Is Bob Dylan finally getting too old for this s—?
At a concert in Austria this week, the legendary rocker took a tumble on stage, falling backward over a piece of gear toward the drum kit before collecting himself. He later stopped playing during “Blowin’ in the Wind” and asked fans to refrain from taking photos during the show, even briefly pausing the concert so people could get their quick snapshots in before proceeding.
“Take pictures or don’t take pictures. We can either play or we can pose, okay,” Dylan said in a video captured by a fan on Instagram. The comments were Dylan’s first ones during a show in a number of years, according to Rolling Stone.
Dylan then stood in a mock pose for a few seconds before heading over to the piano to perform “It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry.”
The historically camera-shy Dylan has been at this a long time, but it’s certainly a newer problem that most people in the audience have an HD camera in their pocket. While some musicians welcome photo taking, others often frequently say it’s distracting and ask that fans get their photos in early and then stop for the remainder of the show. Other musicians like Jack White have fully required attendees to place their phones in sealed bags before they can enter.
Also according to Rolling Stone, Dylan has had a strict policy for “no photos” at his concerts for years now. At a show at New York’s Beacon Theatre last year, ushers shined flashlights on people they spotted using phones and asked repeat offenders to leave.
Check out the fan video from Vienna below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BwYfHQNhNXm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link