CONCERT REPORT: Barcelona, September 21 (Leonard's birthday)

[Happygirl]

Leonard being welcomed on stage by a standing ovation (a lot of commotion going on where I was, so video partially a bit shaky). His smile at the end of the clip is so lovely, what a start to the gig! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N-NTD5NzWk

More clips to follow...

[Matthias1234]

Leonard being welcomed on stage by a standing ovation (a lot of commotion going on where I was, so video partially a bit shaky). His smile at the end of the clip is so lovely, what a start to the gig! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N-NTD5NzWk

More clips to follow...

Thanks a lot for that clip - he looks so good, just like "I haven't been this happy since the end of World War II".
Cheers, M.

[Happygirl]

Suzanne with our birthday candles dotted around the concert hall...this must have been my favourite moment of the night, so moving. Thank you so much to whoever on the Barcelona team came up with the idea of the candles, pure genius. As I wasn't sitting with anyone I knew it was the most beautiful thing to know that everyone else out there holding a candle was also part of our group. Priceless. Will never ever ever forget this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HOF_-erzqk (Phew, managed to borrow a lighter from someone beside me, first time videoing while holding a candle, haha...)

[Alsiony]

I found "Happy Birthday."

Video by "ysinembargomagazine" on YouTube.

I did a Google translation of the long description and it says something about Leonard being "extraterrestrial" and having a run-in with top-level soloists?"

"ysinembargomagazine" wrote - Mr. Elegant in concert.

Impeccable presentation ... Read Mason Leonard Cohen at the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona. A deluxe band led by Captain Roscoe Beck from four and five strings in which local and Javier Mas shone especially vibrant over three hours, which began with "Dance Me to the End of Love" at 21:30 pm and ended with the audience dancing-it-in encores like "First We Take Manhattan ...", when many had already come down from the stands just a few meters of the scenario we sang a happy 75th birthday and it was past 1am.

(The audio of the video is 'environment' and in no way reflects the fidelity CD of the concert. A deluxe sound like I have rarely seen "comes into my mind the memory of February 1985, with YES in the stadium of Velez Sarsfield, Buenos Aires when he had 90,125 and / or Radiohead in Barcelona last year. But what LC was extraterrestrial. sensation enhanced by a solid, compact and run-in with top-level soloists).

The video is first of Ain't No Cure for Love. At 5:20 Leonard starts to thank the audience and they start singing "Happy Birthday" - you see Dino smiling and then applauding. Lights turn blue - and Leonard goes right into "Bird on the Wire!" (Partial video - just enough to capture wonderful solos by Bob Metzer and Dino Soldo.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=corWSmk8jmY

This is the video I have been waiting to catch

[Happygirl]

And another clip of the 'happy birthday choir' with closeup of screen and view of audience standing up. I cannot get over how charming he is. If there was a prize for 'best smile in showbusiness' he'd beat any competitor hands down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVBpPlr9osY

[Paula]

Some memorable moments from Barcelona:

- everyone listening and singing along to Jordi's fabulous tribute performance
- the light of the thin green candles illuminating the arena
- seeing Leonard smile
- the musicians holding up Willy and Wijbe's beautiful birthday poster during "Whither Thou Goest"
- Maarten falling to his knees in front of Henning (our hero of the day)
- Ann-Kristin showing me photographic evidence of Leonard being touched by a mysterious hand

A big thanks to the Barcelona team and Maarten for making it all happen !!!

Heike I would like some clarification on Maarten falling to his knees in front of Henning (our hero of the day)

[SuzanneT]

Suzanne with our birthday candles dotted around the concert hall...this must have been my favourite moment of the night, so moving. Thank you so much to whoever on the Barcelona team came up with the idea of the candles, pure genius. As I wasn't sitting with anyone I knew it was the most beautiful thing to know that everyone else out there holding a candle was also part of our group. Priceless. Will never ever ever forget this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HOF_-erzqk (Phew, managed to borrow a lighter from someone beside me, first time videoing while holding a candle, haha...)

Now that I got almost to the knee, and drove me to tears to my eyes ... beautiful, beautiful ... and for me especially because my name is Zuzana, which is the Czech equivalent of the name Suzanne. Just can I regret that I could be there . Candles are a wonderful idea Thanks for the experience Leonard, thanks to you, who have been there

[IrishMar]

An emotionally charged weekend! The initial panic of logging onto the Forum and discovering the news of the Valencia concert, the anxious hours of waiting for news of his health finally turned to sheer joy at seeing Leonard run onto the stage on Monday night.

The band were greeted to huge cheers as they took their places on stage and when Leonard ran out, the volume in the stadium increased ten fold. We all sang Happy Birthday immediately while Leonard looked around, took it all in and beamed. When he launched straight into Dance Me then and it was a great relief to hear how good he sounded.

Each and every member of the band were in top form, as always, but there was a definite "extra" in their performance, they sparkled.

At one point in between songs Leonard started to speak he only got as far as "We don't know when we will pass this way again ..." and he was treated to a second rendition of Happy Birthday.

The vastness of the arena melted as he bound us tight. THE most magical moment of the night had to be when Leonard started to sing Suzanne and the thin green candles held by Forum members, lit up dotted throughout the venue. That's when my tears started, I had to get a grip as I literally couldn't see very well for a while and I needed to take it all in. (Ann, thank you for posting that great photo).

It was an amazing surprise at the end of the night when Leonard thanked the Forum Members, tears again, bursting with pride to be part of such a wonderful group.

Great to be greeted by Maarten at Sala Vivaldi, I was really impressed with the name tags, which were worn with pride by Forum members at the concert and a lovely touch from to Ann (Womanfromaroom), giving us all a postcard souvenir.

The tribute concert was a treat, thank you to Jorxc for a great performance and interpretation of Leonard's songs and to all involved in the organisation of that event.

Catching up with lots of people we already knew from previous events and to finally meet many others was hugely enjoyable.

Albert is busy uploading today.

Hallelujah is up..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzo4lCmZKsM


Marie

[SuzanneT]

And another clip of the 'happy birthday choir' with closeup of screen and view of audience standing up. I cannot get over how charming he is. If there was a prize for 'best smile in showbusiness' he'd beat any competitor hands down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVBpPlr9osY

I agree, no star of the show business smile so charming and sincere . I love his smile, I love Leonard!

[Womanfromaroom]

Here are my Barcelona photographs - they should be accessible to everyone, not just to Facebook members:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... dda13c88fa

[Laura]

Here are my Barcelona photographs - they should be accessible to everyone, not just to Forum members:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=1 ... dda13c88fa

Ha ha! I like the "stars and stripes" part.
I'm still waiting for more photos of forum members, too...

Laura

[sturgess66]

Here's Leonard thanking the band, collecting flowers from the audience (is it a forum member?) and then skipping off stage - he seemed to put a extra spring in it and raised his hand, it's almost a sashay

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5qr69a1p_8

He does that same high-in-the-air hand flourish at the end of "Take This Waltz" performance in Madrid - as he skips off the stage (7:39)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXhLifD_qDg

The vastness of the arena melted as he bound us tight.
Marie

[bridger15]

Great to be greeted by Maarten at Sala Vivaldi, I was really impressed with the name tags, which were worn with pride by Forum members at the concert and a lovely touch from to Ann (Womanfromaroom), giving us all a postcard souvenir.
Marie

Great report, Marie. Very moving.

How about someone posting a photo of Maarten's name tag and Ann's postcard.

[ohgollygolly]

I re-met a couple who were at the Barcelona concert with their very delightful 4 year old daughter - they were also at the Leonard's Aarhus [Denmark] concert in July last year, when the girl (Pia??) was 3 years. She was able to sing along to most of his songs, and is clearly a devotee, so shows that Leonard Cohen is able to reach the emerging generation!

[Juan Luis Corcobado]

Leonard being welcomed on stage by a standing ovation (a lot of commotion going on where I was, so video partially a bit shaky). His smile at the end of the clip is so lovely, what a start to the gig! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N-NTD5NzWk

More clips to follow...

¡¡¡ Emocionante !!!! ¡¡ Conmovedor !!

Thanks por the video.