My review!!! Ok - I have now arrived back from Birmingham! Bloody hell!
I was all ready to accept Bob was older, ( i haven't seen him since
1981 *correction to earlier post - I got the year2nd time wrong - but i
was 12!) his voice was going to be crap and he was going to be
dismissive of the audience and not really that bothered, (having read
reviews for the last few years - of his live performances).but...
bloody hell!! He was fantastic.. I feel so lucky to have been at such a
great performance with such a wonderful set with a really good, tight
band and actually, a bloody great singer!
I was in block D - (2 blocks back to the left of the stage) so I had a
reasonable view. I can't compare like Jinxy can but I had rushed in at
the beginning of Maggie's farm, (having got stuck on the M40 from
Oxford with no time for drinks etc!) and the whole performance was just
unbelievable. I couldn't believe how his voice has been slated so much
- it was different to the 60s/70s - yes - but still unique, massively
expressive, strong, genuine and haunting and he was really
animated.WOW!!
Mr. Tambourine man went up at the end of every line but in a really
cool way and I loved it..
Obviously, because I'm a girl, tears were shed!!! Especially -tell me
that it isn't true, ballad of a thin man, chimes of freedom, the
lonesome death of hattie carroll...(I had to sit down and just listen
to that one!) Oh My God!!! I loved the order of the songs...summer days
was great...stuck inside of mobile made me shiver. I expected the
encore and its contents but Like a Rolling Stone and All along the
watchtower were magnificent and deep and meaningful and magnificent...
THIS WAS A BRILLIANT GIG!! We had lots of harmonica , great keyboards
from Bob, lots of lights and looks from Bob to the audience.
I felt he is still a genius with great generosity to all the fans and
those who criticise him.
I came away knowing that he has still got it - albeit different with
maturity and experience.
My only critisism was that it was too bloody short!!
Wonderful, brilliant, fantastic - I feel prviledged and blessed to have
been there..