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Wanderers Ways. Neil Thompson 1961-2021

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That's from the famous gig at the Free Trade Hall. The folk crowd could be quite purist and Luddite (he got the plug pulled by Pete Seeger when he  was at at Newport playing Maggie's Farm, but he claimed that was down to poor sound quality and not against Dylan going electric and wanted the guitars really distorted)

 

So the NW folk crowd were such a bunch (big folk scene which is described by Paul Simon on Homeward Bound as he did a small tour of NW folk clubs) So Dylan plays his first set and comes back with a band, starts with 'Rolling Stone' crowd calls out 'Judas'; Dylan responds by shouting back, 'I don't believe you, you're a liar' and the band starts up again whilst you can heard Dylan turn round to the band shouting, 'Play it fucking loud' just to piss them off some more. One of the great moments in pop music. 

 

No Direction Home is the film to watch of this tour, the CD of it is amazing, he sounds almost punk, sneering through the set annoying all the chin stroking folkies and ruining his own legacy only to create a new, bigger one.

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It wasn't until last week when my dad told me that Adele and her gazillion selling single 'make you feel my love' was written by our Bob.

 

I bet he's wiping the tears of laughter away with 50 quid notes after that cover.

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Bob Dylan is responsible for one of the most miserable sets I've ever had the misfortune to witness. Pissing down at Glastonbury with a beaming Crawley wanking enthusiastically by my side, listening to an old man drawling through a back catalogue of self indulgent dross. I had a similarly underwhelming experience watching Neil Young - only at least the weather was nicer!

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Prince was a genius, quality control issues I'll concede but that's because he spent every waking (non-shagging) hour making music FAO Kent, Bob Dylan may no longer be a great live act but if you're telling me that Bringing it all back home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde are self-indulgent dross I suggest you do something else that doesn't involve listening to music because you obviously don't get 'it' ???? NIC nailed it beautifully so respect to you sir

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That's from the famous gig at the Free Trade Hall. The folk crowd could be quite purist and Luddite (he got the plug pulled by Pete Seeger when he was at at Newport playing Maggie's Farm, but he claimed that was down to poor sound quality and not against Dylan going electric and wanted the guitars really distorted)

 

So the NW folk crowd were such a bunch (big folk scene which is described by Paul Simon on Homeward Bound as he did a small tour of NW folk clubs) So Dylan plays his first set and comes back with a band, starts with 'Rolling Stone' crowd calls out 'Judas'; Dylan responds by shouting back, 'I don't believe you, you're a liar' and the band starts up again whilst you can heard Dylan turn round to the band shouting, 'Play it fucking loud' just to piss them off some more. One of the great moments in pop music.

 

No Direction Home is the film to watch of this tour, the CD of it is amazing, he sounds almost punk, sneering through the set annoying all the chin stroking folkies and ruining his own legacy only to create a new, bigger one.

The CD of the 'Royal Albert Hall' concert (because that's where it reputedly happened because of the London-centric music press, it was of course the Free Trade Hall in Manchester) is a beautiful thing. Speed-fuelled and antagonistic anger and bile that the cartoon punk rockers a few years later would have killed for. IMO obvs ....

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Prince was a genius, quality control issues I'll concede but that's because he spent every waking (non-shagging) hour making music FAO Kent, Bob Dylan may no longer be a great live act but if you're telling me that Bringing it all back home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde are self-indulgent dross I suggest you do something else that doesn't involve listening to music because you obviously don't get 'it' ???? NIC nailed it beautifully so respect to you sir

FWIW I thought Prince had a whiff of 'the emporers new clothes' about him as well.

 

Dylan's studio stuff is alright - but I guarantee you that on this occasion he sounded like a bad tribute act. I went with an open mind - and that open mind was firmly slammed shut. Luckily Orbital were on later that day so the occasion was redeemed!

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Haha fair enough! Fair to say I've never had the urge to see the great man live, your report of the gig is fairly typical, even hardcore Dylanologists of my acquaintance have said its been a bit of a slog for the last few years. Would have loved to have seen him in his heyday though.

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Bob Dylan is responsible for one of the most miserable sets I've ever had the misfortune to witness. Pissing down at Glastonbury with a beaming Crawley wanking enthusiastically by my side, listening to an old man drawling through a back catalogue of self indulgent dross. I had a similarly underwhelming experience watching Neil Young - only at least the weather was nicer!

Ha - never trust the memory of an old raver.

 

What actually happened was you made me watch Sonic Youth before Dylan, who played the most un-listenable, self-indulgent art rock to a very wet and very cold audience. It might have sounded great in a sweaty New York basement club, but there were none of their classics, even Kent took to protesting by writing 'NO' on his forehead in mud.

 

But we watched it all.

 

Dylan came on and was similarly awful. His voice is now shot and he played long, not very good, versions of his recent stuff. Then it started to drizzle. We watch three songs and then we left, as we were both bored and cold. I'm not sure if this is the 'wanking enthusiastically by your side' to which you refer. In fact, we went back to the tent and got stoned.

 

I've seen Dylan a few times and only once has it been a great gig, when he actually seemed to be in a good mood and played a great version of Shelter From The Storm which went on for about 15 minutes. Having never been able to see him in his prime and at his peak, I'll take all the bad performances for that alone.

 

But I won't go and see him again. He's an old man now, if I want to enjoy Dylan I'll listen to his proto-punk electric era, or the raw emotion of Blood on the Tracks, or the country, dust bowl ballads of Pat Garret or the simple joy of being alive on Freewheelin'

 

As for Orbital. Lift music for white blokes with dreads  :D

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As for Orbital. Lift music for white blokes with dreads :D

Sorry I forgot you are 'only into big beat' :-)

 

I agree Sonic Youth were similarly shit though. It comes to something when the best thing you see all day is The Lightening Seeds!

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Sorry I forgot you are 'only into big beat' :-)

 

I agree Sonic Youth were similarly shit though. It comes to something when the best thing you see all day is The Lightening Seeds!

Bentley Rhythm Ace were the future!

 

And I remember telling Ian Brodie as much pissed up when I saw him in a club in Liverpool a year later. Even he didn't believe me. 

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Miserable music is shit at festivals full stop nevermind as headliners.

 

I've seen some fantastic bands at festivals be utter pap because they've sucked the fun out of a weekend long booze up.

Tool were musically brilliant and im sure I'd have loved it at a gig but soooo very dull and twiddly for a festival. Can't remember who was on after but I was probably ready for a kip so wasn't interested.

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Miserable music is shit at festivals full stop nevermind as headliners.

 

aye, i quite like listening to Lana Del Ray, saw her (on tv) at glastonbury either last year or the one before

 

fuck me, went down like a shit sandwich

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Whilst the later stuff is ok, 1990s Radiohead is so much better than 2000s Radiohead but suspect the chances of hearing owt off Pablo Honey are pretty much fuck all these days (and I don't mean Creep which I find as tedious as they do)

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Whilst the later stuff is ok, 1990s Radiohead is so much better than 2000s Radiohead but suspect the chances of hearing owt off Pablo Honey are pretty much fuck all these days (and I don't mean Creep which I find as tedious as they do)

 

I almost agree. Anyone Can Play Guitar, Stop Whispering, I Can't, You  - fucking brilliant songs considering they were such a young band at the time.

 

Pablo Honey is massively underrated, but going against the grain, Creep is one of my favourite songs of all time. 

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