CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, October 28 & 29,2010

July 25 - December 11, 2010. Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
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sturgess66
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CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, October 28 & 29,2010

Post by sturgess66 »

Well - it is heading towards a late Wednesday evening where I am -

BUT - in Auckland, New Zealand - it is already Thursday, October 28th
- and almost 3:00 p.m.
- the temperature is a comfortable 65 degrees F.
- the sound check should be happening soon
- and there is a show tonight. :D :D

The venue, Vector Arena, opened in 2007, holds both sporting and entertainment events and can host approximately 12,000 people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vector_Arena

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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT THREAD: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by sturgess66 »

Bic Runga is opening for Leonard Cohen at all the New Zealand shows -

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1009/S ... -cohen.htm
Bic Runga To Open For Leonard Cohen
Thursday, 2 September 2010, 10:09 am
Press Release: Mushroom Group

Media Release – Thursday 2nd September

Bic Runga To Open For Leonard Cohen

It is with great delight that The Frontier Touring Company announce Bic Runga will be opening for Leonard Cohen at all New Zealand shows.

Bic is a long time admirer of Leonard’s music and is thrilled to be joining the music legend on stage. "I'm so excited to support Leonard Cohen on his New Zealand shows, I've been a fan of his songs and poems since I was 16. It's an honour to be given the chance to play before a true master of songwriting."
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You can listen to her at her MySpace - here -
http://www.myspace.com/bicrunga

And there are videos - here -
http://www.videocure.com/music-videos/b ... 061d4.html

And the Webb Sisters posted this video of Bic Runga singing "Sway" on their FaceBook with the comment "supporting the LC shows, beautiful Bic"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w28ZREQe3_Q
http://www.facebook.com/thewebbsisters

And from Joey - yesterday - the proof.
Sharon Robinson is back!! :D :D :D

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Rehearsal day one and the band’s all here.
* Auckland, New Zealand
And beautiful Auckland -
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Breakfast by the sea before heading to the venue for rehearsal day two.
* Auckland, New Zealand
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/140 ... -the-venue
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neo
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Re: CONCERT THREAD: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by neo »

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Venue is prepped and ready for doors.

Finally, show day.
*Auckland, New Zealand

Funny that shows now start so early (m local time)... :D
What sad religions they want us to believe.
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT THREAD: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by sturgess66 »

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New Zealand’s Bic Runga prepares to take the stage and start the nights musical performances.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
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LC thanks Bic for the great set and the UHTC is on in ten.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
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UHTC production manager Robert Nelson gets anointed before the band walks to stage.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
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On in Auckland.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
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Solo via Soldo.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/142 ... ckland-new
sue7
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Re: CONCERT THREAD: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by sue7 »

Thank you for starting us off on this leg of the tour with what has become a welcome, familiar and relied-on format, Linda and neo.
And so wonderful that Sharon Robinson is back!!!
Sue
dce
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Travel Around Australia and New Zealand

Post by dce »

Wow .... just got back from a blistering 3.5 tour opening concert at Vector Arena in Auckland. Overall a great performance by LC and the band and quite an enthusiastic crowd (particularly in the second half).

I'm too tired now to post any pictures or a proper report of the show, but here's the setlist:


---------------------

Auckland 28 October 2010

Set 1

Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
The Darkness
Born In Chains
Chelsea Hotel #2
Waiting For The Miracle
Anthem

Set 2

Tower of Song
Suzanne
Avalanche
Sisters of Mercy
The Gypsy's Wife
Feels So Good
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation, with a couple of different stanzas I haven't previously heard)
Anthem

Encore 1

So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan

Encore 2

Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Closing Time (with spoken outro)

Encore 3

I Tried To Leave You
Ain't No Cure For Love

---------------------

More later ...


Dean (from Adelaide)
(For most of November 2010, I followed Leonard and the band as they toured around Australia and New Zealand. You can read about my wanderings on the blog I created to collect them all in one place: http://lcdownunder2010.wordpress.com/)
dce
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Re: CONCERT THREAD: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by dce »

Just back from the Auckland show tonight (28 October). Here's the setlist as I wrote it down ...

Set 1

Dance Me To The End Of Love
The Future
Bird On The Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who By Fire
The Darkness
Born In Chains
Chelsea Hotel #2
Waiting For The Miracle
Anthem

Set 2

Tower of Song
Suzanne
Avalanche
Sisters of Mercy
The Gypsy's Wife
Feels So Good
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (recitation, different stanzas)
Take This Waltz

Encore 1

So Long, Marianne
First We Take Manhattan

Encore 2

Famous Blue Raincoat
If It Be Your Will
Closing Time (with spoken outro)

Encore 3

I Tried To Leave You
Ain't No Cure For Love

Dean (from Adelaide)

****Hi, the last song of the second part was Take This Walz I suppose......
Szilvia / Correction made by Jarkko*****
(For most of November 2010, I followed Leonard and the band as they toured around Australia and New Zealand. You can read about my wanderings on the blog I created to collect them all in one place: http://lcdownunder2010.wordpress.com/)
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by sturgess66 »

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The poem 1000 Kisses Deep makes a surprise return to the set.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
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LC’s “angels” bring it home during Closing Time.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
Image
First night of the down under tour is in the books.
* Vector Arena - Auckland, New Zealand
http://leonardcohen.tumblr.com/post/142 ... -is-in-the
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caz
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by caz »

5:30 AM Leonard Cohen is a revelation to those who knew him only on records long ago.

At the age of 76, the dark poet is a warm, gracious, comfortable performer on stage.

Many of the near-capacity crowd last night had already discovered that last year. This time, they were perhaps looking for something extra.

Essentially they got the same.

Cohen took the stage with the same players, same dapper suits and trilby hats, same song order for too much of the concert.

But every so often the pace was quickened with a moment of magic.

The first came six or seven songs into the programme, the first time Cohen picked up a guitar.

Over his signature rolling rhythm, Spanish guitarist Javier Mas played an extended introduction to Who by Fire and the band came alive.

Cohen was less engaging than last year, eyes hidden by his hat brim and few comments to the audience.

There was a ritual nod to nuclear-free New Zealand and to the "wisdom and sanity of your Government - and the luck of geography here".

After the interval, the treats came regularly. The lovely Gypsy Wife, a rousing rendition of The Partisan, and Collaborator Sharon Robinson's Boogie Street.

After two rounds of band introductions, the audience knows them well. Cohen treats them all as co-stars, doffing his hat to them through their solos.

But his velvet voice is the undertow of all the tunes. He is the show. His timing and the intensity of his singing are the essence.

On occasions, he is a little too intense for the material. A song such as Chelsea Hotel #2 is not exactly profound. It could be better done as simply as others, such as Rufus Wainwright, do it.

There were tired moments - Suzanne was a struggle - but many more great ones, such as Tower of Song with just Cohen, his little synthesizer and the female chorus.

He was a published poet before he turned to song, and last night, his spoken version of his poem to age, A Thousand Kisses Deep, was the moment to exceed them all.

He was on stage for more than three hours. We couldn't ask for more. He is 76. He said he does not know when he will be back. He has left his fans forever satisfied.
It'll be interesting to see how people respond to this report, with its occasional negative comments. I think it's proably a fair one. Being a fan doesn't blind one to reality nor mean one has to lose one's critical faculties.

Link: http://m.nzherald.co.nz/music/news/arti ... d=10683822

Carole
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by cohenadmirer »

It'll be interesting to see how people respond to this report, with its occasional negative comments. I think it's proably a fair one. Being a fan doesn't blind one to reality nor mean one has to lose one's critical faculties.

Link: http://m.nzherald.co.nz/music/news/arti ... d=10683822

Carole
re the above review

well 30 songs , including avalanche and a thousand kisses deep and i doubt that i would have had any negative comments at the end of this show had i been there. But as we reminisce about the whole 2.5 years of the world tour , it is clear that leonard spoke more in the early 2008 concerts and that was great but - on th e other hand and in my view- the overall performance in the later shows seemed more polished ,and had the advantage of 3 great new songs being introduced ( feel so good being for me one of his greatest songs- even though not yet really finished )
None of the shows fell below the threshold of magical greatness. As for suzanne being a struggle i imagine that relates more to the state of mind of the reviewer than any kind of objective reality .
but 30 songs ! if there is no curfew in las vegas , perhaps there will be even more :D

ps great to see Sharon back
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
mwestern
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by mwestern »

I wonder how much consideration is given to previous shows at the same venue. Compared with Auckland in 2009, there were four different old songs played last night, and three new songs. Seven changes out of 30(!) songs isn't so bad. I wasn't there last night, but will be there tonight. Of course everyone has their favourites, and they probably won't hear all of them (any chance for Heart With No Companion?? please), but it will be perfect whatever is played. If they play the same as last night, that's great. If they mix it up, even better. Tonight will be fine. There's no one out there like Leonard Cohen. I'll be enjoying every second.
dce
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Re: Travel Around Australia and New Zealand

Post by dce »

Photos from Row 1 @ Auckland 28 October

More by good luck than planning -- just happened to get to the ticket website at the right time -- I had the supreme good fortune of having front row tickets at the opening show of the NZ/Aus tour.

My gf Cathy (aka Cathy (from Adelaide)) was on photographer duties, and used the opportunity of being up close to snap some nice pictures. Here's a sampling of her work:

Vector Arena:
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The "Merch" caravan, with its numerous goodies:
Image

Our Man (in Black & White):
Image

The Band (in glorious monochrome):
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"They tied me to this table right here ..."
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The girls sing Hallelujah:
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On the screen .. and up close:
Image

"I'll wear an old man mask":
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Leonard and the Webb Sisters - If It Be Your Will:
Image


Dean (from Adelaide)
(For most of November 2010, I followed Leonard and the band as they toured around Australia and New Zealand. You can read about my wanderings on the blog I created to collect them all in one place: http://lcdownunder2010.wordpress.com/)
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caz
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by caz »

Don't get me wrong: I thoroughly enjoyed the Lille concert in September though I would say that there too some of the sparkle was missing. I appreciated every note but I was more concerned that Leonard seemed tired.

Reality tells me not every night can be perfect: the schedule has been gruelling for the whole band. In Lille there was little between-songs dialogue but let's face it, when at shows where there was some, reviewers criticised the repetition. Sometimes you can't win.
mwestern
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by mwestern »

There is now some feedback underneath the NZ Herald review this morning:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/music/news/ar ... d=10683822

It sounds a bit more positive. I suspect the reviewer was having an ordinary day at the office, rather than a fan enjoying a very rare treat.
mwestern
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Auckland, New Zealand, Oct. 28-29,2010

Post by mwestern »

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