10th May, 1966 UK TOUR BRISTOL

What a day, raining! Just look at the photo.

I was one of the lucky ones, I had a ticket! To what turned out to be one of the greatest shows Ive ever seen and was a turning point for 13 year old me.

My mother liked Bob Dylan, she would sing Mr Tambourine Man and I suspect she thought that Bob was one of Peter, Paul & Mary! Rather than the ‘Voice of a generation’ or ‘the poet of Rock ‘n’ Roll.’ But somehow, I was allowed to go and catch the last bus home!

The first set was entrancing, just Bob, there on his own, guitar, with a set of drums and amps lurking in the corner.

• She Belongs to Me
• Fourth Time Around
• Visions of Johanna
• It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
• Desolation Row
• Just Like a Woman
• Mr. Tambourine Man

7 songs complete heaven

A short break and then blown back into your seat by the amplification. Going electric? No half measures here. This was before the infamous Manchester ‘JUDAS’ moment. West country people are far more polite. There was a heckle - ‘Mr Dylan, Could you turn it down please’ to much laughter and the obligatory ‘Why don’t you say summat?’ ‘What d’ya want me to say?

’
• Tell Me, Momma
• I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
• Baby, Let Me Follow You Down
• Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
• Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat
• One Too Many Mornings
• Ballad of a Thin Man
• Like a Rolling Stone

And then it was over - 90 minutes, ringing in your ears, but never to be forgotten.

The May 10 concert at Colston Hall in Bristol was savaged by one reviewer, saying that Dylan was "sacrificing lyric and melody to the God of big beat.", But he wasn’t a 13 year old kid who just got it!

Why am I in a Dylan Tribute? you tell me

Pete Brown

Photo -Barry Feinstein/Paul Townsend _ Bob watching the rain In Bristol 1966