CONCERT REPORT: Weybridge, July 11

[Undertow]

That was a fantastic gig. First of all, I'd like to apologise to whoever I might have annoyed by whooping loudly whenever Cohen finished a song, standing up and applauding after most songs, rushing to the stage to get a closer look at Leonard during Tower of Song and blocking the view of most people in the front and also rushing after So Long Marianne to the front along with most other people. I think I even sang along with the chorus. And shouted "THEN WE TAKE BERLIN!"

Having said all that, I think all these things really made the gig for me. I went to the Birmingham gig last November and found it very flat. I was afraid to applaud too loudly, stand up at any time to show my appreciation for the man or do anything at all vocal. I appreciate that the man deserves respect and you should try not to disturb those seated around you, but this is a LIVE concert. Im quite happy to contribute towards easily the best atmosphere of any gig Ive ever been to.

The rain was also brilliant, it was very very sunny in London today when I left, but I think the rain suited Cohen's gig perfectly. Famous Blue Raincoat in the rain was fantastic. I absolutely loved the gig.

I do have this to say to the people who were sat in the front rows and found the likes of us annoying during Tower of Song when we rushed to the stage. You guys had that view for atleast the first half of the gig. I got to see my legend for all off 3 or 4 minutes just a few metres away from me and then had to return to my seat in C7 row V. Be a little forgiving.

All in all a brilliant gig, the best that I have ever been to and my only complaint is that Avalanche wasnt played (neither in this or the Birmingham gig I went to) but the phenomenal other performances more than make up for it. The rain brought together the crowd and contributed to an even better atmosphere in my opinion.

[Manhattan Boy]

What a great evening...

We were fortunate to have got to the venue early, about four thirty, so didn't get embroiled in the ensuing hassle that spoilt things for others.

Suzanne Vega was ideal as a support act, sharing Leonard Cohen anecdotes and bringing to a field in Surrey tales from New York. It was her birthday too, and she looked like she had a great time.

Leonard's show was superb, despite me, early on, getting uptight with the seemingly never ending tide of photo takers who blocked my view of the stage, time and time again! Then there were the gatecrashers who wholesale took over the aisle for the first two or three songs in part two.
The music and Leonard's charm, humility and charisma kept restoring my faith in humanity and was the perfect antidote to, perhaps, my rather precious sensibilities.

As the rain came down the mood, perversely, lightened, and the show was greatly enhanced by the same interlopers, plus masses of new recruits to the cause jamming the aisles and forcing all of us to stand. So Long Marianne, at this point of the show, was the great moment for me as we all came together in one big singalong.

Thanks for a great night everyone. Yes, the venue wasn't brilliant. But there were positives. The staff wiping the wet off seats before you sat down. The sense of history, seeing the now forlorn banking from the Brooklands race circuit in the yellow car park, as well as the great sound and quality images on the monitors; and above all knowing that the crowd and band had such a special time, particularly in the second half.

This had the potential to go horribly wrong: venue, weather, organisation.

Thankfully it was an absolute joy.

[Ziyad]

What an interesting concert

My first gig in 2009 and it wwas interesting to compare to the 8 last year, and to the Live In London DVD.

Interestingly, and possibly obviously, the band are a lot tighter. Although the shows were great last year, and the band excellent, they really played like a 'real' band last night, a group of friends who have known each other for a long time and who can subconciously anticipate each other's movements. They were very comfortable with each other, for example Sharon Robinson was more relaxed than I've ever seen her before and she organically gelled with the Webb Sisters - like 3 girlfriends singing together for the fun of it.

When I got home I played 'Anthem' - for me the high point of the tour, the song that signifies where LC is today - and musically it was leaden on the DVD in comparison to Weybridge. As my friend who came with me last night said, Live In London was a bit like Dylan at Budokan - by the end of the tour the show was so much better and more relaxed - but unfortunately commercial needs dicatated the release of a live show asap. We need another live CD/DVD from a performance this year to show how much LC and the band have improved - compare to the bootlegs at the end of the Budokan tour 1 1/2 years later which were so much better.

In addition, the version of Famous Blue Raincoat was possibly the best song I have seen Lenny perform live in all 9 concerts. It is one of my faves, with my favourite line in pop music (as quoted below), but with the audience dancing ad singing (quietly) along and with Leonard beaming and the band on such tip top form and with the rain adding another dimension, we had a piece of real unscripted magic. Comparable to the Pyramid audience singing Hallelujah at Glastonbury, or the hushed reverence at Manchester last year. That brings us to the perenial debate: sitting vs standing; appreciating vs feeling; quietly reverential vs singing along; hushed silence vs talking. I have to say that for me, one of the main points of the live experience is that it is interactive, the audience participate, they get up to take photos, they show their enjoyment in many ways...

OK like most on the forum, I am not a fan of boorish behaviour, people loudly chatting as they come late, getting drinks throughout as in the O2 (though mitigating circumstanes in MB World where the loo, food and drink queues were so long that some people understandly thought they could bypass the queues by going during the gig - my friend chose Everybody Knows assuming he'd be back quickly though he ended up being away for 15 minutes and just made it back for Anthem). BUT despite the slight irritation with some people, I still believe they have the right to move about. I found the over zealous security guards far more irritating than the people coming to the front to take photos. People need to learn to chill out - especially given Leonard's example. I was in the 4th row in Block A6, and I was happy for the photographers. I didn't mind the people standing through Tower of Song - OK so I saw a bit less but the atmosphere generated by people dancing and enjoying themselves far outweighed the minor physical discomfort I suffered. It is a gig - not a movie that I'm watching. The band get a lot of energy from the audience in these circumstances - that's why the show took off during the encores - once the audiece starting dancing an singing to So Long Marianne - in fact Hallelujah would have been a lot better if it followed So Long Marianne.

My first impression of the show was that it was akin to wearing some old comfortable clothes, relaxed, the fit was great but lacking that 'je ne sais crois' - the unpredictability and excitement of truly great live musical occasions - but still brilliant nonetheless. I was very happy for the surprise of Heart With No Companion (and Democracy), though why get rid of one of my faves Chelsea Hotel and the one song I had not seen in 2008 - the great Waiting For The Miracle - a minor quibble. Anthem was as fantastic as ever. And then the concert started to take off after the intermission.

Suzanne,Sisters of Mercy and The Partisan - absolutely wonderful. The more Lenny plays guitar, generally it means the happier I am because he tends to reserve the guitar for his old songs, and by this stage of the tour Leonard and band have settled into a mature groove. Band intros are thankfully less - 2 name checks by Leonard of all band members still show his generosity to the personnel without veering into mawkishness. The songs are slicker, for example I Tried To Leave You felt far less bloated yet still retained solos for each band member. Leonard has grown younger, at my first show in Manchester I was worried this 73 old would make it to the end, whereas now we have a sprightly 74 year old whose energy never flagged and whom I thought had more than enough energy that he could easily have played another 1/2 hour.

And then the encores, possibly the best most sustained 1/2 hr I've seen from Leonard on this tour.

If you've not seen LC in 2009 yet, you'll be pleasantly surprised that he has managed to surpass the phenemonal live performances of last year. People need to chill out so that we the audience can be worthy of the magical stardust being sprinkled from onstage.

[Ziyad]

I forgot to say hello to MyDogLorca - I am the "gentleman of medium height & glasses" to your left and to Chad(?) Aussie gentlemen who introduceed himself to me.

[Undertow]

I was in the 4th row in Block A6, and I was happy for the photographers. I didn't mind the people standing through Tower of Song - OK so I saw a bit less but the atmosphere generated by people dancing and enjoying themselves far outweighed the minor physical discomfort I suffered. It is a gig - not a movie that I'm watching. The band get a lot of energy from the audience in these circumstances - that's why the show took off during the encores - once the audiece starting dancing an singing to So Long Marianne - in fact Hallelujah would have been a lot better if it followed So Long Marianne.

Thank you for your understanding, my favourite parts of the concert were during Tower of Song when there was a small group of people jus dancing to the song at the front of the stage getting hassled by security guards and every single song So Long Marianne onwards. It was such a communal feeling, a brilliant atmosphere.

[aplane]

Some more photos:

P7110131_2.jpg (21.52 KiB) Viewed 2353 times

[Undertow]

If theres one thing Ive learnt from yesterdays gig, its that I have to take proper cameras to gigs from now on. Although my phone has a decent 3.2 megapixel count, the zoom is terrible. Ive missed out on so many great photos because of my stupidity

[Cyril]

By the end, everyone was standing, like a proper concert.

Cyril, the fact that you think that standing makes it a proper concert is, I'm afraid, a personal matter of opinion.

This is Leonard Cohen after all; Rock 'n' Roll it's not. If I wanted to go to a concert & stand, I wouldn't go to a seated one!

Just hope you're not in row J next Tuesday!

Rant over,

Regards,

Melvyn.

Don't worry Melvyn, I won't be. Thanks for the warm welcome to a new poster though.

In fact, much as I enjoyed last night's concert, I doubt if I'll be posting on here much more ... no, don't try to talk me out of it, I'm not sure I fit in here with my uncouth ways, like standing up, and occasional cheering and whooping, and wanting to see a bit more of the people whose concert I have paid to see. I'm going back to the Prince forum, where standing, and moving around, and indeed dancing, is in fact compulsory, even though it makes accurate typing and posting more difficult.

I have been to hundreds of concerts over the years, and I fear standing has taken place at a number of them: perhaps they weren't "proper concerts" -- as you say, it's a matter of personal opinion. I have to say though, Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, Toots and the Maytals, The Beach Boys, Arthur Lee, Mavis Staples et al didn't seem to mind. I also got the impression during last night's encores that Leonard and his band appreciated the lively response they were getting from us, despite our being soaked in the atrocious weather. But I may be wrong, and I'm sure you can put me straight on that one.

As you say, maybe he isn't Rock 'n' Roll, though that's a broad church, and I do have a feeling I first came across him on a sampler called the "Rock Machine Turns You On", many many years ago. This could be a Trades Descriptions case to rival the Upper Crust one I mentioned in my original post.

All I was trying to say when I first posted, was that being close to the living legend and his fantastic band really enhanced the experience for us despite the weather and the fact that our seats were a couple of bus rides from the stage. We still paid a fair sum for them. We weren't standing in front of anyone, but close to the apron of the stage. Anyway, "dance me to the end of love" and all that (but only sitting down -- I get it now).

Frightfully sorry Melvin, try to enjoy the concert on Tuesday from Row J.

[honeyrose]

One more picture for you
Honeyrose

[Cyril]

Cyril wrote:
By the end, everyone was standing, like a proper concert.

It was only at the end that people were standing & moving forward. Leonard & the band seemed delighted by the audience response. I was seated upstairs at Bournemouth, it was a great concert but felt a bit 'flat'. Its not Rock & Roll, its not pop music but it is Live music.

Sorry this is turning into an argument after a wonderful, wonderful evening.

Thanks mydog..., you have put it better than I have in other posts, and probably less sarcastically as well (sorry Melvin!).

I was a wonderful, wonderful evening, I think we can all agree on that.

By the way, I was struggling to make sense of your user-name, until I saw the photo! Nice one, Cyril.

[mydoglorca]

Cyril

Welcome to the Forum. Glad you enjoyed the 'show' as much as I did & Leonard & the band appeared to. I don't believe Leonard would wish us to take his wonderful music too seriously.
And yes, my beloved dog Lorca....

[Relate]

Apart from the atrocious parking etc I thought the concert great, in fact for atmosphere probably THE best I've been to. Sorry to anyone I annoyed by being in front of the stage for the encores. Leonard & the band looked as if they were loving it. Hello to anyone stood near me- I was right infront of Leonard in the 2nd 'row' wearing a red waterproof jacket. There was a lady with shoulder length dark hair in front of me & a gentleman of medium height & glasses to my left & 2 very enthusiastic young ladies just behind us calling for 'Hey thats no way'. It felt like a 'proper concert' - I did come away from a couple last feeling the music was great but the atmosphere a bit flat. Didn't notice the rain much.

Last night's concert was totally enhanced by the audience participation. It was amazing, I felt like my heart was going to burst at the end.

Sorry to anyone who was upset by the audience surge at the end, but this was a part of an overwhelming communal feeling that seized and propelled large numbers of the people present. And the concert became all the more electrifying for it.

[And yes we were the ones shouting for "Hey that's no way..."]

[Helensj]

Yesterday's concert was amazing! So much better than Bournemouth and possibly even better than the first O2 concert because the atmosphere was electric. The dreadful weather seem to unite everyone but we barely noticed the rain and didn't start to feel cold or wet till we got back to the car and had to wait 1hr 30mins to get off the site!

We were sat in Block A5, row P and here's the link to our photos on flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dorsetbays/sets/72157621338370138/

Here's one of our favourites


Helen and Steve from Weymouth
02 London, Bournemouth, Weybridge

[somewhat_nifty]

Nice pic of Leonard from the concert last night



I'm uploading footage to my YouTube channel right now, Heart With No Companion and Famous Blue Raincoat are up so far: http://www.youtube.com/messalina79

[Helensj]

We left Weymouth at 1030 to allow plenty of time as we had heard dire reports of traffic congestion before last year's MBW concerts. We arrived just after 2pm (so no delays getting in, just delays getting out) and were fortunate enough to hear Leonard's live sound check. There weren't many of us there at that point and we couldn't beleive our luck when we realised it was actually live and that we could watch it all on the big screens. Hello to Sue who was standing next to us - hope you have a great time at the Barcelona concert.

Here are two video clips of the sound check for Lover Lover Lover - since he rehearsed this but sadly didn't play it during the concert. The quality isn't brilliant - we were some distance away on the other side of the fence and it is affected by wind and chatter!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfm8sSYU90U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzME6CfdW4

Helen and Steve from Weymouth
O2 London, Bournemouth, Wetbridge