On May 16th, 1966, Bob Dylan released the noted album Blonde on Blonde. The next day, he performed two distinct sets at the historic Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. The concert would be the 11th date of the European leg of his world tour. He began the concert with an acoustic performance – featuring himself on acoustic guitar and harmonica – beginning with ‘She Belongs to Me’ and ending with ‘Mr. Tambourine Man.’ The second set was performed with his band The Hawks (later to become The Band) and featured electrically amplified music, starting with ‘Tell Me, Momma.’

During the second set, Dylan was called “Judas!” by audience member John Cordwell, between the songs ‘Ballad of a Thin Man’ and ‘Like a Rolling Stone.’ Dylan reportedly responded to Cordwell, stating “I don’t believe you – you’re a liar.” Dylan then shouted to members of the band, “Play it fuckin’ loud,” before they began the final song ‘Like a Rolling Stone.”

The incident capped off a night of tensions between Dylan and the concertgoers, apparently upset about the electrically enhanced music being played that evening.

In a 1969 interview with Jann Wenner, Dylan stated, “I was on the road for almost five years. It wore me down. I was on drugs, a lot of things – just to keep going, you know?”