Bobchat meetings [page 5]

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2022

25 August 2022 - Red Bull meeting
After a day of welcome rain during what has been a summer of record breaking heat, the Bobchatters who attended tonight’s meeting at The Red Bull were John Nye, John Stokes, Bill Dallas, Armando Fusco, Jonathan Fudger, Steve Gibson, Chris Rolph, Allen Purvis and Richard Stokes. Keith Agar ’phoned in with apologies for his absence and Joe Woolf was hoping to be a late arrival, but got held up in Brighton. John Nye welcomed us all back to The Red Bull after an absence of two and a half years and, in true idiosyncratic TCBDS style, the evening started with two Dylan related magic card tricks (‘Jokerman’ and ‘Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid’) performed by Richard. We raised a glass to Derek Barker on his retirement from producing ‘Isis’ as a print magazine and mention was made of a rumoured track listing for the upcoming ‘TOOM’-inspired Bootleg Series 17. There was no fixed agenda for tonight’s meeting and the Bobchat just happily ebbed and flowed covering all manner of topics including tickets for the October shows; the treatment of Dylan by the Press with regard to the allegations made against him; Dylan’s latest art work; the ‘new’ version of ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’; the changing style of Dylan’s vocals; and the history of TCBDS to get to where we are today. In addition to these topics there was, as always, so much more to talk about and more to reminisce. And it sure felt good (and right) - on a night like this. JRS

27 October 2022 - Red Bull meeting
During a spell of unseasonably warm autumnal weather and a few days before Daylight Saving Time ends, the Bobchatters who attended tonight’s meeting at The Red Bull were Bill Dallas, Armando Fusco, Richard Stokes, Allen Purvis and John Stokes. We were also delighted to welcome the return of our old friends Sue Bates and Tim Smart who have a long history of attending Dylan meetings, going right back to The Royal Standard days. Unfortunately John Nye was unable to attend tonight’s meeting as he had tested positive for the dreaded Covid that very morning - probably caught when he attended the Dylan concert at The Palladium a few days before. Some members of the group were also missing as they were at either the Hull or Cardiff concerts. The meeting started with a great deal of banter about the Palladium shows which a number of the group had attended and the general consensus was that they were the best shows that Dylan had performed for a good number of years. Talk turned to Dylan’s soon be released book ‘The Philosophy Of Modern Song’ with Armando playing an extract from the song ‘Nelly Was A Lady’ written by Stephen Foster in 1849 and mentioned in the book. There was lengthy discussion about the upcoming Bootleg Series 17 with particular reference to the songs on ‘Time Out Of Mind’ released 25 years ago and we also checked out the new photographs of the young Elston Gunn, provided by Barbara Ann Hewitt, and the poster for The Satin tones gig at The Lyceum Theater Minneapolis on the 4th December 1958. Fake or fortune? In addition to these topics there was, as always, so much more to talk about and more to reminisce. And it sure felt good, on a night like this. JRS

15 December 2022 - Red Bull meeting

TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 15 December 2022. From left: Richard Stokes, Bill Dallas, John Nye, John Stokes, Sue Smart, Tim Bates, Allen Purvis and Jonathan Fudger.

Taking a break from Christmas wrapping, and despite the sub-zero temperatures, the Bobchatters who attended last night’s meeting at The Red Bull were Bill Dallas, Richard Stokes, Jonathan Fudger, Tim and Sue Smart, Allen Purvis, John Nye and John Stokes. [Andrew Donaldson set out from home to attend the meeting, but got

TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 15 December 2022. Sue Smart assisting Richard Stokes [right] during his 'When I Paint My Mess-terpiece' card trick. Looking on are Bill Dallas [left] and Tim Bates.

waylaid by 'the car park', otherwise known as the M25 ring road around London. JN] The weather outside may have been frightful but the Bobchat inside The Red Bull was nothing short of delightful as we dived headlong into discussions covering many topics such as the autopen fiasco (where Bob appears to have been a very naughty boy) and the writings in POMS (where Bob appears again to be a very naughty

Jonathan Fudger, at TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 15 December 2022.

boy). But Bobchat has never been just about the serious stuff: tonight we had pizza; the mince pies were on The Management; Richard Stokes performed an absolutely mind-blowing magical masterpiece [pictured] (which he called ‘When I Paint My Mess-terpiece’); Jonathan took requests from the floor and gave us some great Dylan covers, including ‘Tangled Up In Blue’ with all those lyric changes; and we demonstrated John N’s wonderful new interactive poster (just point your phone at the QR code) which is hanging proudly in the pub downstairs. The evening concluded with a group photo of the class of ‘22 and we look forward to next year and the start of the 39th year of meetings in the City of Cambridge, which is of course the spiritual home of The Cambridge Bob Dylan Society. JRS

2023

23 February 2023 - Red Bull meeting
Enjoying the ever increasing daylight hours whilst waiting for Spring to come smoking down the tracks, the small but very happy band of Bobchatters who attended last night's meeting at The Red Bull were Armando, Richard, Bill, Allen and John S. Apologies for absence were received from many quarters including from John Nye, who had been struck down by a nasty virus a few days before the meeting. We all wish you well for a speedy recovery John. The evening was both electric and eclectic. ‘Electric’ because the forthcoming film telling the story of that infamous night in July 1965 was featured and ‘eclectic’ because... well damn it, where else would you get a discussion linking Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrik to Dylan's song ‘Licence To Kill’. Thank you Armando for opening our eyes to such an impossible equation - it was brilliant. We also 'taste tested' various versions of ‘Can't Wait’ from BLS 17 (with the Tiatro version coming out on top) and had a roll call of all the previous 16 issues of the Bootleg Series. There was much more to chew over but before we knew it, and just as we were getting into some serious Jokerman stuff, 'TIME' was called from the floor below, and as we departed you could hear the laughter all the way down Elizabeth Street. Another great night of fun and pure Bobchat at The Cambridge Bob Dylan Society. JRS

27 April 2023 - Red Bull meeting
On the eve of the May Day festivities, and before the Country goes doolally to celebrate the coronation of King Charles the third, the regular Bobchatters who attended a rainy Red Bull tonight were Bill Dallas, Jonathan Fudger, Chris Rolph, Tim Smart, Richard Stokes, Armando Fusco, Allen Purvis, John Nye and John Stokes. We also welcomed Rob Turner, Harry James (and friend) and Ben Hewitson to the group and we hope you enjoyed the evening. It was a night when various friends and other strangers from the Dylan world came into focus and were the subject of much Bobchat banter including Harry Belafonte, Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Tony Garnier, Billie Holiday, Joan of Ark, the doorman of the Bob Bon Club in Marseille  and Stacey from Castle Galleries in Cambridge (amongst many others). We kept the bar staff busy with a constant supply of pizzas from the Red Bull menu and the ever so shadowy Shadow Kingdom appeared from the darkside of the room. The crowning glory was Jonathan's performance from his expanding Dylan songbook. All in all it was a night fit for any King. Come what may there will always be much more to Bobchat about and much more to reminisce and it will always feel good - on nights like this. JRS

15 June 2023 - Red Bull meeting
While Dylan was just a thousand miles away serenading the Senoritas in Alicante, the Bobchatters who attended a mid-summer meeting at The Red Bull tonight were John Nye, Bill Dallas, Jonathan Fudger, Nigel Bevis, Rossoneri Jing (welcome to your first meeting Nigel and Ross), Ben Hewitson and friend Oscar, Chris Rolph, Allen Purvis, Richard Stokes, Armando Fusco and John Stokes. John Nye kept the ship perfectly on course for a full night of Bobchat banter as we ventured through the looking glass to find a set list that included 'Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee'; there was some deep focus on Dylan's new artworks 'Deep Focus'; the wonderful image of Bob and Suze on the cover of the 40-year-old album 'Freewheelin' was remembered; Armando entertained us with a querky quiz; Richard brought some magic to the evening; there was some video ['Key West (Philosopher Pirate)' and 'Gotta Serve Somebody' from Osaka, Japan, 8 April 2023] provided by Chris Cooper (thank you Chris) and Jonathan performed 3 songs including an awesome version of 'Ring Them Bells'. And as for the banter - well we could have talked all night, we could have talked all night and still have talked some more. Indeed there will always be much more to Bobchat about and much more to reminisce and it will always feel good on nights like this. JRS

31 August 2023 - Red Bull meeting
Just as springtime is turning slowly into autumn (because we didn’t have a summer this year) the Bobchatters who attended last night's meeting at The Red Bull were Bill Dallas, Nigel Bevis, Rob Turner, Emma Barber, Kalu, Chris Rolph, Armando Fusco, Tim Smart, Richard Stokes, Allen Purvis, John Nye and John Stokes. It was great to see Emma at her first Cambridge Bobchat and also the return of Kalu to the fold. As ever John Nye was the perfect host and kept things moving nicely through all manner of topics from Armando’s journey with the late Sinead O’Connor and ‘Duquesne Whistle’ to the years the late Robbie Robertson spent with Dylan; from new books by Clinton Heylin and Terri Thal to the ‘Mixing Up The Medicine’ extravaganza; from the wonderful ‘The Man In Me’ video to the news of the upcoming tour. On and on we went until the other Emma (who is sadly leaving us) called ‘Time’ and the evening ended. But, oh yes, we had so much more to Bobchat about and much to reminisce - and it sure was good, on a night like this. JRS

26 October 2023 - Red Bull meeting

TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 26 October 2023. From left: Rob Turner, John Nye, Emma Barber, Nancy Cobb and John Stokes.

With the turning of the clocks just a few days away you could certainly say it was not dark yet but it's getting there. No sign of impending darkness though loomed large at The Red Bull tonight, which was

TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 26 October 2023. Sue Smart and Tim Bates.

attended by the bright and breezy Bobchatters Nancy, Craig, Bill, Armando, Tim, Sue, Ben, Rob, Jonathan, Chris, Emma, Allen, Richard and the two Johns. It was really great to have theopportunity to welcome Nancy and Craig to the meeting and to receive a gift of a badge from Nancy's friend Marty Newman, author of 'Bob Dylan's Malibu', see here. As ever John Nye masterfully steered the good ship Bobchat safely through the mighty ocean that is the Dylan world and we truly mixed up our own medicine with many topics including Farm Aid, Budokan, Clinton's, Terri's and Bob's new books all being featured. With Armando's guidance we had a good look at the promo video for 'Duquesne Whistle' and Richard wowed us once again with his magic. The new Landlord at the pub seems to have got things under control and in fact downstairs the place was buzzing. The place to be though was upstairs with this merry crowd of Dylan folk. And yes, we had so much more to talk about and more to reminisce. And it sure felt good. On another night like this. JRS

TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 26 October 2023. From left: Ben Hewitson, Jonathan Fudger and Chris Rolph. A video shot on the night by Nancy Cobb showing Richard Stokes 'up to his usual [card] tricks', can be seen here		TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 26 October 2023. Craig Jamieson [left] and Bill Dallas.		TCBDS Bobchat at The Red Bull, 26 October 2023. From left: Jonathan Fudger, John Nye and Chris Rolph.

14 December 2023 - Red Bull meeting
It was mince pies a go-go for tonight's pre-Christmas meeting of The Cambridge Bob Dylan Society at The Red Bull. Joining in the merriment for a good few hours of proper Bobchat were Bill, Chris R., Kalu, Armando, Richard, Arthur, Helena, Tom, Ines, Allen and the two Johns. Apologies for absence were received from Rob and also from Jonathan, who was performing his jury service duties. John Nye played Santa Clause as he opened his sack to start off the evening's entertainment, which of course focused on all things Bob and included another look at 'The Complete Budokan 1978' boxset with John showing some rare '78 footage. There was then some discussion about the changed lyrics to 'Tangled Up In Blue' in the light of the recent WhatsApp exchanges on our TCBDS WhatsApp group. Kalu gave a very insightful talk about Dylan's 'Philosophy Of Modern Song' (yes POMS) and we considered Dylan's recent cover versions with particular reference to the songs 'Bad Actor' and 'Footlights'. Richard was his usual magical self, John N. showed that very interesting interview with Marty Newman, author of the book 'Bob Dylan's Malibu', who guested at one of our online Zoom Bobchat meetings during the pandemic years, and we had our own tribute to Shane MacGowan, including Kylie and Nick Cave, see here. 2024 will be an important year for TCBDS as it will be our 40th anniversary. Time is certainly a jet plane! In the meantime, as far as tonight was concerned, we could have Bobchatted forever and never realised the time. And it sure felt good on a night like this. JRS

2024 - TCBDS 40th anniversary year!!

29 February 2024 - Red Bull Meeting
In all the 40 years of TCBDS gatherings in Cambridge I cannot recall whether we have ever had a meeting on the special date of 29th February. So this evening's meeting was something of a rarity. Sharing in that rarity the happy Bobchatters who came along to The Red Bull were Craig, Nancy (all the way from Palm Springs), Sue, Tim, Ian (all the way from Nottingham), Tom, Ines, Helena, Chris, Allen, Richard, Armando, and the two Johns. Apologies for absence were received from Rob and Jonathan, and also from Bill, who was caught up in the rail strike. In his usual unflappable style John Nye led us through all the magnetic movements and topics to be covered during the course of the evening. This of course included the new 22 date tour of U.S., the first show of which would be the day after the meeting, together with the somewhat more unusual prospect of Dylan joining up with the Willie Nelson's band of outlaws as they play various amphitheatres, including the Hollywood Bowl. Taking the example of what Keith Agar did on his holidays, namely listening to all of Dylan's albums in order, we took a deep dive into Dylan's early days and showed films of Newport Folk Festival 1963 and Quest from 1964. John N also introduced a very interesting segment regarding Dylan's involvement with Club 47, Cambridge, MA. After the two Johns visit to Castle Fine Art, in Cambridge, the new Bob Dylan art pieces were viewed and we touched on a possible new album, the 'Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid' outtakes featured on 'The 50th Anniversary Collection - 1973', and the recordings of 'Planet Waves'. Once again Richard wowed us with a right royal sleight of hand with Nancy being his willing assistant. Throughout the evening there were healthy round table discussions which made for a proper night of Bobchat and of course we concluded with the TCBDS anthem 'Series of Dreams'. There was always much more to talk about and much more to reminisce. And it sure felt good on a night like this. JRS

25 April 2024 - Red Bull Meeting
Although there is a temporary pause in the Never Ending Tour to enable Bob to do his hoedown thing with Willie Nelson, and whilst we anxiously await the announcement of the European dates, unperturbed we did our own hoedown thing tonight at another meeting of the (hopefully) never ending Cambridge Bob Dylan Society. Joining in the fun at The Red Bull were Nancy, Craig, Bill, Rob, Ian, Tim, Sue, Chris, Jonathan, Allen, Andrew, Armando, John S and John N, who opened the meeting and wonderfully kept everything on track for a great night of Bobchat. After continuing our deep dive into Dylan's back catalogue we arrived at 1965 and there were many stories to tell about that phenomenal year including how Chris endeavoured to record those BBC broadcasts on a reel-to-reel recorder, what Nancy thought of the show she attended in Hollywood, how Dylan transitioned from folk to rock and the very intriguing story reported with press extracts by John N of an intended performance of a super group involving Dylan, Clapton and John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, which would have drastically changed how the things would have turned out. We had some great music on the night from Jonathan, who performed his own special version of Subterranean Homesick Blues to keep us focused on the year in question, and there was also time for some outtakes from the Newport Folk Festival when 'Rolling Stone' was first performed. To our amusement that special one-man audience from Experiment Ensam was also aired. As always there were many inter-related discussions which made for a proper night of Bobchat and of course we concluded with the TCBDS anthem 'Series of Dreams'. There was always much more to talk about and much more to reminisce. And it sure felt good on a night like this. JRS

Next meeting - 20 June 2024

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