Bob Dylan’s latest tour, which began earlier this month, left many in the Liverpool audience “in tears”.
However, some attendees were disgruntled over the limited visibility of the 83-year-old frontman during his Rough and Rowdy Ways performance at the M&S Bank Arena.
The concert divided opinions, with some fans thrilled to hear the songwriter behind classics like All Along the Watchtower and Desolation Row, while others felt the gig fell short of expectations.
Those who enjoyed the show described it as mind-blowing, exceeding their expectations. However, those less impressed made their feelings known, much to the annoyance of other attendees.
One emotional fan wrote: “Bob Dylan in Liverpool was amazing and beautiful. Why am I in my hotel room crying about seeing an 83-year-old play a harmonica. God damn.”
Another echoed this sentiment, adding: “I welled up at a few points in it, genuinely unbelievable vocals from a man his age.” A third chimed in: “I was there too, harmonica playing blew my mind, wasn’t expecting it.”
However, those who were delighted by the legendary performer had their evenings somewhat marred by the less enthusiastic attendees.
One disgruntled concert-goer expressed their dismay, stating: “A lot of sublime moments were wrecked for me,” and elaborated on the disruptive atmosphere, “The people around were restless, talking and milling about for food and beer. Roll on a smaller more cohesive audience in Wolverhampton.”
Complaints also emerged regarding the venue’s inadequate lighting, with one attendee reaching out to Bob Dylan on Twitter /X, lamenting: “Why no lighting at Liverpool?? Most disappointing gig in more than 50 years. Came to see the legendary Bob Dylan but never saw him!”
The debate over visibility continued as another chimed in: “Didn’t you go to hear them? ” while someone else added: “It was so dark! I thought they’d put a spotlight in him or something. Couldn’t bloody see him!”.
Amidst the mixed reviews of the musical experience, the controversy surrounding phone usage persisted. The venue’s use of Yondr pouches to lock away phones was met with varied reactions.
One attendee recounted: “The Bob Dylan gig in Liverpool tonight was a weird experience. Didn’t mind having my phone locked away but the stage lighting was so dark you could barely make anyone out. Music was good though so guess that’s the main thing.”
However, despite the praise for the music, they disclosed an incident where a man in front spent the entire concert “scrolling Facebook during the concert”. A shocked fan responded: “Unbelievable, you’d wonder why people spend good money to go to a concert and look at Facebook or get so wasted they don’t remember the gig the next day.”
