Dylan growls, shakes his hips at Connecticut concert

The 71-year-old folk legend proved he's still got what it takes to wow a 10,000-strong crowd.

At an age when many men are worrying about hip replacements, Bob Dylan can still set a stadium alight – and even shake his hips.

At a Saturday concert in Connecticut, the 71-year-old folk legend strutted and sauntered, singing, playing the guitar and piano and letting rip on his famous harmonica.

Not that the performance was flawless. Far from it.

Dylan's voice, never known for its smoothness, sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a rock-filled barrel.

For those seated in the upper rows of the approximately 10,000-seat indoor arena, his lyrics were quite unintelligible.

"Have you understood a word he's said so far?" one concertgoer asked others around him, prompting a shaking of heads.

Still, wearing a broad-rimmed hat and dark trousers with a white stripe down each leg, the old master, whose 35th studio album Tempest goes on sale today, proved he hasn't lost the magic.

About five songs in, Dylan emerged from his vocal cave and the mostly middle-aged fans rose to their feet.

As he sang "It's not dark yet, but it's getting there", a few began dancing in the aisles. This wasn't the Bob Dylan of yesteryear, but it was evocative.

And judging by Tempest's glowing reviews, his lyrical powers are as strong as ever. His voice may be shot, but the edginess of his music endures. – AFP