Captured Chaos: When Bob Dylan Faced the 'Judas' Heckle Live!

Bob Dylan is one of the most influential musicians in history. In 1966, he played a concert at Manchester Free Trade Hall that became legendary. Alan Corbett, a 19-year-old music fan, attended the concert with his camera. He had no idea that he would be capturing a moment that would become part of rock history. The concert is famous because, during the show, someone in the audience shouted 'Judas' at Bob Dylan. This happened because Dylan was playing an electric guitar, which upset some fans who preferred his acoustic folk music. Alan had seen Dylan perform an acoustic set at the same venue a year earlier, sitting close to the stage. This time, he was up in the balcony, but he was still excited to see his hero.

Alan had been a fan of Bob Dylan since a friend lent him the album 'The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. ' He loved Dylan's mix of blues and folk music, and he felt that Dylan's lyrics spoke to his generation. Alan said that Dylan's songs were almost like poems set to music. He especially liked Dylan's protest songs, such as 'Masters of War,' and his blues covers like 'Fixin' to Die. ' Alan brought his camera to the concert, hoping to get some good shots. He used a basic Russian camera with two lenses. From his seat in the balcony, he could see the rail in front of him in his photos. He was listening to the music and taking pictures when, suddenly, he heard someone shout 'Judas' from downstairs. Dylan looked surprised and replied, 'No, you're a liar. ' Then he told his band to 'play it louder. ' Alan managed to capture this moment in his photographs.

The reaction to Dylan playing electric guitar was mixed. Some people in the audience got up and left, unhappy with the change in style. Alan was not shocked by this because he had read about Dylan playing electric sets at other concerts. At the time, there was no social media or email, so people could not discuss the concert online. Alan kept his photos for many years, but when he tried to sell them, no one was interested. Now, the Manchester Free Trade Hall is a hotel, but the memory of that night lives on. Alan is proud to have witnessed and photographed a key moment in music history. Bob Dylan continued to make music and became even more famous. Alan's photos are a reminder of a night when music changed and a new chapter in rock history began.