Bob Dylan fans treated to intimate Dublin show

"Ladies and Gentlemen, would you please welcome Columbia record artist, Bob Dylan" with these words from Dylan's tour manager Al, Dublin's Vicar St venue erupted last night.

The 900 or so present were treated to the smallest and most intimate show Dylan has played since he performed in front of 500 at the Supper Club in New York in 1996.

Up front and personal, you could see the whites of his still young looking 59-year-old eyes.

Thrilling the audience with an electrifying almost two hour set (Dylan didn't do the expected solo acoustic set, but had his band in tow), the man whose iconic status in popular music is forever assured, ran through his back catalogue with aplomb - although for casual fans there may have been a few too many obscure tracks for their liking.

The biggest cheer of the night came for those songs which have become part of the collective cultural experience - Blowin' In The Wind and Like A Rolling Stone.

Although there were plenty more delights in such heavyweight selections such as the marvellous Tangled Up In Blue, a spirited rendition of Girl From The North Country and a fuzzed up Rainy Day Woman Number 12 and Number 35.

The second biggest cheer came when he performed an exhilarating one handed harmonica solo.

Dylan's ultra-efficient band - Charlie Sexton on guitars, Tony Garnier on bass, Dave Kemper on drums and a new addition taking the place of the usual Larry Campbell - have been with him for the best part of 10 years.

A lot of his classic tunes were given a harder, rock feel and sometimes even sung in a different key. Off-putting maybe for those accustomed to the album versions, but Dylan has always put on a spin on his work in a live setting.

Dylan has been on tour for the last 15 years and last night's concert opened the European leg of a tour that takes him to the Point Depot tonight, all over Britain next week and then to continental Europe.

Despite having no new album to push, Dylan can't take himself off the road - something he does in emulation of his heroes BB King, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie and Buddy Holly (his fender stratocaster guitar last night was a direct replica of the one Holly used.) A strong showing from the music world last night included members of R.E.M. (currently resident in Dublin), U2, Christy Moore and Elvis Costello.

There may will have been plenty more, but most eyes were fixed on the electric troubadour on the stage, belting out songs, some 40-years-old, with all the belief and passion of yore.

Three encores and as many standing ovations later, he trooped off with something resembling a smile breaking through his usual stern countenance. Whew, what a night.