Bob Dylan Live by Oliver Regan

How ironic that Bob Dylan, on the final date of his current tour, should blow into the newly refurbished Thomond Park Stadium on one of the windiest days this year.

Local band Last Days of Death Country opened the festivities, delivering a well-received set of angst rock / country grunge with huge support from local fans.
Next up were post-rock punk electronica band Alabama 3. Their energetic beat revved up the audience with 'Pray Sister Pray', sampling Dylan's 'Lay Lady Lay', as well as other hits such as 'Hypo Full of Love (The 12 Step Plan)' and 'Hello I'm Johnny Cash’.
Glastonbury favourite Seasick Steve was next to take the stage. He performed a set of American-style Bluegrass on makeshift guitars, including his famous One-Stringed Diddley Bow.
Later David Gray and entourage burst into a set of career defining hits, including ‘Babylon’ and ‘This Year’s Love’, even breaking into a Thin Lizzy homage with ‘The Boys are Back in Town’.
Once David Gray left the stage, the countdown began in earnest. At 8.15 Dylan’s five-piece band dressed sharply in beige suits topped with black Fedoras strolled out. The audience of old and young emphatically greeted Bob Dylan, the self-declared ‘song and dance man’ and the opening chords of ‘Leopard-skin Pill Box Hat’. The following two hours will be remembered as one of his best shows on these shores for some time.

A disbelieving hush crept over the audience as he sang ‘Lay Lady Lay’ with cheers of recognition erupting for the classic track in its updated arrangement. Bringing a quirkiness and somewhat refreshing touch to his music, Dylan performs many old standards in new and sometimes completely unrecognizable arrangements.
Such was the case with ‘Cold Irons Bound’, once a stripped-down, swampy blues number, now jaunty and upbeat with an almost big band swing feel. Dylan took centre-stage with a crooner-like stance and delivered the verses along with trademark harmonica. His voice sadly showed signs of decades of singing, smoking and age.
Dylan himself appeared to enjoy the atmosphere, savouring the crowd’s reaction and acknowledging the adoring fans with child like eccentricities and half smiles.

The set list was impressive, with tracks from Blonde on Blonde, Highway 61 Revisited, while also visiting Time Out of Mind and Love and Theft.
Definite highlights included the heartfelt ‘Love Sick’, a rebel rousing ‘Thunder on the Mountain’, ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ as well as a sing along of ‘Just Like a Woman’. ‘I Feel a Change Coming On’ with its reference to James Joyce raised a few cheers.
The encore featured ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ and a poignant rendition of ‘Blowing in the Wind’. And as quick as a smile he was gone.

The night belonged to Bob Dylan and the crowd dispersed in a happy buzz of chatter after a well-received concert, the general feeling being that while his voice may have aged the music and poetry of bob Dylan will be forever young.