Legendary musician Bob Dylan has UK fans talking as he wraps up his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour with final shows in the country. The 83-year-old icon, who has been touring since 2021, is set to conclude at the iconic Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, November 14.
He’s scheduled for three consecutive nights at this prestigious venue, marking an end to a journey that has celebrated his 2020 album of the same title. UK fans have shared a common reaction to Dylan’s gigs, expressing awe and deep emotion, with some even admitting the performances brought them to tears.
Dylan embarked on the second UK leg starting in Bournemouth on November 1 and hit several other cities including Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, Nottingham’s Motorsport Arena, and also graced Wolverhampton Civic Hall for two nights. A fan who was at the Wolverhampton gig tweeted their experience: “Bob Dylan and his band were magnificent on Sunday night at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Never seen an audience as transfixed as this one. 90 minutes passed in a flash!” It wasn’t just in Wolverhampton; after attending the Edinburgh show, another fan expressed their overwhelming feelings: “I went to the Bob Dylan show in Edinburgh tonight and spent the whole show crying bc what do you mean that was Bob Dylan standing in front of me? Also he was surprisingly really good.”
This consensus about Dylan’s unexpectedly robust performances has been echoed by many who’ve attended his recent concerts. One fan expressed their emotions, saying: “I was moved more than I expected to be.”
Another shared their excitement: “Just back from seeing Bob Dylan in Nottingham and it was brilliant. His voice was excellent (in a Dylan kind of way), played across eras, looked lively (again, in a Dylan way).”
Some concertgoers were left feeling bittersweet, contemplating the possibility that they might never hear these live renditions again. Dylan’s penchant for altering the arrangements of his iconic tracks, as he did with songs like Desolation Row and All Along the Watchtower, is well-known.
He’s also famed for varying the vocal range and tempo, ensuring each performance is unique. A few fans even felt that the live performances outshone the studio recordings, with one revealing: “Was in the car after Bob Dylan’s show tonight in Nottingham and the set list started playing automatically and I realised that I’ll never be able to listen to those tracks the same way again bc they simply don’t measure up to the live versions.”
Another enthusiast commented: “Just seen Bob Dylan in Edinburgh and he was even better than I could possibly have hoped for.”
Dylan is set to conclude the Rough and Rowdy Ways tour this week, with no further concerts currently scheduled. However, he recently made an exception to his three-year touring hiatus to join artists like Willie Nelson and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin at The Outlaw Festival in the US.