Bob Dylan’s latest tour, which began earlier this month, left many in the Liverpool audience “in tears”. However, some attendees were disappointed by the limited visibility of the 83-year-old singer during his Rough and Rowdy Ways performance at the M&S Bank Arena on Monday.
The concert divided opinions, with some fans thrilled to hear the songwriter behind classics like All Along the Watchtower and Desolation Row, while others felt the gig fell short of expectations. Those who enjoyed the show described it as mind-blowing and beyond their expectations.
However, those less impressed made their feelings known, much to the annoyance of other attendees. One emotional fan wrote: “Bob Dylan in Liverpool was amazing and beautiful. Why am I in my hotel room crying about seeing an 83-year-old play a harmonica. God damn.”
Another echoed these sentiments, saying: “I welled up at a few points in it, genuinely unbelievable vocals from a man his age.”
A third added: “I was there too, harmonica playing blew my mind, wasn’t expecting it.”, reports the Mirror.
But those delighted by the legendary performer had their evenings somewhat ruined by those who were less than enthralled.
One attendee expressed their disappointment, saying, “A lot of sublime moments were wrecked for me,” due to the restless crowd seeking food and beer. They are looking forward to a “The people around were restless, talking and milling about for food and beer. Roll on a smaller more cohesive audience in Wolverhampton.”
Complaints also emerged about inadequate lighting at the venue, with one fan reaching out to Bob Dylan on Twitter /X stating: “Why no lighting at Liverpool? ? Most disappointing gig in more than 50 years. Came to see the legendary Bob Dylan but never saw him! ” However, some questioned the need for visuals with responses like: “Didn’t you go to hear them? ” and remarks about the darkness: “It was so dark! I thought they’d put a spotlight in him or something. Couldn’t bloody see him!”.
While the music was appreciated, the debate over phone usage raged on, with Yondr pouches being used to lock away phones during the performance. Despite this, some managed to sneak their devices in.
A concertgoer commented: “The Bob Dylan gig in Liverpool tonight was a weird experience. Didn’t mind having my phone locked away but the stage lighting was so dark you could barely make anyone out. Music was good though so guess that’s the main thing.”
Yet, even amidst praise for the music, there was frustration as one person reported a man in front of them “scrolling Facebook during the concert”.
This prompted a shocked response from another fan: “Unbelievable, you’d wonder why people spend good money to go to a concert and look at Facebook or get so wasted they don’t remember the gig the next day.”
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