I am a huge Dylan fan but this was disappointing in the extreme.Not so much as a hello from the great man.Indeed no communication at all for one and a half hours until he introduced the band before the encore.What we were served up at the O2 tonight was middle of the road pub band rock with Dylans vocals in particularly poor form---Not a good recipe.

His Bobness chose to hide behind an organ for most of the night.It is such a shame that he hasnt learnt to play it properly."Like a Rolling Stone" is driven by its swelling organ riff but not in Bobs hands. Tonight  it was diminished to the occassional humble parp.A triumphant crowd pleaser was reduced to pub rock dross.Unfortunately the irritating parp appeared in almost every song.

It is a songwriters right to change,improve and re-interpret his work.Dylan however chooses to ignore the improve part of the equation.The eloquent complexity of the majority of his songs belies the punchy simplicity of their tunes and refrains. Wherin lies their communicative power.To reduce "The Times They are a Changing" to a shuffle boogie rhythm was just plain sleep inducing."Highway 61" turned out as a garbled mess.Bobs vocals plumbing previously unfound depths of dreadfulness whilst the band struggled to find any punctuation in the song.Take a hint Bob----either listen to your own original or take on the tempo of Johnny Winters spellbinding version."All Along the Watchtower" which kicked off the encore was probably the stand out song of the night,in as much as it was the least interfered with-and the band happily slipped into its recognisable cadences.But worse. Much worse, was to follow. "Blowing in the Wind" is one of the original and arguably most powerful "Protest" songs ever written.It has been copied and re-hashed countless times and never lost its power----------------Until tonight.The O2 audience were treated to a waltz time dirge that frankly defied disbelief let alone belief.

Shame on you Bob. This was a take the money and run performance that left a nasty taste in the mouth.