CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Europe and Israel (July 1 - September 24, 2009). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
User avatar
mirka
Posts: 487
Joined: Wed Sep 21, 2005 9:59 am
Location: SF Bay Area, California + Warsaw, Poland

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by mirka »

.
yes, PLEASE....., I'm trying to cook dinner and checking the Forum every 10 minutes at the same time, which makes things really difficult.... :razz:
/Warsaw March 22 1985 / Halifax May 16 /Charlottetown May 18 / Dublin June 15 / Vienna Sept 24 2008/
Oakland April 13, 14, 15, San Jose Nov 13 2009/
Las Vegas Dec 11 2010/ Oakland March 2 2013/
User avatar
DrHGuy
Posts: 311
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:37 pm
Contact:

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by DrHGuy »

Earlier messages from Yoda18:
# Allelujah ... 42 years ago next weekabout 2 hours ago from UberTwitter
# 1h20' of concert ... and this is only the end of the first part!about 3 hours ago from UberTwitter
# And another standing ovation for Mr Cohen's birthday :) !about 4 hours ago from UberTwitter
# Standing ovation at the beginning!about 5 hours ago from UberTwitter
# Ladies and Gentlemen, Leonard Cohen IS on stage!about 5 hours ago from UberTwitter
User avatar
sturgess66
Posts: 4110
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:50 pm
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Re: Leonard Cohen's Closing Words At Barcelona

Post by sturgess66 »

DrHGuy wrote:Thanks to Yoda18 on Twitter http://twitter.com/Yoda18 for this message:
Leonard Cohen finishes his 75th birthday three hours concert with these words: May your life be sweet as apples dipped in honey.
Thanks Allan!!!

His tweet before that says -
# about 1 hour ago from UberTwitter

Standing on stage with his hat in his hand, celebrating his 75th wirh a magical concert, thank you Mr Leonard Cohen, you are a giant

And - we have video - it is sort of "vague" but I am going to post it anyway:

From "dennso"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t67kKxwxKY4
-and-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4v9s5zlTvQ
-and-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zno5cjcmf8g

And now you sent me looking on Twitter!!! :lol:

From Omrico:
Just back from the Leonard Cohen concert. was AMAZING! For the first time I envy Israelis, who will see him on Thursday!
http://twitter.com/omrico
Last edited by sturgess66 on Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
BloodBrother
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2009 11:11 am
Location: Barcelona

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by BloodBrother »

AMAZING!!!!!!!! My heart is still beating, my legs still trembling, my arms still shaking!!!!! I know many people around here have seen Leonard many many times but for me... tonight has been a dream come true! I'm only 22 and I just couldn't expect to see him in my hometown. Tonight, I've done it! Leonard has been sublime (as the Webb Sisters :D ) And all the crew on stage were absolutely awesome!

I have no words to describe it. I love you Leonard and thank you for this magic night. You have made me cry like a child and I will never forget what I have seen today.

I wish I had enough money to travel to the States and see him again... :cry: But I've seen him one time and that's more than what I would have expected many years ago.

See you friends, it's closing time! :D
Lumi2414
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 5:54 am
Location: New York

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by Lumi2414 »

And here is Dino Soldo's message on twitter :lol: :
http://twitter.com/DinoSoldo

# To all the friends in Leonard Cohen's Barcelona gig; Your Birthday candles brought a tear to my eye. He was touched.
User avatar
sturgess66
Posts: 4110
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2009 2:50 pm
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by sturgess66 »

This looks like the article that Marie posted - with more added -

http://www.europapress.es/catalunya/not ... 11800.html
Leonard Cohen celebra su 75 aniversario con el cierre de gira europea en Barcelona ante 14.000 fans

BARCELONA, 22 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

El músico y poeta Leonard Cohen celebró esta noche su 75 aniversario con un concierto en el Palau Sant Jordi de Barcelona al que asistieron unas 14.000 personas --entre ellas el presidente de la Generalitat, José Montilla-- y con el que cerró su gira europea. "Gracias por vuestras felicitaciones, no sé cuándo volveré a celebrarlo así", dijo tras cuatro canciones e interrumpido por una fuerte ovación de sus fans, que se pusieron de pie mientras él, sonriente, se emocionaba y se quitaba el sombrero.

El cantautor más melancólico y con la voz más ronca que se ha conocido arrancó como ya es habitual con 'Dance me to the end of love' y no mostró ningún resquicio de cansancio durante las tres horas de recital, impropio para alguien de su edad y sobretodo tras el incidente de hace tres días en Valencia, donde suspendió el concierto al cabo de cuatro canciones por un corte de digestión.

Pausado pero igual de vigoroso --sube a la carrera al escenario-- que hace 35 años, cuando actuó por primera vez en España, Cohen interpretó grandes éxitos que han influido en muchos otros artistas, como 'Bird on a wire', 'Suzanne', 'Chelsea Hotel', 'Famous blue raincoat', 'Everybody knows' y 'Who by the fire', éstas dos con la importante participación del aragonés Javier Mas a la guitarra y bandurria.

Más amigo de la sobriedad, el aire apesadumbrado y los leves gestos que de los grandes parajismos, el 'gentleman' arrancó recitando 'a capella' 'Anthem', ante un silencio sobrecogedor en el Sant Jordi. Cuando empezó a entonarla, la banda, compuesta por cinco músicos y tres coristas, le siguió, y Cohen presentó "a la ciudad de Barcelona" a todos sus músicos, con el sombrero en el pecho en señal de pleitesía, empezando por Mas y refiriéndose luego a la corista Sharon Robinson como su "esposa secreta y colaboradora".

VELAS PARA 'SUZANNE'

Tras un intermedio de unos 20 minutos, volvió sólo con las coristas para entonar 'Tower of song' tras el teclado, con el que hizo un breve y discreto solo que el público aplaudió tanto que Cohen, riendo a carcajadas, dijo: "Sois muy, muy amables". Después enlazó a la guitarra con 'Suzanne', durante la que un centenar de sus fans encendieron las velas que esta tarde les dieron en la presentación del libro del traductor de Cohen al español, Alberto Manzano, titulado 'Palabras, poemas y recuerdos de Leonard Cohen'.

Cohen hizo varios guiños al público cambiando algunas letras de canciones como la de 'Hallelujah', en la que dijo: "No he venido a Barcelona a tomaros el pelo" --en Praga también dijo lo propio-- y 'The Partisan', en la que aseguró: "Tengo muchos amigos, y algunos de ellos están aquí conmigo esta noche", con lo que sus fans enloquecieron mientras a la bandurria Mas demostraba que es todo un virtuoso, para dejar paso luego a Sharon Robinson, que acompañada por las hermanas Webb --las otras dos coristas-- interpretó la jazística y sensual 'Boogie Street'.

REGALOS DEL PÚBLICO Y DE LOS MÚSICOS

El compositor se guardó la mejor baza en el sombrero para el final: la mística y adaptada al concierto 'Hallelujah'; 'I'm your man', y 'Take this waltz', en la que hace un breve duo con cada una de las hermanas Webb. Al acabar tres bises de varias canciones cada uno, el público que se había agolpado ante el escenario le lanzó ramos de flores, rosas de peluche, libros, escritos y posters.

También sus músicos le rindieron homenaje cantando a capella tras una pancarta en la que le felicitaban por su 75 aniversario. Agradecido, hizo un saludo zen y dio unos saltos hacia el camerino que hacen pensar en que hay Cohen para rato y que lo del viernes sólo fue un contratiempo.

Tras un retiro espiritual de años a un monasterio zen de California y la estafa que le procuró su representante, cifrada en unos cinco millones de dólares, Cohen afrontó las vicisitudes con esta nueva gira, primera en 15 años, que emprendió en abril del año pasado el canadiense y que se cerrará en Estados Unidos a mediados de noviembre. Si se ha hecho por dinero o por una pura necesidad de retomar el contacto con el público sigue siendo una incógnita, igual que lo es si el de hoy fue el último concierto que jamás dará en tierras europeas.
GOOGLE TRANSLATION -
Leonard Cohen celebrates its 75th anniversary with the closure of European tour in Barcelona before 14,000 fans

BARCELONA, 22 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) --

The musician and poet Leonard Cohen celebrated its 75th anniversary tonight with a concert at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona which was attended by about 14,000 people - including President of the Generalitat, José Montilla - and with it closed its European tour . "Thank you for your congratulations, again I do not know when to celebrate that," he said after four songs and interrupted by loud applause from their fans who stood while he, smiling, excited and took off his hat.

The more melancholic singer with a hoarse voice ever known started as usual with 'Dance Me to the End of Love' and showed no fatigue crack during the three-hour recital, improper for someone of his age and especially after the incident three days ago in Valencia, where he stayed after the concert of four songs by a court of digestion.

Paused but equally strong - up to the race to stage - 35 years ago, when she first performed in Spain, Cohen played great songs that have influenced many other artists, like 'Bird on a wire', 'Suzanne ',' Chelsea Hotel ',' Famous Blue Raincoat ',' Everybody knows' and 'Who by the fire', the latter two with the important participation of Aragon Javier Mas on guitar and mandolin.

More sober friend, the air heavy, the slight gestures of the great landscapes, the 'gentleman' started reciting 'a capella' 'Anthem', with an eerie silence in the Sant Jordi. When he began to sing, the band, composed of five musicians and three singers, followed, and Cohen presented "to the city of Barcelona" to all his musicians, his hat in the chest in a gesture of homage, starting with Mas and referring then the chorus Sharon Robinson as his "secret wife and collaborator.

SAILS 'Suzanne'

After an intermission of 20 minutes, again only with the chorus to sing "Tower of Song 'behind the keyboard, with which he made only a brief and discreet that the audience applauded as Cohen, laughing, said:" You are very , very friendly ". After the guitar laced with 'Suzanne', during which hundreds of fans lit candles that were given this evening in the presentation of Cohen's book of the Spanish translator, Alberto Manzano, entitled 'Words, poems and memories of Leonard Cohen '.

Cohen made several nods to the public by changing some lyrics of songs like 'Hallelujah', in which he said: "I came to Barcelona to take the hair" - in Prague also said the same - and 'The Partisan', in which he said: "I have many friends, and some of them are here with me tonight", so that their fans went wild as the mandolin again demonstrated that it is all a virtuoso, to moments before Sharon Robinson, who is accompanied by Webb sisters - the other two singers - jazística interpreted and sensual 'Boogie Street'.

PUBLIC GIFTS AND MUSICIANS

The composer put his best chance in the hat for last: the mystique and adapted to the concert 'Hallelujah', 'I'm your man', and 'Take this waltz', in which a brief duet with each of Webb sisters. Three encores at the end of several songs each, the crowd that had gathered at the scene threw bouquets, roses, teddy bears, books, papers and posters.

He also paid tribute musicians singing a capella after a banner congratulating him on his 75th birthday. Gratefully, zen saluted and took a few jumps into the clubhouse that suggest there for awhile and Cohen on Friday that it was only a setback.

After a retreat of years at a Zen monastery in California and the scam that he tried his representative, at approximately five million dollars, Cohen faced the vicissitudes of this new tour, first for 15 years, which launched in April last year Canadian and United States will close in mid-November. If you've done for money or sheer necessity of resuming contact with the public remains unknown, as is whether today was the last concert ever given in European lands.
User avatar
bridger15
Posts: 2068
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:49 pm
Location: Los Angeles - ex Toronto
Contact:

Re: Leonard Cohen's Closing Words At Barcelona

Post by bridger15 »

DrHGuy wrote:Thanks to Yoda18 on Twitter http://twitter.com/Yoda18 for this message:
Leonard Cohen finishes his 75th birthday three hours concert with these words: May your life be sweet as apples dipped in honey.
Such a beautiful blessing, so symbolic of the custom at the start of the Ten Days of Awe. At the beginnning of Rosh Hashona, it is the custom to dip a cut apple into honey as a wish for a sweet New Year.
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
User avatar
mutti
Posts: 2048
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:25 am
Location: somewhere in the Pacific Northwest

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by mutti »

Such a beautiful blessing, so symbolic of the custom at the start of the Ten Days of Awe. At the beginnning of Rosh Hashona, it is the custom to dip a cut apple into honey as a wish for a sweet New Year.
I was just going to post that too...that is one of my favorite parts...the apples/honey and blessing for a sweet year!
I am so glad Leonard is feeling better and it sounds like it was an incredible evening...
Mutti
1988 Vancouver
2009 Victoria/Seattle/Almost Red Rocks/Las Vegas/San Jose.
2010 Sligo x 2/Victoria/Vancouver/Portland/Las Vegas x 2.
2012 Austin x 2/Seattle/Vancouver/Montreal x 2.
2013 Oakland x 2/New York City x 2/Winnipeg...
ladydi
Posts: 2325
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:14 pm

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by ladydi »

Arlene and Leslie,

Thank you so much. The "apples dipped in honey". I thought it was such a lovely phrase but had no idea as to the symbolism. How very very perfect.

Want to see more of the "candles" that Dino mentions.

What a night!
User avatar
mutti
Posts: 2048
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:25 am
Location: somewhere in the Pacific Northwest

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by mutti »

Hi Diana
This is actually fun...like when we were all waiting for 10am or whatever time Ticketmaster opened the 'door's for buying tickets pre-sale..though that was a totally anxious stressful time..this is more relaxed knowing Leonard was in full form and healthy.
8) these are my 'looking cool' sunglasses...
bye for now...
Leslie Mutti
1988 Vancouver
2009 Victoria/Seattle/Almost Red Rocks/Las Vegas/San Jose.
2010 Sligo x 2/Victoria/Vancouver/Portland/Las Vegas x 2.
2012 Austin x 2/Seattle/Vancouver/Montreal x 2.
2013 Oakland x 2/New York City x 2/Winnipeg...
The Guest
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:37 pm
Location: Barcelona, Catalonia, Europe

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by The Guest »

Unforgettable night. I'll remember it my whole life. Brilliant and delicate performance, band, arrangements... Mr. Cohen is simple gigantic. A master in the peak of his career as a performer.

Thanks, Mr. Cohen, and happy birthday!
Barcelona 1993 Nice 2008 Palma de Mallorca 2009 Cap Roig 2009 Barcelona 2009 Ghent 2012 Barcelona 2012
ladydi
Posts: 2325
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:14 pm

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by ladydi »

BloodBrother wrote:AMAZING!!!!!!!! My heart is still beating, my legs still trembling, my arms still shaking!!!!! See you friends, it's closing time! :D
Blood Brother, Thank you....so beautiful!
ladydi
Posts: 2325
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:14 pm

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by ladydi »

mutti wrote:Hi Diana
This is actually fun...like when we were all waiting for 10am or whatever time Ticketmaster opened the 'door's for buying tickets pre-sale..though that was a totally anxious stressful time..this is more relaxed knowing Leonard was in full form and healthy.
8) these are my 'looking cool' sunglasses...
bye for now...
Leslie Mutti
Hi Leslie...Yes, it is, isn't it! Wouldn't it have been wonderful to have been there! The concert has been on my mind every minute for at least 12 hours. Very similar to leading up to Ticketmaster! The difference was in knowing what was coming. I never doubted that Leonard would be at his peak tonight!

I'm off to bed now (330am comes early) and will lose myself in all the reports tomorrow. Hopefully the airline won't expect much from me in the morning....I'll be in another continent!
ladydi
Posts: 2325
Joined: Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:14 pm

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by ladydi »

Lumi2414 wrote:And here is Dino Soldo's message on twitter :lol: :
http://twitter.com/DinoSoldo

# To all the friends in Leonard Cohen's Barcelona gig; Your Birthday candles brought a tear to my eye. He was touched.
Lumi2414,

Thanks for sharing Dino's Twitter with us! As soon as you posted I went to Twitter...obviously he, and the others, were very touched by the evening! Appreciate your input!

Diana
User avatar
lizzytysh
Posts: 25503
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Florida, U.S.A.

Re: CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

Post by lizzytysh »

It's such a pleasure reading these... it took me awhile to find the location for the reports themselves. I love the blessing... felt it must be a Spanish custom, but came to find it's a Jewish one. A beautiful bridge 8) . Thank you for posting Yoda's message, DrHGuy.

It sounds like this concert was as glorious as we all ~ including Leonard ;-) ~ hoped and prayed it would be. Leonard had some sort of secret knowledge on it, though :) .

I'm so thrilled for you, Blood Brother, that you were able to see Leonard perform Live. It was the lament in the past years that I felt for those much younger that they would never have such a privilege. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am now that all of you are able. We can relate to your description.


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
Post Reply

Return to “The Summer Tour in Europe 2009”