impressedI'd better not plan to have any more such interviews on only a couple of hours sleep and virtually no prep again, though. Last night, I went to see Mark Knopfler and Bob Dylan in concert in Rotterdam with two old friends, and it was amazing. Mark Knopfler and his band took the stage before the interval (he was emphatically not billed as the opening act) and played brilliantly, but apart from the encore (So Far Away From Me) I recognised none of his tunes, as I'm ashamed to say I haven't followed much of what he's been doing since Brothers in Arms. This is something I will have to remedy forthwith, through iTunes I think.
Then Bob Dylan and his band came on after the interval and completely blew me away. An acquaintance of mine who'd seen him perform a few years ago had told me that the evening had been a disappointment and the artist was a shadow of his former self, so I feared the worst -also because I've never been a massive fan-, but on last night's evidence I have to conclude that at 70, his performance can still pack a punch. The arrangements and vocal approach were out of this world, the sound quality was great, and the band were just so well-rehearsed they didn't need to waste any time tuning up. And when Dylan played his mouth organ...it was just sublime.
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Unfortunately though, after the gig had ended and we got back to the station, we found that the train service to The Hague-Schiphol-Amsterdam was severely disrupted (i.e. cancelled) because of some inconsiderate wretch who'd committed suicide by jumping in front of a train some hours before. Which meant I didn't get home until close to 3 a.m...The railway personnel assured me, though, that this setback surely meant that I would smash my interview -- which remains to be seen. However, I'm quietly confident; and even if I don't get the job, at least I now know I can do one even when half asleep ;-).
