CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

[mutti]

Hi Ann
Thanks for your great posts...I have been relishing all of them today as last night there was so little happening as everyone who was in Barcelona was at the show and out late so we had to be patient.
and it has been a wonderful day of posts and you tubes and stories and photos from everyone...
Maarten's photos are incredible good...All the candles looked beautiful...
lots of questions arise..
when did they actually sing Happy Birthday?
When did people put things on the stage..the beginning? as the you tubes do not show things on stage..like flowers, etc.
When did Jarkko give the poster?

Glad you are safe home and getting some rest...
Take good care
Mutti Leslie

[Heike]

Some memorable moments from Barcelona:

- everyone listening and singing along to Jordi's fabulous tribute performance
- the light of the thin green candles illuminating the arena
- seeing Leonard smile
- the musicians holding up Willy and Wijbe's beautiful birthday poster during "Whither Thou Goest"
- Maarten falling to his knees in front of Henning (our hero of the day)
- Ann-Kristin showing me photographic evidence of Leonard being touched by a mysterious hand

A big thanks to the Barcelona team and Maarten for making it all happen !!!

[mnkyface]

Thanks for all the reports everyone!

I just found I'm Your Man from Barcelona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmErVWalPbo
I notice he has reversed the boxer/doctor verse!! I noticed it in another video too, from Zaragosa. First time I heard it I thought he just messed up...hehehe...and covered by reversing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4nINVNQ8EE

Personally, I like Doctor at the end of the verse ...it lingers more, or something.

[mwaldman]

Wonderful reports, photos, and videos. Thank you all for posting and sharing.

Mike

[sturgess66]

I found "Happy Birthday."

Video by "ysinembargomagazine" on YouTube.

I did a Google translation of the long description and it says something about Leonard being "extraterrestrial" and having a run-in with top-level soloists?"

"ysinembargomagazine" wrote - Mr. Elegant in concert.

Impeccable presentation ... Read Mason Leonard Cohen at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. A deluxe band led by Captain Roscoe Beck from four and five strings in which local and Javier Mas shone especially vibrant over three hours, which began with "Dance Me to the End of Love" at 21:30 pm and ended with the audience dancing-it-in encores like "First We Take Manhattan ...", when many had already come down from the stands just a few meters of the scenario we sang a happy 75th birthday and it was past 1am.

(The audio of the video is 'environment' and in no way reflects the fidelity CD of the concert. A deluxe sound like I have rarely seen "comes into my mind the memory of February 1985, with YES in the stadium of Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires when he had 90,125 and / or Radiohead in Barcelona last year. But what LC was extraterrestrial. sensation enhanced by a solid, compact and run-in with top-level soloists).

The video is first of Ain't No Cure for Love. At 5:20 Leonard starts to thank the audience and they start singing "Happy Birthday" - you see Dino smiling and then applauding. Lights turn blue - and Leonard goes right into "Bird on the Wire!" (Partial video - just enough to capture wonderful solos by Bob Metzer and Dino Soldo.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=corWSmk8jmY

[sue7]

sturgess66, many many thanks for sharing the results of your Barcelona research with the rest of us. I have spent the evening checking in and following up your youtube links. Really fantastic!!
Best wishes,
Sue

[sturgess66]

Wheeeeeeee! From "betoline69" on YouTube

We have - complete with skipping -

Closing Time - "All right, here we go!" starts at 4:11. Haha!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylObZNhAsNA

Take This Waltz - wonderful performance! The verse with Leonard and Hattie is delightful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDCmX_WpGps

Tower of Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4vPqj5HI-E

Everybody Knows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XjVbdrtKPA

Who By Fire - Javier's solo is breathtaking!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IoP8EQ-KG8

Thanks "betoline69" !

[Joe Way]

Anne & I are just back in Wisconsin after this wonderful trip. I've just scanned the posts-so apologies for duplications etc.

As I mentioned to some folks, the U. S. audiences are becoming more & more devoted to Leonard, but to experience 20,000 fans in a state of pure adulation is an experience that we won't soon forget. We watched the sunset outside the venue past the communication tower while sharing a beer with friends-it put us in a perfect mood.

Our seats were back so we may have missed some things, but to hear Leonard mention, "Leonard Cohen forum members, Tom, Henning & Jarkko" from the stage and see the beautiful poster that Willy & Wybe created-was a moment that we will never forget.

The Spanish forum members, including Toni and Conchita, Jorxc, Antonio, Chema and Beatrice were exceptionally kind and planned a wonderful event apart from the concert as well as helping us through the nuances of Spanish culture. We had two wonderful nights with them.

Too tired now but will add more later. We love all of our friends! Many new ones this trip!

Joe & Anne

P. S. We chickened out on lighting the candles-we had no matches and were afraid to ask others around us. They looked beautiful from our perspective.

[mnkyface]

Ok here are my you tube contributions...not great quality but we'll take a leaf out of Jarkko's book and be patient for IrishAl to upload!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ySBwWqwpc Waiting for the Miracle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ogex7hAoz4 Palau Sant Jordi before the concert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jesYeHNmH8o Hey That's No Way to Say goodbye
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Ievp2xU60 Gypsy Wife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB2LKIzsK0Y I tried to leave you...just some of it...

In I Tried to Leave You... I love his ad-lib: "the years go by - DON'T THEY? - You lose your pride."

Wonderful close-up there.

And what is my Dino up to before his solo? Wanting to be egged on??

[somewhat_nifty]

P. S. We chickened out on lighting the candles-we had no matches and were afraid to ask others around us. They looked beautiful from our perspective.

We had nothing to light ours with either sadly - but luckily enough forum members did! It looked really lovely.

[douglas07]

An old man sitting in my row appeared to be in floods of tears throughout the second half of the concert. I looked again carefully and noticed that the man was me.
.

thx to all reporters and uploaders; but in my mind abeggarleaning took the crown
(i am an old man too)

[somewhat_nifty]

Here's Leonard thanking the band, collecting flowers from the audience (is it a forum member?) and then skipping off stage - he seemed to put a extra spring in it and raised his hand, it's almost a sashay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5qr69a1p_8

[HarryMann]

In I Tried to Leave You... I love his ad-lib: "the years go by - DON'T THEY?

Oh yes, noticed that too, clearly heard!

=Gypsy Wife=
Then, no-one has noticed/mentioned that Leonard did the 2nd verse twice and missed the last - Hattie and Charlie seemed to start the 3rd with Dove/Dawn lyrics and then quickly followed Leonard

Almost certainly due to the applause after Dino´s solo being so long and loud it was hard to get started again (like, where were we now )

Things like that show the unparalleled* Spanish audience response...

* Stayed near the Parallel Street in Barcelona, having many fine terraza restaurants for Paella, interestingly spelt Parel.lel (with a dot)

** Yes, the transport system is second to none - as are the croissants and cortados

[vaughan]

Harryman - in Catalan the dot is used to separate the pronunciation of the letters, so it is spoken as Paral Lel.

I have just discovered that Montjuic means Mountain of the Jews - how appropriate for LC to perform there.

[somewhat_nifty]

Thanks for all the reports everyone!

I just found I'm Your Man from Barcelona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmErVWalPbo
I notice he has reversed the boxer/doctor verse!! I noticed it in another video too, from Zaragosa. First time I heard it I thought he just messed up...hehehe...and covered by reversing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4nINVNQ8EE

Personally, I like Doctor at the end of the verse ...it lingers more, or something.

I'm wondering if he's doing that because he's got fed up with all the ladies giving an extra big cheer when he says 'I'll examine every inch of you"! I'll admit I was planning to do it in Barcelona, in fact the banner that burningviolin and I made kind of hinged on it, but never mind...