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A light-hearted question - but when settled in our seats last Thursday before the lights went down, my partner and I scanned our fellow fans and reckoned that perhaps 60% of the people around us were male - does anyone else have any thoughts here?

At the interval, we scuttled to our respective bathrooms for what the Americans call a "comfort break" and two things happened - while I was queuing for the gents (the line stretching into the corridor) a passing girl exclaimed, "the boys are standing in line for the loo - never before!" Ane then, a few minutes later, Caroline returned to tell me that the ladies had never been so easy to use, and that when a sister had remarked on the queue for the men, a voice had come from a stall, "it's all been too emotional for them!"

Hmm. Do boys love Leonard more than girls do?

No idea.
But girls can show it better...

G

Hi Jeremy,

That is of course an unanswerable question, but I can see what you're getting at! It does seem to be the men who get most emotional at these things (when Brian Wilson made his comeback, it was the men who were crying). Even though I've never been into gurus per se, I do feel the same kind of "love" for Leonard that one might feel for a spiritual teacher.

All the best, John E

Well I have to say it was my big brother who brought Leonard into my life, and who did a pretty fair imitation of Leonard's style. Leonard is the artist that men are allowed to love--a little like Tom Waits. A man's man. John may be right about this--there are not near so many men that a man can love as a woman. As for his being a guru, I somehow feel certain Leonard would demur if offered such a status. Like John I am not into gurus, --the teacher I have is so ordinary, as to be invisible to most. However, I am on a spiritual journey and my musical companion on this journey just seems to be Leonard. His music always seems to reflect back to me some aspect of where I am spiritually. My teachers says if love is not rolling on the floor laughin, it ain't love. Both he and Leonard make me smile somewhere deep inside.

I can't really answer the question, but I do know that I am male, very happily married, totally heterosexual, and I LOVE Leonard. He captured my heart long ago. Go figure!

Good question. I personally know more male LC fans than female ones. Odd for a 'ladies man'

I have loved Leonard deeply for 32 years. Last Thursday in Manchester, it was my (male) partner who had tears rolling down his face within minutes of Leonard being on stage. Mine came much later. Maybe we just notice it more when men express their love in this way...it feels kind of unexpected.

Look at me Leonard,
Look at me Leonard,
Look at me one last time...

Great question, Jeremy.

Surely it's comparing two different sensations. As a male I can only imagine what sensations some of the "love letter" style lyrics have on the female of the species. I'm sure it is totally different from my sensations. As "Tsdav" summed it up so well recently "He's been reading my diaries". I hate to top that but I suspect the main reason I never wrote a diary was because Leonard had already written all the worthwhile bits, far, far, better than I ever could. The guy in the Famous Blue Raincoat was a driving instructor called Steve, and the lovely lady about to experience Closing Time was a teacher called Marion, First We Take Manhattan coincided with my own three-bottles-a-day period as one of the fathers day wounded etc etc (And yes I loved her body, spirit and clothes )

I always love the subtle changes Jenny Warnes made to Famous Blue Raincoat. They keep it meaningful, keep you wondering, but speak volumes about the difference in male and female perceptions of these masterpieces.

I went to Manchester with my older sister (who introduced me to LC in 67 when I was just 13). She would confess the man himself still stirs her now 60 year old loins. But although my loins stirred too it was for the memories of Marion, Lorraine, and Ann, about whom LC seems to know every detail.

OK, I'm coming out with a "yes" to the original question. I suspect that I love having these emotions evoked more than any feeling of love/lust/whatever that might be evoked in a heterosexual female heart. But I'll never know, will I!

My wife states quite categorically that nobody loves Leonard more than she does.

So, now you know...

I'm guessing we all respond differently according to our own subject position... so there's something there for us gay, bi, straight male & female. I'm gay, but I can relate to Leonard grappling with desire in the songs and feel empathy with the position he evinces. (Actually - a slight digression here - Morrissey is a great example of a male icon loved mostly by men whatever their sexuality: "I have forgiven Jesus for all the desire he placed in me/When there's nothing I can do with this desire") Gay or straight, male sexuality; it seems to me; is actually quite similar. I can imagine a man saying the things to me LC sings to women.... I put myself into the art.

Good question, but only one answer. We all love him exactly the same. What you should have asked is 'are there more boys that love him than girls' i.e. does he appeal more to the male than the female. Again, I think worldwide it would balance itself out.

I personally know more female 'fans' than male.

As for loving him......38 years and still going strong. First heard him when I was 12 years old at the friend of a friends house. All female - although it may have been the brother's album, not sure. His songs did the same to me as Rod McKuens poetry did at that age. I related to each and every line and over the years 'I felt he'd found my letters and read each one out loud'. it's a strange feeling and I suppose at one time or another we have all felt as though Mr C was talking to us and us alone.

As for blubbing......2 thirds of my Manchester night were spent pulling out the hanky. A thousand kisses deep??? Oh my god?! The only concert I have EVER been to where the artist got a standing ovation before he even spoke.

Dontcha just love him

The monday after the Dublin concerts there was a discussion where i work amont all the women who had been at the concerts. General agreement that every woman from age 16 to 60 would have gone home with him. The men sneered that at his age he wouldn't be able to do anything the next morning. Unanimous response "all he would have to do is sing!"

Ha ha! Lovely stuff. I'm a young female fan and yep - at the Manchester concert it was mainly middle age blokes (not all but you know what I mean).

However, hanging around the stage door was a gaggle of attractive young female fans, and the general concensus of opinion was he might be knocking on a bit but ... I still would...

xxx

if he was fire, oh then we must be wood...
male or female makes no difference, i think : oak or ash or weeping willow, we are all just wood, meant to keep the fire burning, and keep mr. Cohen warm.

pe