mirka wrote:See for yourself how much LC enjoyed the public singing along.
Thanks for the Youtube links mirka, brought back great memories of Dublin in the rain. Leonard said on two separate occasions that night that he wished he could take that crowd with him to all his other gigs. In a heavily scripted/choreographed show as the LC tour is (hey, we still love the Tower Of Song outro routine even though we know he does it every gig!) that is the only time I have heard him say that, and I must guess he meant it. Parties of women of a certain age standing on chairs singing and swaying along, actually looking like they were having fun, rather than looking like they just want to squeeze every penny/cent from the performer out of what they spent on the ticket (as per most other gigs on the tour), glorious. June 15th in Dublin will stand out head and shoulders as LC's best gig of the year not just for those who were there (many of whom went/are going to half a dozen other dates this year) but, from the sounds of it, from LC and the band itself. Think about it... If you were in a band, what would most make you think your audience were enjoying themselves: (1) A load of people clapping politely whilst watching their jewellery doesn't lose a stone, or (2) People standing on their chairs in the pissing rain and singing "So long Marriiiiaaaaane". I know which I'd prefer.
As for the rest of this thread, sorry to have seemingly opened a can of worms, but it's not a wake we're turning up at, it's a concert. People are saying if you want to sing along, sing along at home. Wrong way round mate. If you want to listen to LC in his purest form, listen to him at home, preferably on headphones. If you want to listen to him somewhere where (depending on the venue) between 1,639 and 39,999 other LC fans are present, expect a bit of noise, huh?
I won't even acknowledge the prissie "I was in the fourth row, I am English and I work for the UN" whinger with a response, other than to say that it was bolshie English speakers in the fourth row causing most of the seat problems throughout the first three (not one) songs. I don't think I ever expressed the slightest interest in the professions/employers of the 'troublemakers' anyway, but thanks for the resume. I am sure they must teach manners at the UN, so it can't have been you that was being an arse anyway.
Homo-Ludens, glad you enjoyed it, but your account - standing ovations etc - is the exact same response Leonard has got everywhere this year, and that will be (if my maths is correct) about 100 gigs in Europe plus 20 in Canada. I felt many of the Konzerthaus crowd were there to be seen to be there, rather than there for a love of Leonard. The same is I'm sure true of some people at every gig, which is maybe why Dublin on June 15th was so glorious. Nothing sorts out the true fans from the poseurs more than a long bout of pissing rain in an open-air seated (ie you can't put up an umbrella) gig! The poseurs went home, us proper fans had a good singalong!
On a final note, regarding the filming, as a TV producer I was aware that the people who stormed the stage for the encores blocked the view of the main mixing desk camera (which was shooting directly up the aisle) anyway, so only the stage right (far left stalls) camera is likely to have got useable footage. Whoever and whatever it was being filmed for, rest assured the encore footage likely won't come from last Wednesday in Vienna!
2008 Dublin June 15th, Manchester June 20th, Vienna Sept 24th, London Nov 17th, Brighton Nov 28th / 2009 Weybridge July 11th / 2010 Malmo Aug 4th, Lille Sept 25th / 2012 Dublin Sept 12th & 14th / 2013 Brighton Aug 28th