CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal, November 28 & 29, 2012

Concert reports, reviews, links, set lists - and meetup information + meetup reports
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Wirebird
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by Wirebird »

Here are a few more videos from the second night in Montreal (Nov 29th):

The Partisan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtThYg7U4TU

Alexandra Leaving (Sharon Robinson)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTRIwy5sEUY

Going Home
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3f94GJUKv0

Famous Blue Raincoat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAwNtjzGQSw

If It Be Your Will (The Webb Sisters)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzQBhl3vojg

I Tried To Leave You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7lddRvpljM
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by cohenadmirer »

Sound recording of 'La Manic' 29-11-12 :D

https://soundcloud.com/cohenadmirer/leo ... ontreal-29
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by cohenadmirer »

VELOVERMONT wrote:Cohenite cohenadmirer on page 2 of this topic also talked about Show me the place :

"Show me the place performed superbly was a great surprise"
The surprise of course was that it was performed at all - not that the performance was superb!

https://soundcloud.com/cohenadmirer/leo ... ontreal-28
Last edited by cohenadmirer on Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by cohenadmirer »

holydove wrote:I want to add my thanks to David, too, for your amazing videos, & for risking life & limb to get them, as security threatened - politely, of course - to throw your arse out of there! I cannot tell you enough, how grateful & happy I am that you got the first live performance of Show Me The Place - really excellent work - you have my eternal undying gratitude for that! (Beware, because I might be sending you emails every day - forever - to thank you for it. . .)
Thanks very much rachel. I hope to meet you again somewhere ' down the road'

David
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
Tchocolatl
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by Tchocolatl »

cohenadmirer wrote:
VELOVERMONT wrote:Cohenite cohenadmirer on page 2 of this topic also talked about Show me the place :

"Show me the place performed superbly was a great surprise"
The surprise of course was that it was performed at all - not that the performance was superb!
Indeed :lol: As well as a great surprise may be a synonym of a great gift. But I was surprised by "old stuff" so many times during that night.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by sturgess66 »

Here's a little video clip from the end of the show (after Take This Waltz - before encores) - Nov. 29
And a view of radiant smiles on faces of real people in the audience -

Uploaded by Diane Tremblay - Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYarI73BIm0
Tchocolatl
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by Tchocolatl »

Did you see unreal people there that night ?

Maybe the ghosts of the forum found their way to Bell Centre.

No doubt that they had smiles on their face too.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
Beautiful Losers
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by sturgess66 »

Tchocolatl wrote:Did you see unreal people there that night ?
Maybe the ghosts of the forum found their way to Bell Centre.
No doubt that they had smiles on their face too.
LOL Tchocolati - Don't know about ghosts :lol:
But I think the tweets were from real people who were actually there.
And the same with the videos.
Me? I was there only "virtually*
Even so - I can say for sure - I had a big smile on my face. :D
cohenadmirer
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by cohenadmirer »

Compilation from the final encores of the show on november 29th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfF9xuUmslo
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Montreal,Quebec - November 28th & 29th,2

Post by sturgess66 »

sturgess66 wrote:Here's a little video clip from the end of the show (after Take This Waltz - before encores) - Nov. 29
And a view of radiant smiles on faces of real people in the audience -
Uploaded by Diane Tremblay - Thanks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYarI73BIm0
Here's more from Diane Tremblay -

Nov 29

A Thousand Kisses Deep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFMnYjH3DOw

La Manic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra_QM0aV-FQ

So Long Marianne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgzwfpilEYQ
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal, November 28 & 29, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

Video ploaded by MadLennyFan - Thanks!

Nov 29

La Manic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te3NvD06LV8
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal, November 28 & 29, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

sturgess66 wrote:Video ploaded by MadLennyFan - Thanks!
Nov 29
La Manic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te3NvD06LV8
And another very nice video from MadLennyFan -

Nov 29

Suzanne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pcPK4eXHQ
Last edited by sturgess66 on Wed Dec 12, 2012 1:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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musicmania
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal, November 28 & 29, 2012

Post by musicmania »

sturgess66 wrote:
sturgess66 wrote:Video ploaded by MadLennyFan - Thanks!
Nov 29
La Manic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te3NvD06LV8
And another very nice video from MadLennyFan - this one from Nov 28

Suzanne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pcPK4eXHQ
This is from the 2nd concert. MadLennyFan was beside me recording ;-)
2009 Dublin 2010 Lissadell Katowice LV x2 2012 Ghent x2 Dublin x4 Montreal x2 Toronto x2 2013 New York x2 Brussels Dublin x2

Gwen's Leonard Cohen Journey: http://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress.com/

"I did my best, it wasn't much"
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal, November 28 & 29, 2012

Post by sturgess66 »

This is from the 2nd concert. [/quote]
Thanks Gwen - I edited above -
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musicmania
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Montreal, November 28 & 29, 2012

Post by musicmania »

Finally have wrote my review of Montreal and Toronto. Will update my blog with photo highlights in the next few days. Here is the Montreal section. Click the link for the full review.

http://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress. ... d-toronto/
Ever since I first discovered Leonard Cohen I’ve had the dream of seeing him perform in his hometown of Montreal so when the concerts were announced earlier this year it was an easy decision to travel across the Atlantic to realise this dream. I had always said if I went to Montreal I would also go to Toronto and from there visit The Niagara Falls. Destiny would have it that the days we would be in Toronto Cohen would also be there so we had the added pleasure of attending the concerts there. In total there were four concerts, two in each city and like all the Cohen concerts each concert was individual with highlights of their own.

The Montreal concerts were held in the Bell Centre which is a hockey arena and is also used for concerts. On entering the venue I was amazed at how big it looked and was very relieved at having seats close to the stage. While of course I’m grateful for any seat at a Cohen concert I do confess I like to be as close to the stage as possible and see his expressions when he sings and when he takes in his surroundings. When Cohen and his talented musicians came on stage at the start of the concert everyone got to their feet and cheered to welcome Cohen back to his hometown for his first concert there in four years. Every Cohen concert is special but seeing him perform in Montreal was very special. As always he opened with Dance Me To The End Of Love and it was good to see that most people in attendance appeared familiar with all the songs though I have to say the Canadian concert goers are a lot more reserved than the Irish. I was very pleased to see there was little movement from the audience during the songs so we had no distractions while we listened and watched some superb performances.

Highlights on the first night for me included what in my opinion was the best performance I have ever seen of Bird On The Wire. Cohen’s singing and body language as he sang this song for me seemed to be on a whole new level and I was pleasantly surprised as I have always felt he performs this song to perfection so for it to be even better than before was amazing. I’m also loving the addition of some Mitch Watkins solos in this song. Since I last saw Cohen in Dublin the arrangement for Darkness has changed with him now starting the song at a later verse than before. On the first night in Montreal we wondered was it a mistake but when the same happened the following night we knew it was Cohen doing what he often does in changing songs. He used to play guitar on this song but now performs it without the guitar. This allows him to be very expressive and I loved the body language.

It was also great to hear Cohen recite A Thousand Kisses Deep at all the concerts I attended in Canada. The last time I’d witnessed this was in Las Vegas in 2010. While I love Cohen as a singer I also love when he recites poetry as he is an expert and knows exactly how it should be done. We heard some funny intros to Ain’t No Cure For Love with him using these words on the first night in Montreal. “Sometimes, I stumble out of bed, look at myself in the mirror and say to the mirror `Lighten up, Cohen, how long is it going to take you to get used to the news that there ain’t no cure for love’?”

On the first night in Montreal we were treated to the tour premiere of Show Me The Place and indeed the first time this song was sung live as it is from the new album. It sounds great live and it was very much appreciated. Hallelujah as always was my concert highlight and I loved when Cohen sang the line “I didn’t come home to fool you”. Even though as usual come the end of this song I had tears streaming down my face this made me smile and pleased I was to be witnessing him in his hometown.

As always everyone on stage gave a great performance and it was great to see. Both Mitch Watkins and Alex Bublitchi appeared to have more solos than when I had seen the tour in Europe. It was also great to see Raphael Gayol had an extra solo in Darkness.

For night two in Montreal we were a little further back but not so far that I needed the screens and I could still see the expressions from everyone on stage. The first set was the same as the first set on the previous night but as I stated in reviews before if Cohen sang the same songs every night I’d never complain as when the performance is to such a high standard I feel there is no room for complaints! Of course there are songs I’ve never heard him sing live that I’d love to hear but I can’t complain about perfection.

At every Cohen concert we are treated to amazing solos and one that always stands out is Javier Mas at the start of Who By Fire. He is a genius on the bandurria and he plays with such an intensity that the whole crowd is instantly silenced and he always receives a resounding applause after his solo. I love when Roscoe Beck joins in on standup bass nearing the end of Mas’ solo. Beck is a fantastic musician and as musical director for the tour his input is immense. The addition of the violin at Cohen concerts on this tour is very welcome to my ears and I especially love Alex Bublitchi’s contributions to Dance Me To The End Of Love and Suzanne.

While the addition of Show Me The Place was much appreciated the first night Cohen had something extra special for us on the second night. After an introduction in French he sang a song unknown to me but which was very well received by the Canadians in the concert. I since discovered that the song in question was La Manic originally sang by Georges Dor, a song held dear by the people from Quebec. While I didn’t recognise the song I knew from the audience reaction we had just witnessed something very special. I felt this was very appropriate that Cohen should do this in his hometown. Another special song to hear in Montreal was The Partisan. As this song is sung half in English and half in French it was very well received by the home crowd. I love the way Cohen brings all the musicians close together for this song and it especially good to see Neil Larsen down from behind his keyboards playing the accordion.

Also performed on the second night was I Tried To Leave You. I always love when Cohen sings this song live as each band member has a solo in it and I love Rafael Gayol’s solo as he throws his drumstick in the air and then catches it. As he is hidden from view behind his drums we seldom see him but his contribution is huge and he really is the Master of precision as described by Cohen in his band introductions at all the concerts.

Visiting Montreal while first and foremost was the chance to witness Cohen in his hometown it was also the chance to see the place he grew up and places mentioned in his poetry, art and songs. We enjoyed trips to the area he spent his childhood, seeing Our Lady of the Harbour at Bon Secours which is immortalised in Suzanne with the line ”And the sun pours down like honey on our lady of the harbour”. We visited McGill University and were disappointed to see no reference to Cohen having studied there but it is a beautiful building well worth seeing. We also visited The Parc Du Portugal and were pleased to witness the first snow of winter there as Cohen has done a painting called “First Snow” at this location. We visited many other places too while in Montreal and it was very enjoyable experience and meeting friends who were kind enough to show us these places made it all the more special.
2009 Dublin 2010 Lissadell Katowice LV x2 2012 Ghent x2 Dublin x4 Montreal x2 Toronto x2 2013 New York x2 Brussels Dublin x2

Gwen's Leonard Cohen Journey: http://myleonardcohenjourney.wordpress.com/

"I did my best, it wasn't much"
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