CONCERT REPORT: Belfast, July 26

[culturevulture]

I have to say that I felt less comfortable sleeping at home tonight thinking LC is in town & i haven't gone to see him than shelling out BIG bucks initially fer the privelege.

Truth be told though, I am a young man, I saw him play in Toronto years ago on the Future tour which was pretty cool...
...tonight though was miles better...

I have to thank the kind man John who saw me, cardboard in hand w/ the words 'ticket required' on it. Had he not offered me an 8th row seat fer a knockdown price I would have been stranded.

Belfast was the perfect context fer LC's songs, i have to say. Fer him to dig out the likes of the Partisan & Who By Fire really moved me. I saw Gerry Kelly before the show & when LC sang The Partisan it really did allow me to think more about the number of different people who have found solace in his music. The performance of all the songs was exceptional.

I half expected a lot of people to leave after he played the ORGINAL version of Halleluiah but they didn't everyone seemed on the edge of their seat.

LC is 75, yet he SPRINTED on stage, looked deep into theyes of the sultry female singers & proved that although he resembles a Father Abraham of sorts or even an old wise turtle, he has w/out a doubt still got the ability to capture & enrapture both young & old.

The Webb sisters were unvbelievable when they had the floor to themselves, everyone was mind-boggled i think. The interplay between them in particular & LC was unreal. Leonard has always had a sexual quality that he has never tried to hide, much like Bukowski. Both have a way with words & they both know the streets & the desire of the flesh & womb.

LC did 3 encores i reckon & interspersed all his songs w/ loving praise fer all those around him & fer those he was playing to.

Truly one of the best gigs I've ever seen & that includes seeing Jeff Buckley live... how Leonard must have wept.

Hope you all enjoyed the celebration of his work as well.

[DrHGuy]

Belfast says a mighty hallelujah for Cohen by Shane Donaghey for the Belfast Telegraph
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/enter ... 32830.html

George Michael turned it into a disco, Kylie into a party, Bruce into the best night in a bar ever.

Last night Leonard Cohen and his Unified Heart Touring Company turned the soulless barn of Belfast’s Odyssey into the best cafe in Europe, one of those all-night bars in Paris known to the few.

Of course, when you get a standing ovation before you’ve a note growled out then you’re among friends.

Those who don’t get Cohen miss a treat. Yes there are the songs of loss and loneliness, but leavened with a wit drier than a drought in the sahara.

And songs of love among the greatest ever written.

Kicking off to Dance Me To the End of Love a near-full house of mainly middle-aged reliving the bedsit years moved with every note. And clung on to every word. It was almost a revivalist meeting and not just because he spent a lot of time kneeling on the carpet.

With a perfect band a special mention must go to the backing trio of Cohen collaborator and lover Sharon Robinson and sisters Patti and Charley Webb.

And how could you not love a man who writes, “I fought against the bottle, but I had to do it drunk”.

Hallelujah won a deserving standing ovation and a place in hell for Simon Cowell, while you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a 74-year-old man seduce every woman in the audience during I’m Your Man.

It’s a bad world out there. Cohen provides a soundtrack to understand it. Genius.

[sturgess66]

I just read that article DrHGuy and came over here to post it. Good one. "Patti" Webb? Ha! I know it was Ireland, but ...

[mnkyface]

"a special mention must go to the backing trio of Cohen collaborator and lover Sharon Robinson and sisters Patti and Charley Webb. "

Excuse me? He's pretty flirtatious onstage with her but I really don't think so... Do they mean former? Has that ever been a known fact? I don't know that this is the place to discuss it - I'm just surprised that sentence was flying under the radar...

[ManiSav]

A fantastic night. Walking back to the car I overheard more than one comment along the lines
of 'that's the best concert I've ever been to' . Given the age profile and my guess that these
comments were coming from people who last week were personally recounting their memories of the moon landings - that's a lot of concerts to benchmark against.

We had front row seats, (thanks to this board) The general applause rose to a thunderous standing ovation as he came on stage. Same hat, smart suit, which would not be out of place on a city gent, and the smile of a kindly father. Leonard stood and looked, and genuinely seemed overwhelmed at the reception. He said that he didn't know when they would come this way again, so they would give us everything they had.

That’s just what happened - from spine tingling Sax solos from Dino (who seemed to immediately connect with the crowd), breathtaking strings from Javier Mas and the soulful beauty of Sharon Robinson, whose voice filled the hall to rapturous applause. Special mention to the Webb sisters, not only in perfect backing, but their singing 'If it be your will' was an emotional reminder not only do they have the beauty, they have the music as well.

But the Night belonged to Leonard - that voice which carried with it the cracked emotions of
a lifetime. Directly from the well of souls, and presented to us in lyrical beauty. Highlights for me
were the Sisters of Mercy, which I hadn't heard live. The emotionally charged
Chelsea Hotel, a fantastic rendition of the Partisan, and Famous Blue Raincoat. Skipping
on and off stage in a move reminiscent of Eric Morecambe, Leonard moved like a man in his 40s, not in his 70's, animating his later songs with little steps, such as 'dancing on the polka dots in Closing time'.


One minor gripe - for periods of time the audience were in character as part of the incidental
extras in 'Closing time' - lots of shouting, singing along and trips to the bar. Leonard even
made a short observation before sharing with us his own struggles in a fantastic version of
'That don't make it junk'.

Leonard closed, after 3 + hours with 'I tried to leave you' and 'Whither Thou Goest'. He may
not be this way again, but I'll certainly carry the memory for ever.

[SpongeBob]

Ermm, are you sure you meant Chelsea Hotel?? Not meaning to be pedantic, but I don't think that was on the set list (although I could've been abducted by aliens, temporarily, just during that song...)

Brilliant night, despite slight echoing in the Odyssey. Kilmainham outdoors was definitely better sound quality, but yesterday's concert was still amazing. I'm Your Man was my favourite of the night, he's still got it

[ManiSav]

Obviously the previous concerts I've been to, coupled with multiple listening to the live CDs and other recording has strangled up my mind. Anyway - who's to say I didn't hear it in my own mind during the break

[SpongeBob]

Well I wished he'd played it, if that counts!

I also agree with your gripe - why did people feel the need to shout out while Leonard was speaking??! There's always one who thinks they've got the funniest remark that everyone needs to hear...

But fair play to the guy who enthusiastically stood up and conducted the south upper tier along to the chorus of So Long Marianne Some drunken eejits are funny, but only some

[table top joe]

One minor gripe - for periods of time the audience were in character as part of the incidental
extras in 'Closing time' - lots of shouting, singing along and trips to the bar.

That was a bit annoying to be honest,i was surprised by the contstant shouting of song titles and whatever else,he more than likely cant hear it anyway and probably wouldnt really care if did,if you are going to shout something at him at least wait until hes between songs and not talking himself,even during "A Thousand Kisses Deep" people couldnt shut up,i had a moron in front of me who chatted away for most of the first set,why do these people bother going to concerts at all??



Anyway,enough of the grumpiness! that was my third(and short of winning the lotto)final Lenny gig,and i think it may have been the best,fantastic reaction from the crowd apart from the morons mentioned above,Leonard and the band were all in great form too,id imagine a lot of the audience hadnt seen him before so i think it added to the atmoshere,not much to add on it really,your standard excellent 10/10 Leonard concert .......i feel lucky to have been there and ill never forget it


Oh,and i wish he did play "Chelsea Hotel"

"a special mention must go to the backing trio of Cohen collaborator and lover Sharon Robinson and sisters Patti and Charley Webb. "

Excuse me? He's pretty flirtatious onstage with her but I really don't think so... Do they mean former? Has that ever been a known fact? I don't know that this is the place to discuss it - I'm just surprised that sentence was flying under the radar...

Noticed that too.....just fairly typical lazy journalism,what can you do?

[Womanfromaroom]

[...]

"a special mention must go to the backing trio of Cohen collaborator and lover Sharon Robinson and sisters Patti and Charley Webb. "

Excuse me? He's pretty flirtatious onstage with her but I really don't think so... Do they mean former? Has that ever been a known fact? I don't know that this is the place to discuss it - I'm just surprised that sentence was flying under the radar...

Noticed that too.....just fairly typical lazy journalism,what can you do?

Yes, I noticed it too...

[ladydi]

.

[fisherinbelfast]

what a night !!!!!

[fisherinbelfast]

Belfast says a mighty hallelujah for Cohen

Monday, 27 July 2009



Veteran Leonard Cohen performs at the Odyssey last night

enlarge Print Email Search
Search
Go

Bookmark & Share
Digg Itdel.icio.usFacebookStumbleuponWhat are these?

Change font size: A | A | A
George Michael turned it into a disco, Kylie into a party, Bruce into the best night in a bar ever.


Last night Leonard Cohen and his Unified Heart Touring Company turned the soulless barn of Belfast’s Odyssey into the best cafe in Europe, one of those all-night bars in Paris known to the few.

Of course, when you get a standing ovation before you’ve a note growled out then you’re among friends.

Those who don’t get Cohen miss a treat. Yes there are the songs of loss and loneliness, but leavened with a wit drier than a drought in the sahara.

And songs of love among the greatest ever written.

Kicking off to Dance Me To the End of Love a near-full house of mainly middle-aged reliving the bedsit years moved with every note. And clung on to every word. It was almost a revivalist meeting and not just because he spent a lot of time kneeling on the carpet.

With a perfect band a special mention must go to the backing trio of Cohen collaborator and lover Sharon Robinson and sisters Patti and Charley Webb.

And how could you not love a man who writes, “I fought against the bottle, but I had to do it drunk”.

Hallelujah won a deserving standing ovation and a place in hell for Simon Cowell, while you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a 74-year-old man seduce every woman in the audience during I’m Your Man.

It’s a bad world out there. Cohen provides a soundtrack to understand it. Genius.

Shane Donaghey

[fisherinbelfast]

leonard belfast last night

[Maarten]

Can someone please post the exact setlist as it was played in Belfast in the Setlists thread:
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=15751

Thanks,
Maarten