Interview With Leading Bob Dylan Writer Ahead Of South Shields Gig

Critic Michael Gray first saw Bob Dylan live in Liverpool in 1966 and published a pioneering study on his work six years later. From his home in France he answered a few quesions as he prepares to head to Tyneside for Friday's gig.

Q: How long did it take you to put the latest gig together? Well it was a work in progress for a while, and then I tried it out at the famous Troubadour in London, but it’s been through some changes since then - like Dylan’s setlists! Q: Which do you prefer - writing or lecturing? Well, for many years I didn’t feel confident to speak in public, but once I started - a long time ago now - I loved it. But I have always wanted to write, and written. I had my first newspaper article published when I was still in my teens. But it wasn’t about music - it was about nature! Q: Will there be a chance to interact/ask questions in South Shields and to have your books signed? I never do a Q&A at the end, because I find the entertainment level plummets when you do, because there’s always two blokes (and they ARE always blokes) who want to give speeches disguised as questions, while everyone else wants to go home or get to the pub. BUT I’m always on hand in the foyer as people are leaving, so that anyone who really wants to answer a question can. And yes, I hope to be able to sell a book or two at the end also. Q: Have you ever had a period when you questioned Dylan's talent? Not in an overall way - but I’ve always been attentive to the gulf in quality between some Dylan things and others. Q: Which other artist of the rock 'n' roll era comes closest to Dylan's talent and impact. I'm guessing it's not Bono. As a rock’n’roll poet, there’s Chuck Berry. As charismatic live performers I’ve been able to see, there was Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bruce Springsteen, and the Faroes Island singer-songwriter Teitur. Sadly, I never saw Elvis, who must have been a riveting performer when he was young. Q: When did Dylan last surprise you? When he released the 17-minute-long song ‘Murder Most Foul’ in the middle of the pandemic lockdown. Q: What is the general public's biggest misconception of him? That he can’t sing, or that he hasn’t done anything since Blowin' In The Wind. Q: How often do you listen to Dylan? Is it a daily ritual? Not quite. Q: Has Dylan ever surpassed the '66 live tour? Not for me now, listening to everything - but at the time, the sound for the electric set was so distorted and so loud that it wasn’t as immediately thrilling as the 1978 tour, which I saw at Earls Court, Paris, Rotterdam and Blackbushe. Q: For a Dylan newbie, which album would you recommend they listen to first? Blood On The Tracks. Q: Do you have another Dylan book in you? Are you working on any non-Dylan projects? I'm too old to embark on another manhum opus on Dylan, though it may be that one day I can manage another collection of short pieces, like my book “Outtakes On Bob Dylan” (from 2021). But I have written a travel memoir about the 3 months I spent in Kenya, and I’d like to re-publish my biography of Blind Willie McTell but with far more photos than in the original editions. For ticket details go to: https://www.customshouse.co.uk/music/bob-dylans-greatest-rejected-album-tracks-an-evening-with-writer-michael-gray/#showings or call 0191 4541234.