Lead guitarist Charlie Sexton kicks off Things Have Changed to open proceedings, Dylan soon jumping in with his raspy vocals - his voice still readily identifiable despite being ravaged by the passing of time - while the rhythm section of long-time sidekick Tony Garnier on bass and drummer George Receli lock in immediately to provide a strong foundation for the excursions to follow. His accomplished five-piece band is clad in matching suits with elegant silver jackets, elegantly sartorial without taking focus away from the main attraction. So we turn out en masse with all this in mind and are treated to a magnificent two-hour master class in stately rock’n’roll, Dylan holding court from behind a baby grand piano on stage left, his distinctive silhouette obvious even from a distance and in the dim production lighting. Plus some of the tunes for which he’s best-known are over 50 years old now: imagine not just having played them over that duration but also essentially having performed them non-stop for over three decades straight. Granted in huge arena situations like this, faithful versions of the hits are the norm - and definitely the path of least resistance for all involved - but Dylan’s never really been one for convention. That static has largely surrounded Dylan altering the arrangements of his well-known songs to the point that often only the lyrics provide a recognisable signpost to origin, as if an artist has an obligation to trot out note-perfect renditions of their well-known songs in concert mode out of respect for their fans. With tonight’s Brisbane show being the last of the current Australian run, there’s been a lot of noise of late about how the great man goes about his business these days. Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour recently ticked over the 30-year mark, the man and his entourage snaking around the world essentially non-stop and performing literally thousands of shows during which humankind’s greatest songwriter has grown gracefully from his late-40s to his late-70s without any sign of wanting - nor needing - to hang up the boots.
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