Mark on tour with Bob Dylan???

[superval99]

Interesting comment I've just seen on the Dylan forum.  Note the last two sentences!

I'd say you Europeans have the best of both worlds. I prefer Bob alone as well but I couldn't think of a better co-headliner. Mark Knopfler is amazing and brilliant. The last few times I've seen him, his band could easy blow Bob's band out of the water. And I love Bob's band. So don't be hating on Mark. The only downside will be ticket prices since Mark's an overpriced greedy bastard. Of course I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Funnily enough, I have just been reading this forum and this particular post.   I can't believe anyone could say such a thing.  In the first place, I feel it is defamatory to call someone a b******d on a public forum and secondly, to call MK overpriced and greedy is ridiculous!   I have always felt we had extremely good value with ticket prices and they have been more or less the same for a few tours.  Of course, said in the nicest possible way!     

[marky49]

I'm not excited too.
The last time I saw Dylan we paid about 100 Euro each. No photos were allowed at all. His voice was terrible, couldn't understand a word. And he did not look at the audience at all. Always only at his feet when playing the guitar or looking at the piano. I'm not sure whether he noticed the audience at all. What I can remember too, an older lady wanted to give him a red rose during the encores but the security broke it and threw it down.

You won't believe it, but my husband fell asleep during the show  

[Silvertown]

 I have always felt we had extremely good value with ticket prices and they have been more or less the same for a few tours. 

Yes I think that prices in Europe has been even cheap compared to some stadion rockers. But how were ticket prices in USA during previous last tours? I remember that they were pretty high, weren

[Silvertown]

I think that everything Mark touches turns to gold, but I am also a bit scared about this Dylan thing.

[superval99]

I'm not excited too.
The last time I saw Dylan we paid about 100 Euro each. No photos were allowed at all. His voice was terrible, couldn't understand a word. And he did not look at the audience at all. Always only at his feet when playing the guitar or looking at the piano. I'm not sure whether he noticed the audience at all. What I can remember too, an older lady wanted to give him a red rose during the encores but the security broke it and threw it down.

You won't believe it, but my husband fell asleep during the show  

Hi marky49!   Haven't seen you here for ages!

I keep hearing these things about Dylan from other forums (not his own) and I must admit I have mixed feelings about the concerts.   It is a bit of a dilemma.  On the one hand I would like to see him perform, especially as MK will be playing too, but I don't think I will enjoy it if he sounds as bad these days as I have heard recently and I don't like rude behaviour, especially as we pay to see him, but I just feel it is something that I shouldn't miss and would regret not going.   I can imagine my husband falling asleep too!

[Rolleyway Man]

Couldn't agree more superval.  MK's ticket prices are more than reasonable and to describe him as an overpriced greedy whatsit is totally unacceptable.  

I've just been looking for some relatively recent footage of Dylan's shows and found a live performance of Thunder On the Mountain, which was on his 2006 album Modern Times.  Now, I'm going to be totally honest here.  I have Dylan's two newest studio albums (excluding the Christmas one he did last year or the year before), Modern Times and Together Through Life.  If you can get past his voice, they are actually fairly good albums and there are clearly great songs on both.  On his studio recordings, he just about gets away with it, but live I'm afraid there's no getting away from the fact that his voice is largely unlistenable!  As evidenced by the video below, it's almost laughable .  I can't imagine MK, who's voice is clearly improving with age, doing many vocal harmonies with Dylan on this tour if it goes ahead.

[marky49]

I'm not excited too.
The last time I saw Dylan we paid about 100 Euro each. No photos were allowed at all. His voice was terrible, couldn't understand a word. And he did not look at the audience at all. Always only at his feet when playing the guitar or looking at the piano. I'm not sure whether he noticed the audience at all. What I can remember too, an older lady wanted to give him a red rose during the encores but the security broke it and threw it down.

You won't believe it, but my husband fell asleep during the show  

Hi marky49!   Haven't seen you here for ages!

I keep hearing these things about Dylan from other forums (not his own) and I must admit I have mixed feelings about the concerts.   It is a bit of a dilemma.  On the one hand I would like to see him perform, especially as MK will be playing too, but I don't think I will enjoy it if he sounds as bad these days as I have heard recently and I don't like rude behaviour, especially as we pay to see him, but I just feel it is something that I shouldn't miss and would regret not going.   I can imagine my husband falling asleep too!

Hi Superval!
I was 'on tour' with Yusuf aka Cat Stevens and EC. Cat was amazing live, great voice and so friendly to his fans. He was laughing and enjoying himself on stage. No problems with taking pix and he used video screens on the left, right and behind him. Special website Yusuf in concert was on, Merch was great, also a DVD will come out soon. Everything a fan desires...on my facebook you can see best of my pictures. EC was superb! Nothing more to say...
I won't do a tour with Dylan/Knopfler just a few nearby shows...my husband refused to join me already.

[superval99]

Rolleyway Man - I also have "Modern Times" and I really like it, except for a couple of things eg Dylan being credited for all of the songs, when "Beyond the Horizon" has obviously been pilfered from "Red Sails in the Sunset" and he certainly didn't write "Rollin' and Tumblin" - just the lyrics seem to be his!   

[Love Expresso]

I wouldn't call him rude. I saw him only two times and both times his behaviour was the same: You could call it shy. One has to know that he doesn't speak to the audience, period. He never did. When he says something at the end of the show, it is sensational and will end up on YouTube. He never smiles and hardly interacts with his band. On my first show the first thing he did was spitting right in front of the audience, it was Open Air and there was some green between him and the audience, and I thought, wow, what a good thing to start a show with. He never took off his sunglaces and ... did a pretty good rocking show! The set was great, the band was tight and the audience was really screaming.
Then, a few years later in Bremen inside the Stadthalle, the show was also good, loud, but good. His band is great. After 15 minutes of taking scary looks at the Boss his guitar player suddenly adressed a relieved smile to the drummer, you could see what he was thinking, Hey, he is in a good mood tonight...

So do not expect a warm, friendly man on stage that shares some good feelings with you. He is just doing what he does for the last five decades.. I personally think he is addicted to it and has no idea what to do instead. Somebody should have said to him that his voice is really impertinent and could not possibly be called a singing voice.

Al that said, to see Mark together with Bob Dylan, his great idol, on stage, is worth the effort. This will be historical in the sense of remarkable things in MK' career, in whatever way you see it, and I want to witness it. Honestly said, I cannot see how Mark with his high standards will be able to put a show up together with Bob Dylan, with this sound, this racket sometimes, and this voice. The only way I can imagine would be both seated with acoustics. But then again, Dylan doesn't play the guitar anymore.

LE

[Fieneke2]

Is it just me? if this is true, i'm really not that excited by it, I seem to be one of the view people who is just not into Bob Dylan, and as Guy keeps on pointing out, Mark is always looking forward, why would he go back to working with Dylan after all these years, unless there is new music to play!!

LOL gjamesfloyd I am not so excited either and there will be more people!

Besides some good songs in the past like Blowin'In The Wind; The Times They Are A Changin', Knocking On Heaven's Door, Like A Rolling Stone, License To Kill and (with Mark) and especial the beautiful song Protect My Child, which I have at my mobile phone, I am not interested in Bob Dylan. I even don't like his voice, but admit that he has many fans for years who adore him as much as we adore Mark! I also listened to some songs of Bob's last concerts and I think ..........his voice is worse! 

I made my plans for this year. Have just been 2 weeks on vacation to Greece and at the end of August Jans and I will be one week in England to meet Superval and her husband. So IF there will be a concert at the end of this year, I am almost sure I won't be able to attend. I especial won't go when the tickets prices will be too much!

Of course I would love to see and listen to Mark

[Pottel]

I wouldn't call him rude. I saw him only two times and both times his behaviour was the same: You could call it shy. One has to know that he doesn't speak to the audience, period. He never did. When he says something at the end of the show, it is sensational and will end up on YouTube. He never smiles and hardly interacts with his band. On my first show the first thing he did was spitting right in front of the audience, it was Open Air and there was some green between him and the audience, and I thought, wow, what a good thing to start a show with. He never took off his sunglaces and ... did a pretty good rocking show! The set was great, the band was tight and the audience was really screaming.
Then, a few years later in Bremen inside the Stadthalle, the show was also good, loud, but good. His band is great. After 15 minutes of taking scary looks at the Boss his guitar player suddenly adressed a relieved smile to the drummer, you could see what he was thinking, Hey, he is in a good mood tonight...

So do not expect a warm, friendly man on stage that shares some good feelings with you. He is just doing what he does for the last five decades.. I personally think he is addicted to it and has no idea what to do instead. Somebody should have said to him that his voice is really impertinent and could not possibly be called a singing voice.

Al that said, to see Mark together with Bob Dylan, his great idol, on stage, is worth the effort. This will be historical in the sense of remarkable things in MK' career, in whatever way you see it, and I want to witness it. Honestly said, I cannot see how Mark with his high standards will be able to put a show up together with Bob Dylan, with this sound, this racket sometimes, and this voice. The only way I can imagine would be both seated with acoustics. But then again, Dylan doesn't play the guitar anymore.

LE

exactly LE.
although he used to speak a lot until the 80ies. then he said in an interview about, you can never please them all can you? i'm always misinterpreted, so i might as well leave it....
and indeed it has never been a secret that the grumpy bastard never, or hardly ever, talks to the audience.

But hey, did you all miss this post on the BD forum?

"There will be no announcement about the European Tour today unless something leaks out from local organisers. The London Agents who oversee the European tour expect to have everything finalised on Monday/Tuesday although there can't be any promises. There certainly won't be any tickets on sale for at least a week, so you can relax ... a little."

[jbaent]

Anyone could acces to any leaks?

 

Marky49, any date booked at the RAH?

 

[dmg]

You can all say what you like about Dylan's "singing" and I understand but at least it's distinctive unlike most who are topping the charts these days where it could be anyone singing.  I guess you either like the fact it's distinctive or you dislike it, but he's certainly got more of a gift than most of these young pop stars these days.  Boy do I sound like my Dad!

[superval99]

You can all say what you like about Dylan's "singing" and I understand but at least it's distinctive unlike most who are topping the charts these days where it could be anyone singing.  I guess you either like the fact it's distinctive or you dislike it, but he's certainly got more of a gift than most of these young pop stars these days.  Boy do I sound like my Dad!

Yes, at least his voice is instantly recognizable, but I don't think he would win X Factor!        

[Silvertown]

Yeah, Dylan is legend and great song writer but nowadays his voice sounds like a broken engine in a winter morning.