Bob Dylan Live by Michael Maher

For the thirteenth time in the last decade, Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour landed at Irish shores

Upon entering the newly refurbished Thomond Park, the festive atmosphere was infectious. The Munster contingent was in full flare to greet the voice of, what now must be, three generations.

One of the first fans I came across was an elderly fellow – late 60’s, perhaps, and quite scantly clad may I add. Alabama 3 were grooving their Soprano’s theme song and this relic of the flower power days was performing what seemed like a Shaman ritual to the Sun God. I turned to see a middle-aged man with incricate jigsaw-like tattoos running from his hands up to his neck. Next to me was my 15-year-old brother, an avid drum n’ bass fan.
The circus surely was in town!

The wind changed. Flags around the stadium blew in opposite directions. Clouds were floating rapidly by up above. Thomond was now a ship at sea, and we were heading into the weird and wonderful world of Bob Dylan!

Captaining us for a spell was Seasick Steve who provided some good ol’ rootin’, tootin’ blues. Next, David Gray had us sailing away in earnest, with devout fans echoing his every word.

In the lead up to his Bobness gracing the arena, an upmarket American voice read out bizarre dialogue amid the backdrop of various hip-hop tracks (including 50 Cent’s ‘Candy Shop’),
“Ma, what is that?”
“Why, that’s a ho-bo.”
“Ma, I want to be a ho-bo someday.”
It came from Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, the infamous Beatnik novel that, according to Dylan himself, changed his life.

With that, the Columbia recording artist followed his band on stage with his unmistakable bouncing gait, still energised and defiant after nearly 50 years of performing. As he launched into ‘Leopard-Skin Pillbox Hat’ with all the bravado of his wild mercurial days, the 18,000-strong crowd was immediately absorbed in the romping 1966 hit. Cleverly delayed phrasing of the chorus in ‘Just Like a Woman’ provided room for the crowd to sing along. By this stage our poet laureate was thoroughly enjoying himself. ‘Cold Iron Bounds’ was transformed into a slick funky number and had even the most respectable of patrons getting their groove on! Dylan’s love of Irish music and literature is well documented and was proven once more as he name-checked James Joyce in ‘I Feel A Change Comin On’ during the longest encore of the tour.

Over this European tour Dylan performed over 70 different songs, a testament not only to the extent of his incredibly endowed back catalogue but also to the effort he goes to ensure that varied set-lists every night. At certain times I could hear in his voice every one of the 2000-plus shows that he has played in the last two decades. However, in an instant, a sweet croon could emerge. The Independence Day show was more than a nostalgic glimpse at an aging legend. This troubadour travels on, transcending generations and enriching minds, young and old.

As I slipped into the Limerick night I thought of Bob heading back to his bus. Tomorrow he’d be heading for another joint back in America where his Never Ending Tour rolls on. “A lot of people don’t like the road,” he says, “but it’s as natural to me as breathing.”
See you again soon, then, Bob.