CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Concert reports, set lists, reviews, photos and You Tube links. Fan meet-ups before and after the concerts.
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Mabeanie1
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by Mabeanie1 »

zwirnie wrote:just one question concerning the setlist ... was 'Save the Last Dance' really played before 'Famous Blue Raincoat'? Would have been the first time on this tour ...
Good spot zwirnie. You're right, of course. Famous Blue Raincoat came before Save the Last Dance For Me. Time was running out. Leonard played FBR then had a few minutes left before what I guess was meant to be a 12.30 am curfew so launched in to Save the Last Dance. There appeared to be insufficient time for Closing Time even if Leonard wanted to play it. The song ended, Leonard left the stage, the band took their bows and they too left the stage. There was a pause and we all thought it was over - then much to our surprise and delight, the band came back on again. Obviously Leonard had been told he could take a few more minutes so he came back on and performed I Tried to Leave You. I am pretty sure it was an unplanned "extra" - unless anyone knows any different?

Wendy
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by zwirnie »

Thank you so much for clearing it up :)
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coolfadda
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by coolfadda »

Verona was just super. This was the first time I ever got a front row seat to a concert and it was just magical. I was with my son and we just had the best time. I couldn't believe when Leonard came back for encore after encore. Not sure who was saying how much time was left but we were the beneficiaries. Leonard, thank you so so much for yet another wonderful night of music .. I only hope you or anyone in the band doesnt catch a cold. This was also the first time I caught up with some forum members and everyone was so friendly and kind. Really great to meet you Jarkko and your wife in person. Thank you so much for including us in the meet up when we happened upon you all. Hope to see some of you again in Boston. :D
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Maarten
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by Maarten »

Hi all,
Verona was Magic!

Here are my photos:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... d7e2f8563c

See you all soon, I hope!
Maarten

2008 Manchester | Bruges | Amsterdam | London | 2x Brussels | Rotterdam |2x London
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2010 Salzburg | 2x Sligo | Helsinki | 3x Ghent | Lille | 2x Las Vegas
2012 5x Ghent | 2x A'dam | Helsinki | Dublin | Verona | 3x Paris | Lisboa
2013 Paris | Antwerp | Oberhausen | Brussels | Pula | Rotterdam | Amsterdam | 2x Wellington | Auckland
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sturgess66
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

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Last edited by sturgess66 on Fri Sep 28, 2012 2:34 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by MaryB »

Thank you Maarten. I especially like the last few pictures of the angels.
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mutti
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by mutti »

Looks like the Verona concert was magical! Wish I could have been there...
Thanks Albert for the videos and Maarten for your photos as it transported those of us far away right to Verona
for a few moments.
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by tomsakic »

I must say that You Tube clips are MUCH BETTER than the actual presence in Verona. In first row the sound was too low, couldn't hear Leonard in eg Bird on the Wire, and the band sounded disjointed in first set - I heard Charley over Leonard in Bird on the Wire and Who By Fire (what was quite annoying for me), violin was coming from the right, there were ups and down in sound level, The Future sounded strange, and Darkness like completely unrehearsed, like each member plays in own direction. Now, listening to Alexandra leaving and The Future on YouTube, doesn't sound like the show I was on... The big problem with the venue is a big gap (pool-size) between stage and first rows (orchestra pit?) so that's why it felt like I am "on the other side of intimacy" with much of the sound being lost from stage before reaching first rows, and the fact that there was no curtains behind the stage did not help. Second set was immaculate although with no surprises except Night Comes On so it all made your perfect first or only Leonard Cohen show. The audience was fresh into the show and it worked well - more than well, Leonard got ovation for almost every song at the very first line, and even new songs were greeted with a long applause at the first verse.

That's my lesson this time - I have to buy ticket after 5th row, as sound system is above 5th row or so and directed deeply into the venue. We had the same problem in Ljubljana - we were getting live real sound from stage monitors, and we had *delayed* sound from back of the arena, so we had two sound sources. But the band didn't sound disjointed in the mix as the first set of Verona.

Btw, I really liked "new" Democracy, it's crazier than ever. And like Paul, I enjoyed hearing Night Comes On, plus That's No Way To Say Goodbye, live. And superb Sharon in Alexandra Leaving.

Only unpleasant fact was that the venue's staff didn't bother to clean the seats of rain in 4 hours between storm and show, so 110 Euros seats in first rows were completely wet, and then they "rented" small pillows for 2 Euros per piece, without bill or receipt - that is, if they had 10,000 people, 20 000 Euros earned without receipts and without sharing it with Leonard's tour promoter or the artist's management - plain robbery of the paying audience and taking of 20,000 Euros behind everybody's back. When I pay 110 Euros for seat, I do expect it to be clean and NOT WET and I do expect that venue staff, and the venue being a famous opera Roman amphitheatre, is capable of cleaning the water off the seats in 4 hours. I will probably never buy a ticket for that place in my life. At least they did not have sausages and beer.
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Mabeanie1
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by Mabeanie1 »

tomsakic wrote:The big problem with the venue is a big gap (pool-size) between stage and first rows (orchestra pit?) so that's why it felt like I am "on the other side of intimacy" with much of the sound being lost from stage before reaching first rows, and the fact that there was no curtains behind the stage did not help.
I agree completely Tom. The venue was fantastic - in theory. But I would not have described the experience as "magic" for all the reasons you mentioned, and more.
tomsakic wrote:That's my lesson this time - I have to buy ticket after 5th row, as sound system is above 5th row or so and directed deeply into the venue.
The old problem: do you go further back to get better sound and risk not being able to fully enjoy the improved sound quality because of poor sight lines or, worse, people chatting their way through the show. My choice would always be to compromise on sound to get a clear view of stage and avoid having anyone in front of me wherever possible.
tomsakic wrote:When I pay 110 Euros for seat, I do expect it to be clean and NOT WET and I do expect that venue staff, and the venue being a famous opera Roman amphitheatre, is capable of cleaning the water off the seats in 4 hours. I will probably never buy a ticket for that place in my life. At least they did not have sausages and beer.
It made me wonder whether the situation would have been different for the opera. There is a dress code for the opera season in Verona and people dressed in their summer finery would surely not expect to see standing water all around and to sit in wet seats. Or maybe they just pay their 2€ without complaint. I am very grateful to Paul for suggesting that we should buy the cushions - we would never of done so otherwise.

I hope you enjoyed your first concert of the tour Tom, despite the various issues.

Wendy
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by coolfadda »

Well, I agree to some degree. I think the sound issue was caused by the bad weather - wind howling around the stage was not good. Ive been to a concert in Verona before but it was a balmy summer night and there were no sound issues at all. I loved being in the front row and wished there wasn't any pit either but you know, it was just great to be there. Thanks to everyone for the fab photos and videos.. great to relive it online. Catherine :D
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by tomsakic »

Hi Wendy, I am glad that I am not the only bird - I was feeling insane because I thought only me was not into the "magic" as the description. And yes, the dress code - as this being an opera stage in city center, and old Roman amphitheatre, plus a Loenard Cohen show, I was in suit not in the raincoat and winter clothes, and not equipped with blankets and pillows and water proof shoes (I'd never wear something like that even he plays in snow, and yes, my feet were in water so after 3 hours I started to feel it), so I do expect some kind of attempt of drying out the seats of water for 110 Euros per chair. And we did not buy cushions - we "rented" the, I was so pissed off that I took mine with me, as a sign of protest, but the security came after me to take it... They have another show coming where they can steal another 20,000 Euros from people who will pay 100 Euros per seat.

"The venue is fantastic - in theory" is my thought for 3 days now.

You are right about the choice - in first row I wasn't bothered with chatting nor singing, I was seated among polite (Finnish:) people, but then there was that pit and it was like row 20 or so. In other venues it would probably pay off, to see excellent and get sound from stage monitors (I was in 1st row in Zagreb and Burgenland and Ljubljana, and sound mix was much louder and better than in Verona).

This was my first but also only. There is a big Q about next year's shows - maybe one if is in the very close area, or Leonard needs a bigger change in the setlists. I still think the show was worth every penny, but it was my 9th, and only this tour, and there was no change coming...
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tomsakic
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by tomsakic »

Well in first row I did not notice any wind? The sound was maybe getting little lost because they decided to have stone backdrop of Arena instead of the usual UHTC curtains.
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Mabeanie1
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by Mabeanie1 »

tomsakic wrote:Well in first row I did not notice any wind?
It got a little windy from time to time over on the right hand side where I sat next to Paul & Luka. Between songs I could hear what I thought at first was thunder but which I guess was really the microphones catching the wind.

W
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by tomsakic »

We ought it is the sound of heating machines they have now on open air stage! You could hear it perfectly well, as wind in the mikes, during Webb Sis' and Sharon's solo performances... But you cannot hear it at all in clip of Alexandra from behind, the sound is perfectly clear and superb, while in the first row I heard "Alexandra" with the hissing... But yes, there was a little wind during encores.

Btw this clip of Darkness, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYi9wlO8VYA, sounds equally disjointed like I heard it on the show, the guitar there over all of it, drums there, LC there, then harmonica...... I'd say it was not one of best performances UHTC had. Especially compared to amazing version in Helsinki, 20 days ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLdf1rcVYMs But rest of the show was great, Sisters of Mercy was perfect, and all songs after it, 2nd set immaculate playing. The Future sounds great on You Tube (the new drum pattern was too apparent in first row).
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Paul Zagreb
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Re: CONCERT REPORT: Verona, September 24, 2012

Post by Paul Zagreb »

tomsakic wrote: And we did not buy cushions - we "rented" the, I was so pissed off that I took mine with me, as a sign of protest, but the security came after me to take it... They have another show coming where they can steal another 20,000 Euros from people who will pay 100 Euros per seat.
I was going to take mine too but forgot. Still, getting things without a receipt would never happen in Croatia, eh Tom? :lol:
tomsakic wrote: there was that pit and it was like row 20 or so...
During the encores I joked because the security people seemed so worried we might jump into the pit. Personally, I was not going to risk them letting the lions out. After all, I think it has been a while since they had a good feed!

Seriously, I have thought for a while that the only problem is that the sound is really too quiet. It's better in good (often smaller) indoor venues but in some of those caverns and in outdoor venues it is not perfect.
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