Reviews

Absoultely boring concert. Waste of money and time.

I have been af fan of Dylan for 30 years, and I love his music so much.
But it is a scandal that all songs from his former periods are delivered
with the same tune (if you can call it a tune). Every song  except those
from Modern Times - are unrecognisable and delivered without love for the
songs. Sandal and a bore! The text are brilliant but the tunes and the
performance are miserably bad. Add to this the arrogant behaviour towards
the audience. Not a single world to say hello. Not a word of goodbye.
Scandal.

Peter

Arriving at Central Station via train from the airport the sunlight was 
quite bright outside as I stood squinting disorientated at my postage 
stamp map, it was the usual, my map looks nothing like the Copenhagen that
be fronts me and I am lost. Lots of unsavoury characters everywhere
staring at me but then I realised they are just smokers probably envious
that I have not had the  need to light up yet, so yes they probably would
enjoy slitting my throat! Not being able to find the directions to the
hotel from the map there was only one thing to do, set off walking
blindly. After only a few yards a lady confronts me and asks me if I would
like sex,  I thought she was a little too forward and presumptuous so I
declined. It happened again with another lady and I began to get a little
annoyed, look you are a lady and as such you should not be asking a man
for sex, I am a man and as such should not be asking anyone for
directions, I am playing my part so please play yours. Only later did it
dawn on me that the Danes had invented pornography so it  was probably a
tourist attraction that I was missing out  on! Turns out my hotel had only
been a stone throw from the station and I had marched straight past it
some time back. The Forum was only a short walk away in a different
direction so off I strolled the following day arriving there around
midday to find the queue,  well a lady actually, an American lady. As is
usual queues for Bob Dylan shows can be deceptive, on speaking  to her
there were in fact three people in the queue so there, things are  not
actually always what you see them to be. I wandered off returning later to
find a few more people gathered so I flopped down on the floor in line.
Sometime during the afternoon two blacked out buses drive past right in
front of the queue to some shouts and jeers of "Bobbie, Bobbie, Bobbie"
and the like from the small crowd. I think it safe to assume they were
Bobs buses but whether he was on one or they had just been to refuel who
knows, it was not possible to see behind the  shades! Two people for free
tickets in the queue for this show, one of them a guy  with a guitar and
harmonica who was willing to play some Bob songs for a ticket.  No ticket
was forth coming so he decides to play anyway upon which someone 
in the crowd shouts "Can someone give him a ticket to stop!".
As usual security decided to make entry as dangerous as possible, you 
could see from early afternoon that the crowd was close up to the outward 
opening fire doors and no efforts were made to move people back so the
moment one door starts to open people swarm forward through it before
they can get them fully opened. I am sorry security it is no good at that
point shouting at people and telling them to stay back and to stop
pushing and running, you need to take charge earlier and control the
entry. We are only talking about the first few, may be 50 or so people,
get them in to the place in a controlled fashion, it is not rocket
science, the people after that are quite happy to stroll to the
merchandise or buy a beer (N.B. this  may not be the case at the
Roundhouse!!!!). This is not just Denmark but all over, I do not know what
part if any Bobs own security play at these events but I think they
should take some responsibility too. In Sweden the fans knew the score
and took charge of it very well themselves there so thanks and well done
guys. Anyway I survived the entry to find myself fairly central to the
stage one back from the rail. A bit of pushing on the rail then security
come up with a fantastic idea to  calm everyone down by telling them to
sit on the floor! Sitting takes up rather more space than standing so not
the best of ideas to impose on a tightly bunched crowd, I have
experienced it before though in San Francisco! Earlier whilst out side in
the queue some of the people had been doing a  common thing, "what will he
sing?". I did not join in but I had only one opener in my mind "Gotta
Serve Somebody" from one of my favourite albums. Having seen it on other
set lists to shows I had not attended this was the opener that I wanted.
Personally I have never been disappointed by a Bob Dylan show, obviously 
some are better than others but they have all been enjoyable and excellent
value for money. This was however the first time I have had the
experience after hearing just that one number that the show could have
ended then and there and I would have walked away satisfied. I have never
enjoyed an opener as much as that, in fact rarely have I  enjoyed a song
anywhere on the set list as much as that. But then look at everything else
that followed, including yet again in such a short space of time I
Believe In You which really was delivered as  good as it gets, thanks Bob.
Even the old standards felt new and there really was not a low point,
super versions of Rolling Stone, Watchtower and a fantastic Its Alright 
Ma followed by Desolation Row, a kind of experimental Spirit On The Water
with Bob trying out blowing the harmonica after almost every other  word.
I know where I am spending my Easter weekend, brilliant.

Trevor Townson