John Waters insisted on two things when he was approached to put together a show of Bob Dylan's songs.
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The first was a phenomenal band. The second was a tour itinerary that largely steered clear of large CBD venues.
He got his wishes, and Dylan Revisited is now on the road, and headed to The Art House, in Wyong, on Saturday, September 14.
"The first thing I knew I wanted was a great band," Waters said of the genesis of the show.
"A band that's a bit like the later bands that Dylan used, such as the band on Modern Times, recorded in 2006."
It means fans can expect a big sound - multiple guitars, bass, keyboards, drums and, yes, even violin.
"One of our guitar players is a versatile musician who also plays violin which is great to have for certain songs, such as Hurricane."
Dylan first shot to prominence as a solo artist, but Waters had a different vision for his show.
"I wanted to do the early Dylan material, which was just him and an acoustic guitar - songs like Blowin' in the Wind -but I wanted to do them as band songs," Waters said.
"That was important to me because I'm not the folky troubadour, and I don't particularly want to be. But I do love those songs, and I wanted to bring them repackaged."
Expect some John Lee Hooker-like rhythm and blues arrangements.
"The other thing I thought was fairly important was I'm not going to be touring to exclusive venues that deal only with Bob Dylan fans who know his whole catalogue," he said.
"I'm playing to audiences in regional Australia that have been pretty much starved of live performances of Dylan's songs."
Waters has long been celebrated for his tribute to John Lennon through his show Lennon: Looking Through a Glass Onion.
But Waters is quick to stress that Dylan Revisited is John Waters and band playing it straight: there's no narration, no accents, no acting.
"I won't be inhabiting or impersonating or trying to sound like Bob Dylan in any way. I'll just be singing his songs - pure and simple."
Tickets to the Dylan Revisited performance at The Art House, on September 14, cost $59. Visit thearthousewyong.com.au to book.
