scary way he used to do, but
he had that theatrical control of the situation which cannot
but fascinate. The gods were with him. The crowd is wild but
wanting to  see what  happens next. Lots of requests shouted
out at this point. Hugh Brown is not the next song. :-(

Jokerman (1983)  is quieter  of course,  well received but a
chance to  recover energy. A strong feeling that Mr Dylan is
aiming to  give us  an extremely  autobiographical set  this
evening. A  very restrained  performance of  this song,  but
clearly intentionally  so. Manipulator  of crowds,  you're a
dream twister...

Every Grain  Of Sand  (1981) exquisitely  performed. "I have
gone from  rags to riches in the sorrow of the night, in the
violence of  a summer's  dream, in  the chill  of  a  wintry
light, in  the bitter dance of loneliness fading into space,
in the  broken mirror  of innocence on each forgotten face."
Musically memorable.

Positively 4th  Street (1965).  Played in  the expected way,
yet the cheer did not come until the words began. And, "When
you know  as well  as me  you'd rather see me paralyzed, Why
don't you  just come  out once  and scream it?" is left out.
Then, "And now I know you're dissatisfied with your position
and your place, Don't you understand it's not my problemmm",
gets quite a cheer in the middle of the song. Excellent.

Mr. Tambourine Man  (1964),  acoustic,  Dylan  sans  guitar,
immaculately beautiful, even to those who have tired of this
one. Crowd  noise gets a bit intrusive but it does not spoil
anything. It  is quietly  sung, the bar has been open a long
time and we are at a live concert, so...

Masters Of War (1962), acoustic, Dylan sans guitar, powerful
from the first, yet delicate. Lots of crowd reaction. "And I
hope that you die and your death will come soon, I'll follow
your casket  by the  pale afternoon,  and I'll  watch  while
you're lowered  down to  your deathbed,  and I'll stand over
your grave 'till I'm sure that you're dead." Cheers. (Echoes
of Elvis Costello's final song? :-))

Love  Minus  Zero/No  Limit  (1965),  acoustic,  Dylan  with
guitar, long intro. Exquisite, tailored, the ninth song is a
good spot  to hit  them with  perfection. He  hits them with
perfection.  Craftsmen,   master,   significant   performer,
displaying his wares with confidence. Nothing showy. Nothing
unexpected. Quality.  The crowd  reacts,  they  know  it  is
special. Is Shirley Noznisky still in his mind when he sings
this?

God Knows (1990) machine gun drums break the calm.

Stuck Inside  Of Mobile  With The Memphis Blues Again (1966)
fast moving,  full voiced. Did he really sing, "But the post
office has  been stolen  and the e-mail box is locked"? Then
we have the band introductions.

By I  Believe In You (1978) we are on the third song I would
not include in a set list, yet I have not noticed this as it
was happening, they are so well performed.

Then we are into encores. Like A Rolling Stone (1965) played
as if  Edie Sedgwick  herself was  there and  listening? Not
really, but  well done  all the same. Crowd clapping along a
bit, then singing along sporadically. Wild applause.
The Times  They Are  A-Changin' (1964)  meets a lively crowd
with exactly  what they want, pleasing the wide age range of
that audience. Well crafted. Well received.


I Shall  Be Released (1967) with Elvis Costello. A wonderful
duet, especially  to see,  with Dylan  dominating,  smiling,
enjoying the  end of  what he  knows has  been a  very  fine
night. "For  as the lightning comes from the east and shines
as far  as the  west, so  will be  the coming  of the Son of
man."

What can  one say?  You should  have been there. Why weren't
you? :-)  I hope  he can do something similar in a town near
you.

EDLIS advice  to the moderate collector? So far we have seen
no CDs,  the rather  unfortunate raid  on Camden  Market has
slowed that  side of  things a  little during  the tour. You
need a DAT of this one and if you have not yet seen the 1995
Dylan sans  guitar then you need an audience video, probably
best from  the balcony  if you  want to marvel at what those
feet do.  Funny chap that Bobby Dylan. :-) (Many will recall
we had  Dylan sans  guitar during Rolling Thunder, I am told
it even  appears on  the CD-ROM.  Could  that  project  have
reminded Dylan of the possibility?)

Someone from Wisconsin I believe, posted the other day about
how they  always smiled  or laughed  at the  funny  bits  in
songs, and  I must  admit I share this peccadillo. But it is
striking that  Bob Dylan  long ago  gave up  on pausing  for
those laughs,  listening today you have to wonder if even he
could tell  you where the audiences used to laugh. Listening
to tapes  as late as 1965 you can be struck by the alertness
of the  audience. Compare  Love Minus  Zero/No Limit on your
tape of 30 March 1995 with your tape (or CD: Songs That Made
Him Famous,  Tuff Bites,  T.B. 95.1012,  1995, Bar  code:  5
450222 950129,  Matrix: DURECO  [01] TB 95.1012) of 27 March
1965. [5/082.1] "In the dime stores and bus stations, people
talk of  situations, read  books,  repeat  quotations,  draw
conclusions [pause]  on the  wall [audience  laughter]." But
today it is sung straight through, no wait-for-it pause. But
I still smile. There are countless lines like that.

Leaving the  concert we  ran across  Andrew and Pia Muir and
Andrew had  a gleam in his eyes and a look of excitement. He
was clearly  very impressed.  A few days after the concert I
saw a  posting from  him and  thought, oh  dear, has  he re-
thought, will  he be  as unreservedly  praising as he was on
the night.  And the  posting was  not positive,  but then  I
realised he  was talking  about the night before and when he
got to  Thursday he  had  high  praise  indeed.  It  remains
unanimous that Thursday 30 March 1995 at the Brixton Academy
something special happened.

Outside we chatted with people from all over the world, many
of them  many of  you will know. And then into taxis to what
people seem  to refer  to as  "tapers' parties".  There have
been  many  DAT  tapers  and  video  tapers  on  this  tour,
especially from  the USA,  but I  never mention any by name,
they tend  to wish  to remain  anonymous.  Hence  the  above
account misses  names many would expect, they were there but
discreetly so.  And I suppose it is not done to say too much
about what  goes on  at such  a party. But should you attend
such  an   event  bring   your  DAT  or  cassette  recorder,
appropriate cabling and blank tape and prepare to drive home
at 04:00  in the  morning with your car speakers echoing the
concert you  heard earlier  that evening.  And if  you think
Dylan fans  can be  tediously boring about Dylan, and doubly
so about computer technology and Dylan, wait 'til you hear a
crowd of  techno-gurus with binaural microphones strapped to
their heads  and customised  top-of-the-line  DAT  recorders
strapped to  their bodies  discussing the esoteric technical
side of  recording equipment. If it wasn't for the music one
might yawn and fall asleep...

Ben of Newcastle, Jon, Carol and I left to share a taxi some
time after  03:00 a.m. while a room full of Germans, Swedes,
Norwegians and  Americans clearly thought the night was much
younger than  we perceived  it to  be. We dropped Ben at his
grandfather's flat  in Notting  Hill, Jon  & Carol  at their
hotel at  Marble Arch  and me at a flat in Belgravia which I
had borrowed.

This brings  me to  thanks. Best  thank Bob Dylan first, for
performing, without  him all this rigamarole would look even
sillier  than  it  does  now.  But  I  must  thank  all  the
contributors to rec.music.dylan and EDLIS, some have been so
generous with  accommodation and  other facilities  I cannot
thank them  enough. Many who would previously have stayed in
hotels at  considerable expense  -- myself  included -- have
been put  up in  peoples' homes and that is of great benefit
in two  ways. It  saves money  in what is a rather expensive
pursuit at  the best  of times.  And it  gives those with an
interest in Bob Dylan new contacts from around the world and
a chance  to talk  in depth  to them  (and exchange  illegal
objects should  they be  so inclined).  I have  been offered
incredible hospitality out of the blue from people I had not
known existed a few weeks ago.

EDLIS is  thinking of  making up a file of advice to concert
goers if  readers think  it would  be worthwhile.  There  is
little I would do differently, except I never thought of the
need to bring a bathing suit! You will always meet some fans
who stay in rather up-market hotels, and an invite to a swim
in the  hotel pool  is very  attractive, especially  after a
long night. I did not foresee this possibility.

Certainly venues  for lunches and after hours parties should
be communicated  well in  advance and  stuck to. Be sure you
have local  hotel locations for everyone you wish to meet so
telephone arrangements  can be made. Most people do not read
their e-mail  when abroad or even just away from home. It is
worth having a central person with e-mail and a telephone to
serve  as   a  contact   for  anyone   who  loses  track  of
arrangements. If you do want to meet up with a lot of people
you must  know where  they are,  and bear  in mind you might
weaken and  go on  to further cities where you would like to
know where others are. Make notes, I am afraid.

Many people  came up to me because of the EDLISian flower or
they know  I wear  a red  jacket at Dylan concerts. No other
male seems  to wear  a red  jacket. Am  I making  a  fashion
statement? One  I should  be willing to admit to? :-) But it
works, people  tend to  find me.  But I  did have several e-
mails about  arrangements which  arrived too  late for me to
read before  a concert  and I  had  e-mail  afterwards  from
people too  shy to  interrupt. Pity.  Immediately before and
after a  concert the  numbers talking  to each  other can be
quite crazy,  but just  barge in  and make yourself known at
least.

Lunch before  a concert  makes sense, somewhere informal and
leisurely which  will suit  all  budgets.  Obviously  it  is
expensive to  go to  a concert, but some on very low budgets
can feel obliged to partake in things beyond their means, so
stay clear  of anything  too expensive. Supper is pointless,
no one  wants it,  the queue  is more  interesting than  any
restaurant. Some eat after a concert, but most seem to think
that is the time for serious drinking and/or intake of other
substances as breakfast is just around the corner...

Was that  enough? Too  much? Someone  asked me  to do a full
review and include prelims and afters, sooo you got it...

                                                       Craig

--
My love, she speaks like silence,
Without ideals or violence,
She doesn't have to say she's faithful,
Yet she's true, like ice, like fire.
People carry roses,
Make promises by the hours,
My love she laughs like the flowers,
Valentines can't buy her.

In the dime stores and bus stations,
People talk of situations,
Read books, repeat quotations
Draw conclusions on the wall.
Some speak of the future
My love she speaks softly
She knows that there's no success like failure
And that failure's no success at all.

The cloak and dagger dangles,
Madams light the candles.
In ceremonies of the horsemen
Even the pawn must hold a grudge.
Statues make of match sticks
Crumble into one another,
My love winks, she does not bother,
She knows too much to argue or to judge.

The bridge at midnight trembles,
The country doctor rambles.
Banker's nieces seek perfection,
Expecting all the gifts that wise men bring.
The wind howls like a hammer,
The night blows cold and rainy.
My love she's like some raven
At my window with a broken wing.

 
Date:    Mon, 24 Apr 1995 13:58:47 +0100
From:    "B.P. Taylor" (B.P.Taylor@NEWCASTLE.AC.UK)
Subject: 1995 Tour report (late entry)

30 March 1995 - Brixton Academy, London, England
================================================
Down In The Flood (Crash On The Levee)
If You See Her, Say Hello
All Along The Watchtower
Jokerman
Every Grain Of Sand [/Shelter From The Storm]
Positively 4th Street [/Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat]
Mr. Tambourine Man [acoustic with band]
Masters Of War [acoustic with band] [/The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll]
Love Minus Zero - No Limit [acoustic with band]
God Knows
Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
I Believe In You
-
Like A Rolling Stone
-
The Times They Are A-Changin'
-
I Shall Be Released [with Elvis Costello]

Comment:
Started queuing an hour earlier than yesterday and still ended up further to
the right than before. Right in front of the speaker in fact but still at
the front.

"Down In The Flood" was as great as the previous night. No guitar.

Dylan looked significantly more alert tonight. Moved with more confidence
and assertiveness. Now he really was looking at the crowd. I could have
sworn he acknowledged my beaming smile with a tightening of the lip....
('Who's that nutter?') He was rubbing his nose and blew into a handkerchief
at one point. Red shirt with large collars, under a black jacket.

As soon as I heard the first few chords of "If You See Her, Say Hello" I
knew tonight would be special. The good reading of "All Along The
Watchtower" confirmed that.

A real surprise: "Jokerman", and so high in the setlist. He didn't attack
this as much as I'd heard him do in 1994 but still very enjoyable to hear.
And then he follows this with "Every Grain Of Sand"! Inspired. The alternate
for this was 'Shelter From The Storm'.

"Positively 4th Street" was played in place of the cue sheet alternate of
'Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat' but I'm not sore - it was fantastic.

Dylan put down his guitar for "Mr. Tambourine Man" which was gorgeous! Then
I was hoping for 'Boots Of Spanish Leather' again after such a breathtaking
performance the night before but ... even better: "Masters Of War". How far
Dylan has come since Hiroshima 1994! When was the last time harmonica was
used for this song? It worked so well tonight! "Love Minus Zero - No Limit"
was just beautiful.

"God Knows" was the now standard arrangement - great to witness in person.
And with "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" the song list
just got better and better. By this time I was wondering how long Dylan
could keep up this phenominal standard. We must heading for a fall....

Well, the fall never came. "I Believe In You" was fantastic. Words begin to
fail me.. A minute or so offstage and back for an aggressive "Like A Rolling
Stone". And then he returns again for an acoustic song, "The Times They Are
A-Changin'". Gorgeous instrumentation. I couldn't believe I was witnessing
this!

By this time I mistakenly thought all three encores had been played so when
Elvis Costello came on stage WITH Dylan and the band I was in heaven. The
duet performance of "I Shall Be Released" was so much fun. They took it in
turns to sing lines. Elvis was a second too slow with his line so Dylan sang
the words for him, though only just in microphone range. And then they sang
lines together, or not.... Big smiles from both of them. At the end Dylan
called out "Elvis Costelllllloooo".

I truly feel privileged to have been present at this show. Such a huge
improvement on the night before. Incredible, unbelievable, he couldn't do
anything wrong. I have really never seen anything like it.




Date:    Mon, 17 Apr 1995 17:20:34 GMT
From:    Mitch Gart (mg@HARP.CAMB.INMET.COM)
Subject: Re: Brixton Academy Thursday 30 March 1995...

Thanks, Craig.  I really enjoyed reading your post.

It so happened that I made a trade and got a tape of the Brixton
show, and was listening to the new tape as I read your post.
That show is amazing, and totally different from the Boston shows
I saw last October.

In Boston, most of the time it was a rock show with the instruments
pretty loud and Bob's voice sometimes hard to understand over the band.
If you already knew the words, you could hear them, otherwise not.

In Brixton the band was toned way, way back.  At any time you could
hear a drum beat, or a guitar, or a lot of Baxter's high slide notes,
or some harmonica, but Bob's voice was mixed way out front.  Also things
were slowed down some.  You might say the sound was more like country than
rock.  Or if you've ever heard a band called Cowboy Junkies, the
sound mix reminded me of that group, some of whose discs I love.

Maybe it's the Unplugged show that influenced Bob into changing his
sound.

I have seen a few posts recently where people complained about Bob's
band.  This may be because the band's sound has been toned down so
drastically in the last few months.  People making those complaints
would probably prefer a tape of last winter's shows.

This sounds like it was a great show, and it's definitely a great tape
:-), and it's remarkable how much the sound has changed over the last
few months.

        Mitch



Fri March 31: London, England 
 
Date:    Sat, 1 Apr 1995 03:52:50 GMT
From:    billpannifer (billpannifer@EASYNET.CO.UK)
Subject: Brixton 31 March
 
Brixton Academy, London 31 March 1995
 
Down in the Flood
Senor
Watchtower
I Don't Believe You
Tombstone Blues
Shelter from the Storm
Mr Tambourine Man
Hattie Carrol
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Highway 61
In the Garden
Joey
 
Like A Rolling Stone
 
My Back Pages
I Shall Be Released (w/Elvis, Chrissie Hynde, Carole King).
 
On stage about 15 mins late. Senor abbreviated but good; Shelter started
slowly with just D's voice and slide, and a much more sensitive reading than
the earlier, country-gallop version with this band; Baby Blue perhaps the
highlight for me, done chamber-style, bass played with bow; triple-epic
closer a bit exhausting, though LARS had a little light and shade tonight.
Back Pages a nice acoustic encore. Lyrics in general-- a few flubs,
sometimes saved by a bit of improvisation:  but  final verses of both Joey
and Pages were dropped, leaving a sense of anticlimax... seemed to be less
harmonica and more guitar jamming tonight...but still a great show capped by
a repeat of last night's ISBReleased encore with Elvis, only this time  also
with Chrissie H and Carole King (a real surprise) stage left sharing a mike,
Carole dancing about gleefully. Meanwhile stage right, another
microphone--in case George decided to come out??


Date:    Sat, 1 Apr 1995 14:54:22 GMT
From:    billpannifer (billpannifer@EASYNET.CO.UK)
Subject: corrected 31st March
 
Forgot to list final encore of last night's set!
 
Brixton Academy, London 31 March 1995
 
Down in the Flood
Senor
Watchtower
I Don't Believe You
Tombstone Blues
Shelter from the Storm
Mr Tambourine Man
Hattie Carrol
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Highway 61
In the Garden
Joey
 
Like A Rolling Stone
 
My Back Pages
 
I Shall Be Released (w/Elvis, Chrissie Hynde, Carole King).
*Rainy Day Women *(as above)
 

April reports.