CONCERT REPORT: Lucca (July 27)

[Spell]

It was the most emotional night of my life. This Man is a gift to us all.
I'll never forget this night.
His voice is priceless....and you know what? I was in the front row at the end of the gig, i shouted "We love you Leonard" and he replyed "And I'm very fond of you!"

That made my day even more.

Leonard, thank you with all my heart.
It was a dream come true.
I keep you in my heart.

[markbowen]

Was that really you who shouted that? His reply was so cool -- very funny, but sincere.

It was a good show, and his voice was in great form. But only mid-way back in the seats, the sound mix was too quiet. Many people arrived late for the show (LC went on stage right around 21:30, as scheduled) and would not sit down and shut up, ruining the first several songs for my wife and me. We moved closer to the front and sat down on the ground to the side of the stage, where the sound was much better.

[Olengard]

Yes, the organisation was poor, but the concert was sublime, and his voice... pure magic.
And I think I found myself sighing for a moment after his beautiful final discourse, thanking the audience not just for this night but for all these years.

I never really hoped to see him live, and now I just might see him again in a few months in Milan. That's some kind of dream.

[Spell]

Was that really you who shouted that? His reply was so cool -- very funny, but sincere.

Yep! He was so funny.
He seemes so relaxed and pleased. He said it was a memorable night for them....for us too, my dear one!

[chprp]

"Many people arrived late for the show (LC went on stage right around 21:30, as scheduled) and would not sit down and shut up, ruining the first several songs for my wife and me."

Sorry for ruining several songs to you and your wife! I was in that mess, not for my fault, but for the disorganization of the event. I lost half an hour in the wrong line, and many others just like me. Everyone sitting without respecting seat numbers. I lost the entire first part of the concert. I've waited LC lots of years (and spent lots of € for the tickets) and this is what I deserve for it. No more at Lucca Summer Festival; the worst concert organization I've ever seen.
Sorry for you all, again.

[markbowen]

Sorry for ruining several songs to you and your wife! I was in that mess, not for my fault, but for the disorganization of the event. I lost half an hour in the wrong line, and many others just like me.

Yes, to be fair, it was poorly organized, as I also noted in a separate post of the Lucca set list. We anticipated that and arrived early, and were lucky to latch on to a couple who had been to a concert the night before, and knew which line was which.

A good deal of the mess was caused by the poor crowd control, which led to people sitting out of order, who then had to be relocated when the seat holders arrived, which entailed much loud discussion. However, once everything calmed down, it was a wonderful setting.

[jeremek]

HI !

What actually happened? Why was such a mess? Was the hour false? Why could you not listen from the beginning?
I was worried

Jeremek

[lemonche]

thank you, leonard, thank you.

[lorenzoB]

Hi all,
as a Leonard Cohen fan, and as an Italian, I'm greatly upset by all the problems occurred at the beginning of the Lucca concert. Luckily, very soon the emotion prevailed...At the end, my impression is that the atmosphere was really an ecstatic one, and the audience really "warm"...
Anyway, I suggest all of you to write a protest email to the organizers, d'Alessandro & Galli (http://www.dalessandroegalli.com/). There you will find all the contact emails: I suggest to use the one of the press office (maddalena@dalessandroegalli.com), maybe letting them suspect you are some kind of a freelance journalist who will write lots of bad reports on blogs, magazines etc
I already phoned them, telling them ehm quietly what I think about their professional capacities...
Lorenzo

[tomsakic]

It was the usual and traditional Italian chaos. The problems were not in organisation, but people coming to show at 2130 except earlier, and then, seats were marked with codes, to make it as hardest to find they could. Of course, you can't do this in dark, and LC started in time, and hostesses weren't available anymore (of course, I did ask one for way, although I did decipher the system and was sure I have the right seat... But I couldn't resist. )

I want to thank Leonard for playing the complete set, up until 00:30, nevertheless the late start (scheduled at 2130, and he was on time) , and a policeman walking in first row for the last 40 minutes of the show.

The band was great, double better than on recordings I heard from first weeks. Voice resonating. The sound in 4th row was magnificent. The major thing is that Dino Soldo, who's otherwise great and talented musician, is now finally the part of well-working team dedicated to the songs. He's learning one important thing for be great - how to be humble. And he was great, some songs like Boogie Street and I'm Your Man are his. Javier Mas was the master, in front of amazed first rows, and the constant interplay between him and Leonard is warm and beautiful. Neil Larsen on Hammond B3 organ is - well, he's looking the G-d while he's eyes are closed and hands on the organ. He is absolutely superb. Also, his eye contact during his parts with Leonard is telling everything. Hallelujah is the high peak, when he starts his organ after that short stop near the end of song. That was closest to the religious experience I will ever come, I believe. And it was nice to have Leonard's guitar on so many songs, you can't not to hear his famous strumming behind the band sound. My personal peak is The Gypsy's Wife, and maybe also Who By Fire - both led by Javier Mas. The second couple is Boogie Street and In My Secret Life (both heard in sacred silence from the audience, as many other songs), with Sharon and Leonard looking into each other's eyes.

I also want to point to So Long Marianne - because it was sung with audience on choruses - and to Bird on The Wire. On that one, Leonard again abandoned the original lines which he was performing this June (verses "I saw a woman ... I saw a beggar") and returned to 1988/93 version (verse is again "Don't cry ... it's finished..."), with significant new couple of lines in that verse ("It was you that my loving was made for."). No other changes, Sharon also sung a verse alone in Manhattan, and it is nice to hear Leonard performing both versions of Hallelujah as one (what he does on the whole tour).

I am of course reconstructing this according to the second part of the show, when I started to look around (what includes left corner of the stage ) I cannot speak about the level of emotion and other involvements as I guess it's self-understandable and beyond comprehension in this case. Also, I wasn't much aware of anything for the first 6-7 songs, because I was concentrated on Leonard and had to deal with my emotions. Also, I didn't take notes, left my cameras, cell phones, pencils, and I didn't use the intermission - I had my seat and my path and nothing could divert my attention and the original experience (I am of those people not using cameras even on travels and holidays), not even the big screens, or various band members' solos. I think that Leonard is the center of the event, and perfect delivery and music only adds to that. 90 % of the event in my memory and experience is connected with him, the band was mostly background in my mind. (Thank you to Paola for reserving me 4th row!) It's amazing to see Leonard really producing the lines on the site, as he's just inventing them; he's not really singing them mechanically, or performing them, as other singers are, but really is searching for them, so the lines could be sung with dedication and thought over.

We can speak about the shows on few levels: musically it was great and perfect, performing is perfect, dedication and professionalism also, and non-fans can experience that in flesh and confirm this, although they cannot take 3 hours of set. Then there's the relation with audience (and Lucca really showed it), and then there's very personal (and interpersonal) involvement between you and the voice and the artist behind, and most fans did invest much in that relationship and it's happening on really private level, with very rare artists reaching it.

In that sense, I cannot speak or witness about my first Leonard Cohen show, and I didn't want to meet him in times when he's dedicated to so many people experiencing this. But I have to admit that my heart cannot be still, even if I can't speak no more, and I still didn't sleep well, due to the emotional overload on first songs. I simply feel wiped out, I admit.

To put it shortly: THANK YOU Leonard and everybody involved.

Sincerely,
Tom

PS. I like The Answer Leonard finally got and shared, after decades of his searching. Too-da-dam-ta-di-da-dam, Leonard. So simple, even simpler than "just let it go by" or "I couldn't feel so I learned to touch". Simple as some or Roshi's koans.

[chprp]

It was the usual and traditional Italian chaos. The problems were not in organisation, but people coming to show at 2130 except earlier, and then, seats were marked with codes, to make it as hardest to find they could.

Sorry mr. Sakic, what you wrote is quite offensive and... totally out of reality! Did you read what I posted on 07/28? I didn't come to the show at 21:30 but 20:50 like many other people, and so on. I'm just tired of this story. I'm a fan of LC. I was only interested in following the concert as you were allowed to do. But I wasn't. It's bitter.

[Giò]

I was not in Lucca but I heard a lot about it... and I think that "the italian caos" is not the correct answer this time... the problem is been with the organisation, people arrived in time let outside to wait something not better specified...
I was in Rome yesterday night, and everithing is gone perfectly, from the security to the hostesses. At 9 p.m. evetybody was seated and Leonard began to sing, and to make us dream for 3 hours of pure extasy...
THANKS TO LEONARD and all his crew!

[tomsakic]

Sorry, it was not intended at you at all and I'm really sorry if you found it offensive as I was aware what happened to you from your previous post. I was trying to articulate my writing in such a manner that nobody from this forum or real fans could be offended, but I obviously failed so, although the punch about "traditional Italian chaos" was a little bit of joke, but a deserved one. Anyhow, I will not withdraw what I said about Italian organization (and particularly not about the behaviour of local late-comers in first rows) because *it is* really bitter exactly because of fans like you. If that happened to me, I would probably kill somebody there. Whatever was going on the entrance gates (what I cannot tell as I came at 21 and easily get in and found my place in 5 minutes), it's not Leonard Cohen's guilt, but solely by local organization and customs in attending the concerts (and the organizer is the right address for complaint, not this forum or Leonard Cohen and particularly not me). Of course, it could be easily avoided - if at 2130 somebody came to Leonard and said, "We have some problems on gates, could you give us 15 minutes". As simple as that.

Also, I wrote my post as I see that the thread about Lucca show is turning into the complaints about the organization - while the concert itself was absolutely perfect, as was the interaction between Leonard and his audience, which was happy enough to get the full setlist although show was scheduled at 2130. This - that mutual love - is worth remembering, nothing else.

A good deal of the mess was caused by the poor crowd control, which led to people sitting out of order, who then had to be relocated when the seat holders arrived, which entailed much loud discussion. However, once everything calmed down, it was a wonderful setting.

ps. I didn't notice any separated lines? I simply went into the first one, they checked my ticket and bag, and then I found my section after I get in. Funny...

[mr happy]

I attended a Bob Dylan show in Trento in june an the same chaos occurred. organization was terrible!

[lorenzoB]

Ok, briefly noted that two examples don't make a general rule about event organization in Italy (I use to attend dozens of theatre and music show, open & indoor), I perfectly agree with Tom: let's address our complains (if any) to the organizers (that was the main reason of my previous post), and talk about the concert, which, again I agree, IMO was really perfect and unforgivable. I still do not dare to listen to Leonard Cohen CDs, because what I heard in Lucca is still resonating in my brain...I do not want to "wash out" the music still playing inside me...
Thank you LC, thank you for everything.
L.