Mark Knopfler & Bob Dylan, BIC (From Daily Echo)

Mark Knopfler & Bob Dylan, BIC

2:03pm Saturday 15th October 2011 in Music Reviews By Patrick Gough

Bob Dylan pictured performing several years ago.

THE old blues legend goes that if you wait at the crossroads at midnight, you can make a pact with the devil for extraordinary musical talent. Judging by the hypnotic performance tonight, I fear that Bob Dylan has struck just such a deal with old Saint Nick.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Also on the bill was Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler who delivered a set of exquisite guitar noodlings that included a stunning rendition of Brothers In Arms.

But this dark October evening was only ever about Bob Dylan, sharply attired in a jet-black suit, spats and a large white hat that covered his face in darkness.

Dylan and his troupe of mean-looking bluesmen serenaded Bournemouth as if it were the end of the world. Then there’s the voice, which can only be described as feral.

A foreboding animal growl with an occasional yelp. His coyote singing doesn’t detract from the performance and if anything makes you listen closer to the lyrics.

This is a wickedly clever musician that has honed his craft down to a dagger-like point. The songs creep into your head and leave you with a dawning sense of familiarity.

Dylan has been covered by so many other artists that it’s only live that you realise the influence of his songwriting. This Wheel’s on Fire, I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight and To Make You Feel My Love.

These are all trusted, cherished songs that have built careers for the musicians who’ve covered them. It’s no bold claim to say that Dylan has shaped what we take for granted as popular music.

Refreshingly though, for a musician with his back catalogue, Bob is not resting on his laurels. Prowling the stage like a cat, Dylan flitted around with a deftness of feet that would have impressed even the Strictly Come Dancing judges.

Although this was my first time seeing him live, it looked to me like he was still having the time of his life. By the final strains of Like A Rolling Stone, I’d been fully converted by Dylan’s voodoo and now consider myself a fan.

Yet, perhaps I’d always been a fan of his music and just hadn’t realised. On this performance, I would strongly recommend you see Bob Dylan before the devil comes to collect.