Sixty years after its release in 1966, Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde remains one of the defining achievements of popular music. It was not simply a great album; it expanded ideas about what an album could be artistically and lyrically. To mark this milestone, Liverpool Acoustic gave local musicians Thom Morecroft, Mike Blue and Dylan Cassin (a fine example of nominative determinism) the opportunity to bring the album to life. Supported by a cast of fellow singer-songwriters and a house band, there were two performances, a 3pm matinee and an 8pm evening show. This review is of the former.
The show opened with Graham Holland, the man behind Liverpool Acoustic, telling the story of how the idea for the show developed before welcoming the musicians to the stage. They went straight into the album’s opening track, ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’, and it was immediately obvious the band had captured what Dylan described as “that thin, that wild mercury sound”. Blue, Morecroft and Cassin (last seen Down Laurel Canyon Way) all took a lead vocal, backed exuberantly by a horn section and keyboards.
They immediately deviated from the album’s running order as Blue sang a delightful version of the surreal ballad ‘Visions of Johanna’. They were joined on stage by Grace Elizabeth Harvey, who sang ‘One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)’, a song she joked could have been about every man she had ever dated.
The band then played ‘I Want You’, in which Joseph Griffin’s keyboards were brilliantly prominent. Indeed, I felt he captured the distinctive blend of organ and piano that stands out so beautifully on the album.
The drumming of Will Brown and the bass playing of Sam Rabbette were integral to the band’s sound throughout. The band then cleared the stage for Danny Bradley to sing ‘Pledging My Time’. His powerful, belting delivery was ideal for a pared-back version of the song.
Act One closed with rollicking versions of ‘Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again’, ‘Just Like a Woman’, on which Morecroft sang while Blue played guitar, and the ever-entertaining ‘Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Ha’t, with Cassin taking the lead vocal.
Act Two opened with a run of guest appearances. John Witherspoon joined the band for ‘Most Likely You Go Your Way and I’ll Go Mine’. His classic folk sound, blended with modern indie elements, made him an ideal choice for this project. “Sausage King” Barry Jones delivered a faithful rendition of ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie’. Kaya followed with ‘Temporary Like Achilles’, before Jessica Dives sang ‘Fourth Time Around’, which she described as bearing similarities to Lennon’s Norwegian Wood.
Cassin sang ‘Obviously Five Believers’ before Morecroft gave an impeccable performance of the album’s closing epic, ‘Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’. The audience was on its feet calling for more, so the band returned to the stage, along with their special guests, for a rousing rendition of ‘Like a Rolling Stone’.
It had been a fabulous afternoon’s entertainment and a fitting celebration of one of popular music’s greatest albums. Sixty years on, Blonde on Blonde continues to inspire musicians and audiences alike, and if, as Morecroft suggested, this celebration is repeated, it will undoubtedly deserve another full house.
Reviewer: Adrian Cork
On: 27/06/2026
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