CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Europe and Israel (July 1 - September 24, 2009). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
Relate
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by Relate »

Tom Sakic wrote:Relate, I'd like the recording of the sound check:)
Tom and others:

here is my recording of the new song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr7jptm02N4

I will upload other tracks from the sound check soon.
ladydi
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by ladydi »

Relate...thank you SO much! I LOVE this song! The blues sound is awesome. Please, please, remember us in the US when you return this fall....forget the sound check and give it to us in the concert....greedy, yes! Wow....ready for more of the blues....low and sexy!
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friscogrl
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by friscogrl »

I agree, great song! Love the blusey quality to it. Sticky little buzz! :D (or is it bud?)
Church bells, nice touch! ;-)
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bridger15
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by bridger15 »

Venice Blessings
Bill's Bar was very kind to send this report.
what I think I heard over the Italian voices was some Hebrew, which if I'm right Leonard translated " May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He let His light shine upon you "... I recognised as being used in the [Roman Catholic] Mass, and I guess it's from the Bible. There was no " Whither thou goest".
Did anyone else catch the Blessings?
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tomsakic
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by tomsakic »

bridger15,

it was very loud and full of screaming from the audience, so I didn't hear a word. Later on the photos I saw that LC even made Vulcan salute (from his drawings) during the blessing.

It started in something I was thinking it's Italian with English accent (sounded for a moment like a poem, what Leonard could do, knowing various poets), then it sounded like Latin in English accent for a moment (because of what I was even more thinking that he quoting somebody, maybe Dante), but then I clearly heard Hebrew words. There was no "summer cold" or anything - he translated then Hebrew blessing (or prayer?) to English and left without Wither Thou Goest.

I don't know was the part that sounded like Italian or Latin also Yiddish but I guess it was. And I don't know why I know it was prayer/blessing an dthen translated, but I think that maybe Leonard himself used a phrase like "in English" or "to paraphrase". Maybe somebody else would remember or a recording would emerge.




I will only add that there was no jumbo screens in Venice, so this will remain one of rare non-filmed concerts - maybe it's appropriate it was one of the best. The work of art has to keep his aura.
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bridger15
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by bridger15 »

Tom, thank you for the wonderful summary of the Venice audience and LC's closing. I could almost hear it all happening just as you described.
Tom Sakic wrote: it was very loud and full of screaming from the audience, so I didn't hear a word. Later on the photos I saw that LC even made Vulcan salute (from his drawings) during the blessing.
Vulcan? This puzzled me. At first I thought you meant Vivaldi, Venice being the home of the "Red Priest". So I consulted the modern day oracle, Wikipedia, and learned this is a salute created for Star Trek. I am probably the only one on this Forum who knows nothing about Star Trek. Apparently, this salute is based on the Blessing gesture used by a Kohen (like our LC) during Synagogue worship services. (Look to the right at my avatar -a scan of the LC keychain- to see the actual Blessing gesture with both hands.)
I will only add that there was no jumbo screens in Venice, so this will remain one of rare non-filmed concerts - maybe it's appropriate it was one of the best. The work of art has to keep his aura.
Again, maybe I am the only one here who doesn't know this. Does this mean that there is repository somewhere with hundreds of hours of recordings from this tour's concerts?
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tomsakic
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by tomsakic »

Yes, and the original plan to release a series of "official bootleg shows" as iTunes download - every show will be available for download, probably from the future website which will also include merchandise.

Every show is digitally recorded for Leonard's archives, nowadays it can be done easily. (He doesn't have recordings from the previous tour, though, almost non at all. Field Commander Cohen CD was done from only existing 1979 recordings, and there's no actual info what's with other 1970s tours... in pre-digital times, recording a show meant a whole truck full of equipment, so that's why for, Cohen Live CD, in 1993 Sony recorded the shows in Canada - they were close!)

But from Fall 2008 the tour crew has been recording every show in Blue-Ray definition; actually, as every show was screened on the big screens, all recordings from small cameras around stage were archived so virtually every show from the tour is available in video recording. The plan is to release DVD with "best of" selection of all songs from the tour, somewhere in the near future, 2010 or so. I just noticed that there will be no Venice - there was no single camera on this show and there were no screens. Maybe it's because the venue was small, but somebody said it's maybe because it was impossible to make it - namely, the equipment for the stage was transported on small ships through Venice, and then on those small Venetian push carts to Piazza St. Marco!


About the salute: yes, it was that salute from your avatar - I have that logo on my tour T-shirt (blue one). I didn't know that the Vulcan salute was based on Jewish blessings until I read recently a discussion about it here on the Forum. I have the photo I made, Leonard's is waving with right hand making that sign.

Here's the original post in which Jarkko published the sign, sent to the Forum by Leonard:
jarkko wrote:

Seal of The Blessing To End Disunity


Image
PS. The history of Cohen's both logotypes: viewtopic.php?p=175071#p175071
Liamberney
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by Liamberney »

Something in the air?
Tom Sakic wrote:I don't know what happened in Venice on Monday, but above the "usual perfection" (that sounds horrible;) of the band and Leonard's standard superb delivery, there was something in the air, at least when Leonard himself was in question.
Thank you Tom for your continued enlightenment on this concert. I note from your original review on Venice you report that their was something unusual in the air. I also detected this. During the sound check his quip of 'can someone remove that building' (the Basilica or campo tower?) was something I thought I had misheard! I always think of LC as thoughtful and serious. When I hear him speak it is slow and deliberate, pausing to choose his words. During the sound check, and to some extent in the show, he was playful with a little mischief perhaps. His speech snappy & humorous.It was truly magical. I was interested to read that we will be able to download concert footage. What a pity that their is no recording of my two favourite shows, (Manchester Opera house first show and Venice)
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jarkko
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by jarkko »

EVERY concert since the beginning of the tour has been recorded on audio by the tour management, in perfect quality from the sound board . However, it remains to be seen whether or not the online shop with official downloads will come true. A lot of rights issues have to be solved first.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by beckerbon »

I am Bob Metzger's sister in Hobe Sound, Florida. I am looking for photos from the Venice Concert. Do you know where I can locate any?
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jarkko
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by jarkko »

Hello Beckerbon - welcome to the Forum! I know that families of many (if not all!) band members are monitoring our Forum and Marie's media reports to get the latest info!
I hope to get up a photo gallery soon (but my photos are from the sound check, meetups etc., not from the concert itself)
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by sturgess66 »

jarkko wrote:EVERY concert since the beginning of the tour has been recorded on audio by the tour management, in perfect quality from the sound board . However, it remains to be seen whether or not the online shop with official downloads will come true. A lot of rights issues have to be solved first.
You know - I was just going to ask about this. Last night I posted some videos in the Lisbon thread that someone had put on Vimeo - and they are, I believe, almost entirely taken from the "big screen" - but contain fantastic shots of Leonard and his band and singers.

So - last night - I was wondering about the video that has appeared on these big screens from the tour - if it was preserved. Please let it be!! It is incredible. Audio yes, also - but that video that includes up close shots, and shots from angles that no one person from the audience could ever achieve - just incredible!! Who does that Jarkko? Is that Leonard's people? I guess it would have to be?
Last edited by sturgess66 on Sun Aug 09, 2009 6:42 am, edited 2 times in total.
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jarkko
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by jarkko »

Professional camera crews do the filming at venues that have the big screens. Last fall all European concerts were taped with many cameras in HD quality in 16:9 ratio for future use of Leonard and his management!
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by sturgess66 »

jarkko wrote:Professional camera crews do the filming at venues that have the big screens. Last fall all European concerts were taped with many cameras in HD quality in 16:9 ratio for future use of Leonard and his management!
Thanks! They do a great job. Actually - it has been the same at shows I have attended of other artists. Excellent job.

But - I really only care about what I have seen from Leonard's shows. And was praying that it was preserved!! :lol:

And it sounds like more good things to come - something to look forward to! :D :D :D
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Venice, August 3

Post by sturgess66 »

Tom Sakic wrote:bridger15,

it was very loud and full of screaming from the audience, so I didn't hear a word. Later on the photos I saw that LC even made Vulcan salute (from his drawings) during the blessing.
I believe I saw Dino giving the Vulcan salute in at least one video?

Here Spock explains the Vulcan salute -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmkDOzjfSSY

Live long and prosper.
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