Bob Dylan & The Salvation Army Band
I wasn't a Bob Dylan fan. On the other hand, Catie was. Early on, after we had met, I remember her standing at the top of the stairs at her parent's house, clutching the latest Bob Dylan vinyl record 'Blood on the Tracks' and I thought 'ah, I'll have to get over this!'
Well, in 1978 he was coming to town. Not so much 'town' but way out at an aerodrome in Blackbushe in Surrey. We lived in Bromley, Kent.
Getting tickets was a bit different back then, and I think in this instance the only way was to get them in person. So, first stage in the epic journey to Blackbushe, was to go together some time well before, to Hanover Square in London to queue for tickets. We must have spent most of the day there, and it was as much a part of the whole Dylan experience. We stood in the line around the Square, which slowly moved forward. At one point a Salvation Army Band struck up. They had a captive audience. We listened to the special sound of the band and tried to identify the songs, the pieces of music. There must have been people who didn't like the music, but I think most did and it added to the carnival atmosphere.
Then July for the gig, dubbed 'The Picnic', at Blackbushe. As far as I recall we made transport changes, and got into Fleet train station, from where we continued the expedition by walking with a mass of others along the side of the long, gently undulating road to the aerodrome. I can't remember much of the concert now. There were other Bands and the whole evening was very good. I'm pretty sure that although Dylan doesn't just 'play & plug the current album' at his gigs, but puts on a much wider ranging show, he played Baby Stop Crying (the current single) and other songs from his new album 'Street-Legal'. It was an amazing evening.
Then the trek home. Back down the gentle, big-dipper of a road, to Fleet station. There was a gathering outside the station. More a pile-up of people that wasn't going anywhere fast. Everybody waiting for their train. It was the early hours of the morning. And then Catie was gone - well actually she had fainted and was lying on the ground. A combination of seeing her idol, and travelling far I suspect. She did recover, but it didn't make sense to deal with all those crowds, so we took an expensive taxi ride all the way home, that was worth it. It was before dawn, sometime, when we got home and we went to get some much needed sleep.
We lived in a cul-de-sac (no through road). We hadn't been drifting for long, when we were woken by the familiar sound of a Salvation Army Band, right outside our open window! Catie thought perhaps they could play outside somebody else's window. Could I ask them to move, she asked. Well I could, and they kindly did, and the round trip to see Dylan was at an end.
Well, in 1978 he was coming to town. Not so much 'town' but way out at an aerodrome in Blackbushe in Surrey. We lived in Bromley, Kent.
Getting tickets was a bit different back then, and I think in this instance the only way was to get them in person. So, first stage in the epic journey to Blackbushe, was to go together some time well before, to Hanover Square in London to queue for tickets. We must have spent most of the day there, and it was as much a part of the whole Dylan experience. We stood in the line around the Square, which slowly moved forward. At one point a Salvation Army Band struck up. They had a captive audience. We listened to the special sound of the band and tried to identify the songs, the pieces of music. There must have been people who didn't like the music, but I think most did and it added to the carnival atmosphere.
Then July for the gig, dubbed 'The Picnic', at Blackbushe. As far as I recall we made transport changes, and got into Fleet train station, from where we continued the expedition by walking with a mass of others along the side of the long, gently undulating road to the aerodrome. I can't remember much of the concert now. There were other Bands and the whole evening was very good. I'm pretty sure that although Dylan doesn't just 'play & plug the current album' at his gigs, but puts on a much wider ranging show, he played Baby Stop Crying (the current single) and other songs from his new album 'Street-Legal'. It was an amazing evening.
Then the trek home. Back down the gentle, big-dipper of a road, to Fleet station. There was a gathering outside the station. More a pile-up of people that wasn't going anywhere fast. Everybody waiting for their train. It was the early hours of the morning. And then Catie was gone - well actually she had fainted and was lying on the ground. A combination of seeing her idol, and travelling far I suspect. She did recover, but it didn't make sense to deal with all those crowds, so we took an expensive taxi ride all the way home, that was worth it. It was before dawn, sometime, when we got home and we went to get some much needed sleep.
We lived in a cul-de-sac (no through road). We hadn't been drifting for long, when we were woken by the familiar sound of a Salvation Army Band, right outside our open window! Catie thought perhaps they could play outside somebody else's window. Could I ask them to move, she asked. Well I could, and they kindly did, and the round trip to see Dylan was at an end.
posted by Barrie Gordon at 10:00 PM
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