Mabeanie1 wrote: I have reached the conclusion that Leonard was probably suffering from first night nerves in Zagreb, hence the "safe" set list I referred to earlier.
cpl593h wrote:LHHUNTER wrote:I felt disappointed with the set list at the Zagreb show as Leonard choose not to give us anything fresh whether a taste of something from the forthcoming new album or some different songs from the back catalogue. I also thought the band looked very reserved and dare I say even bored at some points. I hope as the tour evolves they decide to try something new.
let's not forget that for the vast majority of people in the audience this is the one and only time they'll see LC and Band on this tour and as it's such a perfect set list it's best to keep it as it stands. of course it's great for us who visit the tour on several occasions to have a little variety - especially as this tour is now sooooo long! - but for most this is their one LC gig and they deserve the hear the music that has had the rest of us in raptures for so long.
Don't forget that there was maybe only 100 people among 11,000 in Zagreb who saw Leonard Cohen show before. And of those 50, half of them were Croats, other the Forum members! And the Forum members did complain about the setlist, true. I also hoped for new songs, but now I am glad it didn't happen in Zagreb.
I was in both Zagreb and Salzburg. And I can conclude that
it was the wise decision to jump the new songs in Zagreb in front of the audience screaming, dancing and literally jumping to the stage and giving you the standing ovations after every song. The atmosphere in Zagreb was highly emotional atmosphere of long-awaited love to be fulfilled, and it happened. Similar to reports from shows in Dublin or Israel, people dancing, singing, sitting on the floor in corridors etc.
In Salzburg, and after the Zagreb show (and after the experiences of the Lucca and Venice shows), I was struck by the church-like mood. The audience didn't move at all until I'm Your Man, and only by their clapping (which was becoming longer and deeper as the show progressed) you could realise that they are also very dedicated, but in completely different manner.
At moments I was thinking that I am sitting at the perfect soundcheck - crystal sound in complete silence, as someone's pouring Live in London directly into my brain as I'm sitting in perfect acoustic room. In such atmosphere it was easy to launch two new songs. Born in Chains sounded like I was listening to it on my mp3 player. In Zagreb, it was more like feeding lions, people hungry of hearing you after so many years of waiting. And you can't stop your sing-along show in front of 11,000 people with new song, you wanna give these people the old songs they love. You can do new songs in silenced and polite small arena of 5,000 seated people.
The common opinion of the local people and fans is that the show in Arena Zagreb was one of the best shows everyone experienced. No single complaint yet, newspapers still writing about it and people calling and writing and linking the clips on Youtube.
And I have to say that on my list of the shows the crowded, loud shows of Zagreb, Venice and Lucca are on the top, while Salzburg, despite its perfection of delivery and sound, is on the bottom of my personal attachment. Although it was the best played show I ever saw (!), much better than Zagreb or Royal Albert Hall, in terms of playing and delivery it was pure professionalism and total perfection. No single note fell on the wrong ground, while in Zagreb there were some errors and you couldn't really just sit and enjoy the music, as it was about giving yourself to the man, and vice versa, as he was much more smiling and dancing in Zagreb, delighted by the audience reaction.
So I can say that Salzburg was pure perfection of performance, while on the other side Zagreb was total surrender of the audience. For Salzburg, you can't say "I experienced the divine revelation", as that critic said for the Zagreb show. You can say "total perfection in reverend atmosphere". And the both sides are similar and are Leonard Cohen. Which one will happen depends on local audience and people's mentality and expectations.