Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images
In news that hits like the siren whistle in “Highway 61 Revisited,” Bob Dylan seemingly had a hand in kicking out the creator of a popular fan website at a recent concert, a retaliatory tactic in his continued efforts to curb footage from his live performances. Daniel Hildebrand, who operates the popular Daily Dylan social-media umbrella of accounts, wrote that he was “declared an ‘unwanted person’” at Dylan’s Glasgow concert on November 17. While Hildebrand doesn’t record personal footage while attending shows, he aggregates other recordings from concertgoers to share with fans across the world. The pages, which aren’t monetized, have over 100,000 followers. “It’s safe to assume this was because of the Daily Dylan account,” he explained. “We want to make it clear that we have never taken any photos or videos ourselves that were posted here — even though this was mentioned as a reason by staff. Though we did share material from others, which apparently led to this decision.” As a result, Hildebrand will no longer post “any material” from Dylan’s shows.
Dylan, who, funny enough, released another box set of bootleg recordings in September, has been implementing erratic measures to protect himself from being an easy camera target. Rolling Stone recently reported that Dylan’s wardrobe now tends to favor oversize hoodies that are fashioned over his head, and he also positions himself around bright lights behind his piano at the back of the stage. (As a result, he’s often unseen by audience members entirely depending on their seats.) The experience of being treated this way has profoundly affected Hildebrand, who’s considering shutting down Daily Dylan. “We’re incredibly proud for the community that has grown here over the past year and a half and of how we’ve come together to celebrate Bob Dylan’s art with kindness, passion, and friendship,” he wrote. “We’ve poured our hearts into Daily Dylan, which makes it painful to take this step and reduce our activity — but it’s necessary.” Requests from Vulture to Dylan’s team for clarification went unanswered. How does it feel? Not very nice.
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