CONCERT REPORTS: Ghent, Aug 12, 14, 15, 17 & 18

[Goldin]

Nighttime photos of the square are intriguing. Thanks, Gwen!

[Goldin]

Someone's report from Tumblr (the author is "a harpist, mostly classical", btw):

Magical, that is how I would describe Leonard Cohen his concert. After a quite long drive we arrived in Gent, it was really good organised. When we parked the car we could take the bus to Saint-Peter’s. So, because it was 6:00pm we decided to eat and drink something. That was expensive (9 euro for one burger), but luckily: almost every person that visited the concert was really nice. The weather was -unlike the people- not so nice, dark rain clouds and a fast wind. Around 8:00pm we were searching our chairs and found them. Unfortunately, the concert started almost half an hour too late and we had annoying people sitting behind us that would talk. Luckily, Cohen started singing directly when he arrived on stage. He started with his famous ‘Dancing to the End of Love’ and I must say: The band was really good. We all know his band from the cd’s: Songs from the Road & Live in London, but also a new one joined the band. His name is Alexandru Bublitchi and he plays the violin. He was a great addition to the band, because the violin gave something extra that I missed at the cd Live in London in certain songs, for example in: Bird on the wire, Who By Fire, The Gypsy’s Wife and Suzanne. His solo’s were magnificent. And then one of my favourite band members, we all know him from his amazing solo at the beginning of Who By Fire. It is Javier Mas. Again, his solo’s were perfect and unbelievable. And how Leonard sat in front of him when he played archlute, lute or mandolin was so sweet! Leonard Cohen played a few new songs like: Going Home and Come Healing. He also played lesser known songs like I Can’t Forget. But it was so perfect, you could really feel it. And when he apologized for the fact that the concert started later and that the weather actually turned out to be better than expected, he made us all smile because he said he appreciated it that we sat there for a long time. The Webb Sisters were great as vocals, so was Sharon Robinson. When the concert ‘ended’ he bowed for all us and thanked us. But it didn’t end at 11:15pm, no! We wanted an encore and in the end we got 7 songs. The first one was ‘So Long, Marianne’ and everyone in the public sang the chorus together with Leonard Cohen. After that, he started singing ‘First We Take Manhattan’, to which we, again, sang together with Cohen. This time we started clapping on the rhythm and sang the line: ‘Then We Take Berlin!’. He ended the encore with ‘I Tried To Leave You’, in which Rafael Bernardo Gayol gives a great drum solo, and ‘Closing Time’. I found it heartwarming that he referred to us as ‘friends’ and thanked us all night long. In one word the concert was perfect. Thanks, Leonard Cohen for your time, poetry, music and smile.

Sincerely, a fan.

[yoeri]

Budhist television in the Netherlands: 26/8, 14u yoeri: it is on September 26 (Wybe) no, it isn't

Hallelujah, Leonard Cohen is back
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPDfSUsW ... ata_player

(with some video of 12/8 so I post it here also)

[gaby&paul]

Despite all excitement we´re not yet used to the new sound. We´re still missing "the painter and master musician" Dino Soldo and the "irreplacable" Bob Metzger (wishing him all the best for his recovery!!). Gladly remembering the magic touch they gave to the UHTC we wish profoundly to see them back on stage.

[Joe Way]

Thanks to all for the great reports and pictures! We loved the photos from the concerts and the meet-ups. I've been trying to stay away from the videos as we won't see him until Austin, but finally broke down last night and watched, "Light as a Breeze." Wonderful!

Joe

[j6ppc]

Despite all excitement we´re not yet used to the new sound. We´re still missing "the painter and master musician" Dino Soldo and the "irreplacable" Bob Metzger (wishing him all the best for his recovery!!). Gladly remembering the magic touch they gave to the UHTC we wish profoundly to see them back on stage.

Anyone know the story on Dino?

[Goldin]

Anyone know the story on Dino?

Everybody knows: viewtopic.php?f=58&t=32458

[musicmania]

Some of Field Commander Cohen from the soundcheck on Tuesday. A bit shaky in places but YouTube is working on fixing that for me.

http://youtu.be/rF77V5veqmE

[Cheshire gal]

musicmania, thank you for that clip of Field Commander Cohen. I could see you were valiently looking for a place to photo the the performance.

How I envy you being there. Enjoy the concerts.

[musicmania]

musicmania, thank you for that clip of Field Commander Cohen. I could see you were valiently looking for a place to photo the the performance.

How I envy you being there. Enjoy the concerts.

Well spotted the reason I was looking through that gap is because I saw Rachel (Holydove) looking there for ages and was wondering had I managed to miss a gap but I hadn't. A while later it was raining and a shop keeper allowed us go up to the second floor where we could see in but Leonard was gone by then. I have a snippet of If It Be Your will. I will upload to FB and link it here as not putting it on YouTube as my connection here is dire for YouTube. I'm home now BTW. I did the first 2 concerts. Have the 4 in Dublin and I am planning to head to all the soundchecks there and am bringing an audio only recorder.

[Cheshire gal]

Oh! I see. It would be great to have visual as well as audio on soundchecks. I always look for them, they are interesting and a lot of fun. I cannot imagine how Leonard, especially, and crew can spend so much time each day practicing and then having to put on a three and a half or four hour concert. Wow.

Looking forward to you next cuts and having four Dublin concerts sounds wonderful. Have fun.

[annmarie]

Thanks again everyone for the updates. I'm trying not to look...................but couldn't resist your pics Gwen! Great!

[musicmania]

Oh! I see. It would be great to have visual as well as audio on soundchecks. I always look for them, they are interesting and a lot of fun. I cannot imagine how Leonard, especially, and crew can spend so much time each day practicing and then having to put on a three and a half or four hour concert. Wow.

Looking forward to you next cuts and having four Dublin concerts sounds wonderful. Have fun.

IF I can find a decent location to record the Dublin soundchecks I will try and include a couple of visual. The only place coming to mind in a main road and I was thinking with cars it might be best to just concentrate on getting audio.

Thanks again everyone for the updates. I'm trying not to look...................but couldn't resist your pics Gwen! Great!

Thanks Anne! Plenty more to come as soon as I finish the reviews

[annmarie]

I'd imagine either would be difficult in Dublin Gwen. Kilmainham is so secluded.

[musicmania]

I'd imagine either would be difficult in Dublin Gwen. Kilmainham is so secluded.

I'll do my best, either way I will be there and will report back

As promised a snippet of If It Be Your Will from soundcheck on Tuesday with the view

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151043534158401