Please Leonard Cohen, come to Spain in Fall

[valentin]

[Chema]

It's shameful!!!!! No concerts in Spain. Why??? Doesn't Cohen love Spanish fans????

[pironi]

My friend who is working for Italian concert promoters has hinted that Mr. Cohen is going to have an extensive tour next summer in the Southern Europe.
Perhaps we will be in rotation then?
P.

[tomsakic]

It's shameful!!!!! No concerts in Spain. Why??? Doesn't Cohen love Spanish fans????

That doesn't have anything to do with it, does he love you or not. He's not personally involved in the tour management. Probably, Spain simply didn't make it into the schedule.

Spanish shows will happen (if the deal would be done, what depends on usual business deals between promoters and tour agencies) next year then, along with many other cities in negotiations (I have to remind you that in July both Belgrade and Ljubljana shows were mentioned as "surely to happen", with exact dates, but didn't make it into the final itinerary, and also Israel is dropped out as the deal wasn't achieved). The main problem is that dates and possible venues are leaking from local promoters to the local press before the show is signed and in the middle of negotiations. That means nothing mostly - namely, almost *every* bigger city in Europe did send a proposal for Leonard Cohen show for this tour! If Spanish newspapers are now mentioning December 12th show, that logically means that the local promoter tried to persuade him to come to Spain after last UK shows in first days of December. But the tour is finishing on December 2, and that's it for this leg.

The local shows mostly depend on local promoters, are they trying to get the show, offer a good deal, and then if it's possible according to dates, sites, transportation, distances, promotion etc. Even if local promoter is successful, maybe the bigger scheme is simply not working (i.e. transportation, what almost led to canceling of Benicassim show, as we know).

Let's say, one example, from Serbian promoter there was a comment (in local newspapers) that the distance between two cities on the tour cannot be more than 400 miles. That means that the show (trucks, buses, band etc.) have to be able to reach next city until next day (let's say, from Lorrach to Lucca, from Lucca to Rome). Otherwise, it needs two days and even flights (i.e. from Rome to Athens, from Athens to Ledbury), and then the next show has to repay for that traveling, be it with more expensive tickets, with much bigger halls, with better ticket sales, whatever, and plus the profit for both sides, Leonard's and local. We heard that Israeli shows were dropped because the local promoter counted that he will not make money or that show will be to expensive (I guess that the Israeli tour means the complete equipment has to be transported to Israel across the Mediterranean only because of few show in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem...).

I don't know much about music business, but my logic says: if I want to have Leonard Cohen show in my town, I have to pay very much for flights and transportation, so the ticket would cost thousands of dollars to make it possible... But if Leonard Cohen is touring with buses and tracks through Europe, and he makes an itinerary of stops and I can drop in, then the show is much cheaper and some money is being made. As simple as that. No "love", no hard feelings, and the thing for businessmen. Leonard is here only to give a good show, so everybody can be in peace: he for giving the worth for those tickets, sometimes expensive, and audience for getting something in return. I traveled 11 hours to Italy (20 with return), and spent a serious sum for a show (at least in terms of my country and standard of living here), but every cent was worth it.

[valentin]

I also travel to Portugal (which is not next to my house). I spent many dollars and each deserved punishment. But I think there is time to bring it to Spain. Must be something like, say promoters. In this country some fools

[Inna]

Dear Tom

According to your logic Leonard will never come to Israel for example, and that is final, because of the local producer's calculation.
But since he performed in Israel in the past in smaller venues than a huge stadium that has been offered now, why smaller venues are not discussed in this tour, and I'm not talking only about Israel of course, but all the places where big arenas are instead of a more intimate halles? If this is a question of higher ticket costs, I am sure Leonard's fans prefer paying more for a ticket and having him in their country and in a preferable venue. What do you think?

[Rosmari]

Hi Jarkko:
It is a shame that does not notify her on the concert in Atarfe do not be true. Atarfe is a city very near to the village where Federico Garcia Lorca was born, to Leonard it had liked to sing near Lorca's soul. I, for my part, was in the concert of Rome, it was the whole experience, and it would be been charmed with of returning to listen to the voice of live Leonard, and if it had been in the village of my mother (Atarfe) still better