one4review | On 25, Nov 2025

Bob Dylan : Glasgow SEC Armadillo 17th November 2.5 **

Dylan strides onto the stage, full of energy, heading straight for his piano. His Rough and Rowdy band—Charlie Sexton, Bob Britt, Donnie Herron, Tony Garnier, and Matt Chamberlain—are already set, forming a loose circle around him like they’re gathering at a campfire, ready to catch whatever sparks he throws off. The crowd’s buzzing, everyone’s left their phones behind, and you get the sense something special’s about to happen.

And just like that, we’re off. The band kicks things off with an upbeat, country-flavored “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.” You can see the band watching Dylan closely, ready for any twist he might throw at them. But something’s wrong. The sound mix is a mess—Dylan’s voice gets swallowed up by a wall of guitars and piano. The problem drags on through “It Ain’t Me, Babe” and “I Contain Multitudes.” People in the crowd start whispering, leaning in, trying to make out the lyrics. It’s rough.

Then comes “False Prophet,” and finally, things click. Suddenly, Dylan’s voice cuts through, the band locks in, and the energy snaps back. The crowd’s hooked again, and then Dylan hits with “When I Paint My Masterpiece” and “Black Rider”—a double shot that pulls the night back on course. But then “My Own Version of You” starts, and here’s where the set slips again. The songs, as brilliant as they are, start to feel like they’re stretching out forever—long, meandering jams that test your patience. Nobody’s expecting Dylan to stick to three-minute pop songs, but the endless repetition leaves people restless. By three quarters through, you can spot folks slipping out early.

That’s not to say there aren’t high points—“Desolation Row,” “Watching the River Flow”—but by the end, it all feels more like an endurance test than a concert.

Dylan’s played Scotland plenty of times. Three years ago, he played this same venue, with a lot of the same songs, and it was electric, lightening in a bottle. This time, though, it just felt flat and vacuous.

**1/2

Reviewed by Steve H