CONCERT REPORT: Bournemouth, November 11

September 21 - November 30, 2008. Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
dynamiksdreamdebased
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Re: Famous face

Post by dynamiksdreamdebased »

Scooby Doo wrote:For those of you who know English football (soccer) I was suprised to see six spare seats to the right of me given that it was right at the front of the stage. Just as Leonard was about to come on the stage, Harry Redknapp (Tottenham Hotspur and ex-Portsmouth, West Ham and Bournemouth) Manager whizzed past me with five guests in tow.

Ironically, He disappeared at the 50 minute interval and never re-appeared!

:roll:

Scoobs

He was probably sent to the stands....

Really enjoyed the concert, very grateful to the magnificent Jarkko for sorting the special tickets.

Compared to Manchester I did think it was more subdued, the audience certainly seemed a bit older, very few in my age bracket (21), but another unforgettable evening none the less :)
blithe, urbane and inebriated.
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hydriot
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by hydriot »

Melvyn wrote:I'm surprised some comments said the crowd were subdued; not sure really what they wanted.
When I said the crowd was subdued, I was implying I like it that way. At some concerts, especially the open air ones, people have been dancing in the aisles and singing-along... not my cup of tea.
“If you do have love it's a kind of wound, and if you don't have it it's worse.” - Leonard, July 1988
dancinginthedark
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by dancinginthedark »

Just to say the Bournmouth crowd was by no means all over 60! I'm not and most of the people around us looked to be in their 40/50's with some younger and some older
Casar
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by Casar »

hydriot wrote: He told us that he had had a dream of Robert Louis Stevenson and Henry James: "They told me to keep on working!"
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movine
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by movine »

I too have joined this forum just so I can add to the praise for the Bournemouth concert. Me & my wife are still gobsmacked by the show which was the best all round that I've seen. Absolutely faultless and magical; I even had a lump in my cynical old throat a couple of times at the sheer beauty of it! I was amazed to discover that the "sublime Webb Sisters" are British; I would have put money on them being American, I would have guessed California not Kent! Oh well just as well I didn't.
My only complaint was that the seats became very hard on my bony old bum after all that time & the person behind who was jiggling the back of my seat tested my peace vibe! I am very glad it was subdued as some one put it. I detest it when people start clapping along like OAP's at a sing-song. As an ex drummer I can tell you it is almost always out of time; it should be banned in public I reckon! Who wants to hear peoples' meaty mitts slapping together just behind your head making it impossible to hear the fantastic playing on stage?
A great show which I will remember for a very long time; just wish he would tour regularily now!
Does anyone know if there are plans for a live CD/DVD of this tour? I would guess there would be as it would be a wasted opportunity else
PWaddilove
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by PWaddilove »

An exhilarating, overwhelming evening. We were perhaps subdued because we were listening. It wasn't a young crowd, but one who loved Cohen and Friends almost to a man/woman And four -- five?? -- six?? -- standing ovations -- everyone on their feet, all at once -- is hardly 'subdued'!

The sound was unimaginably good -- perfect. Whether that's down to the sound crew or the general acoustics in the hall, someone else will have to answer. We were 1st balcony centre, row PP. L Cohen's articulation is as good as the best singer of Monteverdi, and his songs are as good! We both loved the crystal-clear imagery on the screens. Lighting effects were brilliant.

A wonderful, wonderful concert -- 2 1/2 hours of song, almost without pause, blindingly good musicianship, and L Cohen's voice has deepened and strengthened over the years and is immensely powerful and rich. My husband, never a Cohen fan, came away devoted to him.

We're hoping for a live DVD -- I almost don't care which venue, or if a mix from several, and CDs of any live performance.

Whew. I hope we see him again. I hope all this makes him rich beyond his wildest dreams. I hope he never stops singing, writing, performing, and being such a sweet, gracious GENTLEMAN. Bless him.
brokenhill
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by brokenhill »

Just back from Bournemouth and pleased to confirm all the above positives. The average age of the Bournemouth resident probably affects the liveliness, Certainly I was the 54 year old youngster in my part of the hall.

As it was me that started the thread asking for acknowledgment of the sound crew I was near tears when I heard the first two numbers with several discordant aspects and imbalances. (I was up at the back in the wheelchair balcony)

The point is that the totally amazing sound crew tackled each one head on, by the third number it was near perfect and by the time we got to Anthem we had that wonderful "all joined up but you can hear every note" quality that I've been so in awe of in other venues.

And how good to have the power of this forum confirmed yet again when Leonard thanked the sound crew and all the other backroom folk. Thank you Leonard, it needed saying.

One last thought, is the acknowledgment of the amazing Roscoe for "stand up bass, Electric bass and VOCALS", one of the best jokes of the tour, or did I miss lots of other scintillating contributions from my distant eyrie :?

Four shows in to my five show adventure, paying double (cos wheelchairs pay for their helpers too), and it has been worth every penny, every mile, every travelodge minute, and I can't wait for the NEC when the whole show finally bowls into my home town, and dreading it being the last as wel :( l
Still reliving every second of:1970 Isle of Wight, 1985 Birmingham, 2008 Manchester OH , Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Birmingham, 2009 Liverpool and ................ :o)
paddieu
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by paddieu »

Wow you shouldnt be paying double - 'helpers' ticket shud be free ! :shock:
brokenhill
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by brokenhill »

no worries Paddieu, They are all converts now any way :D
Still reliving every second of:1970 Isle of Wight, 1985 Birmingham, 2008 Manchester OH , Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Birmingham, 2009 Liverpool and ................ :o)
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Womanfromaroom
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by Womanfromaroom »

Still, it doesn't seem right; I doubt that Leonard would like that, although these organisational things are probably outside his power as well as out of his knowledge! However, it is even worse in Germany: I used to accompany a blind person, and on the train, for example, my blind friend had to pay the fare, but I as her helper was allowed to go for free. We always ended up sharing the overall sum anyway, but as I said, all this seems a bit strange, also given that the wheelchair places at Leonard's concerts don't seem to be the best ones...
"You thought that it could never happen / to all the people that you became"...
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tomsakic
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by tomsakic »

brokenhill wrote:J

One last thought, is the acknowledgment of the amazing Roscoe for "stand up bass, Electric bass and VOCALS", one of the best jokes of the tour, or did I miss lots of other scintillating contributions from my distant eyrie :?
Well, Roscoe screams "Pleeeaaaasssssseeeeeee" twice during I'm Your Man ;-)


ps. Really, he was doing back vocals previously on the old tours, and I think on this one also: in choruses during Ain't No Cure For Love and Closing Time, he is the male vocal singing little higher, "closing time closing time closing time" and also "ain't no cure ain't no cure etc." I am sure he was doing this on this tour also, on Closing Time, I recall he was standing with his bass guitar at the microphone on the show in Italy and I remember he was singing.

Songs with male vocals in chorus usually were: Dance me... ("la la la" parts), The Future ("repent" parts), Ain't No Cure for Love (chorus), Heart With No Companion (chorus), Closing Time (chorus line), maybe Democracy ("Sail On" chorus), I'm Your Man ("Please" scream) ... you can see the logic of its use, beside the usual female backing.

To tell the whole truth, I always thought that male vocals are sometimes ruining the ladies on those songs - Closing Time needs it (he's the voice of the boss), but I felt, while listening the old bootlegs, that Ain't No Cure for Love and Heart with No Companion were little ruined by presence of male vocals beside Perla's and Julie's, and now Webb Sisters'... In 1993, bass player was Jorge Calderon and he did those parts instead of Roscoe, you can clearly hear him during Ain't No Cure on bootleg from LA (Columbia Radio Hour aka First We Take L.A. aka Above the Sun). Later in the tour, and on Cohen Live official release, his vocal was either mixed to be less intrusive, or even he stopped to add it (I recall how I heard him during "la la la" parts in Dance Me... and didn't like it beside the ladies' vocals).
brokenhill
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by brokenhill »

Tom Sakic wrote:
Well, Roscoe screams "Pleeeaaaasssssseeeeeee" twice during I'm Your Man ;-)
Drat! I was rather hoping that was the sole contribution, well worth the credit anyway! :)
davies30cat
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by davies30cat »

I was in Manchester in July (at the Opera House) Which I thought was great. As a previous poster noted my husband was not a fan previously but finished the evening by saying that it was is the top five best concerts he has ever been to.

We too thought that Bournemouth was a little more subdued and like another poster I don't mind it that way it that way. I come to see/hear Leonard and like it if that's what I hear not someone with an 'I love to sing in the shower' voice destroying my favourite songs. I'm all for cheering and ovations but please don't be tempted to sing (especially if you are at RAH on Tuesday. Also, the crowd was a little older in Bournemouth. Rednap was just infront and to our left and I was sad to see 6 or so seats wasted in the 2nd half.

The mixed crowd in Manchester was one of the things that I was really thrilled to see (a new generation passing on the baton/songs to another).

Fantastic shows! may he keep performing for as long as he has strength. Whilst I am disappointed not to shake his hand again I quite understand how tiring it must be, the adrenalin, the nerves etc, it must be exhausting. Feel the love and be lifted by it and you need never be nervous again Leonard!
ebor-rose
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by ebor-rose »

Hi

I registered really just to be able to say how much I enjoyed the show at Bournemouth. I have come late to Leonard Cohen and never thought that I would be able to see him perform live. It was a fabulous show. I was in one of the side balconies and heard & saw everything clearly. Subdued? Spontaneous clapping when songs were recognised and laughter at irony or a bon mot, standing ovations. I am glad that there was no 'sing a long with Len' as that allowed us all to listen and appreciate the man and his music ( and the accompanying artists). Highlights - too many to say all of them but Bird on the Wire made my spine tingle, A Thousand Kisses Deep was beautiful with that voice and expression ( I am surprised that Mr Cohen has not produced CDs just of his poetry & / song lyrics - unless I have missed something here), Hallelujah he reclaimed as his own.
As for age - I am in my early 50s and my friend is 40 while two rows in front were two teenagers with their parents but what does age matter when you hear such music and words?
vardagal
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Re: Bournemouth 11 November

Post by vardagal »

I was the one with the placard.
I've never had the chance to see Leonard Cohen live until this year, and now I did it 3 times.
Actually the first time was Rome (not Paris), then Berlin, and then Bournemouth.
Each and every time was pure magic.
I would have loved to continue following him in his tour, but this is not possible…
If they ever do a DVD out of this concert, perhaps they will consider coming to give a concert in Israel…
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