Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Canada and Europe (May 11 - August 3, 2008). Concert reports, set lists, photos, media coverage, multimedia links, recollections...
Brownie
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by Brownie »

Do you think all the tour dates will be announced on 11th March? I am in Manchester England at the Neil Young concert on that day. I can't believe that I could see both my all time heroes in the same year. The Chinese say 2008 -the year of the Rat is a lucky one. Could be true.
laughinglen
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by laughinglen »

Let me start by saying that this is totally from an Irish point of view. I have been a longtime fan of Leonard Cohen and with nine days to go before the tour dates are announced and before we all lose the run of ourselves, here is my take on where I see this is going.
Like everyone else on this forum, I was looking forward to the upcoming tour and getting to see Leonard once again in concert. I was at the shows in Dublin's National Stadium the last time he played in Ireland and have good memories of those gigs. The normal summer holiday arrangements for this family that are planned in January were put on hold because the tour dates were to be announced in February. However, when articles about possible upcoming shows started to appear in the newspapers here and mention was also made on radio programmes by those presenters who hinted they are in the know, it was then I began to get worried.
The small piece that appeared in The Irish Times last week set the alarm bells ringing. It was the talk of an open air show in the grounds of The Royal Hospital, Kilmainham, Dublin, and the mention of a show by Iggy Pop lined up for the same venue and then there was the question of a crowd limit of 12,000 people. The item only alluded to the possibility that Leonard Cohen would play there, as the promoters were still in talks. It didn't matter, this was enough to start the hype, Leonard is coming to play and the world and his wife will want to go. Radio stations seem to currently have Cohen songs on their playlists and even The Ryan Tubridy Radio Show on RTE had a Leonard Cohen quiz on the other day. Spare me. When the ads appeared in the papers for the Iggy Pop show in June and they said general admission (in other words, standing) and was going to be "An Intimate Outdoor Show", I knew it was time for a re-think.
In all the times I have attended outdoor shows, I have never been at one that could come anywhere close to being called "Intimate". The idea of standing in a field, or perhaps in this case a courtyard, with 12,000 people to see Leonard Cohen does not appeal to me. In my opinion, his music will not be suitable for an outdoor show and with the weather we in Ireland get in the summer it could turn into a washout and an unmitigated disaster.
So the decision is made, if Leonard is doing an outdoor gig in Ireland, intimate or otherwise, I will not be in attendance. I would rather hold onto the memories of the National Stadium shows than put myself through torture. Oh yeah and the family's summer holidays have been booked for June.
Baptiste
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by Baptiste »

nine days to go before the big day...I'm losing sleep over this...
I think it's a little weird for Mr.Cohen to play an outdoor show (ie a festival, say some half-good band like Supergrass is playing the same night, it's more than likely than 60% of the attendance will be there for them and not for Leonard, it'd be a messy affair...but anyway, Metallica could play the same night, I'd be there, but still, there are a couple of lovely venues in Paris which he would easily fill, and that would provide a more enjoyable atmosphere), but apparently, he'll be back in the fall for more "intimate" shows...)
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damellon
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by damellon »

He'll be back in winter for more intimate shows'
Is this the case Jarkko? I know Cortez has said so, but....
Like others, I too would prefer the option of seeing Leonard indoors.
The prospect of standing in muck with an umbrella in one hand, camera in the other, trying to avoid having beer spilled on me by my inebriated neighbour who is singing along to every song (whether he knows the words or not) or who is trying to chat up Diane who's standing next to me (singing along to every song - have you heard Diane sing?), while I'm standing on tip toes (I'm short) trying to catch a glimpse through my binoculars, my dripping hair putting paid to any hopes of getting an opportunity to wiggle my withery bits (as William has so delicately put it), is not one I relish.
However, I would endure the above if that's all that's on offer.
I'm hoping that if there are plans for more intimate shows (let's hear it for intimacy :D ), these will be announced at the same time as the 'Festival' type ones. The cynic in me imagines that they won't be and that I will have to brave the Irish/UK elements rather than defer the pleasure until later in the year when my eyes and ears could concentrate exclusively on seeing and listening to Leonard.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.

from Wild Geese
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jarkko
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by jarkko »

Most concerts in the summer leg of the concert tour will be open air concerts at big festivals etc.
That's what I wrote on February 24. I expected that the hawk-eyed members will ask what the "summer leg" means,
but nobody asked... Anyway, there indeed is a plan to return to Europe next Winter for concert hall gigs.
I guess fine-tuning the final summer schedule has now to take priority, and we are not going to get the other dates on March 11...
It's also possible that the final decisions about the 2nd part of the tour will be made only after the summer tour.
Anyway, on March 11 we will be much wiser.
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damellon
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by damellon »

Radar down, but thank you Jarkko for that clarification.
Last edited by damellon on Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.

from Wild Geese
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margaret
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by margaret »

Thank you for clarifying that Jarkko.

Like D above and many others here, I don't relish the thought of standing outdoors at a Festival, especially with the unpredictable British and Irish weather :roll: I suspect these appearances could be for publicity and/or to gauge reaction from a younger generation of music fans. I hope there will be some more intimate venues or proper concert halls later on for long term admirers and oldies like me.
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dharma
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by dharma »

jarkko wrote:I expected that the hawk-eyed members will ask what the "summer leg" means,
but nobody asked...
I assumed a "summer leg" of the tour in Europe implied an "autumn leg" of the tour in North America, but thanks for the clarification.

I guess we're gonna get two cracks at the whip, so to speak, maybe seeing Lenny at a cold and wet :) outdoor show in the summer, then again somewhere warm and dry in the winter. I do hope Lenny does Glastonbury now... :D
London 1985 / London 1988 / London 1992 / Dublin, Manchester, London, Paris, 2008 / Weybridge, Venice 2009
Rabbit
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by Rabbit »

I was one of the hawk-eyed ones, but figured that rather than bug Jarkko, I'd simply let the information flow in its own good time.
Rabbit
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by Rabbit »

TJHobbs wrote:The $1000 offer for dinner with Leonard Cohen sounds a bit low; perhaps he didnt value the artist , or thought little of his wife; how about a charity auction on Ebay ("Dinner for Two with....")

***he offered me those thousand bucks for being the middleman... it never became clear how much he was prepared to pay for the dinner itself because I didn't take the assignment ! :shock: / Jarkko
Absolutely too low! The guy is nuts. Jarkko, I'll run to $1100 if you can organise that dinner for me.
Rabbit
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by Rabbit »

I forgot!

Jarkko, before you remove my post....

;-)
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sleep
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by sleep »

jarkko wrote: Two weeks ago I was offered 1000 usd if I organize a dinner with Leonard for the wife of the person (the wife was going to have her 50th birthday).
Needless to say that all those requests go directly to the trashbin.
Wow! I had no idea were so inundated, Jarkko. So, if you added up all the hours you put into the website, adding content, fixing broken links, answering e-mails from all over, how many hours a week do you work on all this?

I'll bet it's a lot more than you ever thought you would! ;-)
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jarkko
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by jarkko »

Better not to count! :razz:
William
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by William »

Damellon
The tide may have gone out but I am still capable of crossing the bar .
Take that as you will!!!!!!
William :roll:
soik
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Re: Leonard Cohen: TOUR 2008

Post by soik »

really looking forward to it......now if only my 17 year old could get into him then i'd have someone to go with !!!!

the wife = NOT A CHANCE !!!! :razz:
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