LIVE 2008 Concert????

Recollections from Leonard Cohen's pre-2008 tours, YouTube clips
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noortje
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LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by noortje »

Hey, am dying to see leonard live but so far have not heard of a concert for 2008, am irish but pretty much willing to travel anywhere. but need to know dates and where ticket sales may be etc.....
would be my 30th birthday present to myself.
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jarkko
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by jarkko »

No tours are scheduled for 2007 nor 2008; the decision will be made when Leonard's new album is ready. Let's keep fingers crossed. However, we have to prepare ourselves also to a disappointment - going on tour after almost 15 years would not be easy.
Tony
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by Tony »

I know how he must feel, Jarkko. I haven't toured in over sixty years.
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Laura
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by Laura »

Tony wrote:I know how he must feel, Jarkko. I haven't toured in over sixty years.
Quite a reason to start now, Tony.
Laura
noortje
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by noortje »

Thanks so much for that poss disappointing news..... but i'm still hopefull, definately fingers crossed eh, and Tony, god get back on the road!!!!
bigdee
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by bigdee »

Hi All,
I think Leonard should focus more on just doing some shows here or there and not worry so much about commiting to an actual world tour type plan yet. Maybe get a band together and book a few shows at one of the smaller local clubs close to home in LA and try it out. Then work up to going on the road with it.
When it comes time to put together a tour, maybe instead of trying to do a tour of 50 shows in 50 cities in 55 nights, he should look into doing shows in week-long blocks in say just 5 or 10 cities on each leg of the tour. Maybe do a week in NYC at Carnigie Hall then move on to Atlantic City for a week, then down to Atlanta or over to Chicago for shows, etc. Instead of arrive today, play tonight, move on to next city for a show tomorrow. I'm sure the rarity of a Cohen concert plus the fact his fan base has grown considerably since 1993 will support this kind of tour now. I'm also sure this kind of tour would be much easier on his health since it would require far less traveling.
This could also help in the setlist decisions if Leonard does go on the road but finds he can't hold up for 2+ hour shows like he use to do every night. He could cut each show back to about 12-15 songs or about 90min but have a core group of say 30 or 40 songs that the band knows to pick from. Then each night he could change up the setlist so each show in the give city is different from the night before. Sure every show would have to have Suzanne, Hallelujah, Tower of Song, Dance Me.., Bird on the Wire, and at least 1 of the new songs in the setlist but the rest he could change around.
Maybe even do these different songs for each show in groups by decade to reflect the different parts of his career. Say nights 1 and 2 shows could be all songs from the 60's and early 70's, nights 3 and 4 could be songs from late 70's and 80's, then night 5 and 6 could be songs from 90's up to today. And on the 7th day he rests while the show moves to the next city. This would keep the show fresh from night to night. It also would make us die hards happy since we could see Leonard more than once in our closest city and also hear more songs over the course of the run of the shows than the usual 20-25 songs he would do during the other tours doing one night only shows with the same setlist each night. And for those fans who only like the old songs, or just want to hear the newer songs, or like them all but can only afford to go to 1 or 2 shows but would prefer to hear a certain period over another, this would give them a chance to choose what shows they would most like to be at and buy tickets for just those shows.
It also would be easier and cheaper for us fans who would love to be able to see him more than once but can't afford to keep following the tour all over the country. Even if we have to travel to get to one of the cities the show is in at least we would only have to pay airfair for one round trip instead of 3 or 4 different trips. So he would actually be doing us a favor by doing this type of tour.
I know this is all a bit much but if Leonard may happen to read it and it gives him some ideas that gets him back on the stage somewhere then it was worth typing. Jarkko please forward it to him!!
Cheers all,
Dave
kokenpere
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by kokenpere »

While it wouldn't be the "best" situation, a 'concert' dvd or cable tv production might work :roll:

kokenpere
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lizzytysh
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by lizzytysh »

Hi Dave ~

Yours is a more than lovely fantasy skewed in favour of fans. The potentially fatal flaws that I see in its manifesting into reality include tours typically being based on promotion of one's new work vs. one's entire career and repertoire... supported again here by Jarkko's comment " . . . the decision will be made when Leonard's new album is ready."

As much as many of us would want and love to hear many of those older songs, Leonard's already been there, done that. Rehearsals would be grueling, too, especially with Leonard's commitment to excellence. Having to nail '150' songs, so they can be played [not forgetting his own roles in their instrumentations] and sung at will on one of any given number of nights on each leg of a tour is more than daunting. I also recall Leonard having commented once about the difficulty of bringing the original feeling to the song, so many years and times of singing it, so long after it was originally written. As wonderful as your grande scheme sounds for us, it sounds like a potentially living hell for Leonard.

Now, other than these perceived weaknesses, I say to you "Go for it!" However, I'd never say that to Leonard :shock: .


~ Lizzy :wink:
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
John Etherington
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by John Etherington »

If Leonard decides to go ahead with some full-blown concerts again, then I'd look forward to them and attend as many as possible. However, at this stage in Leonard's career, I'd be quite happy with a concert featuring some songs by Anjani, some poems by Leonard and whichever songs Leonard feels like singing.

All the best, John E
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lizzytysh
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by lizzytysh »

I, too, will be happy with anything in tandem with Leonard and Anjani. Will also attend as many as I can afford.


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
bigdee
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by bigdee »

Hi Lizzy,
Thanks for the reply but I think you may have slightly misinterperted what I was trying to say in my first post. I was in no way suggesting Leonard should play all 150+ songs he wrote over the years. I know there is no way any musician can nail down that many songs. What I was trying to say was have each concert have a core group of say maybe 8 songs that are played each and every night. Then have a set of songs, say 5 or 6, in the middle of this core group that can be changed from night to night to night to represent a given era in his carreer. So if you take the main 8 songs then add 6 other songs from each decade of material (6 from the 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's +00's) you would come up with a total of 32 songs to learn and preform over a 5 or 6 night spread in each city. I know Leonard likes to tour to support his new cd releases and not so much for the sake of the older songs, but, by 2008 all of his older songs will have been newly rereleased. So in a sence this type of tour would also go hand in hand to support the rereleases as well as the new album.
1993: Philadelphia July 15 2008: Montreal June 23,24,25 2009: NYC Feb 19/ Columbia May 11/ Philadelphia May 12/ Waterbury May 14/ NYC May 16,17/ Boston May 29,30/ Philadelphia Oct 22/ NYC Oct 23/ Cleveland Oct 25 2010: Vegas Dec 10,11 2012: Boston Dec 15,16/ NYC Dec 18,20 2013: NYC Apr 6,7
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zenlove
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by zenlove »

Hi everyone,
My name is Derek I am new to this forum and am an old friend of John Etherington whom I met in 1979.
He told me about this site and here I am!

I love Leonard Cohens Spirit and work and he is more important in my life now, than ever before!

Hopefully I will be going to see Leonard with my good friend John next year which I am really looking forward to.

Peace ,Love and Divine Light!


Derek aka Zenlove
"FOLLOW YOUR BLISS!"/
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lizzytysh
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Re: LIVE 2008 Concert????

Post by lizzytysh »

Hi Derek ~

Hopefully, we'll be going to see Leonard in 2008, as well 8) . Welcome to this Forum :D . Perhaps, we'll see you on Anjani's, too :) . It's lovely how she stops by and interacts, as she's able.


~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde
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