Arts and Culture

Hi I’m Julie Cavanagh and I’ve been to see Jeff Jenkins present DYLANesque at the Fortuna Spiegeltent.

Many people have attempted to replicate the Bob Dylan sound, but it isn’t always successful. However, on this occasion, Jeff Jenkins managed admirably, right down to the nasal drawl, presenting some of the best loved Dylan compositions non-stop, along with a potted history of the man. He had obviously done his research too, introducing a few cheeky anecdotes into the story of Dylan’s early days.

He started with a couple of solo numbers, then was joined by a 4 piece band, all very accomplished musicians who really added to the presentation. Obviously, you don’t go to a Dylan tribute if you’re not keen on his music, so it went without saying that the audience were as familiar with the songs as the performers, joining in vociferously with the choruses. The early numbers, in particular, resonated with the crowd and I must admit, all my personal favourites were there, among them The Times They Are A’Changin’, It’s All Over Now Baby Blue,  Just Like a Woman, Like a Rolling Stone and the Jimi Hendrix hit All Along the Watchtower.

And what else for an encore but Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall? That gave them a standing ovation from the diehard Dylanistas, a rare compliment.

DYLANesque was a one-off presentation at this year’s Fringe, but hopefully they’ll be back.