Dylan birthday tribute & beyond

A short press release, 2003:
Dave Nissen
Jacques Coetzee & Johann Kotze
A Dylan tribute
Dave Nissen (star of the Creedence show, and many other legendery tributes) and Dylan reinventers Jaqcues Coetzee & Johann Kotze performs in what has become the annual Bob Dylan birthday tribute. Some of the hits, many of the anthems, and many surprises from 40 years of the song writing legend feature in this honest, raw to the bone and finely crafted acoustic guitar and vocal harmony interpretations.
This year at Dorp Street Theater.

As official poet laurette of this event, Gus Ferguson wrote a poem for the occasion:

FOR BOB DYLAN'S BIRTHDAY 24/5/2002

for Johann Kotze

A Dylan poem upon the page
reminds us of a broken cage

that rattles in the wind and creaks,
the bird has flown. When Bobby speaks

he's adenoidal, laryngitic,
his voice confounds his every critic

and, like his mouth-harp, irritates;
it hectors and insinuates.

His awkward rhymes are often hack,
his prosody is very slack.

But, his songs! they fly like the uncaged dove
referred to in line four above,

and everyone who hears agrees
the secret's in the emphases.

So let's forget his faults and rhyming
and praise his poems of impeccable timing.

Hymns of praise

Gus also wrote a haiku at the second Birthday Celebration -
Dorp Street Theatre 24/5/03.

For Johann and Jacques

"You gotta serve somebody!"
That is, of couse, quite right,

And little Bobby Zimmerman
was beautifully served tonight.

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