The final time my wife and I held a Dylan Discussion Weekend at our home in SW France, one of those who came was an Irish guy - his name really was Peter O'Toole - and he had done accountancy for showbiz types, so he had been one of those with tickets for this show. He told us that on his way out at the end, he spotted promoter Jim Aiken and said "Jim, that was a great show. The only thing that would make it better would be if you could take me back and introduce me to Bob Dylan." Aiken had replied: "Peter, I have been Bob's Ireland promoter for almost 20 years, AND I HAVE NEVER MET HIM!"
I managed to luck a standing place just under Dylan’s mic for both of the Portsmouth 2000 shows. It was the highlight of my cultural life. The rich, eclectic (different) set lists, the exquisite band and Dylan absolutely in the zone made for two perfect gigs. For the entire four hours or so, I pondered whether it would be anywhere near as good in Heaven.
The road crew had facilitated my prime position by switching the entrance to the hall, at the very last minute. Which meant that the Bobcats who’d been queuing for hours for a prime place - who, presumably, Dylan was sick of seeing near the stage every night - were stranded, as those of us at the back of the queue, who just happened to be near the new entrance, got in first.
”And the first one now will later be last” in action.
I look forward to reading your reports of the Euro 2000 tour, with the stunning Portsmouth bootlegs on repeat.
In 2000 I have been to all shows in Germany (Stuttgart, Oberhausen, Cologne, Hannover, Berlin, Dresden, Regensburg (all in May), Hamburg, Frankfurt and Münster (all in fall) and to all UK shows (execept London) in fall (Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Portsmouth (two shows).
Out of these 18 shows Glasgow and the first show in Portmouth were the best while the show in Cardiff was the best show I've ever seen in my Dylan career (out of 180 shows I've seen since 1991). On the other hand Sheffield, Portsmouth II and Hamburg were rather weak shows (by fall 2000 standards, of course).
I should also mention the show in Cologne – the first part was desasterous (kind of 91 revisted) while the tide changed with Gates Of Eden.
I was at two shows in 2000. The first was in Hannover. Ugly sports hall but it looked almost sold out. And tickets then were quite affordable compared to now. I think we paid around 50 euros. No seats. General admission. Despite the venue being so uninspiring Dylan and his band were fantastic. The highlight was Ring them Bells. This was in May. A few months later he came to Hamburg. The Sporthalle, ugly again. Known for its terrible acoustics. But here is the thing: it was the best Dylan show i have ever seen, or maybe the third best. Bielefeld in 1995 and Kiel in 1994 take the edge. One reason is we (my brother, a friend and I) were standing first row. And not because we were there early. Quite the opposite. But a guy approached us while we were standing in the middle of the hall drinking a beer and asked if we wanted to stand in the front. So we said yes and he guided us to the stage gave us wristbands and suddenly we were standing right in front of the stage. We were all in our 20s then and I guess this was the reason. Younger people in front that was what Dylan’s management seemed to want. I learned later that almost at a all European shows it was like that. A special area in front of the stage was always kept reserved for a selected crowd. Best wishes and keep up the great work, jesko
Oh,thanks very much for this To Ramona. It really suit my whole athmosphere now. I just got home from seeing Lars Triers latest film on cinema and the whole movie was made in the house i grew up! Of course my story is different from this story,but a lot of similuaritys too. ( Mine was way much heavier in many sence with a lot of people,partys and experiences.) And i remember a lot. But just to look at the rooms,the cracked walls,all those small things,look at the house,wich I really love,it was just a ride on its own. So,to me,To Ramona,is a song a really like to play on repeat when I am sorting emotions and stuff out,and this one was beautifull. I have not read all you have written,i went straight to the song. But I will,when the time is right for me. Have a good saturday. I look forward to chech out what Mister Dylan is doing tonight tomorrow. Much love from Slowness in Motion. 😎
I went to four shows in four straight days on the 2000 tour: Bismarck, Fargo, Rochester and Sioux Falls about a month before the Europe leg. Among the most amazing musical experiences of my life. The shows were so fantastic and the band was just fabulous and equally as adept on the acoustic and electric sets. Got to the front row in Bismarck, met the Asleep at the Wheel guys on the highway in South Dakota. Really a life altering trip as odd as that may seem to say.
I was one of the only 400 to see him in a small town Horsens , Jutland in Denmark in May. Of course one the of my best shows ever. He started with "Halleluja I,m ready to go ", a wonderful duet with Larry. The setlist was incredible and thanks to CC I keep on enjoying. We were in line outdoors for a week in the month of March to get the tickets and strong everlasting friendships were made. Thanks to Ray for bringing this tour up.
I was lucky enough to be at Vicar Street. I managed to get 3 tickets. Along with a fellow Dylan devotee, I brought a family member, who when seeing the chaos bouth outside and the celebrity fringe inside, commented to me that he would have rather given his ticket away to a fan outside as he felt someone else would have been far more desderving of it. I can remember people outside desperate to get in. So many people had travelled from afar for the show at the point. One sign held up was offering a family holiday in exchange for a ticket. If my memory serves me well, there were also police on horseback outside.
To see that amount of celebs inside was somewhat galling. I don't know how the tickets were distributed but those who really wanted them were left short changed. I have heard from several different people that Bob was very unhappy about the situation, indeed furious. The singer of U2 had apparantly arranged an 'after show' party, but in typical fashion, and no doubt in not a greart mood, our man just dissapeared straight away.
The show itself was absoloutely superb and yes, the CC tapes are extraordinary from that period and I avidly collected them all. I do remember Christy Moore was sitting in front of us and when it all ended and as we were leaving, he turned around and looked at us with an expression that said "What have we just witnessed". It was an extraordinary night on many levels.
The following night at the Point was also excellent. We returned to the UK for the Wembley shows soon after. This was the time when Bob had sent out his security to grab couples and bring them to the front row, to change up the familiar faces he was seeing all of the time. Needless to say, those who had lined up very early to get to the front were not very happ when they were met with a barrier somewhat removed from the front of stage, and an area which was being filled up with new faces. Yes, we were picked. A man approached and gave us wristbands and escorted us to this exclusive area and we found ourselves standing underneath the microphone. To make matters worse, I was wearing a Vicar Street bootleg t-shirt and I could just feel the envy and eyes burning from those behind me who should have been where I was.
Two nights at portsmouth followed and they deserve their place in NET history. Absoloutely magnificent. The set list, the band, Bob's voice and sense of fun. "I want to thank those people up there for dancing". Just perfect shows and again. captured by the legendary Crystal Cat - who was sitting in front of us on the second night, so our cheers and hollers were kept to a minimum.
Newcastle, Glasgow were also on that trip, although I can't remember much about them.
2000 was an exceptional year. No doubt about it. Charlie and Larry were on fire, so was Bob.
Great that you will cover this fantastic tour. In my book it is up there with Rolling Thunder 1975 and autumn 1980. For obvious reasons I could not catch those, but were fortunate enough to be able to follow parts of the UK leg of the 2000 tour on motorcycle in splendid autumn weather, starting in Aberdeen and ending in Porthsmouth. I wrote about the first Portsmouth concert in the "You gotta hear this concert!" column of The Bridge (2016. Winther. No. 54, pages 78-84). It was one of the best Dylan concerts I have attended, along with Montreaux 1990 and a few others. It will be great to relive those magic 2000 concerts via your excellent and comprehensive coverage in future newsletters.
I'm not so good at remembering the dates, set lists (etc.) But this much I remember -- sometime early in this century (2000? 2001?; before or after 9-Eleven?, in November; at the old Spectrum or the newer successor. Wells Fargo -- pretty sure it was the Spectrum?), a Dylan band (Goat, imho) played, for my brother Dan and me and I'd say. some 20,000+ other fans, and blew my musical mind. In describing to friends I came up with the phrase "Shiva's Elves playing out the World -- I was focusing on Sexton, Campbell and Dylan, but what I don' remember is any sense of conflict as the long creation continued. Sorry, but I
can't give a particular song probably because several songs from his latest, "Love and Theft" were featured. The only experience comparable is a Van Morrison "Into The Mystic" recorded by somel German statio.
I was lucky to see some of the 2000 shows in Germany and they all belong to the best in my opinion. I saw him first in 1978. the 2000 tour imo is worth another brick in the bootleg-Wall. R. Purmann
The final time my wife and I held a Dylan Discussion Weekend at our home in SW France, one of those who came was an Irish guy - his name really was Peter O'Toole - and he had done accountancy for showbiz types, so he had been one of those with tickets for this show. He told us that on his way out at the end, he spotted promoter Jim Aiken and said "Jim, that was a great show. The only thing that would make it better would be if you could take me back and introduce me to Bob Dylan." Aiken had replied: "Peter, I have been Bob's Ireland promoter for almost 20 years, AND I HAVE NEVER MET HIM!"
Thanks for this. A top tour to celebrate.
I managed to luck a standing place just under Dylan’s mic for both of the Portsmouth 2000 shows. It was the highlight of my cultural life. The rich, eclectic (different) set lists, the exquisite band and Dylan absolutely in the zone made for two perfect gigs. For the entire four hours or so, I pondered whether it would be anywhere near as good in Heaven.
The road crew had facilitated my prime position by switching the entrance to the hall, at the very last minute. Which meant that the Bobcats who’d been queuing for hours for a prime place - who, presumably, Dylan was sick of seeing near the stage every night - were stranded, as those of us at the back of the queue, who just happened to be near the new entrance, got in first.
”And the first one now will later be last” in action.
I look forward to reading your reports of the Euro 2000 tour, with the stunning Portsmouth bootlegs on repeat.
Gerald Smith, DYLAN BOOKS
Oh, BOY...!
https://youtu.be/0KDm7s0PhDI?feature=shared
In 2000 I have been to all shows in Germany (Stuttgart, Oberhausen, Cologne, Hannover, Berlin, Dresden, Regensburg (all in May), Hamburg, Frankfurt and Münster (all in fall) and to all UK shows (execept London) in fall (Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham, Sheffield, Cardiff, Portsmouth (two shows).
Out of these 18 shows Glasgow and the first show in Portmouth were the best while the show in Cardiff was the best show I've ever seen in my Dylan career (out of 180 shows I've seen since 1991). On the other hand Sheffield, Portsmouth II and Hamburg were rather weak shows (by fall 2000 standards, of course).
I should also mention the show in Cologne – the first part was desasterous (kind of 91 revisted) while the tide changed with Gates Of Eden.
I was at two shows in 2000. The first was in Hannover. Ugly sports hall but it looked almost sold out. And tickets then were quite affordable compared to now. I think we paid around 50 euros. No seats. General admission. Despite the venue being so uninspiring Dylan and his band were fantastic. The highlight was Ring them Bells. This was in May. A few months later he came to Hamburg. The Sporthalle, ugly again. Known for its terrible acoustics. But here is the thing: it was the best Dylan show i have ever seen, or maybe the third best. Bielefeld in 1995 and Kiel in 1994 take the edge. One reason is we (my brother, a friend and I) were standing first row. And not because we were there early. Quite the opposite. But a guy approached us while we were standing in the middle of the hall drinking a beer and asked if we wanted to stand in the front. So we said yes and he guided us to the stage gave us wristbands and suddenly we were standing right in front of the stage. We were all in our 20s then and I guess this was the reason. Younger people in front that was what Dylan’s management seemed to want. I learned later that almost at a all European shows it was like that. A special area in front of the stage was always kept reserved for a selected crowd. Best wishes and keep up the great work, jesko
Ray, you just continue to do great work on your Dylan front. Cheers & thank you!
Oh,thanks very much for this To Ramona. It really suit my whole athmosphere now. I just got home from seeing Lars Triers latest film on cinema and the whole movie was made in the house i grew up! Of course my story is different from this story,but a lot of similuaritys too. ( Mine was way much heavier in many sence with a lot of people,partys and experiences.) And i remember a lot. But just to look at the rooms,the cracked walls,all those small things,look at the house,wich I really love,it was just a ride on its own. So,to me,To Ramona,is a song a really like to play on repeat when I am sorting emotions and stuff out,and this one was beautifull. I have not read all you have written,i went straight to the song. But I will,when the time is right for me. Have a good saturday. I look forward to chech out what Mister Dylan is doing tonight tomorrow. Much love from Slowness in Motion. 😎
I went to four shows in four straight days on the 2000 tour: Bismarck, Fargo, Rochester and Sioux Falls about a month before the Europe leg. Among the most amazing musical experiences of my life. The shows were so fantastic and the band was just fabulous and equally as adept on the acoustic and electric sets. Got to the front row in Bismarck, met the Asleep at the Wheel guys on the highway in South Dakota. Really a life altering trip as odd as that may seem to say.
Thoroughly agree that this is the best leg of the NET. I’ve treasured these shows for years. Have to say though, I HATE Country Pie.
I was one of the only 400 to see him in a small town Horsens , Jutland in Denmark in May. Of course one the of my best shows ever. He started with "Halleluja I,m ready to go ", a wonderful duet with Larry. The setlist was incredible and thanks to CC I keep on enjoying. We were in line outdoors for a week in the month of March to get the tickets and strong everlasting friendships were made. Thanks to Ray for bringing this tour up.
I was lucky enough to be at Vicar Street. I managed to get 3 tickets. Along with a fellow Dylan devotee, I brought a family member, who when seeing the chaos bouth outside and the celebrity fringe inside, commented to me that he would have rather given his ticket away to a fan outside as he felt someone else would have been far more desderving of it. I can remember people outside desperate to get in. So many people had travelled from afar for the show at the point. One sign held up was offering a family holiday in exchange for a ticket. If my memory serves me well, there were also police on horseback outside.
To see that amount of celebs inside was somewhat galling. I don't know how the tickets were distributed but those who really wanted them were left short changed. I have heard from several different people that Bob was very unhappy about the situation, indeed furious. The singer of U2 had apparantly arranged an 'after show' party, but in typical fashion, and no doubt in not a greart mood, our man just dissapeared straight away.
The show itself was absoloutely superb and yes, the CC tapes are extraordinary from that period and I avidly collected them all. I do remember Christy Moore was sitting in front of us and when it all ended and as we were leaving, he turned around and looked at us with an expression that said "What have we just witnessed". It was an extraordinary night on many levels.
The following night at the Point was also excellent. We returned to the UK for the Wembley shows soon after. This was the time when Bob had sent out his security to grab couples and bring them to the front row, to change up the familiar faces he was seeing all of the time. Needless to say, those who had lined up very early to get to the front were not very happ when they were met with a barrier somewhat removed from the front of stage, and an area which was being filled up with new faces. Yes, we were picked. A man approached and gave us wristbands and escorted us to this exclusive area and we found ourselves standing underneath the microphone. To make matters worse, I was wearing a Vicar Street bootleg t-shirt and I could just feel the envy and eyes burning from those behind me who should have been where I was.
Two nights at portsmouth followed and they deserve their place in NET history. Absoloutely magnificent. The set list, the band, Bob's voice and sense of fun. "I want to thank those people up there for dancing". Just perfect shows and again. captured by the legendary Crystal Cat - who was sitting in front of us on the second night, so our cheers and hollers were kept to a minimum.
Newcastle, Glasgow were also on that trip, although I can't remember much about them.
2000 was an exceptional year. No doubt about it. Charlie and Larry were on fire, so was Bob.
Great that you will cover this fantastic tour. In my book it is up there with Rolling Thunder 1975 and autumn 1980. For obvious reasons I could not catch those, but were fortunate enough to be able to follow parts of the UK leg of the 2000 tour on motorcycle in splendid autumn weather, starting in Aberdeen and ending in Porthsmouth. I wrote about the first Portsmouth concert in the "You gotta hear this concert!" column of The Bridge (2016. Winther. No. 54, pages 78-84). It was one of the best Dylan concerts I have attended, along with Montreaux 1990 and a few others. It will be great to relive those magic 2000 concerts via your excellent and comprehensive coverage in future newsletters.
I'm not so good at remembering the dates, set lists (etc.) But this much I remember -- sometime early in this century (2000? 2001?; before or after 9-Eleven?, in November; at the old Spectrum or the newer successor. Wells Fargo -- pretty sure it was the Spectrum?), a Dylan band (Goat, imho) played, for my brother Dan and me and I'd say. some 20,000+ other fans, and blew my musical mind. In describing to friends I came up with the phrase "Shiva's Elves playing out the World -- I was focusing on Sexton, Campbell and Dylan, but what I don' remember is any sense of conflict as the long creation continued. Sorry, but I
can't give a particular song probably because several songs from his latest, "Love and Theft" were featured. The only experience comparable is a Van Morrison "Into The Mystic" recorded by somel German statio.
N
Go Ian! I was proud to be at the EDLIS London lunch where they first met. Looks like a beautiful friendship.
I was lucky to see some of the 2000 shows in Germany and they all belong to the best in my opinion. I saw him first in 1978. the 2000 tour imo is worth another brick in the bootleg-Wall. R. Purmann