Bob Dylan 980711 in Escalarre, Spain

From: "Veronica" (veronica@netcom.es)
To: "Karlerik" (karlerik@monet.no)
Subject: RV: 24 hours for Bob:-))
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 1998 02:19:58 -0400



Does this guy realise just how dedicated we all are I wonder? 10 am
Saturday morning, I set off for the nearest train station to pick up
Núria, the girl I'd made contact with through spain@edlis to go to the
Doctor Music Festival together. Isn't it amazing how Bob fans seem to
have so much in common??

We knew we had a long journey ahead of us, L'Escalarre is a tiny
village set right up in the heart of the Pyrenees mountains, just west
of Andorra. This is the third year that the cows of the area have been
moved to different fields for a week so that a three-day festival
could take place. You think I 'm joking? The emblem of the festival is
a cow :-))

After a five hour journey along very wiggly, narrow country roads with
treacherously steep slopes we reached the festival site. Núria and I
were only interested in seeing Bob, there were about 70 other groups,
but we wanted Bob!!! We parked the car and then had to walk for about
half an hour to get to the entrance of the festival in blazing
sunlight. As soon as we got in we headed straight for the wash blocks
and doused ourselves in water. Not in time however to stop my face and
arms from getting very sunburnt. We are talking about probably 90
degrees and no shade!! It was now about 4:15 and Bob was due on at 6,
so we headed straight for the place he was supposed to be performing,
where there were already people starting to look hopeful. We joined
them and soon after all Bob's team came on stage and started doing
sound checks etc. The band came on to try out and tune their
instruments and we were laughing and joking with them. This was a
stage set up in the middle of a field, so there were no doors or
anything!! I hadn't realised that Tony Garnier is bald on top, now I
know why he wears a hat on stage! Bucky was wearing shorts and a
t-shirt, a far cry from the leather trousers and snakeskin waistcoat
he wore at the concert. We'll get to Bob's outfit later!!!!! The area
behind us was filling up rapidly so we had obviously got there at just
the right time. We were in about the 7th row of people standing, so
very close to the stage :-)) Could see every expression on Bob's face
throughout the entire concert :-)) 



At 6:15 Bob and the band walked on stage and a familiar (??) voice
said "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome....." Straight into
Leopard-skin Pill-box hat. Wonderful, they were together from the very
first note. Loud, rhythmic, magic :-)) Señor, Cold Irons Bound
followed in the same style. Then into I'll be your baby tonight. (If
only, Bob!!!) They did this in a true country style. Then Can't wait,
in a sort of reggae version. Fun!! Then, (being the clever person that
I am, and having studied recent set lists) I started calling out
Silvio, Silvio... and guess what, he listened to me ;-)) What made me
laugh was that NOBODY around even realised what he was playing was
called Silvio!! Núria and I had a good laugh about it anyway!! The
crowd were about 90% young kids who were obviously attending the whole
festival and had decided to check out this Bob Dylan guy. They enjoyed
the concert enormously, you could tell, but I don't think they knew
one song from another. The other 10% were a mixture of press and
people who looked as if they were only there for Bob!! 

Talking of
press I was so close to the stage that I shot a whole roll of film of
Bob on stage, I'm sure that at least a few will come out. If so, I'll
scan them and send them to anyone who wants:-)) Silvio was absolutely
fabulous, raunchy rock! Great for dancing to... yes, I'm one of those
irritating people who can't keep still!!! Then we went into the
acoustic set, starting with Cocaine, magic, he and Larry singing away!
Talking of Larry, as I said we were very close to the stage and every
time I thought Bob was looking my way - hard to really tell with those
shades on - I started waving at him and sometimes even blowing
kisses!!!! But I caught Larry's eye two or three times and grinned at
him , and he grinned back.. or maybe he was laughing to himself
thinking.. who on earth is that idiot with the sunburnt face!! Then
onto Don't think twice, an excellent country version and the only song
that Bob did harp with. WOW!!!!!!!And while he was playing harp he
started sort of doing a little jig from side to side, so sweet!!! Next
was Tangled up in blue, I listened carefully to the words and it was
straight off BOTT. Then into Forever Young, may your wishes all come
true.... (dream. dream!!!) 

His guitar playing in Forever Young was really excellent, everybody
was applauding him and he was moving around the stage looking very
pleased with himself :-)) That was the end of the acoustic set. He
started the next set with Stuck inside of Mobile, which was, in my
opinion just a shade too slow...  I can't dance that slowly!! Then he
introduced the band and they all went into I shall be released, and
finally Highway 61. revisited. Incredible!!! Marvellous!! Pure rock,
most people were dancing now! And Bob was doing little knee bends and
kept looking at us to see what we thought of them , and the more we
applauded and screamed the more he did, until he was really get into
it :-)) What a guy!!!!!

Then they all went off stage and of course came out for the encore
Love Sick., not good for dancing!! Rainy Day Women, what a surprise
;-), very good version, and finally to send us away in a relaxed mood
Blowin' in the wind. What a wonderful concert.. well worth the 5 hour
journey there and 7 hour journey back, not counting the two occasions
when we stopped to sleep in the car for 20 minutes which turned into 2
hours both times! Also well worth the nearly 100 dollars that the
tickets cost us:-(( They only sell tickets for the full three days.
Some would say I must be mad, I'd be inclined to agree with them.. but
....... it's life and life only ;-)

For the girls... Bob's outfit... I've seen worse  ;-) He was wearing
cream trousers with a dark blue stripe down the sides, he does love
those stripes! A cream shirt, looked like it might have been silk, no
vest underneath. Quite a few buttons undone on the shirt........ ;-) A
leather belt with a big, very elaborate silver buckle. The famous
white shoes. And on top of it all, which really spoiled the whole
outfit, a white jacket with split sides and two dark blue stripes up
either side of the front zip, he wore it unzipped. He was clean shaven
and his hair was quite short for him. Pretty yummy really!!!! I wonder
what the Pyrenean cows thought of it all!! 

Veronica

"May your wishes all come true"
"Time is an ocean but it ends at the shore"