CONCERT REPORT: Bowral, February 1

New Zealand and Australia (January 20 - February 10, 2009). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
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Irene Teresa
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CONCERT REPORT: Bowral, February 1

Post by Irene Teresa »

Hello.

Im blown away again. Because I need to go to bed soon. Id like to tell you that my blog of this evening and a few snapshots can be viewed at

http://www.myspace.com/soulsong4ever the blogs on the shows will be public so you dont need to be on myspace.


I know Im weird But truly I DO NOT care.I enjoy myself. And I love the master. Its simple.


By morning ( aussie time) I will have two videos ( that mean alot to me xx) from tonights show up on my you tube


http://au.youtube.com/user/soulsong4ever

My son has some also from the 28th. pretty shaky but you may want to look anyway.

http://au.youtube.com/user/jinxmaster777
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by Irene Teresa »

so many views and not one reply. feels rejected :( sook face ( drama LOl) .I know im crazy and make spelling mistakes :D try to see past that ok xx

videos still arnt up dont know why its goin so slow.....
Last edited by Irene Teresa on Mon Feb 02, 2009 7:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Otouto
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by Otouto »

No need to feel rejected Irene :)

Wow, it seems like you have been going all around Oz getting to see Leonard. I extremely envious ;-)

Thanks for the pictures!.

S.
ladydi
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by ladydi »

Hi Irene,

I got sort of lost in your MySpace, but will return. However, just a few minutes ago I clicked on to your video of Leonard and the group at the end of the concert and HOW beautiful. Thank you, thank you.... I felt I was there, and the gentle words from Leonard were so awesome. I know it's summer there and I know it's hot (I lived in the American southwest for many years so I can appreciate temps above 40C) but you have been so effusive in your remarks and so delightful, and I have felt your soul through your words. You have no idea how you have touched many of us with your comments.

Thank you Irene Teresa....from my heart.

Diana
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by Irene Teresa »

nice to know a video finally uploaded. thanks xx yes it was wonderful ending last night
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by Irene Teresa »

http://au.youtube.com/user/soulsong4ever


I know I write discombobulated. But that is how my mind is when my soul is takin up all the room.
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Mikeaus
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by Mikeaus »

Another one of those religious type experiences before The Lord of Song at Bowral last night. A wonderful venue, a wonderful audience. It's no wonder we spent so much time on our feet with the standing ovations. If I keep going to Leonard's concerts, I will be a fit as a fiddle. :lol:
Sydney & Bowral 2009. Lissadell Sligo July 2010 (what a night!). Sydney & Hanging Rock November 2010. Bimbadgen Winery, Hunter Valley, Nov 2013. Sydney Opera House, Dec 2013.
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral

Post by Irene Teresa »

must have burned off a few thousand calories yesterday :D well soon all been as slender as the man LOl
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by Irene Teresa »

Thank you Diana and the other almost 100 people who have viewed my blog! Even though there are no replies so i tend to get a little paranoid ( looks for her prozac) i know you are caring enough to look alos those who have view my sons and I's youtubes. thanks.
flopearedmule
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by flopearedmule »

Irene, I enjoyed your blog. And thank you for commenting on my blog the other day, after the Sydney gig. Its been a bit hectic the last few days so I haven't replied to people there yet.

Judging from your MySpace video you were just off to the left of me. I have put my Bowral rave here (I dont like to call it a "review", since that implies weighing the pros and cons and being objective. But there were NO cons and I am NOT objective about Len!) and Sydney here. I linked to your video in the Bowral post -- I loved that bit where he said "thank you for keeping my songs alive all these years", so I was very glad you had captured it. So humble and beautiful, he is. I've lurked on Leonard Cohen Forums for a long time and am extremely grateful I've been able to experience this amazing event like the others in Europe and N. America.
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by Irene Teresa »

thanks mule! love your blogs :D will go and read the new ones now!

my next video of bird on the write which is nice and clear cos it was still day is about an hour away from being finally uploaded too for those interested.
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by Irene Teresa »

finally got my other little video up

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=qxPvEZ70In4

excuse people talkin , funny heads etc. For how far I was and my camera its good. xxx
dce
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by dce »

This was another emotion-charged vineyard performance from LC, at another beautiful venue -- the seating area was on the side of a gentle slope interspersed with big old trees. This was a smaller venue than any of the previous Australian shows (about 2000 people compared to twice that number of seats at previous venues), but had a very natural kind of feel to it, which was nice. At one stage, I spotted a kookaburra flying across the crowd -- how much more of an Australian country show could you get?! Unfortunately being in the great outdoors in a nice shady spot had a few down-sides: there were also lots of flies and little insects around, although I doubt this dampened anyones enthusiasm very much.

Like previous outdoor shows, this concert was held on a farily hot day ... and certainly during the support acts and LC's first set it was quite warm. But, I assume because of the venue's location in the NSW Southern Highlands ... once the sun went down, the temperatures plummeted: even LC commented on it when he came back for the second set: "I hope you've brought your woolies. Either put on your sweaters, or sit closer together." At a couple of points there was even some light rain. Again, none of that did anything to deter the enthusiastic crowd.

Perhaps as a result of other recent warm receptions, and also the extremely warm and genuine way the crowd at this show received him, LC was a fair bit more talkative at this show than any other I've seen on this tour so far. While he speaks to the audience in every show, it's often fairly similar statements he makes each time -- this time seemed much more comfortable standing there and talking to the crowd, and was happy to adlib a number of quips here and there, and generally just have a great time. It was a joy to watch.

A few of the moments that made this show unique:

1. Once again there was quite a few moments where a quiet and reverent singing arose in the crowd -- the chorus to Hallelujah was the most notable time, but the crowd was also quite spirited in chanting "Then We Take Berlin", and even had a bit of a go at singing the chorus to So Long, Marianne.

2. At the beginning of Anthem, LC made a much longer than usual speech to the audience. He thanked the Triffids, noting that they did a cover version of one of his songs on a tribute album (I'm Your Fan) back when "I was kinda dying". He then started to talk about how long it had been since he stood on the stage ... before diverting to say "sometimes I feel like diving off the stage into the waiting arms ...". Before he could get back on track from this improvisation, however, one of the security guys handed him a piece of paper someone had passed from the crowd. He picked it up, saying he couldn't read anything without his specs. He then did the piece about being a crazy kid with a dream. Afterwards he put on his glasses and read the note, thanking the woman who had written it. He was obviously feeling very comfortable talking freely to the audience, something that has been unusual in the past (on this tour). While he was listing all the anti-depressant drugs, some wag from the audience yelled out "This message has been classified as spam and will be deleted by the moderators" :-)

3. Anthem: lyric was back to "birth delayed"

4. Tower of Song: the doo dum dum piece at the end was a bit different ... as in other recent shows, he treated it as a bit of a meditation, urging the girls to give him the strength to continue the show. But then he started along the line of saying how their words were giving him some deeper insight into the meaning of reality. Which ended in a very short version of the joke about the deeper meaning being "dee doo dum dum"

5. Hallelujah: "I didn't come all this way to this beautiful vineyard ..."

6. I Tried To Leave You: Rafael's drum solo included getting the crowd clapping (actually he has done this for the last 2 or 3). During this the Webb Sisters went a bit nuts, jumping up and down and clapping. Raf also managed to thow and catch his brush again! The Webb Sisters solo was different to anything done for the current tour: it was back to the breathy solo they were doing at the very start of the 2008 leg of the tour (well almost, it was slightly changed at the end).

7. Whither Thou Goest: the talk at the end was a bit longer than normal. LC told everyone how it was such a rare event to be part of an evening like this. He then talked about how Australia had been so warm to him, and how he wished that the waves (of love?) could radiate out from these shores to cover the world. (I think this is a repeat of something he's said on a previous Aus tour, which would be pretty amazing -- the last one was 24 years ago!)
(For most of November 2010, I followed Leonard and the band as they toured around Australia and New Zealand. You can read about my wanderings on the blog I created to collect them all in one place: http://lcdownunder2010.wordpress.com/)
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Irene Teresa
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by Irene Teresa »

The people who own the place said there was alot more than 2000 there LOL they said more like 10 . they told me 7000 cars were in the car park.
flopearedmule
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Re: Centennial Vineyards Bowral, Feb 1

Post by flopearedmule »

The Illawarra Mercury (local paper) says "more than 8000."
http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/news ... 21476.aspx
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