Bob Dylan “Forever Young” in Beijing
Bob Dylan ended his first China mainland concert in Beijing with Forever Young. It was obviously fitting for the transformative folk musician who will be 70 next month.
Yes, his voice tripped up a bit at the beginning, but a lot of the material was delivered in a Halstead Street blues style so it suited the occasion to have a gruff, almost snarling delivery.
It reminded me of a new Chinese Internet literary style called paoxiaoti, or “roaring style,” that is expressive and full of exclamation marks.
For the folk songs in the middle his voice was the same it’s ever been, tearing up a strip, sneering along.
And it rocked the crowd at the Beijing Workers Gymnasium, which was clearly not sure what to expect at first, but by the end was in Bob’s pockets and calling for more.
His Band was tight and as the evening started to swing, it hit out in the full-bodied songs and then slid along with the slower tempo tunes.
Bob – or Baobo Dilun (鲍勃迪伦), in Chinese — turned up in a rakish fedora and a black suit with military buttons and a gold cord stripe down his dark trousers. His band looked the hard bitten bourbon rockers in blues brothers suits.
The stage was a simple affair, six musicians (Bob, three guitars, drums, xylophone/trumpet) and their equipment piled up, a big curtain pinned up at the back.
About 6,000 fans turned up, a mix of locals and foreigners (4:1), and it was clearly a sellout as touts outside were trying to buy tickets to pass on.
Bob started with Gonna Change My Way of Thinking and switched between guitar and keyboards throughout the rest of the set, and at high points, played the harmonica.
Bob was the circus master and all eyes were on him. He didn’t say anything to the audience, except at the very end when introducing the band.
No repartee, no cries for Tibetan freedom. It was music all the way.
- Bob at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, February 2011. No photography was allowed at the Beijing event, as requested by Bob’s management
According to the Daily Telegraph, the authorities were concerned that the iconoclast might turn up and say something unpalatable.
Shanghai Party bosses, I had been told, had put a lid on State media publicity for his concerts in case they ended up with egg on their faces when he said something counterculture.
According to another source, Bob signed a pledge last year not to not to “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people” during his performances. Maybe that explains why he was so tightlipped?
But it wasn’t the iconoclast who turned up, it was the icon.
And he was appreciated by the crowd, who warmed up nicely, clapped along at the right moments and shrieked and whooped occasionally.
The friend I went with said at one point: “You know, anyone who can rhyme orphanages with sons of bitches has my vote any time.”
He was acknowledging Bob’s undoubted musical abilities, from writing to playing live.
By the time we were half way through the set, at Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, with Bob on guitar, the sound was a rolling wave.
A couple of songs later, Rollin’ and Tumblin’ the place was rocking, in a polite kind of way.
Highway 61 Revisited was a highpoint, because most of the crowd seemed to know it and could sing along a bit.
Ballad of a Thin Man was the first encore, moodily lit, with the spotlights showing up a huge shadow of Bob on the curtain behind. His harmonica solo tipped its hat to western soundtracks, Clint Eastwood.
And Bob is a similar kind of figure in music, individual, rugged, professional and a crowd pleaser.
We were told beforehand it wouldn’t be a long show and Bob started on the dot at 8pm.
At 9:30 we were in extra time and the crowd had to stamp it’s feet before stirring Bob to return for Like a Rolling Stone (a crowd pleaser) and a bright rendition of All Along the Watchtower, which was greeted with a standing ovation.
He ended, as we know, poetically and poignantly with Forever Young.
A much better choice, as my friend pointed out, than Knocking on Heaven’s Door.
It must be said the Western reaction to the concert, from a poisonous piece from the New York Times reviewer (who obviously wasn’t there) to Reuters (but at least he was there), was all about the politics and nothing about the music. A CBC story went with the headline: “Dylan brings protest songs to China.”
Oh no he didn’t.
It’s like the record got stuck.
Bob, meanwhile keeps rolling.
Set List
1. Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking (Bob on keyboard)
2. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob on guitar)
3. Beyond Here Lies Nothin’ (Bob on guitar)
4. Tangled Up In Blue (Bob center stage on harp)
5. Honest With Me (Bob on keyboard)
6. Simple Twist Of Fate (Bob on guitar)
7. Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (Bob on guitar)
8. Love Sick (Bob on keyboard)
9. Rollin’ And Tumblin’ (Bob on keyboard)
10. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall (Bob on keyboard)
11. Highway 61 Revisited (Bob on keyboard then center stage on harp)
12. Spirit On The Water (Bob on keyboard and harp)
13. Thunder On The Mountain (Bob on keyboard)
14. Ballad Of A Thin Man (Bob center stage on harp)
(1st encore)
15. Like A Rolling Stone (Bob on keyboard)
16. All Along The Watchtower (Bob on keyboard then guitar)
(2nd encore)
17. Forever Young (Bob on keyboard and harp)
(thanks to Harold Lepidus, Bob Dylan Examiner)
Source: May Daily
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Bob at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, February 2011. No photography was allowed at the event, as requested by Bob's management
Like a rolling stone, the guy’s a legend. Let’s hear it for the man and his music …
Neat. A different viewpoint than most of the other English-language stuff out there.