Category Archives: Bob Dylan tours

Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan - Brilliant Live Performances, Bob Dylan Concerts, Bob Dylan tours

July 6: Bob Dylan live in Paris 1978, Border beneath the sun

3 Comments

An incredible audience recording of a powerhouse performance. The title is taken from the all new lyrics in The Man In Me. ..The sound quality is as good as many soundboards. This is definitely one to have in any collection.
~bobsboots.com

The sound is a bit low on this one, so crank it up, put on your headphones and enjoy. I’ve listened to this recording hundreds of times on my walks, it’s a stellar performance. It is really good.

…but there is a new release “out there” that corrects the volume issue, and it is a good upgrade in other respects as well.

“The highlight of the show is perhaps one of the all time greatest versions of “All Along The Watchtower”.  The song’s melody opens on the flute and gives way to a duet between David Mansfield on violin and Billy Cross on lead guitar, trading off solos between the verses until it ends with a scorching violin solo.  Rarely has anything else been heard in rock and even Dylan sounds impressed as he introduces Mansfield at the end of the piece. ”
– CollectorMusicReviews

My highlights are Man in me, Masters of war, All along the watchtower and One more cup of coffee, but there are so many good that it is hard to choose.

Pavillon de Paris
Paris, France
6 July 1978

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Billy Cross (lead guitar)
  • Alan Pasqua (keyboards)
  • Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals)
  • David Mansfield (violin & mandolin)
  • Steve Douglas (horns)
  • Jerry Scheff (bass)
  • Bobbye Hall (percussion)
  • Ian Wallace (drums)
  • Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals)

Continue reading July 6: Bob Dylan live in Paris 1978, Border beneath the sun →

Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan Concerts, Bob Dylan tours

July 5: Bob Dylan live in Newcastle, UK in 1984 (video upgrade)

7 Comments

Playing his first show in Newcastle in 18 years, and to an English-speaking audience for the first time on this tour, Dylan clearly enjoys the experience. One highlight is a lengthy “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” Dylan’s harmonica dueling with Santana’s guitar. The next day the Newcastle Evening Chronicle proclaims that, “Dylan the magician had breathed the kiss of life all over his work.” The concert is recorded officially, and “License to Kill” and “Tombstone Blues” both feature on Real Live.
~Clinton Heylin (Bob Dylan: A Life in Stolen Moments Day by Day 1941-1995)

Dylan, who would fly in from France on his private jet, would be supported by Santana and Geordie favourites Lindisfarne. Tickets for the show cost £11 and the turnstiles opened hours before the concert, for once hammering the touts and forcing them to sell at well below face value.

On a pleasant evening, as the sun began to set, the legendary singer, then aged 43, took to the stage. The Chronicle reported: “He came, he sang, he conquered… Bob Dylan won the hearts of Northern fans – all 25,000 of them – at St James’ Park last night.

The sea of fans were calmed by his strange nasal tones echoing round the terraces, but surged with applause at every pause.“The times they have been a-changing for Dylan fans. For many, marijuana has given way to middle-aged spreads, and beads to balding heads.

But ageing hippies made up just part of the crowd which proved that Dylan now has universal appeal. The majority were just ordinary young people who came to enjoy the music. As soon as the gates opened, a carnival atmosphere descended upon St James’ Park.

Bare-chested fans were soon jogging with joy in the blazing sun to the vibrant music of support groups Lindisfarne and Santana.After the show, one 37-year-old fan, told the Chronicle it was the fourth time he’d seen the singer. “He never loses his old magic. He looks like a scruffy little man on stage – but he happens to be a genius.

Three decades on, the Kings Of Leon recently became the latest act to rock St James’ Park, but for those who watched the legendary Bob Dylan plying his trade there all those years ago, it was a show they will never forget it.
– The Chronicle

St. James’ Park
Newcastle, England
5 July 1984

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Mick Taylor (guitar)
  • Ian McLagan (keyboards)
  • Greg Sutton (bass), Colin Allen (drums)

Continue reading July 5: Bob Dylan live in Newcastle, UK in 1984 (video upgrade) →

Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan - Brilliant Live Performances, Bob Dylan Concerts, Bob Dylan tours, Bootleg

July 1 – Bob Dylan live in Nuremberg, Germany, 1978 (audio)

6 Comments

bob dylan nurnberg 1978

In his first tour of Europe in 12 years, Bob Dylan played Nürnberg on July 1. Organized by the new “Rock im Park” festival which was established in 1976 with Santana and Chicago, 1978 featured both Eric Clapton and Dylan in front of 80,000 spectators.
The show is imbued with additional meaning since the Zeppelinfeld was constructed in the ’30s and was the site for the Nazi Party rallies between 1933 and 1938 and can be seen in the film Triumph Of The Will. That a Jewish artist such as Bob Dylan preformed there 40 years later provides a special irony for the setting.
~gsparaco(collectorsmusicreviews.com)

Zeppelindfeld
Nuremberg, West Germany
1 July 1978

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Billy Cross (lead guitar)
  • Alan Pasqua (keyboards)
  • Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals), David Mansfield (violin & mandolin)
  • Steve Douglas (horns)
  • Jerry Scheff (bass)
  • Bobbye Hall (percussion)
  • Ian Wallace (drums)
  • Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals)
  • –
  • Eric Clapton (guitar) on I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight & The Times They Are A-Changin’

Continue reading July 1 – Bob Dylan live in Nuremberg, Germany, 1978 (audio) →

Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan Concerts, Bob Dylan other, Bob Dylan tours

Bob Dylan – Never Ending Tour 1988 – Part 2





I’ve always loved to travel and play my songs, meet new people and see different places. I love to roll into town in the early morning and walk the deserted streets before anybody gets up. Love to see the sun come up over the highway. ..
Then, of course, there’s playing on the stage in front of live people, feeling hearts and minds moving. Everybody don’t get to do that. Touring to me has never been any kind of hardship. It’s a privilege.
-Bob Dylan (to Edna Gundersen – USA Today, July 20, 1988)

The second part of my take on “Bob Dylan N.E.T. 1988” includes the two last legs:

  • INTERSTATE 88 – Part 2: US and Canada Late Summer Tour
    August 19 – September 25
  • INTERSTATE 88 – Part 3: East Coast Fall Tour
    October 13 – December 6

Continue reading Bob Dylan – Never Ending Tour 1988 – Part 2 →

Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan - Gospel years, Bob Dylan other, Bob Dylan tours

Bob Dylan: The Gospel Years, Part 1 – Awakening

8 Comments





This is the first part in a new series of posts about Bob Dylan 1979-81: “The Gospel Years”.  We will look at the albums, the tours (each leg), timeline, etc..

For obvious reasons, too many Dylan fans seems to ignore this period. That is sad, because it´s an interesting period with many great performances and 3 strong albums. You don´t have to be religious to enjoy such great art.

The next “Bootleg series” release will be about “The Gospel Years”:

Continue reading Bob Dylan: The Gospel Years, Part 1 – Awakening →