SECRETS AND LIES

Some deft work over at the Guardian, where they've dug through the archives of their sister paper, the Manchester Evening News, to find their preview for the infamous Free Trade Hall gig - you know, the "judas" one.

Interestingly, the preview makes it pretty clear that not only did fans pretty much know what to expect that night, but that he'd already been heckled and jeckled on stage for going electric:

Now there is something disturbing about Dylan: he is said to have disowned all the songs he ever wrote before he turned to "folk-rock". He is said to have become an introvert.

He was nearly booed off stage in Dublin recently when he came on with three tons of sound equipment and his new backing group - simply called the Group.

There were pleading shouts of "We want the real Dylan. Leave it to Mick Jagger" as he belted out the endless choruses of his hip-orientated rhythm and blues songs.

In other words, then: the chap who shouted "judas" wasn't reacting in shock to seeing his beloved troubadour getting wired up; he'd probably bought his ticket just to get his shout in.

Oh, and Dylan's supposedly secret marriage?

For one thing, the existentialist Dylan has married.

About as secret as a Robbie Williams secret gig, then.

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