rock'n'rill

Rollin’ & Tumblin’

Last Monday, after a weekend of gigs, Troublemakers bassist Chris and I made our way to Nürnberg to see Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan.

We got there pretty early at around 6.45 p.m. or so but with finding a parking spot and getting in with the crowd we were in our seats a mere five minutes or so before Knopfler and band got going at 7.30 p.m.

Having never seen Knopfler before and enjoying his work, I was looking forward to his set and guitarist Richard Bennett (who has done great work alongside Steve Earle). They started out sounding a little muddy, the only thing clearly audible was Knopfler’s guitar. There was a fiddle player energetically jumping around but he could not be heard. I later read in Bennett’s blog they’d only had a ten-minute soundcheck because Bob & band went overtime trying to come to terms with the arena’s acoustics.

Knopfler drew mostly from his most recent solo albums which I’ve heard but don’t know intimately. The set’s first highlight was “Song For Sonny Liston”, played only by Knopfler, Glenn Worf on bass and the drummer whose name I don’t know. Also great was “Marbletown”. “Brothers In Arms”, a masterpiece of a song, was more a routine affair than a genuinely inspired version. Overall, I enjoyed Knopfler’s set but would not have minded hearing another two or three songs I knew better and a little less of the Irish/Scottish fiddle & flute sounds that found their way into nearly every song. Richard Bennett played a whole bunch of different stringed instruments but didn’t get a chance to take a solo or step out in any way. There was no chance to follow Knopfler’s great lyrics, unfortunately. Knopfler’s a mumbler and the sound was not pristine. I guess what I’m trying to say is, there was great musicianship in Knopfler’s band and set and I enjoyed them - but they didn’t blow my mind.

After a short half-hour break, Dylan & the boys sauntered on stage with my main man Charlie Sexton taking center stage. Knopfler joined them for the first four songs (among them Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat, Things Have Changed and It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue) and sounded fantastic. As did Dylan and the boys. I’ve seen Dylan quite a few times but this was perhaps the best show of his I saw. The set was a great mix of older & newer stuff, I enjoyed hearing Man In The Long Black Coat, Mississippi, Tangled Up In Blue, Thunder On The Mountain. And just as I thought the set was mighty blues-based, they switched it up a bit with Black Coat, Watchtower and others.
About halfway through the 90-minute set Charlie Sexton was warmed up and stepped out a few times (Highway 61, Desolation Row). In general his playing was very sympathetic to Dylan’s. Whenever Dylan found a little riff on the organ, Charlie immediately picked up on it, echoed it and expanded on it. Nicely done, sir.
The evening ended with a glorious take on Like A Rolling Stone.

 Left to right: Tony Garnier, Charlie Sexton, the Bob.

I have to admit that I had anticipated Dylan having a hard time following Knopfler. I had prepared Chris – who had never seen Bob live – for Dylan’s at times erratic vocal stylings and more. I was overjoyed to find that Chris clearly figured Bob & his excellent band had taken the cake that night. It was just a joy to witness them performing together like a well-oiled machine.

Chris – being a sound engineer - observed that Dylan was mixed on an analog console, Knopfler on a digital one which may account for Dylan’s much warmer, cooler sound. But obviously having had a more extensive soundcheck also contributed to the difference.

A great show!

14 November 2011 ·