CONCERT REPORTS: Vienna, September 24 and 25

[daisy]

I guess it depends on where you sit in the Konzerthaus, I heard clearly every word he said/sang, just like if he would have been standing in front of me.... and I cannot share the oppinions that it was not loud enough - I`ve never been able to listen to leonards music loud, and I usually like very loud music, but in his case it`s not necessary, I have the feeling that it actually changes the meaning and the message - the music and the songcontents are so very strong that they don`t need high volume.....

at the moment, he is standing again on the Konzerthaus stage, I wish I had tickets for tonight too
but, oh well, I hope he makes a lot of people happy tonight...


but I would like to join the question on how some of you manage to attend several concerts?? let us know, please... we are all here for the same cause...

[Paul Zagreb]

Back after another day on the train between Vienna and Zagreb. Yesterday's concert still magical in my view, helped by the Konzerthaus itself. Yes, it probably was not quite loud enough, the audience connection was not there all the time (although the encores had everyone on their feat and quiet some movement in the hall). I actually loved the understated way in which he went straight into Take This Waltz. Sharon (welcome back!) was superb on Boogie Street and it was a nice touch to have some of the crew onstage for Whither Thou Goest at the end. Another magical night!!!

[Joney]

Great reviews but I just can't resist posting

There's a concert hall in Vienna
Where the PA system's too quiet
There's a bar where the boys have stopped talking
It's not allowed after 11 at night

[neo]

Some reviews (in german) and pix.

http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=1220459120444
http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=1220459150964
http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=1220459075211

http://www.kurier.at/kultur/206398.php

http://diepresse.com/home/kultur/popco/ ... o?from=rss

[golo99]

I was amazed how quiet the sound system was, you couldn't hear a word Leonard said between songs and even during songs someone ten rows away breaking wind would drown out everything. The problem with having three different gigs in the same building at the same time, I guess. Certainly, I spent 600+ Euro travelling out there from the UK because of what I heard about the venue, and it was the worst sound and worst crowd I have ever encountered. Idiots playing musical chairs right through the first three songs (people standing up, arguing about who was in the right seat, etc - partly the fault of a venue having four Row 1 Seat 1s within a few seats of each other, compounded by a lot of drunken English-only-speaking idiots who couldn't read their tickets anyway). There was no atempt at stewarding at all though - I never even saw a steward even when there was fights over seats in front of me - and I hope LC's management had words before tonight's gig at the same tawdry place. End of the second set, people stormed the stage and stood in the gangway - and despite Leonard's obvious discomfort (he asked them to go back to their seats) they stayed there through the standard (30+ mins) encores, meaning everyone else had to stand too. Worst concert audience I have ever been amongst. I wanted to vomit. I'm glad to be home. My first and last visit to Austria. It's clear much of the trouble was English/American/UN-diplomat fools, but the complete absence of stewarding was totally abhorrent and the sound system was worse than you'd get at a five year old's birthday party. Never again
PS Leonard was as glorious as ever though. Shame about his audience on this occasion.

[golo99]

in Dublin the 10k public sung the chorus to So Long Marianne in the torrential rain

I was there that same night and yes that was glorious. The sun breaking through during Hallelujah, people standing on the chairs to sing along to the choruses of Marianne (first performance of that on the whole tour, I believe), Manhattan and Democracy, amongst others. Nothing can beat that Sunday night in Dublin. My first LC gig ever. I thought they would all be like that. Sadly not. Far too many boring idiots hissing when you sing along now. Saw that last night. People started to join in on Marianne, but got glared at so only sang along quietly from then on. Seriously kids: If you don't like the music enough to sing along, DON'T COME TO THE BLOODY GIG. The problem is the LC gigs are so expensive they attract soccer WAGs and other numpties who are just there to be photographed and couldn't give a stuff about the music. You singing interrupts their bloody photo shoot. It's a shame, but as my mate (who has been into LC since she was a teenager in the 60s) said to me this evening: "He's suddenly got too mainstream, I don't want to see him any more." I do. Just not in Vienna.

[James T]

I love to sing along at gigs but I am nto sure an LC gig would be the right place to do such a thing. Maybe during a couple of songs but generally, throughout, I want to hear his warm voice and outstanding lyrics rather than other people singing them. I guess it depends on the venue though, generally I prefer to listen at most gigs but at Neil Young in Belgium I was singing along throughout at the top of my voice because it was a festival.

[golo99]

I love to sing along at gigs but I am nto sure an LC gig would be the right place to do such a thing. Maybe during a couple of songs but generally, throughout, I want to hear his warm voice and outstanding lyrics rather than other people singing them. I guess it depends on the venue though, generally I prefer to listen at most gigs but at Neil Young in Belgium I was singing along throughout at the top of my voice because it was a festival.

I understand what you're saying - Dublin was outdoors and in the rain, so maybe that explains the standing on chairs and singing along waving hands in the air (just in the encores mostly). The thing about last night is it became lawless - everyone from the back seats stormed the gangway up to the stage, forcing everyone in their rightful seats to stand so they could see, and even then many people (like me in the fifth row centre) could no long see LC even standing. Not a problem if the anarchists started singing along. They just stood there taking photos. On any other venue on the tour they would have been forced back to their real seats, LC was visibly uncomfortable with what had happened, but the Konzerthaus staff (if there even were any - I never saw a steward all night) couldn't care less. That's what upset me. I wouldn't have minded the idiots forcing their way to the front if they at least sang or swayed or did something that reflected the way they had turned it from a seated theatre gig to a standing festival gig (as they did by their actions). Instead, they just stood there taking photos and making calls on their mobiles. True idiots (both the stage-rushers and the non-existent stewards), in my opinion.

[mpeter]

(...) and even then many people (like me in the fifth row centre) could no long see LC even standing. (...) LC was visibly uncomfortable with what had happened (...)

That's one funny contradiction in what you wrote imo. But don't get me wrong, I can understand your discomfort and I was also dissatisfied with those 'frontrunners' - while I didn't really expect them to sing along with LC, I wanted them to ask for Famous Blue Raincoat, as the people in Bucharest did (as we heard)
This song just keeps eluding me. I was at the Rome concert and there was no FBR either, but two days later in Athens, yes... now he sang it in Bucharest, but three days later in Vienna... no. I was standing up there in the furthermost row, so I didn't really have a chance to ask for it myself in any way...

The concert overall was very good. Sometimes I felt more energy in the songs than in Rome, sometimes I felt less. It's pretty normal, in my opinion. One just cannot expect every single show to be THAT magical. After all, the man we went there for was there, right where he had to be, and did what he had to do. I just keep reminding myself how extremely lucky I am to have seen him live, now more than once. This is something I would never have dreamed a few years ago, when I got to know his music.

[richardrj]

I was standing up there in the furthermost row, so I didn't really have a chance to ask for it myself in any way...

I was at the front last night and shouted for it, Leonard definitely heard the shout but he didn't play it anyway

[Laura]

I was standing up there in the furthermost row, so I didn't really have a chance to ask for it myself in any way...

I was at the front last night and shouted for it, Leonard definitely heard the shout but he didn't play it anyway

There were a LOT of shouts in Bucharest (during the first part and second one and even more through the encores), someone was really obsessed with FBR; and besides, it was his birthday
Laura

[Henning]

Maybe he understood "Tame us, you sane throat". I am wondering what else he could have understood. The gentle man he is he surely would have played "famous blue raincoat" if he had heard it.

[jarkko]

I think the setlist is more or less finalized some moments before the concert. In Vienna the concert had to finish at a certain time so there was even less room for extras.

[neo]

Any review of how the second night was different from the first?

[daisy]

james t, I totally agree with you, listening to Leonard live is the best thing that can happen, one can sing along with him whiIe listening to the records, at home....

but why should I try to make some noise with my voice if it is him and his voice I came for? I was very pleased that people didn`t start to sing along, and we were all able to hear only him.... who knows when he will come back, or if he will ever again.... I`m not interested in hearing other people shouting his songs, and I am sure he knows that a great part of the audience knows all his songs by heart, but he is not there to get the prouve of it....