PORTSMOUTH 2000 (ONE)


THANKS TO B.P., WHO REFERRED US TO R.W., WE WERE FURNISHED WITH TICKETS FOR THE FIRST SHOW AS WELL IN THIS BEAUTIFUL HALL

SEPTEMBER 24, 2000



GUILDHALL, PORTSMOUTH,

ENGLAND



1. SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME @

2. TO RAMONA @

3. VISIONS OF JOHANNA @

4. MAMA YOU'VE BEEN ON MY MIND @ (BOB ON HARP)

5. TANGLED UP IN BLUE @

6. SEARCHING FOR A SOLDIER'S GRAVE @

7. COUNTRY PIE

8. CAN'T WAIT

9. GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY

10. IF NOT FOR YOU

11. WICKED MESSENFER (BOB ON HARP)

12. LEOPARD-SKIN PILL BOX HAT

13. LOVE SICK

14. LIKE A ROLLING STONE

15. 4TH TIME AROUND @

16. I'LL BE YOUR BABY TONIGHT

17. FOREVER YOUNG @

18. HIGHWAY 61

19. BLOWIN' IN THE WIND @







We did get tickets for my 30th Bob date after all,
as we were offered seating tickets by a friend of
an American I tried to furnish with a Vicar Street
ticket. Since we already have standing tickets for
the second show, I didn't think twice and ended up
on the balcony of this old and small venue, third row
center (I mean CENTER). Watching from above with
or without my binoculars I enjoyed a perfect view
and a clear and loud sound; and of course a brilliant
setlist. Only eight repetitions from the night before
in Cardiff, but again, some were as fresh as could be.
Even "H61" (my 9th on this tour) was most enjoyable.

But we do go to multiple shows not to hear ten times
the same songs (although some I wouldn't mind at all
seeing every night, as I didn't mind the fourth
omission in a row of "RDW"), but to hear the rare ones,
don't we? And Bob did not disappoint. The third
appearance of "THE WICKED MESSENGER"
was as intense as possible. Three songs were performed
for the second time on this tour: The wonderful opener
"SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME", which didn't surprise me,
as, like in Glasgow, "it was on a Sunday".
And "TO RAMONA" and "CAN'T WAIT"
he had performed before only at Vicar Street.
But the real nuggets were among the six new songs
for this tour, three of which I had never seen before:
"VISIONS OF JOHANNA" was a very nice change
in the number three spot, delivered beautifully.
I'm glad I finally got to see it.
"IF NOT FOR YOU" I didn't recognize before
he started singing, and it was sung quite powerfully.
"FOURTH TIME AROUND" was new to my eyes
as well, and performed for the first time this year.
He told it like a recent story is told to a small
circle of friends, like someone who says: Guess what
happened to me the other day? - Bob does that at times.
The other three additions to this tour-songlist I had
heard before, "I'LL BE YOUR BABY TONIGHT"
even eight times, but the arrangement always changes
a little. "MAMA YOU BEEN ON MY MIND"
(which featured a nice harminica this time), we had
seen before in Muenster 1996 and in Munich 1999.

My favourite addition and probably the peak of our
ten-gig-journey (if he doesn't pull out
"EVERY GRAIN OF SAND" tonight,
before we head home to Ireland tomorrow),
was a superb, magnificent and rocking
"GOTTA SERVE SOMEBODY" as the
ninth song of the night, which even surprised me,
as I was expecting it to replace "COUNTRY PIE",
which it didn't. We were hoping to see it but once
on this tour, flashing our cloth sign between songs
whenever we stood close to the stage. (My wife had
never witnessed Bob performing this gem, and I had not
seen it since 1991), Bob performed it for the seventh
time this year and he performed it well.
("You might be Bono, you might be Sting")

Whoever we are, Bob Dylan still seems to believe that
we all are created to serve the Lord; the Lord,
whose hand keeps touching him, while he is praying, and
whose nail scarred hand alone imparts lasting glory.

"GLORY GLORY GLORY, SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME"





BOB THE NIGHT BEFORE IN CARDIFF