CONCERT REPORTS: Las Vegas, Nevada, December 10 & 11, 2010

[-rehli-]

Thank you Wybe and Willy for the fantastic picture show!

-rehli-

[lizzytysh]

Your captures are always so representative, Wijbe.
Somehow, I cannot view it, though.
My computer tells me it can't FIND the way to do it.
It tells me I need to MANUALLY download something.
I'll try that and hope for the best!


~ Lizzy

[lizzytysh]

Well, is not to be. No suitable plug-ins found. Search for plug-ins or some such. "Installed" Quick Time and it confirmed/thanked me for doing so. Tried again... "no suitable plug-ins found." Is not meant to be?? Will try to access this from work on Tuesday .

I'm confident you did a wonderful job of it.


~ Lizzy

[gallina]

I’m sitting under the Christmas tree and I’m thinking about this fabulous year. My Leonard Cohen-year! For him I went in many places in Europe, and for him I accrossed even the ocean!!! I never wanted to fly so far away, and I NEVER wanted to go to Las Vegas. Well, I did not go to Las Vegas, I went to see Leonard’s last 2010 concerts!

I was quite nervous before the big trip, but I felt that everything would be fine this time as well: being with my people is something very comforting.
When I arrived at Las Vegas airport Thursday night and saw the playing machines and the plastic palm trees, I asked by myself: oh, my God, where am I? On the moon or in a madhous?
But then I saw Leonard’s billboard photo and I said: ah, yes, I AM AT HOME.

Then suddenly I heard somebody calling me by name: HOLA SZILVIA! It was Meritxell from Andorra. With she and another girl from Holland we went to the hotel, where the first group of people I saw was my dear BANDA DI FIRENZE: Jeanne, Andrea, Marco and Ciarrán. I will never forget the moment when Jeanne flown in my arms! Yes, everything is OK, I am with my family
In that same night I met many of my old friends, and I could finally know personally many news from the forum whose names I knew very well before. I want to thank you my friends for your kindness and support. You are all fantastic!

Friday morning we went to sign the UHTC Appreciation letter in Avi and Sam’s hotel. I am SO GLAD AND PROUD to have partecipated in this wonderful project. (In the afternoon I met Mickey Sullivan and his first word was: „thank you for your gifts, you are fantastic„. He seemed very moved and happy. Of course I answered: „YOU are fantastic, THANK YOU for your hard work”)
When I realized that in the Photo book there is one of my favorite Leonard pictures, I was the happiest person in the world! Thank you guys.

At about midday we took the car (thanks Bob and Jeanne) and had a lovely half-day trip to the Hoover Dam and Mead Lake. It was a perfect day as we could admire the Nevada countryside too, that it is very nice. The climat was perfect and we finally saw some real palm tree - Jeanne, Bob, Victorine, Ciarrán and me – our little adventurer company.


What about Ceasars Palace? Big, noisy, smoky, shiny. A big casino. A very strange place – I think Leonard expressed very well our feelings during the first concert. No one chair to sit down, no one silent place to speak. Everything is projected to sit people in front of the machines and tables. Well, we turned the seats from the machines and we tried to be together and speak even it was nearly impossible.
But the best place was the entrance of Colosseum. It was clear and elegant, with Leonard’s enormous photo, it seemed a church
Believe me, everybody looked at that photo if it woud be the statue of the Crying Madonna (In fact was the Smiling Pic of Leonard) All of us wanted a picture with that big photo.

I have no words to describe that atmosphere. We did not mind where we were, Las Vegas has trasformed in Leo Vegas, we just enjoyed our company and waited for the miracle.

And the miracle has come many many times in that two nights. Love and happiness filled the hall, and I am sure Leonard was so happy as we were. And so the band, who was really really fantastic.
The first concert was strong, but the second was something incredible.
Being there, placing red roses on the stage and singing „Passin’ through” with the other fans, was something special, I’ll never forget that moments!!!
I resisted until the first encore. Than……… ( I SO hope in a new tour, he MUST do it!!!)
I have already listened to the registration several times, it is VERY CLEAR, I feel to be there again and again. (Thanks so much Allan to discover it.)

I have seen Leonard once in 2009 and seven times in 2010. Each concert was different and each concert was „the best”. The very first in Budapest….the first of 2010 in Zagreb, the longest in Gothenburg, the shortest but strongest in Florence, the coldest but hottest in St. Margarethen in Burgenland, the last Europeen in Bratislava and the two last in L(eo) Vegas.

And I have not only enjoyed the miracle that Leonard gave to me with his music, his poetry, his humanity and his unrivaled band, but I have found friends, friends for life and a new, cohesive family. Thank you Jarkko and collaborators for this unique site, thank you my forum friends for every moments we spent together. Stay in touch, let’s beg to Leonard for coming back soon to us!!!

[lizzytysh]

Such a beautiful, thank you posting, gallina!

No one could say it better than you just did with Leo Vegas !!!

I'm happy you took the risk and made the long journey by air over the water .

All your warm and good wishes returned a hundred fold!


~ Lizzy
xoxox

[gallina]

Thank you Lizzy, you are allways soooo sweet

My FB albums are posted, (the concert photos are not really good...)

People:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... f86e7e0204

First concert:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 7fe312a320

Second concert:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 23f8650ba4

Hoover dam:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 42c5a88f4b

[brightnow]

gallina, it was so great to meet you after all these weeks working on the project online! Your photo was perfect for the album, I'm glad you like it and I know LC will like it too.

[friscogrl]

Lovely post Gallina, I enjoyed reading it. I am glad you had such a good time in that"most unmagical place" and loved your renaming it Leo Vegas. I am now going to look at your pictures on Facebook.

Take care,

Marsha

[liverpoolken]

thanks everybody for the card from las vegas...a beautiful gesture and much appreciated..

...a youtube link to christy moore singing 'nancy spain' for my good friends andrea and marco who asked me recently who he or she was when i mentioned that there are already meet ups arranged amongst forum members around christy moore concerts in dublin, manchester and amsterdam with german and belgium dates yet to come....but definitely not las vegas

....soprattutto per i miei due amici e andrea bella marco


ta ken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH2wDyyp ... re=related

[sturgess66]

Video uploaded by "robinwang2"- Thanks!

"In My Secret Life"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42jEf5QpoVM

[gallina]

Lovely post Gallina, I enjoyed reading it. I am glad you had such a good time in that"most unmagical place" and loved your renaming it Leo Vegas. I am now going to look at your pictures on Facebook.

Take care,

Marsha

Thank you Marsha!
Lovely memories....and on that photo you are so cute

[andrea]

thanks everybody for the card from las vegas...a beautiful gesture and much appreciated..

...a youtube link to christy moore singing 'nancy spain' for my good friends andrea and marco who asked me recently who he or she was when i mentioned that there are already meet ups arranged amongst forum members around christy moore concerts in dublin, manchester and amsterdam with german and belgium dates yet to come....but definitely not las vegas

....soprattutto per i miei due amici e andrea bella marco


ta ken
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH2wDyyp ... re=related

Thank you AMICO KEN for the link and the presentation of this singer . Not only his fans are common to Leonard's ones , also the song title is almost the same ...it's just another Nancy

So we admit we have never heard of him , but he sounds definetly interesting. Maybe one concert next year could be a good reason for meetup with you Ken, but actually to meet up with you ( and other cohenites )any occasion is worth it, we do not need any concerts for this
In amicizia and hoping to meet you again whereever and whenever next year , a big hug
Andrea & Marco

[andrea]

Cara Gallina , dear Szilvia
GRAZIE for your marvelous and intensive descprition of the Las Vegas emotions and everything around your/our cohenian experiences You just chose the right words for it, beautiful. We also are very happy to have met you and Jeanne and the lovely Florence group in LV.
Let's hope that even without concerts this positive experience continues, of course it would be even more magic with new concerts, but honestly I do not expect it at all, as I am so fully satisfied with all those magical moments we got from Leonard in the last years...
A big hug and we surely will meet somehow in 2011, with or without concert, Leonard surely be present anyway
Hugs Andrea & Marco

Thank you for sharing these nice photos, I am not in Facebook so I have to send them separately by old fashioned Email

[jeanne]

Gallina..........

Beautiful words.....beautiful person......beautiful experience..... Leo Vegas......our own Vegas.
So wonderfully put, my friend.....love ...till we meet again...jeanne

Andrea and Marco.....

I know we will meet again...I am planning.......
love and be happy.....jeanne

To All Others that I touched.........and touched me....and those that I could not touch...

Thank you for sharing this wonderful time!
Memories for a lifetime
love an be happy..............jeanne

[gallina]

Thank you my angels

Andrea, maybe CD-s are better (I have nearly 1000 pics- ohhh, I need a DVD
I'll send it by mail.

Rest well, a big big hug, and...see you soon! I am sure we will meet again:D