98 • UNCUT • OCTOBER 2019
WithAngelsthat’sclearlymorefuntoplay
thanit is tolistento.
Theday’ssecondco-headlineris now
onstage.Bob’slookingdapperinblack
gambler’shat,anembroideredgrey
westernjacket,blackshirt,looselytied
blackneckerchief,blacktrouserswith
whitemilitarystripes,thebottomspooling
overunbuckledbikerboots.He’ssittingat
a grandpiano,poundingoutthechords
ofanopeningnumberthatturnsoutto
be“BalladOfA ThinMan”.Thesong’sno
strangertoDylansetlists,butit’snever
playedthisearly.
It’salsousuallyplayedwith
appropriatelymenacingfidelitytothe
original:taut,claustrophobic,muggy.
Tonight,it soundsunusuallylimber,
uncoiled.CharlieSextonknocksout
chunkyguitarlicksoverGeorgeRecile’s
headstrong,tumblingdrumsandDylan’s
percussivepiano.Theversionsof“It
Ain’tMeBabe”and“WhenI PaintMy
Masterpiece”thatfollowarelikewise
transformed,playedwitha funkinessthat
makesyouthinkofTheBasementTapes.
“Highway61”announcesitselfwiththe
swaggerofsomeonesportinga shoulder
holsterandspats,Dylan’sleftlegpumping
atthepiano.“SimpleTwistOfFate”has
littleincommonwiththeBloodOnThe
Track soriginal.Thelyricis halfspoken,
deliveredinclusters,whilea lonesome
harmonicasolobringsa lotofcheers.
“CallMe”,fromTimeOutOfMind, is a
dank,festeringblues;“HonestWithMe”,
fromLoveAndTheft, is hard,driving,
defiant.“I’mnotsorryfornothin’I’vedone,”
Dylansings.“I’mgladI fought,I onlywish
we’dwon.”
SextonandDonnieHerronexchange
glisteningguitarandpedal-steellines
ona sprawling“Tryin’ToGetToHeaven”
before Dylan brings sultry harmonica
N
EILYoungis just
finishinga versionof
“LikeA Hurricane”,an
encorethatis fizzling
outlikea matchina
puddle.Timespast,
thisgreatsonghas
burnedlikesomethingthatwillnever
goout.YouthinkofNeilplayingit with
CrazyHorseforthefirsttimeinLondonat
theHammersmithOdeoninMarch1976.
It hadbeena blazingthingthatnight,a
consumingnoise.ThiseveninginHyde
Park,Youngandhiscurrenttouring
band,PromiseOfTheReal– ledbyWillie
Nelson’sson,Lukas– puta lotofeffortinto
it,nofaultingthemthere.Butit flickers,
refusestoignite.Inthisatleast,it’slike
everythingthat’sprecededit.
It’sbeenanoddlybusinesslikeshow,
fulloffamiliarcrowd-pleasersbutlacking
theusualfire.Therearea coupleof
surprises.Youngplays“Alabama”,the
controversialHarvesttrackthatmade
LynyrdSkynyrdwanttokickhishippie
ass.It’spresumablybeenrevisedbecause
ofthestate’srecentabortionban,but
soundsheavy-handedanddrab,turgid
rather than angry. For most of the set,
PromiseOfTheRealsoundatbestlikea
competentCrazyHorsecoversband.Their
shacklescomeoffona raging“Throw
YourHatredDown”,originallyrecorded
withPearlJamfor1995’sMirrorBall. Neil
getsdeeperintoit witheverysoloandthe
bandmatchhisintensity.If onlymore
ofwhatthey’dplayedhadequalledthis
concentratedferocity.Thesetendswitha
crude take on “Piece Of Crap” fromSleeps
BOB DYLAN/
NEIL YOUNG +
PROMISE OF THE REAL
BSTHydePark,London,July 12
Oneshow,twolegends– eachwitha very
different take on their greatest hits
MATTHEW BAKER/GETTY
IMAGES
1 Mansion
OnTheHill
2 OverAndOver
3 CountryHome
4 Everybody
KnowsThisIs
Nowhere
5 Alabama
6 WalkOn
7 Winterlong
8 Words
(BetweenThe
LinesOfAge)
9 HeartOfGold
10 FromHank
ToH e n d ri x
11 OldMan
12 ThrowYour
HatredDown
13 LoveAnd
OnlyLove
14 Rockin’In The
FreeWorld
ENCORE
15 LikeA Hurricane
16 I’veBeen
WaitingForYou
17 RollAnother
Number(For
TheRoad)
18 Piece Of Crap
1 BalladOf
A ThinMan
2 It Ain’tMe,Babe
3 Highway 61
Revisited
4 SimpleTwist
OfFate
5 Can’tWait
6 WhenI PaintMy
Masterpiece
7 HonestWithMe
8 Tryin’ToGet
ToH e a ve n
9 MakeYouFeel
MyLove
10 PayIn Blood
11 LikeA Rolling
Stone
12 EarlyRoman
Kings
13 GirlFromThe
NorthCountry
14 LoveSick
15 ThunderOn
TheMountain
16 SoonAfter
Midnight
17 GottaServe
Somebody
ENCORE
18 Blowin’In
TheWind
19 It TakesA LotTo
Laugh,It Takes
A Train To Cry
SETLIST
NEILYOUNG+
PROMISE
OF THE REAL
SETLIST
BOB DYLAN
N e i lYo u n g :
anoddly
business-
like show
Limberand
uncoiled:Dylan
onstagewith
TonyGarnier
(left)and
George Recile
