Dylan Walkouts?

[dustyvalentino]

I should preface my remarks by saying that I personally thought Dylan and his band were superb in Glasgow on Saturday.

I was therefore surprised to read numerous reports of people walking out during his set. Check it out:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/live-music-reviews/8820858/Bob-Dylan-and-Mark-Knopfler-MEN-arena-Manchester-review.html

http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music-reviews/bob-dylan-mark-knopfler-braehead-arena-1.1128279

http://www.citylife.co.uk/news_and_reviews/reviews/10019934_bob_dylan_and_mark_knopfler___m_e_n__arena

I was down at the front so couldn't see what was going on behind me. I know there have been a few people that went just to see MK, but have there been a lot of walkouts?

[daylon]

We left after Dylans fourth or fifth song in glasgow on sunday ,and there were certainly quite a few leaving at the same time as us.
After Marks set we left our seats and watched Dylans set standing nr the exit and a good number were going out.

[shangri la 1]

http://plasticsouls.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-review-bob-dylan-live-at-sydney.html

Seems you get good or bad depending on the night....
Saw a few similar reviews from his US leg, about the time he approached MK to join him in Europe.
He's been a trooper though.... I only ever liked STC & Infidels (for obvious reasons)

[MarkB]

I wasn't at any of those shows but have been to a lot of Dylan gigs since 1993 and often the reviews of the shows claimed significant numbers of people walked out but I have never noticed it myself.

There's nothing new in the claims because Dylan had this to say in 1984 " The reception's always good. The problem is media problems. For some reason the media reportage of the shows I've done has never been entirely accurate since 1978...They say...the crowd booed and walked out. That wasn't true, Maybe three or four people walked out."

What I have noticed is that a lot of people who go to gigs (all gigs not just Dylan shows) seem to spend a lot of time wandering in and out of the arena to go to the bar or something. So perhaps what is happening is people who don't like the shows see the constant movement in and out of the arena and assume people are walking out.

This tour is different to the normal shows for both Bob & Mark so it would make sense if some people who are there primarily to see Mark don't stay for Dylan's set so maybe more people leave during the show than would normally be the case.

Basically though I think the stories about loads of people walking out is a myth because if it was true how come Bob keeps coming back to the UK and playing to big crowds? If so many people were disappointed with the shows they wouldn't come back for a second show so you'd expect the audiences to decline and that isn't happening. Dylan is arguably more popular now-in terms of record sales and concert audiences-than at any point in his career. There are not many people who could play arenas year after year and pretty much fill them every time.

[Pottel]

not too far off from the truth mark, but still, a lot of what dusty meant is based on the comments, not the journalist reviews.
and of course, of those the extreme negative ones are noticed much more easy then the ones saying all was ok.

[dustyvalentino]

Yeah, was the comments that surprised me, especially considering the fact that,as we have seen, online Dylan fans are WAY more obsessive and possesive than MK fans.

But I think this is probably true, who is to say that those people walking out the door weren't just going to take a piss or grab a beer? I would have if I hadn't been at the front.

[daylon]

When we left there were probably around a dozen people exiting at the same time as us, some of the people heading out the arena may have come back in (toilet ,bar ) i wasn,t really paying that much attention but there were some that certainly looked like they were leaving ,hovering around the exit for a minute or so before going out, jackets on etc.

[MarkB]

Agreed Pottell & Dusty. People who comment on the reviews are bound to have strong opinions one way or the other.
I guess Bob & Mark are far too busy playing music to bother about what people write but I just have this image of the two of them sharing a drink,reading some of the extreme views and having a good laugh!
I definitely think some of the nastiest comments in various forums are from Bob fans and it's just a shame these people don't seem to understand that Dylan & Knopfler obviously have so much respect for each other. There's no way Dylan would invite someone he didn't like to tour with him and I suspect Bob is probably the only artist Mark would agree to open for because MK is one of the most respected songwriters and musicians of all time.
It actually made me laugh to read an article in The Guardian suggesting Knopfler wasn't regarded as being cool because I have never heard any serious musician/music fan criticise Mark at all.

[dustyvalentino]

Good comments MarkB, IMO the MK fans have shown their class on this tour, in stark contrast to the boorish behaviour of some in the Dylan community.

However, The Guardian is right, MK and DS have never been cool. I was a 13 year old DS fan and they were deeply uncool (here in the UK).

Do I/did I care?

Nope.

[MarkB]

I guess the mistake DS made was selling too many records! For me those albums sound so fresh years after they were made and maybe not being regarded as cool in the 1980's was a good thing because so many albums from that decade have dated horribly.
Maybe the critics at the time were too busy praising Duran Duran or Spandau Ballet

[Tally]

DS could never be cool because they were too old and 'adults' listened to their music. Never a thing for the youngsters.

[MarkB]

It's probably not a bad thing for a band to be regarded as 'uncool' because so often the so-called 'cool' bands are often a flash in the pan-they get raved about at the time but do not stand the test of time.
I love Billy Joel and so many people tell me that he's not cool-the records still sound great to me and few people write melodies as good as Billy.

[jbaent]

I talked with some spanish fans that leave the show after MK because

a/ They couldnt stand listening to Bob screaming

b/ Option A plus its difficult to get a bus or taxi if you wait until Bob ends

c/ If MK and Bob are not playing together, and options A and B are in consideration, whats the deal?

Some of them were Bob Dylan fans, that after the show arrived to the conclusion that is far better to put the cds at home and remember how great he was, instead of realise what he is now.

The only reason I stayed was just in case MK and Bob play together, yes, nahive am I...

Many Bob fans left during MK part to drink at the bar, or stayed talking with eah other, I witnessed both things, but many of them also stayed and enjoyed MK

[Best Brown Baggies]

All I can say after just seeing them both in Nottingham,
is that, of course Mark was great, I didn't expect anything else.
Now, I have also always been a big fan of Bob, but never
had the chance to see him live before.
I must admit, that I was a little worried by some of the
negative comments, but my god did Bob deliver the goods!
His voice was nowhere as bad as people had made out, and his
band were tight as. I enjoyed watching every facial expression,
little jig, play with his hair, scratch of his nose.
He's always been a legend in my books, and I'm so glad
I had the opportunity to see him live.
A truly magical evening!!!!
Also, keeping on topic, being front row, dead center, I didn't
see or care for that matter, if anyone walked out or not. ;-)

Cheers. BBB

[Hoops McCann]

However, The Guardian is right, MK and DS have never been cool. I was a 13 year old DS fan and they were deeply uncool (here in the UK).

Do I/did I care?

Nope.

DS weren't "cool" in the mid 80s? I thought they were the trend setters back then.