BOB DYLAN IN COVENTRY - REVIEW BY PETE CLEMONS

BOB DYLAN IN COVENTRY - REVIEW BY PETE CLEMONS

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Bob Dylan has been and gone. He played in Coventry as part of his 'Rough and Rowdy Ways' world tour. The concert, held at the Coventry Building Society Arena, was his first ever performance in the city.

I remember reading how, several years ago during a show in Europe, Bob Dylan grew so enraged by fans taking photos and shooting video that he stopped the set. He retorted “'take pictures or don’t take pictures' he snapped. 'We can either play or we can pose. OK?'

Bob has performed in minimal light throughout parts of his career, using specific lighting choices to create a certain atmosphere or make himself less visible to the audience. So this is not really a new thing.

But he is right in that phones have made concerts almost unbearable at times. It is a difficult situation. That said, for this performance phones had been put in secure pouches to ensure the audience was fully immersed. Despite that, the majority were still being punished to the mischief of the few. In fact, I would say that this, quite possibly, had a detrimental effect.

The bigger problem was that, for me, it created for one of the bleakest crowd, energy wise, I have ever experienced. There was disgruntlement and dozens streamed out after less than an hour.

Additionally the sad fact is, in the case of the Coventry gig, it was an absolutely brilliant show – musically it verged on utter genius, a truly unique performance – but will it be forever overshadowed by a camera debate?.

According to reports, those in the first few rows appeared to be OK. To the rest of the crowd, and this room is spacious, I suspect Bob Dylan was little more than a visual smudge behind the piano with lights on top, 'you could just about make the top of his head out' assuming they were able to see any trace of him, or his band, at all.

Bob Dylan has written over 600 songs across his career, with some estimates reaching closer to 1,000 when including unreleased or co-written tracks. So the choice, as to what to play live is immense.

He began with 'I'll be Your Baby Tonight' followed by 'It Aint Me Babe'. They were absolutely magnificent and performed in a style that set the tone for the rest of the set.

Of the album songs played, the album's opening track, 'I Contain Multitudes,' sets the tone for an exploration of an all-around, changing self and the contradictions within individuals and society.

There are several moments that address death and the passing of time as Bob reflects on his own age and the universal frailty of human life. Songs like "Mother of Muses" are odes to the sources of his inspiration.

But there are moments of tenderness, such as 'I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You,' an overt love song that offers a sense of peace and devotion.

Overall, Rough and Rowdy Ways is a dense, cryptic look at a world of both immense injustice and enduring hope. The album is rich with historical and musical references. It is a late-career reflection on a lifetime of experience and, at the same time, an examination of where we are now as human kind.

With phones safely locked away, and i got the intimate stage lights thing, but this was far from an intimate venue. The sound wasn’t brilliant either, it tended to bounce around the hall. However, Bob's voice held up really well.

I hope Bob Dylan got to see more of Coventry than Coventry got to see of Bob Dylan. As his times of sand disappear I really hope these gigs have not damaged his legacy and that it is not memorable for all the wrong reasons. Not that Bob himself probably cares. As I read often, its Bob being Bob.

As for the music - truly masterful and accomplished however, as a spectacle and lasting memory – possibly an own goal. Time will tell.

For those who could'nt see them them the band was:

Bob Dylan – vocals, piano, harmonica, guitar

Anton Fig – drums

Tony Garnier – electric and standup bass

Bob Britt – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, lap steel

Doug Lancio – acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Bob Dylan — I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You. Coventry. November 13, 2025