CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

[tinderella]

Verona was wonderful. Yes it was a bit cold in the Arena but we had that in Dublin also so I wore a warm scarf.
I have lost my voice and got a cold since I came home but I do not care... a small price to pay for a wonderful time with wonderful people.

I love that photo Wyjbe, thank you for taking it and I am glad to be part of it.

I heard someone say at the meal that evening when we were talking about the concert and how some people go to so many concerts, that Leonard is not Justin Bieber and we are not teenagers Fair comment but I always feel like a teenager when I am with my LC friends , we laugh, we joke , we stay up late and we seem to have endless energy. Our real age only hits us when we get home again.

Fantastic 3 days. I enjoyed every moment.

Grazie molto Andrea and Marco

[MarieJolie]

Is it accurate the he dedicated "Suzanne" to Fabrizio De André? I didn't quite catch the name he mentioned.

He just stated Fabrizio but everyone understood.....

[MarieJolie]

Good to see this cheery photo. Some moan and complain, (including a moderator of this forum who was shocked to find his seat wet after a downpour! ) Others just enjoy being there. As Oscar Wilde said, "Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw mud, the other stars".

....I was prepared to stay there with a raincoat (not blue nor famous...)in spite of any wheather, and wiping my 9th row seat was definitely not a big deal.
Instead, it was a great joy to see the stars appearing one by one and then all of them in a finally quiet sky. I am one of the "others". Just a remark, there
were too many popcorn sellers around, Arena's lack of style in a Leonard Cohen concert.... we better deserved a flute of italian sparkling wine, didn't we?

[Wybe]

An other article from the Verona concert.

http://www.arezzonotizie.it/blog/aretin ... -di-verona


Wybe

[tomsakic]

After Verona show I decided that my time with Cohen fans, especially "new" members who dare call themselves "fans", is done. Recent events force me to stay firm in my decision. This forum used to be a place of democratic views. I am not used to get emails that I have to stop saying my opinions about shows or band members, and especially I am not used to get emails and posts from people claiming they know what somebody, be it a band member or Leonard Cohen, thinks. Here I do ask politely of members who do not agree with my opinions on the venue, show, or Dino Soldo's contribution, to NOT send me private messages or emails but write it publicly.

[Laura]

Tom, I understand what you mean about avoiding fans. But what about friends? I do hope to meet you sometime again.

Laura

[tomsakic]

Only unpleasant fact was that the venue's staff didn't bother to clean the seats of rain in 4 hours between storm and show, so 110 Euros seats in first rows were completely wet, and then they "rented" small pillows for 2 Euros per piece, without bill or receipt - that is, if they had 10,000 people, 20 000 Euros earned without receipts and without sharing it with Leonard's tour promoter or the artist's management - plain robbery of the paying audience and taking of 20,000 Euros behind everybody's back. When I pay 110 Euros for seat, I do expect it to be clean and NOT WET and I do expect that venue staff, and the venue being a famous opera Roman amphitheatre, is capable of cleaning the water off the seats in 4 hours. I will probably never buy a ticket for that place in my life. At least they did not have sausages and beer.

Well Tom, absolutely nothing to say about wet seats, they should have been cleaned, that's it. During the opera season the seats get covered with waterproof sheets until gates open... I don't know why they didn't do it.

But I'd like to say something about red cushions.
Cushion "rental" is a service offered by a non profit care giving organization, the Croce Verde (Green Cross) http://www.croceverdeverona.org/.
They signed an agreement about that with Arena Foundation on july 7, 1914 (yes, before WW1)...

That's why no bill and no receipt: I'm sure someone did let LC, the promoters and the management know about that, so no robbery. Maybe this could have been clearly explained by the guys who rented them...

Thank you, Giovanni, if that money went to the noble cause, that makes it easier. Of course that doesn't make the venue not responsible for their utter lack of care about people who bought the tickets.

[tomsakic]

Strange discussion here
Nobody is forced to pay 2 Euros for these little things.
Cannot see any robbery here....

Did anyone complain about the ridiculous merchandising prices ????

Those ,who asked for dry seats at an OpenAir,have certainly not been to a German OpenAir.

Those ,who complain about the local promotors ,should also take a look at the Cohen Management.
They did choose the venues in risky weather conditions.

And why?. They want to make as much money as possible.

By the way Berlin and Mönchengladbach were not sold out ,and there are still tickets available for Barcelona ,Lisboa
and Madrid.
Maybe it was not a wise move ,to include so many open airs ??

Well, Albert, we talk about it all the time, since 2008, but not here so often anymore as Forum has sunken into fannish obscurity and lost its old & famous critical stance. Every step any band member makes is sacred these days. Plus people stalking Leonard in hotel lobbies.

Yes, it is Leonard Cohen tour management who decided to have open air gigs in September, and of course, the merchandising is overpriced now as it was in 2010. I agree on that. That's why I buy only collectors stuff, like tour books, not mugs, pins, etc. fannish things. Verona was also not sold out, there were selling seats minutes before the show and there was space left of the stage on steps of the venue.

Move to open air venues in this time of year certainly was not wise move, but I am sure they will consider it for the next tour... It's okay in July but September, especially in Scandinavia or Dublin, is very risky.

[annmarie]

Tom, I agree with you re open air venues in autumn. Let's hope management arrange future(?) tours better. I love outdoor concerts, but not when it's freezing. It's not good for Leonard and the band, neither is it good for fans.
Re your other comments, are you not being a bit elitist here? I've been a fan since before you were born, yet I love to meet new people, young people who have just discovered the magic in his music and poetry. I'm quite sure Leonard likes to meet them too.

[Byron]

Tom earned my repect many years ago. He still retains my respect. Nuff said.

[margaret]

I wonder how many of the newer members of this Forum, realise the time and dedication given by Tom to this community and to all things Cohen?

Despite his 'comparative youth,' an accident of birth, which has made him unable to be a so called "fan" for 40 years, Tom has, since his teenage years, researched, collected and archived an encyclopaedic amount of information and has created other LC websites which he runs alongside being a moderator here.

Tom is 2nd only to Jarkko for his dedication here. He corresponded years ago with Leonard's old manager (the one who robbed him) in order to produce a publication on his work.
As well as interviewing Sharon Robinson, Tom has worked on various publications, and translations of L C 's work, and he has taken part in serious democratic discussions, as well as being a leading member in collecting and trading circles well before there was any indication of a new tour. Most admirers of Mr Cohen for a long time have merely been glad to buy his work and attend concerts.

I happen to agree there is a lot of hero worship of Leonard and all his associates by some fans. There is nothing wrong with a little criticism and free expression around here. Leonard would be the first to admit he is no sacred cow.

[Wybe]

Here is something about the good times we had in Verona.

A slide show with 150 pictures.

http://www.icantforget.nl/Verona2012.html

We hope you enjoy it,
Wijbe and Willy

[andrea]

Dear Willy and Wijbe,

as always.... you make our meet-ups and time together in the most different parts of the world unforgettable moments and you give us a gift of beautiful memories.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
a beautiful show of Verona and we miss you already.....the streets are empty now.....but the memories are now always with us and present
Grazie a tutti Voi
ARRIVEDERCI A VERONA
baci & abbracci
Andrea & Marco

[tinderella]

Margaret, that was a great read and very well said. Unfortunately I was not around before 2008 on this Forum but what a gift it has been to me.

What the likes of Tom and Maarten do is incredible for future generations of Leonard Cohen fans. Thanks for clarifying this for newcomers that maybe did not realise all this.

By the way Marxgaret, thank you sooooooooo much for the bracelet. I really love it.

Bernadine

[Paul Zagreb]

Well said, Margaret and Bernadine. I remember meeting Sharon Robinson at the Berlin meet-up and when I told her I lived in Zagreb, all she wanted to talk about was Tom. I remember her twitter notes at the time of the Zagreb concert. "A lovely evening in Zagreb with fans and scholars" I think. Tom is a Cohen scholar whom I am privileged to know. Check out the website http://www.leonardcohencroatia.com/ if you want to understand further why he is held in high esteem. And, by the way, I love reading, agreeing and disagreeing with Tom on the forum and hope that he won't withdraw completely! I can wipe your wet seat for you next time, Tom!!