CONCERT REPORTS: Sligo, Ireland, July 31 & August 1, 2010

[sturgess66]

"messalina79" Thanks!

"Feels So Good"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtoP3jXQ1bU

WOW. New arrangements - new lyrics. Sounds so good!!

[AlanM]

Many thanks to IrishAl for his numerous YouTube postings.
I was delighted to see and hear "A Singer Must Die" and was impressed how low inflation is in the updated lyrics.
The $10 grave verse was not sung by LC on "New Skin For The Old Ceremony" but was sung by Jennifer Warnes on the "Famous Blue Raincoat" album.
In Sligo after so many years it is only a $12 grave.
If only inflation in the rest of the world was so controlled!
I hope the play list is not reduced for the Australian concerts - so nice to have something wonderful to look forward to.

[Maarten]

Sligo, Ireland
Lissadell House
August 1 (second concert)

Set 1
Dance Me to the End of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure for Love
Bird on the Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
Heart With No Companion
The Darkness
Chelsea Hotel #2
Born In Chains
Waiting for the Miracle
Poem: first 4 lines of "In Memory of Eva Gore-Booth and Con Markiewicz" by W.B. Yeats
Anthem

Set 2
Tower of Song
Suzanne
Sisters of Mercy
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
The Gypsy's Wife
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'M Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation)
Take this Waltz

Encores I
So Long Marianne
First We Take Manhattan

Encores II
Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Closing Time

Encore III
That Don't Make It Junk

Encore IV
I Tried To Leave You

No "A Singer Must Die", "Feels So Good" or "Lover Lover Lover" this time, but we had 4 other ones in return (5 with the recitation)!

What a night (again!).

[Isi]

To all those sad delusional women who thought Leonard was singing for them last night...he wasn't, he was singing exclusively for ME

[Gercav]

Sligo town the morning after.

Sitting in an internet cafe just around the corner is Bridge Street.

There is an over head banner welcoming all LC forum users to Sligo, from the now famous Carlowmike, or is it Mick, not sure.

Anyhow, it was a nice gesture.

The atmosphere last night was incredible,traveling to Lissadell by Bus was good crack, a slow pace, but there was a lot of wit and everyone was in good form.

It is hard to believe that LC was actually playing such a gig, in such a remote, but beautiful , part of our land. Walking from the bus to the venue via the winding roads of Lissadell under a canvas of trees, was surreal, straight ahead was Ben Bulben, it was a bit like a dream.

Whoever thought this one up deserves a lot of credit, I never expected to be moved or suprised, but this was out of the ordinary, an uplifting experience.

[IrishAL]

A great Second Concert, with lots of great memories.

Hallelujah

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRT2i8QJBG0

So Long Marianne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ5DjYtj7Sc

[miacomet]

Hi
Greetings from the other side of two amazing, stunning concerts in our own back gardens! Heartfelt thanks to Leonard for the generosity of both his performances, as always he gives so so much and still three years since Kilmainham he continues to surprise and satisfy. Deep thanks to the band as well,who play such an integral part in the whole experience.
Great to meet some forum members as well! Thanks MaryB for the glow sticks, had great fun with them! Hope you all have safe journeys home.
Feeling a bit lonely here this morning in the West of Ireland but the flame of the memories of two magical nights in Lissadell will burn for ever brightly in my heart - thank you one and all.

"Know that to God's Eye,
All movement is a Wondrous Language,
And Music - such exquisite, wild Music" (Hafiz)

Blessings, Miacomet.

[Bonn1979]

Many thanks to IrishAl for his numerous YouTube postings.
I was delighted to see and hear "A Singer Must Die" and was impressed how low inflation is in the updated lyrics.
The $10 grave verse was not sung by LC on "New Skin For The Old Ceremony" but was sung by Jennifer Warnes on the "Famous Blue Raincoat" album.
In Sligo after so many years it is only a $12 grave.
If only inflation in the rest of the world was so controlled!
I hope the play list is not reduced for the Australian concerts - so nice to have something wonderful to look forward to.

The costs for the grave are changing over the years:
During the 79-tour they have been 20 (f.e. Hannover) - 30 $ (f.e. Ludwigshafen)
and on the 88 & 93-tour 12 $

But I will proof it more precisely this evening!

[Manslady]

Savouring the magic of last night. It all feels a bit surreal ... that Leonard Cohen was playing where I live!! His wonderful, generous, beautiful performance was so special, and I kept on glancing over at the top of Ben Bulben, finding it hard to believe that these two amazing 'presences' were in my line of vision together. I was so moved by 'The Partisan' last night. The second half of the concert became so intimate as darkness fell and towards the end it seemed as though Leonard himself had drawn the half moon up into that little gap in the clouds over bare Ben Bulben's head.

As always, this great man brought so many people together in his name and brought out their 'happies' - such good humour everywhere. The palpable sense of the honour it is to be in his company and to witness his performance, along with the wonderful artists, who are so deserving of the recognition and respect he so gracefully bestows upon them.

This experience will sit forever alongside my memories of my first time seeing Leonard in Dublin in 2008 - they complement each other so beautifully. I feel so, so honoured and lucky.

[musicmania]

Savouring the magic of last night. It all feels a bit surreal ... that Leonard Cohen was playing where I live!! His wonderful, generous, beautiful performance was so special, and I kept on glancing over at the top of Ben Bulben, finding it hard to believe that these two amazing 'presences' were in my line of vision together. I was so moved by 'The Partisan' last night. The second half of the concert became so intimate as darkness fell and towards the end it seemed as though Leonard himself had drawn the half moon up into that little gap in the clouds over bare Ben Bulben's head.

As always, this great man brought so many people together in his name and brought out their 'happies' - such good humour everywhere. The palpable sense of the honour it is to be in his company and to witness his performance, along with the wonderful artists, who are so deserving of the recognition and respect he so gracefully bestows upon them.

This experience will sit forever alongside my memories of my first time seeing Leonard in Dublin in 2008 - they complement each other so beautifully. I feel so, so honoured and lucky.

What a beautiful and fitting review. You have me in tears and I feel I've cried a river of tears since Saturday night!

[Isi]

[quote="Manslady"]Savouring the magic of last night. It all feels a bit surreal ... that Leonard Cohen was playing where I live!!
Indeed - I had to keep reminding myself that it was real, that Leonard Cohen was really in the flesh in Lisadell.
What a fantastic venue. Wouldn't it be wonderful if this was the first of many events there. My third time to see Leonard - first time I truly believed it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Last night's concert was definately the best I have ever seen - and I think ever will see again. He is an impossible act to follow.

[Manslady]

To all those sad delusional women who thought Leonard was singing for them last night...he wasn't, he was singing exclusively for ME

Welcome to the club, Isi!

[sandraa]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandraarms ... 636563336/

a link to some leonard photos,many more to look at yet

[sturgess66]

From Irish Independent -
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment ... 81135.html

Review: Leonard Cohen
Lissadell House, Co Sligo

By EAMON SWEENEY

Monday August 02 2010

FOR the third successive summer, we've been blessed by the presence of Leonard Cohen.

While a little bit of the shock and awe of witnessing his brilliance the first time around diminishes, a repeat viewing also presents an opportunity to fully savour the spectacle.

Cohen has been hosted in a different venue every year, but none have been as beautiful and fitting as this. Even though a large cloud nestles over the board top of Ben Bulben for the show's duration, there still can't be a more stunning live backdrop in Ireland.

He's visibly moved as he takes to the stage greeted by a rapturous reception.

"Thank you for inviting me back," he humbly remarks.

His manner is so gentle and moving, it's hard not to feel that this is a personal one to one dedication rather than a crowd-pleasing platitude. Opening with an exquisite 'Dance Me to the End of Love', the sound quality is impeccable and does full justice to an artist of Cohen's calibre. The phrase backing singers underestimates their astonishing talents. Pristine accompanists would be more appropriate.

An early highlight that also totally nails Cohen's class is 'Bird on the Wire'. As the song pauses, he takes off his hat, smiles broadly and bows to the crowd's applause, before concluding the number with added flourish. "Thank you music lovers," is one of the best performer acknowledgments I've ever heard. 'Tower of Song' beautifully kicks off the second half after the interval. As night falls, the spellbinding majesty of Cohen and his amazing band assumes a dreamy, otherworldly quality, infused with the spirits and blessings of Cohen's hero WB Yeats.

He playfully changes some of the lyrics of his classic studded repertoire. "I didn't come to Yeats' county to fool ya," he quips during 'Hallelujah'. Another mesmerising performance, evident in the thousands of beaming smiles all around Lissadell House.

- EAMON SWEENEY

Irish Independent

[sturgess66]

Irish Independent -
http://www.independent.ie/entertainment ... 81080.html

Hallelujah -- Hats Off To The Master as Cohen Bows to His Hero Yeats


Back on Boogie Street: Cohen salutes
the crowd in Lissadell at the weekend

By Paddy Clancy and Ken Sweeney

Monday August 02 2010

FROM one renowned poet to another.

Leonard Cohen performed in front of 20,000 fans at Lissadell House in Sligo during two concerts over the weekend but, arguably, he was performing to one of his greatest heroes, WB Yeats.

The 75-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter thrilled the audience -- the majority of whom were in his own age group -- when he recited Yeats. The poet was born in nearby Drumcliffe and often stayed at Lissadell.

Cohen repeated the poet's lines about visiting the young Countess Constance Markievicz and her sister Eva Gore-Booth at Lissadell: "Two girls in silk kimonos, both/ Beautiful, one a gazelle."

He told the audience that he first learnt those lines, and other Yeats poetry, more than 50 years ago in his home city of Montreal. Later, in the middle of one of his greatest songs, 'Hallelujah', he included the line, "I've told the truth, I did not come to the Yeats County to fool you".

And they came from near and far, to Yeats County, 10,000 on both Saturday and Sunday night. Mike McGettrick travelled 35,000 miles from his home in Canberra, Australia.

"It was a bit wet but I think that was people brushing the tears from their faces," the 60-year-old said. "In all my life I have never seen a performance the like of which Leonard Cohen gave in Ireland this weekend. The whole atmosphere he created and the crowd's reaction. We were shaking by the end of it."

Mr McGettrick grew up in near-by Ballymote but emigrated to Australia over 40 years ago. Footage posted on the internet of Cohen's 2008 concert in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham convinced the businessman to make the trip.

"I thought, 'The next time Leonard plays Ireland, I'll be here'. When I heard that he was performing in my home county of Sligo, I had to come. The trip has cost me a huge amount of money but it's been worth every penny," he said.

Among his treasured possessions is a photograph of him, his wife Janis, and Cohen after a concert in Sydney two years ago.

Less travel-weary but equally enthused was Olive Tee (71), from Clonskeagh, Dublin, who only 'discovered' Cohen two years ago on Lyric FM. "I thought he had something really special. I'm really glad I came. The setting is fantastic," she said. Her daughter Dee admitted she was there for a different reason. She has a Chinese medical practice.

"A friend who is a very powerful healer told me that Leonard Cohen's voice has a particular effect on people's energy so I came to find out if that was true," she said. "It's true. It actually relaxes your energy enough so that if you could have that sound in the healing session, that would heal people."

Although Lissadell has been closed to the public for more than a year since a rights-of-way dispute flared between the owners and Sligo County Council, the public is now able to return to view the house and its exhibitions -- including a Yeats exhibition.

A decision was reached over the weekend to reopen it to the public for the rest of the season despite the dispute awaiting a High Court decision.

"After all the effort and energy we put into making it look fantastic for the concerts it will be re-opened for August and September," estate manager Isobel Cassidy said.

At the weekend, much of the Yeats exhibition -- including letters between Yeats family members -- was on show in Cohen's concert-changing quarters. "I could get used to this," he told his hosts.

Yesterday, the singer took time out to officially open the Yeats exhibition. It followed an earlier visit to Yeats's grave at Drumcliffe where he signed the visitors' book: "Leonard Cohen, Montreal". In the space for comments he wrote simply, "sublime".

Indeed it was.

- Paddy Clancy and Ken Sweeney

Irish Independent