A couple of reviews
Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour sounds like it's Blowin' in the WindJacques Steenkamp·10:34, Aug 27 2018REVIEW: Sunday night's Bob Dylan concert in Auckland verged on the surreal for me.
You see, I never thought I'd ever get to see the legendary folksy rocker in my lifetime.
And yet, I found myself at Spark Arena quietly sitting amongst thousands of spectators trying to make out what the 77-year-old Dylan was singing.
Many people warned me beforehand that a Dylan show was either really good or really bad. And for the first few songs, I struggled to make sense of his lack of enunciation.
But then the hauntingly beautiful sounds of his trademark harmonica kicked in, and I was swept away.
Dylan also didn't acknowledge that we existed as he never greeted the crowd or even introduced his band, something that most artists tend to do.
I found myself closing my eyes at times as the music transported me through the more than five decades of Dylan's music.
SUPPLIEDBob Dylan's music still captivates audiences.
The feeling of attending a Dylan concert in another era wasn't helped by the fact that there were no cellphones, video cameras or even big screens allowed in the venue.
The latter also made it difficult as nobody other than those lucky few in the first row could verify that it was actually Dylan on stage behind the piano.
The aging singer-songwriter did at one point take to the middle of the stage where he hung onto the microphone stand and performed a couple of awkward-looking poses with his hands on hips.
But all in all, I enjoyed the show. Dylan is almost 80, and he has spent the last three decades continuously touring the world. A feat in and of itself.
He has given up most of his life for his music, and I'm really thankful for the opportunity to have been graced by his presence.
I doubt his Never Ending Tour that's been going since 1988 will last much longer.
His voice might not be anywhere close to what we're used to, but he can still play the piano, and the harmonica like no other and his band was great.
The evening was complete when Dylan performed a rendition of Blowin' in the Wind during his encore.
My advice to you: Go see this living legend while you still can and be thankful for his contribution to our world over the decades.
SUPPLIEDBob Dylan has been touring the world for the past 30 years.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/m ... n-the-windBob Dylan's concert phone ban: Does he bring the old-time virtues we need?Glenn McConnell·15:17, Aug 27 2018
CHRIS PIZZELLO/APBob Dylan is in New Zealand to perform two shows. (File photo)
When Bob Dylan arrived in New Zealand this weekend, the 77-year-old music heavyweight brought with him his own set of rules.
All phones were banned from Auckland's Spark Arena when Dylan performed Sunday night. In fact, there were no screens at all – not even on stage.
Dylan's "Never Ending Tour" has been going for 30 years. It started at Concord Pavilion, in the USA, on June 7, 1988 – at a time when people were more likely to hold up a lighter than wave their phone with its flashlight on.
Now into its fourth decade, Dylan has tried to keep that old time vibe alive.
On Sunday, there were no big screens on stage. It was just Dylan, his piano, and thousands of phoneless fans.
123RFThere were no phones allowed at Bob Dylan's Sunday show in Auckland.
Stuff reviewer Jacques Steenkamp said the performance would have been difficult for those in the back rows.
"Nobody other than those lucky few in the first row could verify that it was actually Dylan on stage behind the piano," he said.
Nonetheless, he said it was a good night.
Also at the concert was music writer Graham Reid, who as of Sunday had seen the musician perform about seven times. He said this tech-free regime was nothing new.
"I can understand why people would be disappointed because there weren't big screens," he said.
Paul Kane/Getty ImagesConcert-goers light their phones at an Ed Sheeran concert in Australia.
In the back rows, seeing the musician would have been difficult, especially as he did not once get up to speak to the audience, Reid said. However, he said, "If you know anything about Bob Dylan at all, you will understand he doesn't do screens."
Enforcement of the no screen policy was stringent, he said. Spark Arena staff warned people outside not to use their phones once in the arena, and security enforced the rules inside.
For fans like him, Reid said the rule was great.
"I have no problem at all with someone saying, 'for the next two hours don't have your camera on'.
"There might be personal reasons, copyright, or whatever, for them to say that. In the audience, it's actually pretty good. I like that. I like not being disturbed. It's just great to see a concert without any interruptions."
A publicist for the tour would not respond to requests for comment.
The phone ban has been a longstanding rule of Dylan's tour. And, other artists and even technology companies have also tried keeping phones out of moshpits.
Apple reportedly patented a product which would be able to stop phones from filming stages. Since lodging the patent in 2016, however, the tech giant has not made the product available for public use.
Would pop acts follow suit? Reid thought not. "It's a generational thing, mainstream pop acts want that vibe. They want people posting from the show."
Indeed, at the same venue last month rapper Kendrick Lamar asked his fans to get their phones out. From the stands to the front row, thousands of concertgoers waved their glowing screens in the air.
The scene was described as "magical" by many reviewers.
It was a spectacle that could not be reproduced at Dylan's latest show. Although, in the past the singer-songwriter's gigs were often illuminated with swaying cigarette lighters – it seems hardly anyone carries those round in 2018.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/m ... es-we-need
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Cheers lads, a week on and I'm still buzzing.....
