Bob Dylan pays tribute to Shane McGowan on stage in Dublin
Bob Dylan made his long-awaited return to Dublin on Tuesday night (November 8th) when he played at the 3Arena in the Irish capital, where Shane McGowan was in attendance. The 81-year-old folk legend has largely omitted his biggest hits from his setlists recently, but given the iconoclastic stature of Dylan, just getting a chance to see him play anything is an honour in its own right.
Dylan delivered a largely melancholic set, suitable for a chilly autumn Dublin night. He opened the set with ‘Watching The River Flow’, where he sang, “Right now I’ll just sit here so contentedly / and watch the river flow”. Elsewhere, he played ‘I Contain Multitudes’ from his 2020 album Rough and Rowdy Ways in a half sang manner, preaching “I’m just like Anne Frank, like Indiana Jones, and them British bad boys, The Rolling Stones.”
Known to stretch one of his songs out into a lengthy jam, Dylan did not disappoint in this light. He took a further Rough and Rowdy Ways tune, ‘Key West (Philosopher Pilot)’ and jammed it out almost to the point of no return. He also played ‘Be Your Baby Tonight’ from John Wesley Harding and covered ‘That Old Black Magic’ by Johnny Mercer.
Anyone visiting the concert was under strict orders not to use their phones. In fact, attendees had to put their phones in a Yondr bag, which was locked, kept by the phone’s owner during the concert and then unlocked as they left the area.
Dylan spent much of the evening behind his piano, but on occasion, he ventured out to greet the crowd, and during one particular occasion, he shared the news that Shane McGowan was in the building, which of course, drew massive applause from the crowd. Dylan then noted that he loves ‘Fairytale of New York’ and listens to it “every Christmas”.
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out Bob Dylan Newsletter
All the latest stories about Bob Dylan from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.