The Sneaky Pint: Happy Birthday Bob!

Posted on May 31, 2021 / by The Drunken Poet

It was the Sneaky Pint’s honour to interview the one and only Bob Dillon on the eve of his 80th birthday. Who’d have thought we’d find him perched up at the bar of The Drunken Poet? Notoriously elusive in interviews, it was always going to be a tough one and the Bob did not disappoint. What more can be said about him? Poet, troubadour, mystic, icon, and legend. The superlatives are endless, so let’s hear from the man himself.
SP: Bob, you must’ve seen the music industry change enormously during your career, what stands out as the biggest difference between when you started performing to now?
B.D: I’m not even a musician man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
SP: Well that’s quite the understatement for a man who’s released 39 studio albums, 12 live albums and has been on tour since the late 1980’s! So do you consider yourself to be more of a poet than a musician, after being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016?
B.D: Poetry? I can’t remember the last time I read a book!
SP: Wow, that’s truly amazing. So where do you draw your inspiration from?
B.D: Inspiration? Rocky 1 was pretty inspirational. Love the bit where he runs up the steps! What a legend! But Rocky 5 was some serious trash. There’s 90 minutes of my life I won’t be getting back.
SP: And is it real life or cinema that finds itself being weaved into your songs, or is that giving too much away?
B.D: I like songs about real life. I mean Tu Pac lived a real life and put it into some pretty dope songs and they made a movie about him!
SP: Astounding! You’re a hip hop fan! And gangster rap at that! Aren’t you concerned about the way a lot of that genre of music depicts women? By contrast, your own music has always been quite empowering for women.
B.D: What do you know about my music? Are you criticising my jukebox selections?
S.P: I’ve been loving your selections! Is that what we’re listening to now?
B.D: Nah, haven’t been able to get a song on tonight. Some bastard must’ve dropped a wad of gold coins in there before I got here.
SP: Such is life, love and jukeboxes. Will you be making a surprise appearance in the Open Mike? Its the first and third Thursday of every month.
B.D: I would if I could sing, but I couldn’t carry a note in a bucket.
S.P: Surely you’re well passed listening to critics of your singing. How do you summon the courage to go on stage every night with such low self esteem?
B.D: Hey mate, the only stage I get up to each night is the one where I think I’m a better Rings player than I actually am.
S.P: Well I was told before this interview that you’d be a tough interviewee and you’ve certainly lived up to your reputation. Happy Eightieth birthday Bob!
B.D: Eighty? No need to be insulting mate. With those sort of manners you should be drinking in the park and not a fine establishment such as The Drunken Poet.