A Swedish television presenter has managed to wrangle a personal, one-on-one gig from Bob Dylan for a TV series exploring whether we humans experience performance differently on our own or with a crowd of people.

Sure, I’ve done the odd thing under the guise of “work purposes”, like buy a new pair of shoes before an important meeting, but I’ll give Fredrik Wikingsson credit where credit is due. No one’s gone this far to try and get one of the best things to ever happen to a music fan in the world ever – a private Bob Dylan concert – under the pretence of wanting to “learn something” for a TV show.

Incredibly, he succeeded. For Bob Dylan fans, this is an extraordinary coup.

The purpose of the documentary series, titled Experiment Alone, is to analyse whether human beings can enjoy entertainment events like a comedy show or karaoke on their own, or if true enjoyment only comes if they’re surrounded by people to share the experience with. It aims to answer questions like whether we, as audience members, experience the same level of pleasure in each situation.

I love the idea of this as a study into the human animal. I’ve been to gigs where I’ve felt like I was the only person in the room for a brief moment, transfixed and transported, only to wish that person with a massive perm sitting directly in my line of vision didn’t have such a bad case of the fidgets. I would have enjoyed the show much more.

But then, if I had no one to complain to about said perm hair and have a giggle, would the entire evening be as good?

It can work both ways. I’ve hosted radio shows with performers playing live in studio and I’m the only other person in the room. While it’s an extraordinary luxury to be so close when someone warbles their latest hit in your face, the lack of distance between two people can feel too raw, too exposed.

There have been many a time when I involuntarily started doing the “vibe” thing – you know, that awkward head-bopping, neck-jutting thing that overly enthusiastic record execs all do in unison at music meetings. The whole thing becomes an unnatural exchange that leaves both parties feeling a little bit dirty and weird.

I’m probably a little cynical about this TV series because honestly, I have no problems at all with seeing gigs on my own. But for others, being alone can pose problems. Our connected times have meant that we’ve always got a stupid tablet of some description to finger-punch away on until someone comes along to save us from the horror of our own minds. We are never truly alone anymore and so no longer predisposed to enjoy solitary time.

But back to Bob Dylan and this experiment. Frankly, I can’t believe Bob has agreed to this. He who gives nothing to the media but a cursory nod, performed the gig quietly on Sunday in front of Wikingsson and eight cameras. Capturing every single glorious moment.

Sure, this doco will ask very valid questions. But seriously, if Bob Dylan is the litmus test, then I can tell you exactly what the result will be even if I’ve never seen the show: after what he sat through, if Wikingsson doesn’t beam from ear to ear with pure joy for at least six months, then there’s something seriously wrong with him.

The only way that smile will come off his face is if it’s wiped off by the millions of jealous Dylan fans who will go to their graves wanting to be him. Poor chap will have to go into hiding.