leonardcohenforum.com

Dear Leonard,

I really do hope that you didn't forget about the country full of your really devoted fans.
OK, I understand that Canada was the first, obvious place for the tour. You have also
many fans in the UK, Germany, France, Spain.
But please - don't forget about your Polish fans. We are waiting for you.

Mirek

And if you would consider performing in Warsaw in the same magnificent, Russian build structure that you played in 1985, I will fly from California to witness this little nugget of history again.
Your 1985 concert was extraordinary event, playing in same location now would give a sense of closure to many of your Polish fans.

Don't worry guys. He knows. He comes.

jarkko wrote:Don't worry guys. He knows. He comes.

...and these footsteps are heard... so... ahead of Germany whether after hmm...??? You will write one word ...?....please

Jarkko,
or the continuation of the list (confirmed route) will you write in the closest days? Whether you can write only so much? In a week I will not be able to here look. I cannot miss such an important stage.

I thank you and your team for everything !!! I am greeting j.

I would love to tell more - If I only knew. Have not received the tour list yet, and starting from next Tuesday I will be offline for three weeks...

jarkko wrote:I would love to tell more - If I only knew. Have not received the tour list yet, and starting from next Tuesday I will be offline for three weeks...

Jarkko,

If you want to nominate a proxy to liaise with Mister Cohen's management re. the Autumn/Fall tour dates information whilst you are offline, I'm your man.....!

Last week`s issue of the Polish "Polityka" magazine published an article by Daniel Wyszogrodzki
/the Polish translator of Book of Longing/.According to Wyszogrodzki the concerts are magical,
indeed kind of mysteries and the tour may well be the best in Cohen`s entire career.
Well, there`s no denying it. Everybody knows - as long as they have attended, but what about
those who haven`t had a chance ?
Towards the end of the article, Wyszogrodzki writes about the difficulties surrounding the touring
negotiations.After a huge success of the first leg of the tour, the management realised that there`s
a great demand for Leonard`s concerts in Europe, and promptly raised their prices.
The rate of one million dollars per evening may be acceptable for the French or German organizers,
but it might prove an insurmountable barrier for the Eastern European countries.
We can only hope that the management excessive demands won`t deprive many fans of the pleasure
of attending the magical concerts. Fans who make up one of the largest fanbases of the Master
in the world.

kaz,

PS. The author mentions that Leonard is excluded from negotiations.


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Dublin 13,15th June : London 17th July ; Poland ....... still open.

kaz wrote: Towards the end of the article, Wyszogrodzki writes about the difficulties surrounding the touring
negotiations.After a huge success of the first leg of the tour, the management realised that there`s
a great demand for Leonard`s concerts in Europe, and promptly raised their prices.
The rate of one million dollars per evening may be acceptable for the French or German organizers,
but it might prove an insurmountable barrier for the Eastern European countries.
We can only hope that the management excessive demands won`t deprive many fans of the pleasure
of attending the magical concerts. Fans who make up one of the largest fanbases of the Master
in the world.

kaz,

PS. The author mentions that Leonard is excluded from negotiations.





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Dublin 13,15th June : London 17th July ; Poland ....... still open.

Oh dear, I was hoping that now the tour is such a success and the financial pressure is lifted, the next set of concerts may have had lower prices Many of us have paid a lot of money to attend the concerts. The UK is in dire financial straits right now with myself and others worse off by the week with rising prices and no extra wages to compensate. To raise the prices further in future may limit ticket sales. The management risk killing the goose that lays the golden eggs by being so greedy. What I paid for my concert tickets is 2 or 3 times more than the cost of tickets to see anybody else ever in my life

Margaret

I don't think the price Daniel Wyszogrodzki mentions can be correct. Let's take Paris for an example.
Olympia has 2000 seats. If the local promoter pays 1,0 million for each concert, it would be 500 bucks
per seat. As we know the ticket price is between 95 and 161 euros, and this has to cover all the costs,
including the rent of the venue, advertising, local staff expenses and the profit margin of the French
promoter. So the mathematics don't work here.

I don't know the terms AEG Live applies when they make contracts for Leonard, but in general the fee
of the artist management depends on the size of the venue and the total amount of ticket sales.

I saw Bruce Springsteen in Helsinki last Friday, and according to Finnish newspapers he charges 85 % of
the ticket sales (with 42.000 tickets sold, say 70 euros each, his company's share was nice indeed, 2,5
million eur. On the other hand that has to cover salaries to 85 of his own workers, costs of 30 trucks,
500 local helpers and so on... ). Rolling Stones is said to charge 100 % of ticket sales; the local promoters
only get parking fees, some percentage of the merchandise sales and income of beer, resfreshments,
pizzas and whatever is sold at the venues). Boss and Stones are exceptions; only a few artists in the world
are able to charge such proportions of the income, usually it is a MUCH lower percentage, with a
guaranteed minimum fee.

kaz wrote:............Towards the end of the article, Wyszogrodzki writes about the difficulties surrounding the touring
negotiations.After a huge success of the first leg of the tour, the management realised that there`s
a great demand for Leonard`s concerts in Europe, and promptly raised their prices.
The rate of one million dollars per evening may be acceptable for the French or German organizers,
but it might prove an insurmountable barrier for the Eastern European countries.
We can only hope that the management excessive demands won`t deprive many fans of the pleasure
of attending the magical concerts. Fans who make up one of the largest fanbases of the Master
in the world..........

Hello friends,

I’ve just read the said “Polityka” magazine article (unfortunately not available on line).
There is still a hope for all of us in Poland, I think.
At the end of his article Daniel Wyszogrodzki mentions, that the negotiations have not been finished yet and the preliminary dates for concerts in the three Polish cities have been reserved for the end of September.
I strongly believe our dreams will come true.....
Please see the enclosed scan of the article respective paragraph.

Warmest greetings from Wroclaw
Marta

I'm disappointed by the venue chosen for both Warsaw concerts - it's a 5000 arena, primarily used for indoor sports events, and as a public skating ring in the winter, an industrial type building:
I hoped LC and the management would chose same venue he played in 1985, the 2,900 seat auditorium at the Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science. While I understand the management wants to maximize profit playing huge arenas, I had hoped LC would like to revisit the place he once played, at least for one of the concerts.
It's a lavish '50 auditorium:

Mirka - agreed. I was very much hoping Sala Kongresowa would be the venue too. I saw Tom Waits play there some years ago, when I was living in Warsaw, and it really is the ideal venue for a more intimate concert.

Like you, I know the management need to maximise profits and I don't begrudge Leonard his retirement fund, but I am glad I saw him in Manchester as well as Edinburgh - they were both great, but undeniably different.....

Do you know anything about the Wroclaw venue?

I was thinking to go to the Warsawa show as I have friends there and I adore the city and the country in general But also, I'm VERY dissapointed it's not Palace of Culture... This sport hall looks quite awfull for a Cohen show.


PS. I didn't see Sala... I must say it's quite contrary to the outside look of the palace itself Nevertheles, I think it's very expensive venue, I guess that show in Torwar will be cheaper than if it were in Palace of the Culture.

Well I've taken a look at the Wroclaw venue - a 4,500 seater sports stadium......

Ah well - or, Co Zycie!!