subject: Bob Dylan's concert in Prague, 11th June, 2010 [print this page] Bob Dylan's concert in Prague, 11th June, 2010
Listening to Bob Dylan live is a great desire for many music fans. Last Friday that dream came true for about 18.000 people that filled the whole O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic.
Date: 11th of June 2010, time: 7:50 PM. People are crowding in front of the O2 Arena with a great anticipation. The man who inspired generations, the musician who changed the music forever and the poet who have been nominated for Nobel prize in literature every year since 1997 was about to perform in front of them.
Lights went on and the concert started. The stage was not equipped with displays, so people sitting further from the stage had problems with recognizing Bob at once. After a short while, just before the first lyrics came out from the speakers, everyone knew where to look: It was him - that small, thin figure sitting by a piano wearing a straw hat.
'Everybody must get stoned!' he encouraged while playing the first out of 17 pieces he was about to perform that night. Among them such hits as: 'Mr. Tambourine Man', 'Like a Rolling Stone', 'Lay, Lady, Lay', 'Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues', 'Just Like a Woman', 'Highway 61 Revisited', 'All Along The Watchtower' and 'Shelter From The Storm'. He played Hammond, he played guitar and harmonica. The band sounded great playing his well known songs in rather rock than acoustic arrangements.
'So, the concert was amazing!' you would say...Unfortunately, not entirely. As enjoyable as it was to experience Bob Dylan live, few things were really annoying. Firstly, the technical aspect - as mentioned before there were no displays installed in the Arena and they could be very helpful for the audience sitting in the back of the concert hall. Also the lighting of the stage was very simple. Finally, Bob Dylan himself: it was really disappointing that he didn't even welcome people from the audience. Apart from the short 'thank you' and the introduction of the band at the end of the show he said completely nothing that night and performed one song after another, as if it was played from a CD. Additionally, what has to be said: Bob Dylan has lost his voice! It is perfectly understandable considering the fact that he's 69 years old and it's been 48 years now since he released his first album! Nevertheless he's on a tour now and one would expect to hear him in a better condition. He has serious problems with singing and rather than doing that, he's reciting his songs in a very deep, throaty voice.
All in all, despite all the drawbacks, I'm sure that everyone was satisfied with the concert. Even those who came there from distant parts of Europe didn't regret traveling to Prague. Bob Dylan is a legend, a living legend, so we have to forgive him all the shortcomings of that event. Also, all of the people gathered in O2 Arena last Friday can proudly say: "I've heard 'Like a Rolling Stone' live performed by the man who wrote it" and that, my dear, is something... ;)
