Berlin - Waldbühne - 30.08.2008 CANCELLED

[polarfox]

...indeed, in autumn season the Waldbühne will be a cold place, not a cool one

[abulafia]

I just received an e-mail from eventim. The tickets have to be sent back to them, they promise that they try to refund the money in the next 14 days. Furthermore they state that they have no information why the concert is cancelled.

[Eva Maria]

And according to Zahlmann, the promoter, the concert has been cancelled for logistic reasons.

...indeed, in autumn season the Waldbühne will be a cold place, not a cool one

Well, if I only had the chance to see him live I wouldn't mind any weather...

[Peter]

I also recieved this message from Eventim today. So at least THEY are a serious company ... With a tear in my eye I'll put my nice tickets (central block, row 2, right in front of the stage!) in an envelope and send them back. Would have been tooooo beautifull!

However, since the early seventies I have visited about 12 of his concerts in nicer places and wasn't very happy about the idea of open air festivals at all. Maybe I'm also too old for this.

But I still have my tickets for Lörrach on July 25th. So I'll stand there somewhere in a darkened door or in the rain and wave good bye again ...

The whole mess created by AEG is very disappointing and not too good for the reputation of Mr. Cohen. He always seems to meet the wrong people when it comes to business.

On the other hand, I am very happy for him that that he doesn't have to play all these August concerts. I think June and July is already too much. It's a pity that he is forced to do this just to work for some Euro dollars. I'd rather like to see him sitting at home at his desk, having some good red wine and hammering some words for eternity into his Apple computer.

So no reason to complain. It is better for him not to give hundreds of concerts in rainy Europe just to look at elderly ladies one more time - and it may help that he lives a little bit longer.

Cheers, Mr. Cohen!


.

[Henning]

Well said, Peter. Greetings on a sunny day in the docks of Hamburg.

[polarfox]

I totally agree with what you wrote, Peter. I just wonder, how Mr. Cohen will cope with all the strain of his tour schedule in June and July. And probably, Eva Maria, we've all got the chance to see him in more intimate indoor concerts in 2009. So don't you worry so much!

[AngloSaxon]

I've also received this email from Eventim today. I booked two tickets (+flights+hotel) I don't speak German. Can anyone translate the email to what I'm supposed to do. I appreciate the return address is on the email but is there anything else I need to do? Cheers, John

[jarkko]

You have to print the pdf file that was attached to the message, sign it and sent it with the original tickets to them within 7 days. They try to get the refunds under way to your credit card (or bank account) within 14 days. They suggest that the tickets should send by registered mail.

[polarfox]

Thanks Jarkko for the information and your magnificent engagement
But some more words, to what Peter wrote. Maybe our expectations to this tour are a little bit too high. I’ve seen Cohen life in concert only one time (Frankfurt, May 1993) and for sure, it was a strong statement of art. He was, as you can watch on many videos on YouTube, very concentrated, much focused on his singing and phrasing …, it really made a long lasting impression onto me. This specific unique mixture of spirituality, sensuality and poetical richness, that is as true and precise as it is imaginative. And the reception of this concert, it was interwoven with so many memories of these long gone days of youth. (But are those days really so far behind? I wonder …) Of course, I want to experience that again, - and not a sentimental reminiscence of the good old times but a modern powerful testimony of performing art. Will that be happen? Can he give more than he already did? Are you sure? Take a look at those videos that show him singing along with Anjani. What is your impression of that? He seems to me not to be that Field Commander Cohen anymore that he was… (Just imagine, he is playing the O2 in London, hard to believe). What does he going to proof? I don’t know. Maybe and hopefully I’m totally wrong with these apprehensions. Greetings to everybody.

[loulou]

also had the email re : cancellation today as well - very pleased to say that they are also refunding all the associated fees (a whopping euro 35 for me as i have delivery adress outside germany) above the ticket price (but phraised as booking fees and 'Vorverkaufsgebuehr' not sure how to translate that)

it does not state if they are refunding the dhl fee also. we'll see......

[Wolfgang]

I love Leonard but the organization of his tour is terribly bad. I think I will spend the money on a sister of mercy instead of buying a ticket for a fictional concert.

Greetings from Austria
Wolfgang

[tomsakic]

None of August dates was officialy confirmed by Leonard Cohen office. The other thing were negotiations between AEG Live and local promotors for August leg of the tour, which LC has delayed, as he has too many shows in May, June and July. Now, why some promotors decided to sell the tickets 5 months in advance, for officialy NOT confirmed shows, is another question. Leonard is not to blame for any of August cancellations, as he did not sign or anounce anything after July 29.

Also, he probably doesn't even know which shows he has to play, as he's rehearsing with the band for months now, after 15 years. He has to sing live, on stage, after 15 years, with a new voice and 74-years old body, and I guess his part of the business is to be ready and fit. Our part is to buy the tickets and to listen. Somebody other's part is to orgnaise the tour, the itinerary, local agencies, promotion etc. On that, we have to remember that this is Leonard's solo venture, wtihout the label to stand behind, without tour producer, without promotion other than this website and local promotion for shows, and without the communication with the press when the tour starts.

[Henning]

Tom - no one is blaming Leonard here. This rather looks like an amateur's enterprise garbage. I don't think that the serious local ticketshops are having fun in selling tickets for not confirmed shows. Who released the August tour dates, if not confirmed ? Also the festival organizers in Benacissm must have thought that the LC participation is fix.

[swisschris]

I totally agree with you Henning.
Eventim is the biggest ticket seller in Germany, and a trustworthy one. They never sell tickets just out of the blue.(Who has the work now with all the refunds, not AEG but eventim and the other ticket sellers.) So there must have been a misunderstanding between AEG and the organizer of the concert.
AEG themselves published the tentative tourdates as they have published tourdates in July which will never happen, for example the concert at Paleo festival here in Switzerland. A few weeks ago there was an interview with the festival organizer who was surprised to find the date on AEG's website as he hadn't received the final confirmation.
AND: Montreux just received the final confirmation for the concert THIS WEEK!!! This means weeks after the date has first been published March 11th.

So maybe Leonard will change the organizer of the tour for the second part of his tour? (If there will be one). With the organizer he has now I would not be at the slightest surprised if in the beginning of June they would cancel all his European concerts WITHOUT reason and WITHOUT apologizing...

[tomsakic]

Local dates for August were NOT released from LC Office nor from AEG Live website - all went on sale or as rumours from local promotors. Particularly Berlin, eventim.de announced it and started sales.

AEG Live and LC office have only difficulties with Athens and Romania, plus Benicassim (which nobody knows why is problematic now). That's all in July. august was never confirmed from LC office or even by AEG Live.