CONCERT REPORT: Weybridge, July 11

[curiousberyl]

he sang Famous Blue Raincoat!

Somebody said it was rianing, from my seat in A4 row N, i didn't notice, maybe it wasn't raining there

Heaven

Thank you so much yet again for another amazing amazing concert!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Midnight Choir]

It was nice to hear Heart With No Companion

There was some rain but not too much.

Great concert. Difficult conditions.

[honeyrose]

Not too much rain? Where were you sitting? I was wearing a raincoat over an embroidered waistcoat and white shirt. I got soaked to the skin and was so wet, the dye from the embroidery soaked through my waistcoat and onto my shirt. Leonard and the band came out in scarves for the second half as it was windy as well as wet.

Still enough of that, it was a great concert. Leonard seemed very cheerful and was singing very vigorously in the second half. He hit some very low notes. He also changed a few of the words, and this seemed to make him lose his thread and stumble over the words a couple of times. I wonder anyway how he remembers it all, but I know from learning poetry at school, and scripts for plays, if you change key words when you are reciting something, you interrupt the flow in your mind that helps you remember the next line. The band all looked cheerful although I thought the drummer looked a bit tired.

The audience was very enthusiastic and crowded the stage at the end. A couple of people threw roses onto the stage during the performance and Leonard carefully retrieved them. When the band assembled on stage at the end for "Whither thou goest", Roscoe had his children with him.

I took some images from the big screen and will upload when I have time. (Shows the rain).

[Lavant]

Just got home from last night's concert. I thought Suzanne Vega was great (on her birthday) but unfortunately many people around me were talking loudly all the way through and were oblivious of her excellent performance.

As for Leonard Cohen, the weather was foul (especially after the interval, the venue was mediocre at best and the parking was a fiasco but.... what a great night! During the first half the audience seemed somewhat subdued but as the rain started to fall the crowd started to rise to Mr Cohen and his band. People were on their feet for 'So long Marianne' and never really sat down again. Leonard was a brilliant and humble as ever and his band were fantastic as usual. This was the third time I had seen the maestro and in the second half it had an almost festival feel. How would have been if it was a warm balmy evening?

I took my 12 year old son who was the youngest person there by about 30 years and he was up and singing and bopping along with the rest of us.

Thanks Leonard, Thanks the band and thank you Suzanne Vega for supporting leonard on your 50th birthday.

[bridger15]

Does anyone remember what Leonard's Blessings were - usually four - following Whither Thou Goest?

I am trying to compile LC's "Priestly Blessings" from as many concerts as possible.
Thank you to those who have already responded in other threads with a written version and youtube links.

And thanks in advance to all you steadfast, intrepid concert goers who were there.
---Arlene

[Paula]

I agree with Lavant. It took me one and a half hours to get out of the car park. If you ever feel the need to go to a concert at MBW don't bother it is not equipped for it. Small amount of refresment areas queuing was ridiculous. 'elf and safety marshalls were over the top.

Having said that it rained but that was actually quite nice and Leonard wiped Javier's Lund (not really sure what the instrument is) with a tissue.

He sang "I know this field" instead of room

Second half most of the band came on with scarfs on.

The concert was amazing the crowd were amazing (he still didn't sing Avalanche ) the whole concert was amazing. The leaving of the car park was an epic ordeal!!!

Lavant I saw a couple of kids that looked about 5 years old and a toddler. I am glad your son enjoyed it start them young I say

[curiousberyl]

Here's my best photo

[Paula]

..

[vaughan]

Hi Lavant - sorry but my 10 year old son (Leonard!) was also there so your boy is practically a pensioner in comparison. My Leonard loves the other Leonard, and has been all over with me to see him (Dublin, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham, Boston amongst others) and will be with me in Liverpool on Tuesday.

Have to agree about the venue - it took 2 hours to get into the car park from the motorway junction (a 4.5 mile journey) then a 20 minute walk to the awful concert area. We left our house in the Midlands at 3pm and got to our seats in time to hear one song before the intermission. Absolutely dreadful.

The concert though (well the second half, the part we actually got to see) was sublime. Leonard (the elder) seemed to be really enjoying himself, and the band all seemed happier than ever.

Don't know if the outdoors and the rain bring the best out of them, but this was awesome, and only surpassed by Sunday in Dublin last year, when it rained twice as hard, and for twice as long.

"Oh Lord, don't you go to Mercedes Benz World
the parking is awful
the venue even worse
work hard all my life-time
just to see Master Len
So Lord please don't go back to that god-awful hole"

A thousand cheers for Leonard and the band

[curiousberyl]

Knowing that the parking & cars were going to be a disaster, we went by bike. Sounds like it was worth it, despite the fact that we got wet through to our underwear on the way home!

[vaughan]

Hey CuriousBeryl,

Its a bit spooky to know that I was also in A4 row N - don't know if you spotted a group of 3 - a big man, a small man and a small boy, in the middle of the row. Got there late thanks to the atrocious venue.

Great photo you've posted, and a fantastic night I thought (even though we missed all of the first half apart from the last song).

As for the rain - who cares

[John Etherington]

Wow! What an amazing night...initiation by water! Fortunately the synthetic fedora that I purchased in Covent Garden and the waterproof jacket that I picked-up at Charing Cross saved the day (a total investment of £16.00). Now that I hear it was Suzanne Vega's 50th Birthday, I feel guilty that I spent most of her set sitting in the cafe drinking red-wine and cahtting with Helena and Sue M. I caught "Luka" and "Tom's Diner" at the end though and really enjoyed them.

As Leonard's set started, I thought it was amazing that we were sitting (in N, block A5) listening to Leonard and that it was not raining. As predicted, the rain gradually increased though - until at the end it was tipping it down, but by then it didn't matter. The highlight of the evening for me was hearing "Heart with No Companion" for the first time since Leonard's return. I love this song, and would possibly even list it in my top twelve Leonard songs. I was also delighted to hear my beloved "Sisters of Mercy", and "Closing Time" which I haven't heard for a while. Otherwise the highlights remain the same..."Democracy", "Anthem", "Partisan", "Hallelujah" (how can it still so sound good?!), "Take This Waltz", "Famous Blue Raincoat", "Whither Thou Goest".

Leonard was in great spirits, and he thanked us all for coming in the wind and rain (which he said was "refreshing"). I'm glad that the wonderful Webbs managed to do their usual cartwheel in such a setting. Fortunately the trek back to the bus and the wait for it were not too gruelling. I re-connected with Andy Barnes who was also getting off the train at Waterloo Station and he kindly gave me the set-list, which I've posted here.

At the end of the day, I'm really glad that I was there to share this experience with Leonard, his band, and everyone else who was there.

Love to all, John E

[sturgess66]

The Webb Sisters posted about the show on their FaceBook:

The Webb Sisters had a night to remember tonight in Surrey. What a crowd! Standing in the rain and all singing our hearts out.

http://www.facebook.com/thewebbsisters?ref=nf

[curiousberyl]

Hey Vaughan

I think we were right beside you, A medium man, a girl, a tall man in a tilley hat & me, a redhead under a blue raincoat & cap, so completely unrecognisable from my photo!

You came a bit late & sat beside us

[stargazer61]

Just got home from an exceptional concert despite being soaked to the skin! Great atmosphere especially during the second half as the rain sheeted down! However it took me nearly 1 3/4 hours to get out of the carpark ..an absolute nightmare which somewhat washed away those post concert warm and satisfied feelings. The venue is not equipped to to deal with a large volume of traffic leaving at the same time and being channelled into increasingly narrow lines.......dreadful!