SHEFFIELD 2000










SEPTEMBER 22, 2000



SHEFFIELD ARENA, SHEFFIELD,

ENGLAND



1. I AM THE MAN, THOMAS @

2. THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN' @

3. IT'S ALRIGHT, MA (I'M ONLY BLEEDING) @

4. LOVE MINUS ZERO/NO LIMIT @

5. TANGLED UP IN BLUE @ (BOB ON HARP)

6. SEARCHING FOR A SOLDIER'S GRAVE @

7. COUNTRY PIE

8. DIGNITY

9. ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER

10. NOT DARK YET

11. COLD IRONS BOUND

12. LEOPARD-SKIN PILL-BOX HAT

13. LOVE SICK

14. LIKE A ROLLING STONE

15. MR. TAMBOURINE MAN @ (BOB ON HARP)

16. THINGS HAVE CHANGED

17. FOREVER YOUNG @

18. HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED

19. BLOWIN' IN THE WIND @







This was a good show. Our vantage point
was a bit different than our first row center
position in Birmingham. The huge arena was
filled with chairs, but during the show
everyone one the floor stood up. We sat quite
comfortably on the tiers, first block - left side -
9th row up, which gave me a good view (especially
with my binoculars) and one of the best sound
mixes I can recall. Bob's voice was so crisp and
clear, doing all kinds of vocal gymnastics on
that sound carpet the tightest band in history
keeps rolling out for him. It was nice sitting
down for a change after standing for six shows
since Dublin. I also was reminded that those
vast crowds come out to see Bob but once in a tour,
and we crazy freaks, who spend our holidays
going to multiple shows are only a small
percentage of the audience. So we should
not be surprised when Bob repeats like
13 songs from the previous show at times.
They all came to hear songs like "TANGLED",
"ROLLING STONE", "BLOWING IN THE WIND"
and "H61" (where the shoe strings were sold
even twice last night). But even the serious
Bob aficionado only has to ask himself:
How would I view this setlist (or any setlist),
if it would be my first (or even only)
date on this tour?

Having said that, yes, there were "only"
three additions to this tour last night,
and both on my 28th and my 27th (B'ham)
Bob date, Bob did not perform one song,
I had not seen before. But then again,
I have to go back to spring 1995 in order
to recall having two consecutive Bob dates
without "RDW".

Added to this tour was a nice and beautiful
"LOVE MINUS ZERO / NO LIMIT",
our first since Brussels 1996. A little surprise
was the rare "DIGNITY", which we had seen once
already in Kerkrade 1995 (in B'ham I saw it on
the cue sheet in slot 18, but he played
"EVERYTHING IS BROKEN").
"MR. TAMBOURINE MAN" was already
first choice for the acoustic encore on the
cue sheet in Glasgow; last night Bob finally
delivered, ending it with a very fine harp-solo-dance,
laying down his guitar after starting it.

For the second time on this tour Bob performed
"LOVE SICK" (moving "THINGS HAVE
CHANGED" to slot 16 this time) and the
masterful "NOT DARK YET"
(which he played for the first time in England).

The challenging opener "I AM THE MAN THOMAS"
Bob chose to present for the third time in seven
shows and for the second time in a row.
(If you don't know the lyrics, do check
them out on the relevant page on this site.)

As my wife Catina is approaching our B&B
close to the Welsh border on this warm and sunny day,
I am really looking forward
to see Bob's show in Cardiff tonight.
It will be at least a very good one!




CARDIFF 2000


Bob in Sheffield (Photo taken by Derek Haworth)