CONCERT REPORT: Berlin, September 5, 2012

[Junk]

A 5 star review of the Berlin concert, in English.
'Sleaze' is a compliment it seems.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-0 ... eview.html

[sharon.e]

Back home from a week in Berlin.
History speaks from almost every corner, providing many moments of conflict, yet also making me feel very triumphant -- evil was masterminded in this city, but my roaming its streets is a proof of evil's failure, and there I was, seated in Waldbune, a Jewish girl listening to a Jewish wordsmith, wearing a big victorious smile on my face.

It was a fantastic night. Weeks on the road seem to work their magic, LC and band appeared relaxed in their own rhythm, exchanging small gestures, little signs that say a lot. And i'ts only the beginning of the tour, so those with tickets to future concerts in hand - hold on tight, you're up for a treat..
LC never ceases to amaze me with his careful choice of words, when changing a word in a song or talking to the crowd, there's always a whole world of meaning behind it.

I was there with my friend who lives in Berlin. It was her first LC concert, and watching awe light up her face was priceless.
On the way out she said she now understands what I mean by saying that people owe it to themselves to see LC live at least once in their lives. For no matter how many concerts and how many artists one saw, it really is like no other.

The sound and lighting deserve every praise one has in their arsenal of words and I'm happy LC acknowledges it on stage. At the end of the concert, we waited for the masses on departure to thin out and spent a few minutes watching load-out, admiring the prowess of the crew, looking like busy bees, skillfully unhooking cords and casing instruments, speakers and lights.

I was mortified to discover my camera (a year old Canon) was totally dysfunctional - I pulled out my beloved iPhone and hoped for the best.
With row 1 being pretty far away from the stage, my row 5 seats felt more like row 9 or 10. So no clear faces in the vids (also b/c of angle of the lights), but full stage view and sound quality that makes me say: God bless Steve Jobs

Come Healing: http://bit.ly/Ss9yTl
Night Comes On: http://bit.ly/Qq0h7o
The Partisan http://bit.ly/QaIG4I
Alexandra Leaving http://bit.ly/NRSvsc
Save the last dance for me: http://bit.ly/TtULHb (sorry for missing the send-off, I ran out of iCloud storage space..)

Shabbat Shalom greetings from Tel Aviv,
--Sharon

[holydove]

Sharon, thank you for your very beautiful, personal, atmospheric report - very moving! Sounds like it was a very special event in more ways than one, & I'm so glad you had the opportunity to experience the brilliant Leonard Cohen in Berlin. I hope I will be able to see him there someday too.

[MaryB]

After all the brouhaha about a journalist boycott of this concert, it is wonderful to read these stellar reviews.

Sharon, a fantastic review on a concert that touched you on such a personal level!

[SeventhSon]

I thought that Leonard always plays "Lover Lover Lover" in Berlin and in Israel. It seems as if this is not the case on this tour (well at least for the Berlin show).

I also noticed that "If it be your will" seems to be gone from the setlists. I'm glad that in Ghent, the curfew was midnight and not earlier! I hope that for my last show on this tour (Paris) there won't be a curfew forcing the band to shorten the setlist

[Albert]

@ Seventh Son

If you go to setlist.fm ,you will see excellent Cohen statistics,and find out ,that Lover , Lover ,Lover was rarely played since
2008 ,just a bit more than 20 times.

I hope for you ,that you see a great Olympia show . I saw my first Cohen Concert in 1974 and am not in peace
with this tour. The worst management ever.......Too many date / venue changes ,too much OpenAirs.
Too often curfews, this is the first tour , I saw, when the concerts end is beyond Cohens control !!!

But he is still great !!!!!

[sturgess66]

Video uploaded by andrabian - Thanks!

Democracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRkopPpGYDU

Tower of Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84vlc4m89O4

Night Comes On (titled Suzanne)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxKhkDwg5JU

The Partisan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRwxyIzX8To

[Goldin]

Everybody Knows
Who by Fire
Darkness (aborted after "Hey I don't miss it baby")
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slLwZe5cq0w

Anthem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ZALw75LcE

Tower of Song
Suzanne (aborted in the end of 2nd strophe)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvxOPlySGI

Batteries betrayed me twice in Waldbühne. Sorry.

[yoeri]

So Long, Marianne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wh5i8uLUXbU

Thanks to andrabian

[Goldin]

Night Comes On
Heart with No Companion
The Gypsy's Wife
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvOJSm3fqUk

Democracy
Coming Back to You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVAHALyjH14

[harald]

For personal use I compiled some key lines of media critics of the Berlin concert.
Sorry, only in German (I´m running out of time - or I am just a lazy bastard).
Here they are:

Kulturradio Berlin:
Solche Geschenke sind selten.

tagesspiegel:
Leonard Cohen begeisterte bei seinem Auftritt in der Berliner Waldbühne das Publikum.
bewegendes Konzert.
Leonard Cohen, einer der größten Dichter dieser Welt.

FAZ:
Dreieinhalb phantastische Stunden lang begeisterte Leonard Cohen auf der Berliner Waldbühne sein Publikum.

Bloomberg:
The tour will grace London’s Wembley Arena for two nights this weekend. If you are in London, go. Twice.
he has assembled an immaculate band.
Cohen well and truly took Berlin.
Rating: *****.

Berliner Zeitung:
Leonard Cohen begeistert in der ausverkauften Waldbühne.
Mit Leonard Cohen ist man gern an einem Ort.

Märkische Allgemeine:
ein Tröster.
Singt er noch oder predigt er schon?
Wer ihn beim Singen sieht, der ist berührt, nein: nahezu bestürzt von so viel Würde, so viel Wärme.
Ein wirklich großer Abend.

harald

[sturgess66]

Video uploaded by berlinerin9 - Thanks!

Democracy/I'm Your Man/Famous Blue Raincoat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_4-Kz-AXa4

Save The Last Dance For Me (includes Leonard's blessings at the end)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UABC39fANI