Just got this email from a very good friend of mine who lives in Geneva.
To put this is context, my friend is about the same age as MK. He was a casual fan of Dylan in the 60s and a major fan of The Beatles. He went to school with Peter Gabriel, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks, but luckily, not Phil Collins.
He has been a fan of DS and MK, saw DS in 79 and MK in 96 but not obsessive like us, so fairly objective:
Mark started off with "That's what it is" and it was great, then he did a new number then "Sailing to Philadelphia" and his voice failed him for both parts: he could easily have had that long-haired guy to sing with him. So that one was a bit boring. The first track of last year's album (I think) had a really nice arrangement, it was probably the best in the evening. "Privateers" was OK but the sound balance was far too bassy so it did not really let the Irish players be heard. "So Far Away" was not quite there, we did not see the metal guitar! The band looked terrible, just like the audience, middle aged men in jeans and T-shirts. Anyway he said he was having a great time! Bob Dylan looked much better but his voice has gone completely! I could not believe he was going to sing "Don't think twice" but he did and he murdered it....that lovely folk song from my idealistic teenage years shouted in short sections of gruff oaths by the bard....well, it was really funny, as was the second song, and the third "a day too long in Mississippi" with the rising bass line was excellent. Mark played on stage with him and the sound was good, even Dylan sang properly on this one! but then the bass became overwhelming and we left at 10:45 after 2 1/2 hrs of music. So, in a word, disappointing. But I would not have missed it!
