In a huge announcement, Bob Dylan revealed he would be heading on tour this year but Blur icon Damon Albarn isn’t going to be getting a ticket.
The Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door icon has banned the audience from using their phones to video or photograph the event.
He hopes it will create a more engaged experience for himself and the fans but Damon isn’t so sure about the 83-year-old singer’s decision.
‘If you start banning things where does it end?’ the Britpop legend said.
Bob — who is the next star to get a biopic film of his life — will perform 10 UK shows in November 2024, including three nights at the historic Royal Albert Hall in London.
Damon continued to BBC Breakfast: ‘I think you’ve just got to turn up and do your thing. People won’t want to be on their phone if you’re engaging with them correctly.’
Bob’s Rough and Rowdy Ways tour will finish its US leg in September before kicking off the European leg in Prague, Czech Republic on October 4.
For his UK gigs, Bob will travel from Bournemouth to London, with stops in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, and Nottingham.
The shows are in partnership with Yondr, a company which specialises in phone-free experiences, having worked with Childish Gambino previously.
According to their website, phones are secured in pouches upon entry to the gig’s designated phone-free areas.
Fans will keep hold of their phones the entire time but cannot get them out of the pouch without entering a specific zone or tapping the unlock point as they leave.
Bob is aiming for a ‘historically resonant and unforgettable event’, especially at his Royal Albert Hall closing performances
Organisers hope that by removing fans’ ability to use phones, the concerts will be more ‘in keeping with many past performances’.
The tour stops at huge venues such as the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham and Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena.
Bob is also set to visit the newly refurbished Civic Hall in Wolverhampton — a venue which has played host to the biggest musical artists of all time from Bob Marley to The Who to David Bowie.
The smaller venue hosts around 3,000 guests, compared to 5,200 at the Royal Albert Hall, and 11,000 at the Liverpool arena.
The Blowin’ in the Wind hitmaker will take to the stage at around 7.30pm each night, except for the three London gigs, when his start time is 8pm.
Meanwhile, Blur has a documentary film on their triumphant return coming out later this year titled Blur: To The End.
Bob Dylan UK 2024 Tour Dates
: BIC Windsor Hall, Bournemouth
: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
: Usher Hall, Edinburgh
: Usher Hall, Edinburgh
: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
: The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
: The Civic Hall, Wolverhampton
Royal Albert Hall, London
: Royal Albert Hall, London
: Royal Albert Hall, London