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Bob Dylan 2000.10.06 in London, England

Wembley Arena, Empire Way
Capacity: 12.000


Subject: wembley 6th
From: ramblin man  rm@sunspot.demon.co.uk 
Date: Fri, 6 Oct 2000 23:37:57 +0100

Mind blowing. I got into the fron standing
area and was under bob.  It was just amazing.
`girl from the north country` with bob on harp
had to be one of the many highlights. I wont go
on about it and `review` it because it (like ALL
the others) was fantastic. Bob smiled, danced
and laughed with us, just like in portsmouth.
All i can say is thanks bob for yet another truly
amazing UK/Irish tour.  I know there are others
here who will feel the same and who wouldnt be
arsed sitting in on a cold night listening to wankers
like Michael Gray and that Padal twat on BBC
radio. Some of us had better things to do.

Yours faithfully,

The Ramblin` Man.



Subject: Re: wembley 6th From: Christine Consolvo consolvo@home.com Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000 23:54:22 GMT So, am I reading you right that this morning the VIP (or YPG, young pretty girls) section was a "pile of shit" but tonight, when YOU were included in this exclusive group, it was "mind blowing"? Just curious... Christine
Subject: Re: wembley 6th From: ramblin man rm@sunspot.demon.co.uk Date: Sat, 7 Oct 2000 01:27:40 +0100 Well it wasnt VIP sextion at all. There was 2 men going around tha main standing area looking for girls and couples. I saw them go up to 2 young female teenagers and they took them in to the 'area'. I was with my partner, we were approached (we were inside at 6.45) and were brought to the 'area'. I was hardly going to say no. I still think it was unfair to other folk who may have wanted to get to the front. I didnt say being there was mind blowing. I said the show was mind blowing, I mean being there WAS mind blowing and having bob smile at you WAS mind blowing. It was definitely bob's idea for this special 'area', there was 200 people allowed in, we were lucky I guess. I dont believe in seperation at shows at all but thats what happened. I started the tour in Vicar Street and ended up under the mic at the close of the tour. I'm well happy :)
Subject: Re: wembley 6th From: paula_radice@my-deja.com Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2000 21:48:43 GMT I had good seats for both the Wembley shows, and wondered, too, about the two separate areas for standing tickets. When I asked one of the security guys, he said that they were on high alert because a stalker had made death threats to Bob that were being taken very seriously all through the tour. So that was the reason that couples and women were given priority in the front section - because it was thought that they were safer for Bob. If this was the true reason, it seems to me a reasonable idea. Certainly from the seats on both sides of the Arena the security presence seemed very intense and they were taking things very seriously. I got quite worried for Bob - what must it be like to stand on a stage in front of 12,000 people thinking that one of them (or more) might have very serious intentions of trying to kill you? Mind you, it didn't seem to distract him too much - both shows were absolutely superb, particularly the 6th, and he seemed very happy. Paula Radice
Subject: Re: wembley 6th From: Jim Linwood jlinwood@aol.com Date: 07 Oct 2000 23:44:22 GMT ... No one has mentioned the bomb scares that delayed many people getting to and from Friday's concert. Fans travelling to Wembley Park by tube (subway) were held up to a hour while police investigated reports of a man entering onto tracks in the vicinity with a parcel and coming back without it. When we left the concert, the police had closed off Wembley Park station because of a similar scare and helicopters were circling the area. No, Soy Bomb hadn't escaped. The reason was that Wembley Stadium will be closed for good today (Saturday) before the bulldozers move in for reconstruction. Plenty of soccer fans are pissed off about this to take drastic action. To make things worst, England lost the final international there today to Germany (Don't mention the war, Bob). Unfortunately, Wembley Arena has been spared. JL
From: "Tobias Levander" tobiaslevander@hotmail.com To: webmaster@expectingrain.com Cc: billp61@exepc.com Subject: Review: London October 6th Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2000 21:00:22 GMT After the fine show last night, I was eager to get in good time to the second Wembley show. This time, I had decided to do my best to be one of the chosen few who were allowed to the priority area right in front of the stage. While waiting for the gates to open, I was chatting with a few grey-haired British fans. One of them wore a Grateful Dead t-shirt, and had a joint in his hand. He claimed to have been a Bob-fan since 1961, which was hard to believe. I told them about last night's concert, and also explained the orgins of the song "Duncan & Brady" (that none of them seemed to have heard). I got in, drank a beer, and went in to the auditorium. After a while I met a few Swedish fans, and we soon found the spot (by the emergency exit) where it was decided who would get in to the priority area and who would not. The guy who made the decisions turned up every now and then, let in a few people (first, mostly young girls) and then disappeared. When people who did not have the qualifications required to get in immidiately (young and beautiful) spoke to him, he just said "hold on, hold on". After more than an hour he finally let me in. Less than a minute later, the show started. The priority area was only half-full, and I was able to get a really good place in the middle. After the usual guitar strums, and the famous introduction, Bob and his band began "Duncan & Brady", that was at least as good as the night before. Bob seemed to be wearing the same suit as last night (but the high-heel boots may have been different). Then "Song To Woody", where Bob sang the first verse accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar. One minute of magic, and as close to the solo acoustic Bob of the old days as we are likely to get nowadays. The band started playing, and too soon one of the songs I really wanted to hear was over. Then, Bob and his band starts playing something familiar but always very welcome; "Desolation Row". Oh yeah! A tremendously powerful version, easily one of best I've heard from recent years. Bob sang most of the verses, changing his vocal style a little for every verse. Then, a very nice "Girl Of The North Country" with a fine (but way too brief) harp solo in the end. "Tangled" was "Tangled", and I was really hoping he would follow it with anything but "Searching For A Soldier's Grave". But "Searching" came, and it was easily the most quiet song this evening (as it was last night as well). "Country Pie" was expected, and not better, or worse, than the other versions I've heard. As usual, they seemed to be having a lot of fun playing it. The haunting riff to "Blind Willie McTell" followed, and quite a good version it was. Larry played acoustic guitar on "Stuck Inside Of Mobile" while Charlie played some great lead electric guitar. Charlie's playing is really coming into it's own now. He had a pretty muted role before, but now he has been unleashed, and it has added to the quality of the shows. "Mobile" is not on the top of the list of songs I want to hear live, but when it's as good as it was this night, it doesn't matter. Next came "Standing In the Doorway", and it was just as good as it was last night. I had heard the new stop-start arrangement of "Cold Irons Bound" on a few cd-r's, but I was still unprepared for this. It was just so powerful. A cd-r, played at moderate volume, can't do it justice. BTW, Tony played tambourine during parts of the song. With exception for the occasional "thanks ladies and gentlemen" and the band introductions, we didn't get any Bob-talk. I guess the "RAF speech" last night was enough for a two-night stand. "Leopard-Skin" followed the band introductions, as I expected. By now, Bob was not the only one dancing on stage, Both Tony and, more surprisingly, Charlie joined him. Larry was his cool, though he often smiled. All too soon, Bob and his band headed for the exit. We got the same seven-song encore as the night before. Even the sequence was the same; THC/LARS/Dogs/AATW/Released/H61/Blowin'. If the electric numbers were energetic the night before, they were positively frenetic this time. "Released" was just as moving as last night, and Bob ended this European tour on a high note. After "Blowin'" Bob and his band remained on stage. With no guitar to take protection behind, Bob looked as uncomfortable as he did when he received the Polar Music Prize earlier this year. It was the only moment during these two hours that Bob didn't seem to be enjoying. Anyway, the show was over, and the Wembley Park underground station was, due to an unspecified "serious incident", closed, so the trip back to central London was somewhat chaotic. I eventually got there, and spent more than an hour discussing the concert in a hotel bar. I was happy. Two extraordinary shows in two days, what more can I ask for? /Tobias.
From: "scott ellis" scott@leanne81.fsnet.co.uk To: webmaster@expectingrain.com Subject: wembley Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2000 13:37:37 +0100 Myself and my partner Leanne had been to Cardiff and the 2 Portsmouth shows and had heard about people being let in early.It seems that even if you were first in line you still were not guaranteed to get on the barrier. If this is for reasons of a security scare as has been mentioned then I can understand but if not it seems pretty damn unfair. We all know that it's the same people who are on the front rows at the shows but then again if you get to the venue early and don't mind a long wait then you deserve to get to the front. I didn't know about the so called VIP area at Wembley until just before Bob came on. A mate of mine bumped into me and showed me the second wristband. I was with a few friends who were only going to the 1 show so I decided to stay put as we wanted to watch the show together. The 2nd night I was determined to get myself and Leanne to the front barrier. We got to the venue about 5:30 but was told by a friend who was at the front that it really made to difference what time you got inside, it was just total luck if you got picked to be at the front. We went for a few beers and when we got inside Wembley at about 7:00, it was quite busy, but there were only about 3 people in the front area. It became apparent when talking to people the sort of person who was going to get to the front. We went looking for this 'Alf' guy (not the hairy monster from kids TV) and found him by the left hand barrier. I decided that if I went up to him and just ask to go in the front area the answer would probably be no and that would be that. Leanne is only 5 feet tall so I decided this would be are passport in.So we went up to 'Alf' and basically just said to him that at the first Wembley show Leanne couldn't see much due to her height (slight lie, we had a pretty good view) and how could we get to the front. I was trying to act as if I had no idea who I should ask and just picked him at random. The plan worked fine and he just said to us to hang on a second, gave a nod to the security guy on the barrier and in we went onto the front row. The front area never really filled up even when Bob was on. I can honestly say I felt real sorry for all the people who got to Wembley early and only got as far as the second barrier.ĘSuperb show and a great end to the 5 shows we saw.
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