Bob Dylan's first performance with electric instruments took place on July 25, 1965. It took his fans a long, long time to forgive him. Today, however, that performance is an integral chapter in the history of world music.
The move to an electric guitar was considered a betrayal of sorts by fans of the folk singer, simply because they had always heard him perform with acoustic instruments. One vocal fan labelled him a Judas -- and he can still be heard on recordings of the concert -- while others called him a sell-out.
Dylan was understandably not amused, and left the stage after a couple of tracks, returning later to do a few acoustic tracks. He was unapologetic about the move from acoustic guitar though, and continued to reinvent his approach to music, inspiring musicians around the world in the process.
Interestingly, after meeting Dylan in 1965, The Beatles began a stage of experimentation that would lead to some of their greatest work too. As for Bob Dylan, he continues to push the envelope, four decade on.
Photograph: Pierre Guillaud/Getty Images
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