It’s All Right, says Dylan

Bob Dylan ignores Green lobby to play concert where Sting refused to play for environmental reasons

BOB Dylan has faced the ire of ecologists, unions and local residents during his current tour of Spain.

The singer/songwriter came under fire after performing live in a park in the heart of virgin woodland in Castille y Leon.

Some 15,000 fans descended on the Sierra de Gredos national park for the first concert of a mini-tour, which also sees him playing in Jerez and Jaen.

The concert was promoted by local authorities under the title Musicians in Nature – a reference to its backdrop of lush woods and mountains.

But critics insisted that the fans could easily damage the parkland surrounding Mesegosillo de Hoyos del Espino, a mountainous park near Avila.

30 different associations send complaints to the regional government.

Carlos Bravo, of the ecology association Centaurea, described the concert as an “atrocity”. He said: “They have taken no measures to preserve the area despite the large infrastructure that they are building.”

Other organisations protesting against the concert include a local branch of a major union, residents’ groups and Ecologistas en Accion.

Dylan ended up playing a series of his biggest hits including It’s All Right, Blowing in the Wind and Tamborine Man to the rapturous crowd.

To counter the the regional government, insisted that all fans parked their cars outside the park and walked to the venue.

Buses would also ferry in concert workers. He said €10 from each ticket would be donated to conservation schemes in the park.

Pop star Sting also faced the wrath of environmental activists when he planned to play in the same parkland in 2006.

After talks with protesters, the Police singer, a well-known eco-campaigner, asked organisers to change the venue.