01/09/2004

Ouch!! SingalongaBob

By all accounts, the Dylan show in a relatively small Glasgow venue, Barrowlands, was one of the more highly regarded stops on the generally mediocre recent European tour.

A reader kindly sent me, unbidden, an extract from the Barrowlands show - a karaoke version of Like A Rolling Stone, in which Dylan leaves the second half of the chorus lines for the crowd to complete. They do, with apparent gusto.

SingalongaBob. Karaoke Bob. Not-my-cup-of-tea Bob.

Dylan's the most talented creative artist of our times, and an iconic live performer. But there's a thin line between a Bob show in a big venue and the ugliest experience in all music - the dreaded arena rock. I chose to miss the last Bob tour because of the disappointing range of venues. Massive indoor arenas, outdoor festival stages and bull rings simply aren't conducive to great music.

But, if Dylan lets the singalong nonsense develop, pandering to nostalgic mainstream Boomers keen to sing along rather than listen, I won't be going to any more Bob shows in smaller venues, either.

Gerry Smith

[Previous entry: "Puccini's Gianni Schicchi - another triumph at the Proms"]

[Next entry: "Best of the new season's poprock releases"]

[Latest Daily Update]

Search entries:

Copyright © Music for Grown-Ups Ltd. 2005
The words Music for Grown-Ups^® and the logo design constitute a registered trademark of Music for Grown-Ups Ltd.

www.musicforgrownups.co.uk
Email: info@musicforgrownups.co.uk

[Latest Update]

[Archives]

[Previous entry: "Puccini's Gianni Schicchi - another triumph at the Proms"]

[Next entry: "Best of the new season's poprock releases"]

Top | Back

Site design by watson press website design & authoring