Review: The Legendary Bob Dylan in Nottingham

His legend precedes him: troubadour, poet, the voice of a generation. But since his debut in 1962, Bob Dylan has constantly redefined himself, shifting between eras and genres with a grace that only comes with true talent. In Nottingham on the 8th November, he took the form of a man who can weave the old with the new, both embody his age and defy it, and yet still be very definitely Bob Dylan.

Since 2021, he’s been on a mammoth 8-leg tour in the name of his most recent album, Rough and Rowdy Ways. As expected, then, most of the concert consisted of this material - in fact, he played nine of ten tracks.

However, I was surprised at the amount of older songs that were included. Before the concert, I was under the impression that Dylan refused to play the ‘crowd pleasers’ - so I was delighted when I recognised the opening song as ‘All Along The Watchtower’, one of my personal favourites. There was actually quite a generous sprinkling of olde songs, including the beautifully spiritual closer of ‘Every Grain of Sand’.

Unlike most artists, he didn’t enter the stage with any grandeur or ceremony, simply walked on with the band and sat down at his baby grand piano. At first he remained seated, the extent of his stage presence being a constantly tapping foot beneath the piano. But after a song or two, he began to really come to life - shuffling around the stage, gesturing with his arms, leaning dramatically over the piano. It did seem like he wasn’t very confident in his mobility, and preferred to stay near the comfort zone of his piano - but what else would you expect from a man of 83?

Similarly, Dylan’s voice was both aged and strong. In recent years, many critics have decided he can’t sing anymore, but I disagree. Yes, there’s a roughness to his voice, with the occasional crack, but in my opinion this is just characteristic of his style, rather than a side effect of growing old. His singing was powerful, as were his his piano chops and periodic bursts of harmonica: navigating from the gritty blues of False Prophet, to the tenderness of Mother of Muses, then the nostalgia of It Ain’t Me Babe.

The gig had a totally different atmosphere to any I’ve ever been to before. The entire audience were seated, creating a quiet, attentive mood not unlike that of a theatre performance. The lighting was soft, illuminating the band as a whole rather than spotlighting Dylan. My only criticism of this was that it was difficult to clearly see his face, despite me being quite close to the stage. It was also a phone-free event, which was very unique because only us who were there in the moment got to experience it, unlike most concerts which can be rewatched by millions on social media. It felt really intimate, and how I’d imagine it would have been to see Dylan in his youth.

Overall, it was amazing. I really feel like I’ve been witness to a legend who has shaped music history and had a profound impact on the world in the past 62 years. If you ever have the opportunity to see Bob Dylan, take it - and don’t think twice.