Leonard coming to Australia !! (SEE PAGE 5)

[kaczor47]

Great to see all the Kiwis coming out! Being a new arrival, I too will support the cause. Yes, we are so close to Australia, it would be a silly not to hop across to NZ.

[Eleanor]

Well, it is a shorter flight from Sydney to NZ than Sydney to Perth . It seems that the Western Australian fans will have to fly ...

[Darling]

No point coming all that way and missing out NZ or Japan for that matter??

While you're at it, why not Bangkok? I'm planning a trip this winter...

[blonde madonna]

1 LC has signed (within past week?) to tour Australia in early 2009 - around end of Jan, beginning of Feb
2 Paul Kelly has eagerly signed as support

I'm sorry but this sounds just too too good to be true. Ticket sales will be wild.

[Mikeaus]

Fantastic news. The response to an email to Paul Kelly's management:

Thanks for your email. The tour will be announced soon along with the venues.

[Mikeaus]

It's true.

This morning's Australian newspaper:-

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 47,00.html

Let the celebrations begin.

[blonde madonna]

[NickShears]

I can't believe the serendipity- I check the forum for the first time in a couple of weeks, and find that the Aussie tour has just been announced. SOMETHING had to go right in the world, and it just did! Thank you everyone!

Nick (in sunny Brisbane)

[NickShears]

Being prompted to google for references to both Leonard Cohen and Paul Kelly, I came up with just one link, which is to a blog entry by a politician, Andrew Bartlett. http://andrewbartlett.com/?p=7139. No further info (which of course is what I was hoping for), but it was posted on 18 October, saying he'd "heard a reasonably strong indication today that Leonard will be heading to Australia in early 2009, with Paul Kelly playing as support." He's obviously a big fan, and presumably knows Michael Gudinski or someone else in Frontier Touring (who are the promoters).

He's not alone as an LC-loving Pollie. I seem to recall that our state Premier here in Queensland, Anna Bligh, once said she'd met her husband at a Leonard Cohen concert.

Nick

[jarkko]

find that the Aussie tour has just been announced.

***actually it has not yet been announced nor confirmed, but the information has leaked out of the local promoter (or someone else in Australia who knows).

I can confirm that Andrew Bartlett IS a big LC fan. In 2005 he wrote a review of the Sydney concert of Hal Willner's tribute production (Came so far for beauty) for The LC Files. The review is at http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/hw-sydney.html

[skipper1967]

My info is

Its a "maybe" right now for Leonard.

The problem is the size of the venues his management wants Vs the size of the venues the promoters
think it warrants.

[Aucklander]

Now it has been announced!!!!!!!
HERE: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 47,00.html

At long last, Leonard Cohen to return to Australia
Iain Shedden, Music writer | October 23, 2008

CANADIAN songwriting legend Leonard Cohen is to tour Australia for the first time in 24 years. The 74-year-old singer, lauded as one of the great songwriters of the 20th century, will perform concerts at entertainment centres and wineries across Australia, beginning in January.

Supporting him on the tour will be one of our own songwriting greats and a long-time Cohen fan, Paul Kelly.

The shows are part of Cohen's world tour, which so far has concentrated on Europe and Canada and included a much-lauded appearance at this year's Glastonbury Festival in England.

It's the first time the celebrated artist, poet, author and musician has toured for 15 years and it is widely expected that, given his age, this series of concerts will be his last, at least internationally. His last Australian tour was in 1985.

Cohen, whose songs include Suzanne, Famous Blue Raincoat and the much-covered Hallelujah, has stayed out of the limelight since the early 1990s but has continued to record albums. Australian music journalist and Cohen devotee Julian Tompkin, who documented the singer's tour through Europe earlier this year for The Weekend Australian, says Cohen's three-hour concerts were outstanding.

"As a fan he was everything you could want him to be," he says. "We've heard nothing from him in 15 years so it was a great opportunity to hear songs from the later albums live for the first time.

"All the fans are aware that this will probably be the last tour he will do, but he is playing amazing shows. There's no sign that this is an old man out there. The shows are almost a spiritual experience."

The Australian shows are being promoted by Michael Gudinski's Frontier Touring. Tickets go on sale next month.

A Cohen tribute concert called Came So Far for Beauty, featuring Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright and Beth Orton among others, played to sell-out crowds as part of Sydney Festival in 2005.

[devadeborah]

Yaay Yaay Yaaaaaaaaay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The best news Ive heard in ages................... That is soooooo fantastic!!!

[awpdx]

don't know if this has been posted elsewhere. can't find it.
http://www.pollstar.com/tour/searchall. ... 9632&Key=Y

Tue 01/20/09 Wellington, NZL TSB Bank Arena
Thu 01/22/09 Auckland, NZL Vector Arena
Sat 01/24/09 Yarra Valley, AUS Rochford Eyton Winery
Mon 01/26/09 McLaren Vale, AUS Leconfield Winery
Wed 01/28/09 Haymarket, AUS Sydney Ent'ment Centre
Sat 01/31/09 Pokolbin, AUS Bimbadgen Estate
Sun 02/01/09 Bowral, AUS Centennial Vineyards
Tue 02/03/09 Boondall, AUS Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Thu 02/05/09 Melbourne, AUS Rod Laver Arena
Sat 02/07/09 Caversham, AUS Sandalford Wines

[jarkko]

The dates are also on the website of the local Australian promoter:
http://www.frontiertouring.com.au/curre ... aland_2009

Pre-sale is to begin on October 30 and the official sale on November 10.
I have not yet got confirmation from Leonard's management but there is no reason to doubt the information posted by the Frontier Touring.

Tuesday 20 January Wellington
TSB Bank Arena
Ticketek Wellington · 04 384 3840
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Thursday 22 January Auckland
Vector Arena
Ticketmaster NZ · 09 970 9700
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Saturday 24 January Yarra Valley
a day on the green, Rochfords Wines
Ticketmaster · 136 100
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Monday 26 January Adelaide
a day on the green, Leconfield Winery
Ticketmaster · 136 100
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Wednesday 28 January Sydney
Sydney Entertainment Centre
Gold $196.30 (TBC)
Silver $141.10 (TBC)
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Saturday 31 January Hunter Valley
a day on the green, Bimbadgen Estate
Ticketmaster · 136 100
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Sunday 1 February Bowral
a day on the green, Centennial Vineyards
Ticketmaster · 136 100
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Tuesday 3 February Brisbane
Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Ticketek · 132 849
Gold $195.80 (TBC)
Silver $140.25 (TBC)
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Thursday 5 February Melbourne
Rod Laver Arena
Ticketek · 132 849
Gold $195.80 (TBC)
Silver $139.50 (TBC)
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: All Ages

Saturday 7 February Swan Valley
an evening on the green, Sandalford Wines
Ticketmaster · 136 100
with Paul Kelly
SHOW TYPE: TBA