Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

User avatar
Maarten
Posts: 1525
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 12:31 am
Location: Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Contact:

Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by Maarten »

I just got back from Paris, so I’ll write down a small report…

I’m from Belgium and Anjani will be performing in Ghent next week, but since I’ll be in Greece by then, I decided to go to Paris for a few days and combine a small citytrip with Anjani’s gig. Perhaps some of you remember me from Berlin where I took my dad along. This time, I was able to convince my wife and mother aswell to go to Paris (although I’m a bit suspicious about their real purpose to go to Paris – they love shopping…). So we were at the New Morning club with a small group of 5 (a friend from Paris joined us there). I wasn’t at all expecting Leonard Cohen to appear, although of course I was hoping he’d show up somehow…
My ticket said “Start at 20:00h”, but the website mentioned Anjani’s gig would start around 21:30h. To make sure we’d be there on time, we arrived about a quarter to eight. I didn’t know what to expect, but The New Morning club turned out to be a small jazz club in the middle of Paris. A small stage in front and seats for about a hundred people maximum, set in 1 middle area with some small tables and one “ring” around this middle part which was 1 step higher. We took place in “the pit” and went for a drink. Only a few minutes later, someone wearing a (homemade?) t-shirt with the Order of the Unified Heart symbol on it came to sit just beside us. I think it was Patyou (?), but I’m not sure… I got into a small conversation with the man and said that he shouldn’t get his hopes up to see Leonard Cohen appear, since The Forum (read: Jarkko) reported that Leonard wouldn’t be at Anjani’s concerts… After a short talk, we watched the artist who was programmed before Anjani… After that there was a small pauze and suddenly I saw Leonard and Anjani pass the bar and disappear backstage (later I heard there was only 1 way in, so I knew had to wait there to see them again…). I quickly turned to the guy I spoke with earlier, but I’m not sure he believed me when I said I saw LC pass us by… Especially since I told him before that Leonard wouldn’t be there… Anyhow, at that point in time, I started getting a minor headache from all the excitement! Luckely it went away when Anjani got on stage. She introduced herself and the band and played most songs from Blue Alert. Her voice sounded superb and very jazzy in a great setting. She also brought 2 Cohen-covers which are not on the album: “The gypsy’s wife” and “The smokey life”, both from Recent songs. She made some nice introductions for a few songs. I remember her talking about “The mist”: a poem Leonard wrote when he was about 18 years old and it’s the kind of poem every young poet should write in his journey to become a great poet in time (something like that). On “Crazy to love you”: “I think this song is written for me personally. I saw this one line in one of Leonard’s notebooks and asked him to write a whole poem/song around it. And so he did….”. After I had given up the hope of seeing Leonard Cohen on stage with Anjani (she had already sung “Never got to love you” of which they did a duet at the Indigo Store in Toronto, remember), she announced the last song and finished the show. As an encore, she chose “Nightingale”, solo on piano. Really great!
Then it happened: in the beginning of the evening, there was an extra microphone on stage, just in front of her piano. But when she wanted to play her first song on piano (the first few songs, she only sang and later she took place behind the piano), she asked to remove the microphone because it was a bit in the way… So now she asked the microphone back and said “shall we ask Leonard to come and join us for a song?”. Everybody went “Yeah!!!” (of course!) and so she looked at the door from where he would come. But he didn’t… Anjani joked about Leonard already being outside, in need of a smoke and so she encouraged the crowd to call for him. A minute later, Leonard Cohen appeared! He gently nodded and took his place on stage, right next to Anjani. They sang “Never got to love you”, sometimes holding hands and looking into each others eyes. Very touching! (I almost cried, but don’t tell my wife that!). I must admit his voice was not great, but I didn’t expected it to be. It sounded heavenly for me! The moment itself was magic. I never thought I’d be able to see my hero live and certainly not singing. After the song, both left the stage and the band played on for half a song.

After the show, Anjani came out to talk to the fans and sign some stuff. I think there was only about 20 men in lign, which was great. Anjani let us make some photo’s aswell. I wasn’t sure wether to expect Leonard to come out and sign, but since it was the only way out I had to wait to see him again. Later on, he did show up and gave away some signatures aswell. I even got a picture together! Then they left the club and got into a car which drove away into the night. Later that night, in the subway on my way back, I had to take a medicine because my headache welled up again, probably because of the emotions and the decompression…

Thank you Leonard!


Maarten



(I’ll upload a few pictures I took later on my website and put a link here)

EDIT: you can find this report and some pictures on my website:
http://users.telenet.be/maarten.massa/L ... Cohen.html
Last edited by Maarten on Sun Jul 15, 2007 12:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

2008 Manchester | Bruges | Amsterdam | London | 2x Brussels | Rotterdam |2x London
2009 New York | Cologne | Antwerp | Venice | Colmar | Barcelona | Las Vegas | San José
2010 Salzburg | 2x Sligo | Helsinki | 3x Ghent | Lille | 2x Las Vegas
2012 5x Ghent | 2x A'dam | Helsinki | Dublin | Verona | 3x Paris | Lisboa
2013 Paris | Antwerp | Oberhausen | Brussels | Pula | Rotterdam | Amsterdam | 2x Wellington | Auckland
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25503
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by lizzytysh »

Oh, thank you so much for this with-you-every-minute-of-the-way account, Maarten :D . I'm so happy you were able to meet both Anjani and Leonard. I can't wait to see the photos!! Anjani knows how to build the suspense, doesn't she 8) ? That's marvelous, that she [and Leonard, implicitly] constructed her concert to ensure that people appreciated her for who she is, on her own, without Leonard onstage. Then, you were rewarded for your appreciation of Anjani by being able to see and hear Leonard sing with her. After the show, of course, all of it is a reward. Now, I'm wondering... was it Patyou? So, you didn't really introduce yourselves?

Thanks, again, Maarten. This was great :) .


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
Patyou
Posts: 194
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 1:31 pm
Location: Paris (FRANCE)

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by Patyou »

Thanks for your report Maarten. For me the moment with Leonard was a little bit longer than your explanation. Anyway your report help everyone to feel the magic of this moment. Thanks. Patyou
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
User avatar
jarkko
Site Admin
Posts: 7302
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Espoo, Finland
Contact:

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by jarkko »

Thanks for the Paris report, Maarten!
For those who are now pondering whether Leonard will be also at Anjani's next gigs in Europe:
After the Paris concert Leonard flew back to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Patyou
Posts: 194
Joined: Fri Nov 26, 2004 1:31 pm
Location: Paris (FRANCE)

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by Patyou »

By the way, Maarten, I was not the man with the famous t-shirt. I was seated just in front of the stage, in a black suit, close to my Japanese wife, Nozomi. Thanks. Patyou
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in
John Etherington
Posts: 2605
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:17 pm

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by John Etherington »

Hi Maarten,

Thanks for the report ...I'm glad you had such a great time. I'm annoyed though, because I had paid for a return trip to Paris, just in case Leonard would be appearing - and both Jarkko and Leonard (to me personally!) said that he would not. At the end of the day, I decided that it would be enough to see Anjani in London. The moral of this, therefore, is never to believe anything you hear from anyone. So if you hear that Leonard won't be touring next year...well, you decide!

All the best, John E
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25503
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by lizzytysh »

Oh, that's sad that you missed Leonard performing with Anjani, in the way that you missed it, John. I can see how disappointed you are that you did. I would have been, too, especially if I had specifically asked.

It sounds like it was a last-minute decision on Leonard's part. Perhaps, he accompanied Anjani to Paris, so they could spend some time together there, with the full intent to fly home before her performance, and then time got short or he just decided to stay another night, and then that he might as well accompany her to the performance. I'm as sure as sure can be that he didn't intentionally deceive you or Jarkko... and that Jarkko in turn didn't intentionally deceive you. I know you didn't say that either of them had... but when you have a different outcome than was originally stated, with people who are honest and trustworthy, there has to be some reasonable way of squaring it.

I hope you get to see them both perform Live. If Leonard does decide to tour [even the novel suggestion I saw someone here suggest ~ a mini concert of even two songs ~ was something that many people would be willing and happy to attend], you'll for sure see both of them perform together.


Best wishes, John.
~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
John Etherington
Posts: 2605
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:17 pm

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by John Etherington »

Hi Lizzy,

Some kind of liars? No of course not! I'm sure your'e right Lizzy...I trust Leonard and Jarkko implicitly. I would love to have gone to Paris to see Anjani anyway, but I had to weigh things up. A lady who offered to put me up in Paris when I visited in late June let me down, and I had to book last minute hotels. This time, I could not really afford the extra expense and was also physically exhausted.
However, since this could have been my only chance to see Leonard and Anjani sing together, I would have gone anyway, if I had known. Anyway, I'm very much looking forward to Anjani's London concert, and more than once I've suggested a show combining Leonard and Anjani's music (with some poetry possibly). So let's hope that this might happen, even if Leonard doesn't tour again.

All good things, John E x
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25503
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by lizzytysh »

Hi John ~

No... I know that's not what you were doing. And, the "reasonable" squaring that I was referring to wasn't in that direction, but that of a logical explanation, if only you knew what it was. So unfortunate that the situations and decisions lined up the way they did to where you ended up not being there :( . I pray that they'll manage to do more together publicly, so I too can enjoy them in combination. If not, I'll be sure to see Anjani, again. At least you were able to meet and speak with Leonard. I'm very glad that, that is happening for so many of his fans. Even so, I know how much you wanted to watch him perform.


~ Lizzy x
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
User avatar
Maarten
Posts: 1525
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 12:31 am
Location: Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by Maarten »

Hello again,

I tried to make a small section about Leonard Cohen on my own homepage and have put some pictures there. You can find them on http://users.telenet.be/maarten.massa/L ... Cohen.html

Take care,
Maarten

2008 Manchester | Bruges | Amsterdam | London | 2x Brussels | Rotterdam |2x London
2009 New York | Cologne | Antwerp | Venice | Colmar | Barcelona | Las Vegas | San José
2010 Salzburg | 2x Sligo | Helsinki | 3x Ghent | Lille | 2x Las Vegas
2012 5x Ghent | 2x A'dam | Helsinki | Dublin | Verona | 3x Paris | Lisboa
2013 Paris | Antwerp | Oberhausen | Brussels | Pula | Rotterdam | Amsterdam | 2x Wellington | Auckland
John Etherington
Posts: 2605
Joined: Sat Sep 18, 2004 10:17 pm

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by John Etherington »

Thanks Maarten,

The pics with you and Leonard are particularly good ...Leonard looks great in the one with you. You've got the red-eye effect in that one, but what the heck...he has green eyes in the Richard Goodall poster!

All the best, John E
User avatar
dick
Posts: 1185
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 10:21 pm

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by dick »

Great report and pix Maarten. Come join us in London for Book of Longing!
User avatar
margaret
Posts: 1856
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2002 1:21 am
Location: UK

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by margaret »

Thanks for the report and the photos Maarten.

It seems he doesn't need the hat after all! And looks younger without it!
User avatar
Maarten
Posts: 1525
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 12:31 am
Location: Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Contact:

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by Maarten »

Dick,
I would have loved to join you all in London, but I'm afraid I can't make it.
A bit of a long story (and totaly off-topic): my father-in-law is a business auditor (I'm not sure if that's the correct translation) and a few years ago he sold his company to Ernst & Young and became an associate. And since E&Y is one of the main sponsors of the Olympic Games in Bejing next summer, they had something special going. All employees were invited to participate in the 20km of Brussels after which they would select a small group to go to Bejing in October to run the Bejing Marathon on the same circuit that will host the Olympic Marathon next year. My father-in-law had never in his life run before, but decided to go for it, me being his personal trainer/mental coach/sparring partner... He got selected for the Bejing Marathon (how, I don't know!) and has asked me to join him there (for mental and physical support...) on his expense. So, on Sunday October 21st, I'll be in Bejing. It's impossible to see you guys the day before in London...

And I always thought that it was the mother-in-law who was supposed to give me trouble...

Bye,
Maarten

2008 Manchester | Bruges | Amsterdam | London | 2x Brussels | Rotterdam |2x London
2009 New York | Cologne | Antwerp | Venice | Colmar | Barcelona | Las Vegas | San José
2010 Salzburg | 2x Sligo | Helsinki | 3x Ghent | Lille | 2x Las Vegas
2012 5x Ghent | 2x A'dam | Helsinki | Dublin | Verona | 3x Paris | Lisboa
2013 Paris | Antwerp | Oberhausen | Brussels | Pula | Rotterdam | Amsterdam | 2x Wellington | Auckland
User avatar
dick
Posts: 1185
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 10:21 pm

Re: Anjani and Leonard in Paris: a report

Post by dick »

Wow Maarten
Enjoy Bejing!
Great story.

More than one way for Cohenites to See the World! :-)
Post Reply

Return to “Blue Alert”