CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, August 21 & 22

Concert reports, set lists, reviews, photos and You Tube links. Fan meet-ups before and after the concerts.
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Goldin
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Goldin »

Towards the end of the shortened encore, Leonard felt the squeeze of the old Father — with only six (count ‘em!) minutes to go until curfew, he sincerely thanked the audience, shared his blessings, and explained to them the situation; ‘Wait, it’s only five now.’ With a further thank you, he caught himself, saying, ‘What am I doing, I’m wasting time!’ and he introduced First We Take Manhattan almost as quickly as it started.

Alas, Time, the Eternal Sniper, had it sights trained on the night and the dying moments were probably the most fun-filled of any Leonard Cohen gig I had seen — and I missed it! I was just off stage, filling guitar trunks, getting ahead, buying shares in the precious commodity of time. And what have I said about trying to get ahead? It usually comes at some cost, and I missed the comical moments unfolding on stage. I am told Leonard picked up his clock (which he always has in front of him, on the carpet, leaning against one of his monitors) and carried it around with him, ‘cradling it,’ (Dan, thanks for the quote) showing the audience that he was no longer in command — time fingered its grip on tonight’s knife-switch, while the flowers of appreciation, both bunched and lone, flew over the edge of the stage — and all anyone could do was enjoy the time left to them.

As the clock struck 11.30, the band ended the song tastefully, professionally, and that was the end of that.
From Leif Bodnarchuk's Leonard Cohen Tour Diary - Aug 21.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by sturgess66 »

sturgess66 wrote:Video uploaded by schnugsy - Thanks!

Light As The Breeze ("As the sun is going down we may now resume the solitude of darkness that this is the proper setting for, especially for this next song which needs a very deep colour to be sung. Here it is ...")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niE_Pl0fVAE

Everybody Knows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMQUqp4pKQo

Who By Fire (partial - does not include Javier at beginning)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdGmjoRDRdE

The Darkness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAhkDaIuoKk

I Can't Forget
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxg-LsMkNgw

Anthem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh-RvLxXmds
More from schnugsy -

Coming Back To You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hayaPbE8Ngo

Suzanne & Night Comes On (@4:08) & The Gypsy's Wife (@10:13)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOILm_F0h5g

The Partisan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7RBrCAu9Ag

Democracy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTtUfOUDs2Q

I'm Your Man (Partial - with audience participation at end - and assurance from Leonard "I'm your man" :D )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryVAnZEvyAc

Hallelujah (Leonard picks up a beautiful bouquet of flowers - @1:50 - sings an emotional verse still holding the flowers; a wild & crazy solo on the Hammond B3 by Neil!! :D )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICrc9XWb4bg
Last edited by sturgess66 on Wed Aug 22, 2012 6:06 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Prospera
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Prospera »

The sound was incredibly good, 4th row in de middle, on the side there was echo.
13.000 people and yet such a cheering united atmosphere!

Even a low overflying plane and a bunch of birds did only do good to the magic.
After the intimate concerts at Gent he managed to put 13.000 people's noses in the
right direction.

This stadium had only for 10 years ago such a concert.
He has a genius band with musicians from all over the world, like his violin player from Moldavie.
The Webbsisters and Sharon were evenso magic, with pure and angelic voices.

The very small imperfections in his voice shows no decay, but yet how gracefully he deals with his age.
His life-experience sounds with each grum from his lips; he orates life many times with his eyes closed
and occasionally kneeling on the floor (those precious old bones)

When the sun falls and the night comes in he welcomes the nightfall with an impressive "light as a breeze".
Come healing becomes so heavenly with his dark voice and the angelic singers.

With his last songs the front rows gathered around the stage, which was not aloud during his perfomance.
We all cheered and sang with him amazed with tears about longtime memories; hugging and enjoying this feeling
of being part of each other.

Due to the curfew we missed his last songs and he grabs in the last minutes the clock, which I missed because
I had to catch the last busliner;
see my other review about the curfew: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=32580

And not one moment to soon he left the building; just within the minute he left the stage, rain is pouring in.
In the media he has a great review, from above in http://www.nu.nl/muziek/2889853/leonard ... gheid.html
Heading: Leonard Cohen teaches Amsterdam humility.

By expressing his honours for each of his crew and their impressive solo's and to his public by gently joking and mesmerizing his public.
So gratefull especially for the last 5 minutes 'clock' Manhattansong, which I missed!!

I wish I could see more of Leonard Cohen concerts in Europe !!
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by sturgess66 »

Thanks for the review and your thoughts Prospera :) - and link to the article!

From Joey / Camp Cohen -

Image
your guess is as good as mine

http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/299 ... -21aug2012
Prospera
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Prospera »

sturgess66 wrote:Thanks for the review and your thoughts Prospera :) - and link to the article!

From Joey / Camp Cohen -

Image
your guess is as good as mine

http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/299 ... -21aug2012
Tell him about the review and thank you for the adjusted showschedule!
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by sturgess66 »

This is a good one - a great capture - up close and personal - of the whole clock incident :lol: :lol:

Uploaded by nfo4allat - Thanks!!

First We Take Manhattan -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtexlfgqFyw

@2:23 Ah, you loved me as a loser
But now you're worried that I just might win :lol:
You know the way you could have stopped me, :lol: but you never had have the discipline
How many times I prayed for this, to let my work begin :lol:
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin


And three additional very good videos uploaded by nfo4allat -

Anthem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLo0ncM_cU

Suzanne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VJx4Iwn3Bs

Who By Fire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w85VQnE-2AU
Last edited by sturgess66 on Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
cohenadmirer
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by cohenadmirer »

~Pity about the 11.30 curfew .
I always thought amsterdam was a 24 hour party city !
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
Prospera
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Prospera »

Waiting for the updates tonight august 22! with pics/comments
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Nessus Jr
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Nessus Jr »

Was a bit surprised to hear about the 11:30 cerfew ... so am happy to have scored a Ghent ticket before the Amsterdam gigs were announced. I'm 25 miles from our fair capital.

When I read about the Olympic Stadium I couldn't resist to google the 1928 Amsterdam poster
and make a new version.
No disrespect, I mean I saw Leonard hopping off the stage in Ghent!
What a man!

cheers,
Marco

Image
2008 Amsterdam
2012 Ghent
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Goldin
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Goldin »

Marco, that's cool! Cheers me up a lot.
cohenadmirer
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by cohenadmirer »

Nessus Jr wrote:Was a bit surprised to hear about the 11:30 cerfew ... so am happy to have scored a Ghent ticket before the Amsterdam gigs were announced. I'm 25 miles from our fair capital.

When I read about the Olympic Stadium I couldn't resist to google the 1928 Amsterdam poster
and make a new version.
No disrespect, I mean I saw Leonard hopping off the stage in Ghent!
What a man!

cheers,
Marco

Image
He's capable ,in concert terms, of marathons
He's up for long concerts and a pre midnight curfew should be out!
Gold medal winner for sure
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
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Goldin
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by Goldin »

A review ([Google] translate is needed for sure):
http://tapeweek.nl/post/29980651271/con ... ch-stadion

Contains several brilliant photos, like this one:

Image
Last edited by Goldin on Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by sturgess66 »

Uploaded by vpmusicblog - Thanks!

Coming Back To You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGBdps7M5Sk

Amen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvzaKZCVl6I
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phillip
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by phillip »

bridger15 wrote:This is has to be one of the top wonderful Leonard Cohen magical moments!

During "First We Take Manhattan", at 2.31 the stadium screen shows LC bending down to retrieve his clock and parades with the face showing the time 11:30.

This clock is usually positioned at the bottom of his sound monitors and out of sight.

The audience reacts with laughter and then Sharon has to cover his lines for a while.

Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!

*First We Take Manhattan* (triap1)
http://youtu.be/KJlxE7hH3BA

---Arlene


I watched the video on youtube I loved it and was funny when he held the clock awesome video thanks for sharing :)
I have been a Leonard Cohen fan for 28 years feel free to email me if you wish to keep in touch!
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phillip
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Re: CONCERT REPORTS: Amsterdam, Aug 21 & 22

Post by phillip »

Goldin wrote:A review ([Google] translate is needed for sure):
http://tapeweek.nl/post/29980651271/con ... ch-stadion

Contains several brilliant photos, like this one:

Image
The video on youtube is awesome i love it thanks
I have been a Leonard Cohen fan for 28 years feel free to email me if you wish to keep in touch!
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