leonardcohenforum.com

At dinner, a table had been set up and arrayed with gifts in the form of T-shirts sent to us by grateful LC forum members, and on behalf of all of us, I’d like to say thank you. Continuing in the spirit of gifts and celebration, it was quite the sight and sound, to view the audience singing Happy Birthday to Leonard just before the second set began.

zahov wrote: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1137 ... 8321630657

sturgess66 wrote:Good video -
Uploaded by its211me2 -
Closing Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeleXx7pf5g

Franks wrote:During the last two songs there were a few crew members on stage taking pictures with their smartphones. Has anyone seen these posted somewhere or know how to get in touch with any of the crew members (Jarkko?). I would love to see some photos from the stage point of view.

Review: Leonard Cohen
"The taste of significance '

by Emiel Kolenbrander
September 22, 2013



On Friday, the eve of his 79th birthday, Leonard Cohen was at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. It was a magical evening, and in nearly four hours Cohen and his tour band offered the highlights of his life work.

After the opener "Dance Me to the End of Love" Cohen immediately stopped and took time to thank his audience. For their attention and interest in recent decades. For their willingness to purchase tickets. Quite a financial burden. For the effort that many have taken to climbing. Unto the high places of the hall. And for coming anyway, because Cohen knows that in modern society a lot of people would like but it's not easy just to make yourself. A night off It is typical of Cohen, he is a cultured gentleman who knows his audience appreciates pleasantries.

Happy birthday

Many people who have come tonight listening for half a century to Cohen's music, his songs have become the soundtrack of their lives. They all cherish a blind, almost religious adoration for the Canadian star. Each number is followed by a hard and fanatical applause and people regularly walk along the seats forward to throw. Flowers and stuffed animals on stage Just after the break, the show resumes when Cohen takes the stage and the audience spontaneously sings en masse an early 'Happy Birthday' to him. It is a beautiful moment and Cohen takes the trouble to have been extended to thank everyone again.

The gig at the Ziggo Dome is also the last European show in his world tour in 2013, in the autumn he tours only by Australia and New Zealand. The tour was named with Old Ideas, to last year's album. A wonderful album that Friday night a handful of songs played. Cohen selected a large backing band of renowned musicians for the tour, including the Spanish guitarist Javier Mas, bassist Roscoe Beck and The Webb Sisters as backing singers. Each band member gets during the evening plenty of room to solo and in those moments, the master himself admired watching.

It's amazing how much energy and enthusiasm Cohen has on stage, that would be the envy of the average 78-year-old. With passionate passages he invariably falls to his knees to his feet, only to jump up a little later. A few times Cohen leaves the stage (before the break and for the encores) and he does it with a triumphant dance, hopping and waving a hand in the air.

Poetic evening

Highlights of the evening 'The Partisan' (which Cohen himself takes the French chorus cost), and the final block of 'I'm Your Man', 'Hallelujah' and 'Take This Waltz'. During this last song almost everyone leaves his seat in order to come. Close as possible to the stage Everyone seems suddenly flowers or a stuffed animal to have brought. When the evening was over here it was all been grand and memorable, but Cohen is still three times. He still plays the beautiful "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "So Long, Marianne" which is sung by all. Hard The evening ends with really 'Save the Last Dance for Me "by The Drifters and a new, playful song called' I've Got a Little Secret '.

"The taste of significance is what we call poetry," Cohen said in an interview. Poetry you recognize him according to the feeling that something important, something worthwhile going on. Friday was one of those nights where everyone had the feeling that something important happened. A magical, poetic evening which everyone could say they had been in there but nice anyway.