The Never Ending Tour: Bob Dylan concert review Finsbury Park London 2011
62An excellent show from the king of songwriting
Bob Dylan performed brilliantly and delighted fans when he played an open air show full of his greatest hits at Finsbury Park in London this yer.
More than 20,000 people packed into the small field too see Dylan headline the first day of the Feis 2011 festival.
The singer arrived on stage earlier than scheduled and launched straight into an hour-long set that included some of his best known songs.
He received a glowing reception from the crowd throughout the show and they were able to sing along with some of his most well-known songs such as Like A Rolling Stone, Hard Rains A Gonna Fall and Blowin’ In The Wind.
During a brief encore he introduced members of the band before he posed in the centre of the stage for a few seconds with his musicians. Minutes later he had left the stage and was already neing driven away to the next leg of his Never Ending Tour.
Critics praised Dylan and said that the show was one of his best live performances in recent times. Here are some of the reviews from the British newspapers. There is also a set list for the show here and video at the bottom of the page.
Dylan's set list
1. Gonna Change My Way of Thinking
2. 'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'
3. 'Things Have Changed'
4. Tangled Up In Blue
5. Summer Days
6. Twist Of Fate
7. Cold Irons Bound
8. Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall
9. Highway 61
10. Forgetful Heart
11. Thunder On The Mountain
12. Ballad Of A Thin Man
Encore
13. Like A Rolling Stone
14. All Along The Watchtower
15. Blowin In The Wind
Neil McCormick of the Telegraph said that Dylan’s voice has been ‘growing lower and growlier by the year’ but praised the sound mix as ‘superb’. ‘Best of all is material of recent years, better suited to his bluesier vocal style,’ McCormick added.
Mik Curtis from the Daily Star wrote: ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue was delivered with the wisdom of a Biblical prophet. And over-indulgent organ breaks were forgiven as the whimsical Simple Twist Of Fate sent shivers to spines.’
He said that there were ‘no gimmicks’ but just the ‘ unmistakable vocal rasp of the master’.
Rick Dewsbury of the Daily Mail said that Dylan’s performance of ‘Thunder On The Mountain’ was ‘simply brilliant’ while ‘Twist Of Fate’ was the standout track of the slower songs.
David Robson from the Daily Express said that the show was ‘terrific’ and that people ‘were blessed to be there’.
‘His five-piece band is always magnificent and by the second number It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue you knew he would be, too,’ Robson added.
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