CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Everything about the first leg of Leonard Cohen's World Tour 2013
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by sturgess66 »

Allan Showalter a/k/a DrHGuy has posted a most interesting and informative interview he did with Mitch Watkins concerning this show - and Mitch's involvement in taking over the role of bass player on short notice - in Roscoe's absence.

http://drhguy.com/2013/04/02/the-permut ... e-concert/

To see DrHGuy's complete article with photos - click on the link above.
The Permutation At The Palace – Mitch Watkins Talks About His Last Minute Shift To Bass In Roscoe Beck’s Absence At The 2013 Louisville Concert
April 2, 2013


Image

The Machinery For Change

Less than two hours prior to the March 30, 2013 Leonard Cohen concert in Louisville, Roscoe Beck suddenly and unexpectedly became severely ill. This resulted in a number of problems, not the least of which was the loss of the band’s bass player. While such a loss would be an issue for any professional band, it is especially troublesome for a musical group led by the rehearsal-intensive, perfectionist singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen. In addition, the bass is of fundamental importance, as explained by Leif Bodnarchuk, writing in No Ideas:
With one musician down, of course there would be a certain emptiness, and the bass would obviously be missed; and although according to Front of House Engineer Mark, Roscoe’s playing ‘glues everything together,’ the listener might never appreciate its invisible, somewhat selfless role in the concert. It’s almost never flashy like guitar, violin, archilaud, or Hammond organ solos, but the bass guitar a vital component of the show, and like some sort of crazy Zen paradox, you only notice its importance in the absence of some other instrumentation.
Note: Leif Bodnarchuk’s chronicle of the adjustments made to compensate for Roscoe Beck’s absence is insightful, intriguing, and enlightening. It is a must-read for Cohen fans, those curious about the operations of a live musical performance, and, indeed, anyone with an interest in the management of unexpected problems. It can be found at Mar 30: Louisville, Palace Theatre -
http://dragonhelm.wordpress.com/2013/03 ... e-theatre/

So, even while Beck’s medical problems were being addressed, a solution to the musical problems was being developed.

Mitch Watkins, whose shift to bass was a key element of that solution, generously agreed to answer questions about his role in the modified musical lineup for the Louisville show.

1. When & how was it decided you would play bass in Louisville? Who made the final call?

Around 6:30 (1.5 hours before showtime) it became clear that Roscoe was getting ill again. Roscoe knew that I had worked as a bass player before, and he said, before the paramedics came, “You may have to do the show”. There was also discussion about Neil playing bass parts on his Hammond B3 and me staying on guitar as an alternate scenario. Neil and I discussed it with Leonard, giving him the pros and cons of each scenario. Leonard made the final call.

2. Is any advance thought or contingency planning for handling problems such as this or are these adjustments always made on the fly? The idea of you handling bass is hardly outlandish but what might have happened if, say, Alex Bublitchi or Rafael Gayol rather than Roscoe had been unable to perform? (OK, I do have the fantasy of you banging away on Rafael’s drum set, but ..)

In these sorts of “emergency” situations, there are usually no contingency plans in place for missing band members. When something unthinkable like this happens, the “survivors” will have a meeting and the songs will be quickly rearranged, often just verbally because there isn’t time to actually play through a new arrangement. It’s like “I’ll do this here and you do this there, I’ll take this break” kind of stuff. Rest assured, If Rafael had to miss a show, I would NOT be in the drum chair! (Charley Webb would be the likely replacement-honest.) Bottom line-you simply evaluate and improvise the best you can to make it work.

3. How did you feel about the prospect of taking over Roscoe’s bass parts (e.g., were you anxious, was it a professional challenge but no big deal, was it just another day at the office, …)? Has this sort of thing (i.e., you playing another instrument because another band member is absent) happened to you before?

Regarding taking over the bass duties on such short notice, of course there was anxiety, not having ever played Leonard’s songs on bass. (Not to mention the fact that there were a few thousand people out there.) Fortunately, there wasn’t too much time to think about it. Having played bass before on other gigs, and being so familiar with Leonard’s work, I felt that I could get through the show, but only by maintaining a stronger-than-usual sense of focus throughout. I spent about half an hour looking at the set list and playing through the songs mentally (no instrument in hand). Then the crew brought a keyboard, a small bass amp, and one of Roscoe’s basses to the green room, and Neil, Javier and I played through anything in the set that I had specific questions about. That was all we had time for. I can’t recall anything like this ever happening to me in all my years of playing music. One for the record books for sure.

in No Ideas,

4. Did you play bass on every song in Louisville or switch back and forth? (from my seat, I couldn’t tell with certainty)

I played bass on every song except “Suzanne” and “Avalanche”, on which there is normally no bass. On these songs, I switched to acoustic guitar.

5. Could you give those of us with little or no musicological knowledge (such as me) a sense of the difference in playing your usual guitar parts in the Tour concerts and playing the bass and how difficult making that shift is? Is there an important difference in playing the (generic) bass parts in the Louisville setlist and playing Roscoe Beck’s bass parts in the Louisville setlist?

Without going into too much detail, the bassist’s main focus is usually “locking up” with the drums and creating the “engine” that drives the song, while the guitar is usually playing something that complements what the bass and drums are doing. Aside from the obvious similarities of having frets, the roles that the guitar and bass play in music are very distinct. For me, it is quite a mental shift to go from one to the other, which is why I allowed myself some time to simply look at the set list and think about what needed to be done before I even picked up the bass. I knew that to try and play the bass parts as Roscoe plays them would be an exercise in futility, especially with so little time to prepare, so I opted for a simpler approach that (hopefully) would still groove nicely and serve the song.

6. In which song(s) were the bass parts you played most significant – either because the bass was especially important to the number or the bass part was especially tricky?

I felt that it was important to get as close to the recorded bass parts in “Everybody Knows” and “Democracy” as I could, because the bass parts are such an important part of the forward motion of those songs. “Democracy” with its almost constant sixteenth note pattern, gave me some proud new calluses on my right (picking) hand.


7. From the comments I’ve received and the reviews and reports I’ve read, those at the Louisville concert were impressed with your performance. How would you assess it?

Given the circumstances, I was very happy with how well the show came off. I am thankful that my particular skill set was put to such good use. There were words of encouragement (and levity) from Leonard, my bandmates, and the crew before we took the stage, which helped immeasurably. All of us, including the crew, needed to make adjustments “on the fly” for this show, and I think everyone rose to the occasion. (What an incredible group of people I have the pleasure of working with!) It was a united effort, and we had the added benefit of knowing that, whatever dramas are unfolding within the band, Leonard always gives everything he’s got, and the Louisville show was no exception. I will say, however, that I hope this particular set of circumstances does not ever have to be repeated, and that my old friend and musical brother of over 30 years, Roscoe Beck, continues to stand right where he belongs-on that stage with his fellow “Workers in song”.

Gratuitous Bonus Photo - This photo has nothing to do with the post, but I can’t resist this opportunity to re-post it.

Image
Left to right: Leonard Cohen, Mitch Watkins, Charles Roscoe Beck (1980). Mitch Watkins was the guitarist and Roscoe Beck the bass player and band leader for Passenger, Leonard Cohen’s band for the 1979-1980 Tours.

Photo by Alberto Manzano. Contributed by Dominique BOILE.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by BEATRIZ SALLES »


Thank you for Avalanche, Henry!
2008 Paris. 2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon. 2013 Antwerpen, Berlin, Pula.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by mary emma »

Thank you for these (as always) great videos, Henry! :D
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by rmura »

Wonderful videos! Thanks for sharing them.

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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by Spindrift »

To Mary B, I desperately hope that North American audiences do not take Lief's hint. I would hate to go to a Cohen concert and find that he was being drowned out by amateur singers.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by B4real »

Thank you everyone for all your reports. Most informative - especially Mary’s and watching Wirebird’s outstanding videos for half an hour I was transported 15,300 kilometers across the sea to Louisville! And I got my wish from reading Leif’s blog; Avalanche!! Such a truly tantalizing tone with the addition of Alex’s violin; so poignant and in keeping with the main message of the song and blending seamlessly and harmoniously with Leonard’s guitar fingering. I think I heard Javier as well. It’s just a wonderful version of the song!

..... in Henry's Avalanche video at about 1:55 minutes, I think I heard Leonard say:
"I have begun to wait for you
"Half (or far) beyond belief".

While watching Leonard talking about starting smoking again just before he sang Anyhow, I found I was laughing at the same time as someone being recorded sitting near Henry as he was taking his video. The thought crossed my mind it just could be Mary seeing as she was sitting next to him! ‘Anyhow’ it was obvious that she totally enjoyed it as did I!

Being so far away from all the action, it’s wonderful to read all your reviews and watch any videos I can just to get a flavour of what you all actually experience. Thank you everyone!

..... and yes, I did watch Avalanche from the front row in Brisbane 6th November 2010 (definitely less than 4 years) and thought I had taken a video of it but found out later it was only 3 seconds! And interestingly, it was Mickey Sullivan who gave me the set list from the night!
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by MaryB »

B4real wrote:While watching Leonard talking about starting smoking again just before he sang Anyhow, I found I was laughing at the same time as someone being recorded sitting near Henry as he was taking his video. The thought crossed my mind it just could be Mary seeing as she was sitting next to him! ‘Anyhow’ it was obvious that she totally enjoyed it as did I!
Bev,

I have heard LC do a very close version of this in Boston, but, it makes no difference, it still cracks me up. Yes, that was my disruptive and distracting cackling. It did not dawn on me that Henry was filming this, until the very end of the song. I did apologize to him and now I apologize to everyone else who has watched or will watch this video :oops: . My laughter was a flaw in what was otherwise an excellent recording of this song and LC's prelude.

Embarassed and Apologetic Regards,
Mary
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B4real
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by B4real »

haha! Mary,
Absolutely no need for any of that apology stuff! I loved the fact that someone got such a kick out of it, and as I said, so did I :D
Your laughter is very infectious and truly adds to the flavour and enjoyment of the whole senario! ..... and I got to share the moment with you even though I'm so far away, so thank you Henry!!
It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to B4real ~ me
Attitude is a self-fulfilling prophecy ~ me ...... The magic of art is the truth of its lies ~ me ...... Only left-handers are in their right mind!
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by cohenadmirer »


Great videos - so glad you captures 'Avalanche'. Thanks
Leonard's work resonates
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by Citizen_Kane »

B4real wrote:And I got my wish from reading Leif’s blog; Avalanche!! Such a truly tantalizing tone with the addition of Alex’s violin; so poignant and in keeping with the main message of the song and blending seamlessly and harmoniously with Leonard’s guitar fingering. I think I heard Javier as well. It’s just a wonderful version of the song!

..... in Henry's Avalanche video at about 1:55 minutes, I think I heard Leonard say:
"I have begun to wait for you
"Half (or far) beyond belief".
He sang this change in the verse also in Dortmund 2010: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcPDyZZu3Bs (that verse starts at 2m06s)

Also, has anyone noticed he changed the melody for everytime he sings the "you who wish to conquer pain"-line? (Where the chord progression is: C > E > Am > F). I like it! It's playing safe I guess, the 'new' melody he sings is more his lower vocal safe zone, whereas the original melody goes up.

And one final comment: though I agree with everyone that it's great to see that Avalanche has made its way back to the setlist (it ís my favourite Cohen song), I pity the fact that Leonard Cohen can probably not hold up his distinct strumming pattern for the full song anymore and just starts to strum away at several points in the song. It took me a bit by surprise and weakened the characteristic sound of the song imho.

Thanks for capturing this wonderful song!
2008: Manchester, Brussels (2), Rotterdam - 2009: Lisboa - 2010: Lille, Dortmund - 2012: Ghent (3), Amsterdam (2) - 2013: Antwerp, Oberhausen, Brussels, Rotterdam, Amsterdam!
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by tammigirl »

http://ifyoucouldseewhatisee.blogspot.c ... ideas.html

Just a blog post from my little corner of the Louisville concert world.

I just found this forum today and I think I have finally found my people!
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Hartmut
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by Hartmut »

Welcome, tammigirl!

Nice blog post.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by tina »

tammigirl wrote:http://ifyoucouldseewhatisee.blogspot.c ... ideas.html

Just a blog post from my little corner of the Louisville concert world.

I just found this forum today and I think I have finally found my people!

Thank you for the link - I enjoyed reading it and I had to nod several times ;-)
Welcome!
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by tammigirl »

Thank you for the warmest welcomes! What a joy it is today to find my long, lost family at last.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT - Louisville, KY - March 30, 2013

Post by tammigirl »

And Seriously, LB
Production Assistant Renée retold a story she heard: in the office she and Production Manager Dave had acquired for the day, there is supposedly a presence of such evil that not even so-called ghost-hunters would enter the room. I didn’t feel anything malevolent at all; in fact I felt quite happy, strangling Dan in the old fireplace while a harpsichord with no player sounded Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

This makes me want to hug you, buy you dinner, and maybe even have a couple of drinks with you.
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