CONCERT REPORTS: Dublin September 11, 12, 14 & 15, 2012

[JudasPriest]

I'm finding it tough to comprehend that Friday was somehow better than Wednesday as someone mentioned above??? Is this really true? If so, surely a candidate for his best Irish show ever?

[Okudzhava]

Great to see "Hey, that's no way to say goodbye" in the setlist.

[sturgess66]

07:15 pm Right.On.Time.


Keep Calm Dublin, last night and we’ll be ready for a 7:15 start.


did not come all the way to Dublin just to fool ya




It may be a balmy 60 degrees now, but at show time the stage gets fridgid.
To combat the cold the production team has an arsenal of industrial strength heaters
placed around the stage to create a warm pocket in the chilly Dublin evening.

http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/

[Unspoken Words]

I'm finding it tough to comprehend that Friday was somehow better than Wednesday as someone mentioned above??? Is this really true? If so, surely a candidate for his best Irish show ever?

From footage of the current tour I am not convinced that any of the shows could be described as his best Irish shows ever and I doubt the the atmosphere and magic of 2008 could be surpassed given the sense of excitement and anticipation in 2008 and the thoughts that this was perhaps the last shows /tour, so there was an honest valedictory and celebratory mood from both LC and the musicians but also the audience which created something special and unique.

I take my hat of to LC for touring and playing such long shows and they appear to be very enjoyable and charismatic but I personally think the performances are a shade lower than previous tours in terms of overall arrangements /performance etc., and Leonard's voice is just not as strong and has some tuning issues at times. This is all understandable given the change in some of the musicians and LC being that bit older (and change of course can also be refreshing and bring something new / improvements). Bird on a wire for example, which is probably not only one of my favourite LC songs but also in my top few favourite songs by any artist, is in a lower key than recorded or played on any previous tour and for me it does not just quite overall hit the mark as well (but still brilliant nevertheless!).

[sturgess66]

Javier Mas sounds the start of Who By Fire.


Musical director Roscoe Beck takes a moment to warm up his 5-string signature Fender bass
before the Unified Heart Touring Band takes the stage.


On the way to the stage, if it is not to much trouble will you kindly mind your hat if you please.


the way things look from different sides

FROM TWITTER:

‏@NiaLLLarkin
77 and looking like he's still coming into his prime. Leonard Cohen slaying the crowd here in Kilmainham

[Goldin]

Author: Conor Heneghan
Source: http://www.joe.ie/easygoing-joe/feature ... -0028377-1

Tweet of the Day: Was Leonard Cohen really in Coppers last night?
today at 9:24 am

Granted it may have been just a big joke, but rumours abound this morning that Leonard Cohen was in the hallowed Harcourt Street nightspot Copperface Jacks last night.

The 77-year old was performing the third of his four Dublin shows in the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham last night and rumour had it that he finished his visit to Ireland in the manner of many a visitor to these shores, with a visit to Copperface Jacks.

The whispers were started by RTE’s John Kelly on Twitter, who posted the following tweet around midnight.



Kelly allowed Cohen fans dare to dream for a little while and do their damnedest to get over to Coppers as quick as they could, before letting them down with the inevitable revelation of the truth, that Cohen was not in Coppers at all, but in bed. He is 77 after all.



Much and all as it would have been great to see Lenny in Coppers, mingling with guards, nurses and GAA fans doesn’t really seem his style. Either that, or he didn’t leave Flannery's early enough to make it in on time.

Maybe next time Leonard, maybe next time.

Something about that pub: http://www.dublinpubscene.com/thepubs/c ... jacks.html

[Mabeanie1]

Another great show in Dublin tonight - the best of the four IMHO (or maybe it was just the show where I was least bothered by drunks, talkers and screaming banshees ....)

Going Home snuck back in to the setlist and we enjoyed the tour debut of Anyhow, complete with new lyrics (but not the new words Leonard has been singing all week in soundcheck!!) Anyhow followed I'm Your Man and Leonard's delivery of the two songs was very similar. Very tongue in cheek ....

Leonard said that he was aware that many people had attended all 4 shows and thanked us for it. He was also aware that many people had traveled long distances for the shows and thanked them for that. His final thanks went to the people of Dublin for their warmth and generosity. No doubt someone has video footage with his actual words.

@Unspoken Words: you refer to "footage" of the current tour so I can only assume you are judging these shows on the basis of YouTube clips. Please don't (personally, I never watch them). YouTube has its place but it can NEVER substitute for the concert experience and these clips can NEVER give you a true sense of what that experience is like. It's also worth noting that Leonard has had a heavy cold all week - and yet he has still delivered 3 1/2 hours of wonderful music to us every night in freezing conditions.

Best Irish show ever? Who cares!!

Wendy

[Unspoken Words]

Another great show in Dublin tonight - the best of the four IMHO (or maybe it was just the show where I was least bothered by drunks, talkers and screaming banshees ....)

Going Home snuck back in to the setlist and we enjoyed the tour debut of Anyhow, complete with new lyrics (but not the new words Leonard has been singing all week in soundcheck!!) Anyhow followed I'm Your Man and Leonard's delivery of the two songs was very similar. Very tongue in cheek ....

Leonard said that he was aware that many people had attended all 4 shows and thanked us for it. He was also aware that many people had traveled long distances for the shows and thanked them for that. His final thanks went to the people of Dublin for their warmth and generosity. No doubt someone has video footage with his actual words.

@Unspoken Words: you refer to "footage" of the current tour so I can only assume you are judging these shows on the basis of YouTube clips. Please don't (personally, I never watch them). YouTube has its place but it can NEVER substitute for the concert experience and these clips can NEVER give you a true sense of what that experience is like. It's also worth noting that Leonard has had a heavy cold all week - and yet he has still delivered 3 1/2 hours of wonderful music to us every night in freezing conditions.

Best Irish show ever? Who cares!!

Wendy

Wendy...totally agree...of course Youtube is not a substitute for the concert experience (I have raved about concerts, including LC, to friends and when they watched footage they just didn't get it but when I persuaded them not to miss the experience and/or brought them to see him they were mesmerized and transfixed by the beauty and poetry of the music and performance) and my admiration for LC is total and true as I know his genuine warmth, gentleness and spirit through personal experience when he touched me with his generosity, greeting, kind heart and time.

Best Irish show ever is of course subjective and you are right...it is silly and who cares when you are in the company of a genius and lifted to a different realm.

[sturgess66]

Video uploaded by xMaryyyxx - Thanks!

Sept 11

Democracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZuHDbBtT0c

[cohenadmirer]

It's also worth noting that Leonard has had a heavy cold all week - and yet he has still delivered 3 1/2 hours of wonderful music to us every night in freezing conditions.

Best Irish show ever? Who cares!!

Wendy[/quote]

Very sorry to hear about his cold ,
I'm sure he has access to expert medical advice and attention ! For me cold guiness helps to soothe the throat

Here's hoping that he will feel the benefit of a few days rest and the gradual move to (hopefully )warmer autumal conditions for the remainder of the european tour !

[amcgee]

I agree.. Best Irish show ever is very personal. For me Friday night was a good show but I thought he was better in Sligo. But that's my opinion...best Irish show ever is a bit of a stretch. As someone mentioned Cohen had a cold so I would assume even Cohen would say that he wasn't 100% this week. But even with a cold he still is far better than other musicians.
I would lover to see him come back and play with less back up, just him and his guitar, and maybe a small bit of support and do a set of his classics like suzzane, Chelsea hotel etc...that would be my dream.
Amcgee

[phillip]

I hope Leonard feels better soon he is 77 almost 78 how anyone can let a 77 year old play outdoors in freezing temps beats me he should be in indoor concert halls in the warmth. sadly I was unable to attend the uk concerts this time as i was on holiday in italy got home yesterday had a lovely time but will have to make do watching the youtube videos hope to see him again in concert sometime, and hope the rest of the tour goes well

[cohenadmirer]

Wendy[/quote]

Wendy...totally agree...of course Youtube is not a substitute for the concert experience (I have raved about concerts, including LC, to friends and when they watched footage they just didn't get it but when I persuaded them not to miss the experience and/or brought them to see him they were mesmerized and transfixed by the beauty and poetry of the music and performance) and my admiration for LC is total and true as I know his genuine warmth, gentleness and spirit through personal experience when he touched me with his generosity, greeting, kind heart and time.

Best Irish show ever is of course subjective and you are right...it is silly and who cares when you are in the company of a genius and lifted to a different realm.[/quote]

Absolutely not a substitute , but it's all some people have as well of course as the reports on here .

We tend to take you tube for granted , but it's only been around for 6 to 7 years and with each tour the availabilty of high quality video increases .
Thanks to those who film it and thanks to leonard's management for seeming to freely allow it to be posted ( as opposed to bob dylan's management who do their best to get it taken off as soon as possible )

[cohenadmirer]

[quote="phillip"]I hope Leonard feels better soon he is 77 almost 78 how anyone can let a 77 year old play outdoors in freezing temps beats me he should be in indoor concert halls in the warmth. sadly I was unable to attend the uk concerts this time as i was on holiday in italy got home yesterday had a lovely time but will have to make do watching the youtube videos hope to see him again in concert sometime, and hope the rest of the tour goes well [/quote

For sure with each advancing year you need to increase the steps you take to look after yourself
I'm sure leonard can be trusted to do his best for the audience when on tour , but not so sure he can be trusted to do what's best for him .We all remember his collapse on stage in valencia 2009 and reports that he wanted to go straight back on stage but was overuled by others who made him have a hospital check .
Hopefully for future tours his management will avoid open air concerts where there is a good chance of inclement weather .That's for the audience too !

In gent he said at the end of the first concert ' i hope we meet every few years - god willing '. A better chance of that i think if he plays in dry and warm conditions !

One thing though he seems to be in better psychological health than ever and that is tremendously important and is advanced by the love he feels from the audience - has much more power that the psychotropic drugs he comically and poignantly listed in many of the early 2008 shows with fewer side effects!

[sandraa]

Suffering from photo overload after 3 nights of Leonard but hope to sort them all out in the next few days. Here's one from last night

_SAA4565s by Sandra Armstrong, on Flickr