50 Years Ago: Heckler Calls Bob Dylan ‘Judas’

It was 50 years ago today, on May 17, 1966 that Bob Dylan was infamously heckled “Judas” by an audience member at his concert at Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England. Dylan had alienated some of his early fans after “going electric” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and the tension between the artist and his followers manifested itself through the notorious action of a concert goer half a century ago.

The show had started with Dylan performing an acoustic set alone on guitar but after his backing band The Hawks plugged in and joined him on the second set opening “Tell Me, Momma,” some in the crowd began to show their displeasure and many chose to leave.

“I don’t believe you,” Dylan responded to the heckle, adding “you’re a liar,” before turning to his band imploring them to “play it fucking loud” as The Hawks – composed of Rick Danko on bass, Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel on keyboards, Mickey Jones on drums and Robbie Robertson on guitar – launched into “Like A Rolling Stone.”

At least two attendees at the concert 50 years ago claimed to have shouted “Judas,” but it’s unclear whether it was the late John Cordwell or the late Keith Butler as each took responsibility for the act. Dylan himself addressed the incident in a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, stating:

There are different rules for me … Wussies and pussies complain about that stuff. It’s an old thing – it’s part of the tradition. It goes way back. These are the same people that tried to pin the name Judas on me. Judas, the most hated name in human history! If you think you’ve been called a bad name, try to work your way out from under that. Yeah, and for what? For playing an electric guitar? As if that is in some kind of way equitable to betraying our Lord and delivering him up to be crucified. All those evil motherfuckers can rot in hell.

This video captures the incident from 50 years ago, watch Dylan and The Hawks respond to being called “Judas” here: