Friday, November 18, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Las Vegas Diary
If someone had told me at the start of the year the journeys I would undertake because of my love for Leonard Cohen I would have laughed at them. Having never being previously out of Ireland I honestly thought Lissadell was the last time I was going to see Leonard perform live on this tour but then came Katowice and while I was home on a day after this concert I just knew I had to try and do my best to get to Las Vegas to the final shows of the tour.
My adventure began a day early thanks to our horrendous weather which made driving conditions dangerous so it was up to Bewleys Airport Hotel for the night. While I did know of other fans that would be on the flight it was a little daunting travelling technically alone to the USA.
On arrival on Thursday morning I was relieve to discover it was relatively quiet and I was able to secure window seats for both flights which I would be taking that day as I had a changeover in Philadelphia. On boarding the plane or “Big Bird” as I’m affectionately calling all planes, I discovered a woman sitting in my seat. I politely told her this to which she was very angry and refused to accept what I was saying. I showed her my ticket with the seat number and offered to help her find her seat if she would show me her ticket. To this she responded that she could read. I’d enough of being polite at this stage and told her if she could read she wouldn’t be in my seat! Eventually she found her ticket and moved to the row in front minus the good window view! Explained why she took my seat!
We had a short delay while Big Bird was being defrosted due to the sub zero temperatures. How I couldn’t wait to arrive in Las Vegas and get some warm sunshine into my bones! The journey across the Atlantic passed relatively quickly as I read magazines and a book. I discovered doing cross words made time fly by! The food while not spectacular was adequate and a lot better than what was to come on the flight from Philly to Vegas. On the first flight we got dinner, snacks and any amount of refreshments mostly free. However the second flight though almost as long only had a snack service and everything except drinks had to be paid for. Of course alcohol if one wanted it had always to be paid for!
On arrival at Philadelphia we were not amused at the long walk to the terminal to get our flight to Las Vegas. It was even worse than Ryanair flights in Dublin. We had the same to contend with on the way back. We wondered where the respect for people travelling long distance was! Although it was very funny to be greeted on entry to the airport to a huge bill board with the message “Senator Michael Nutter welcomes you to Philadelphia”. These sign were all over the airport and make one wonder why he doesn’t change his name!
It was great when we finally set off on the final leg of the journey to Las Vegas. I spent most of this flight talking to a gentleman named David who is a Jehovah’s Witness. We had an interesting debate and while our beliefs are poles apart it was a respectable conversation.
It was interesting walking through Las Vegas International Airport to see the poker machines. Though I had known they would be there it was still a funny sight though nothing to what I would see later. After collecting my suitcase I found a shuttle bus going to my hotel The Imperial Palace. Driving into The Strip I was awestruck at the sights before me. Arriving in the dark with bring lights everywhere is very impactful and even though I’d seen photos and videos nothing prepares the mind for this! One thing for sure I was in a place completely different to Ireland and being surrounded by the Nevada desert meant everything was completely different! Normally in this instance I’d reach for my camera but all I could do was stare!
On arrival at the hotel I opened the door to a huge casino right in the lobby! Ok, where do I check in? Spotting the desk I checked in and then proceeded to find my hotel room. This proved tricky as the hotel was a maze and although I was there four nights I didn’t ever completely know the way to get there and had to make sure to have landmarks. Although the hallways left a lot to be desired I was relieved to enter a clean room, basic but adequate.
After this it was time to go meet other fans at a pre-arranged meet-up at a different hotel. On exiting my hotel I very cagily started walking down the street having become used to having to do this at home in case I’d fall on the ice! It took a few steps to realise I didn’t need to this here as no snow and ice here!
Making my way to the Bellagio I was staring in awe at all the lights around me. Everywhere is brightly lit up in Las Vegas on The Strip. One of the first things I noticed was the replica half size Eiffel Tower. Even at half size it looked impressive. What were also impressive were huge screens advertising the concerts. It was lovely to hear Leonard singing Hallelujah as I made my way down The Strip. It was great to meet up with Mandy in the Bellagio as we had previously met at Lissadell. I also met Judy who is a Facebook friend and whom Mandy was staying with for the duration of the weekend.
After a quick bite to eat it was time to head across to Caesars Palace for another meet up and to set eyes on the Venue. The Colosseum can be seen from the outside but one enters it from inside Caesars Palace. Heading to collect my concert tickets I was very impressed to see a massive poster on the wall of The Colosseum of a smiling Leonard. I got many photos here over the duration of the weekend! I was relieved on collecting my tickets that I would be able to upgrade my ticket for the Saturday show as when I was booking I could only get the 3rd level and I didn’t want to be up there for Leonards last concert!
Walking around Caesars Palace I was very impressed with the decor even though upper class hotels are not usually places I feel comfortable in. While everything was copies they were made with the same material as the originals and it looked and felt fantastic! There was energy about the place which I needed as I had being awake 26 hours at this stage! As we made our way to meet the other fans there was a sea of casinos everywhere we looked. Las Vegas is a 24 hour city which never sleeps and at anytime one would see plenty of people gambling!
After collecting nametags and wrist bands for the concerts and meeting fellow fans I finally answered my body’s call and headed back to my hotel for sleep. However it was to evade me and now on home turf it is still evading me! After 3 hours I went back downstairs and the place was full of life! After managing another couple of hours lie down it was time to meet the women and start on the list of places I wanted to see in Las Vegas. However thanks to my desire to meet my master I didn’t actually get to see that much but I wouldn’t swop meeting Leonard for anything in the world!
We spent most of Friday trying to find him which I have already covered in my write up of meeting him so I won’t go over that again! First thing Friday I had to find Avi and collect photo books which I had pre-arranged to collect. After this we went for breakfast or should I say brunch at Caesars and let’s just say Mandy is a carnivore and leave it at that! We then went for a walk in The Forum shops at Caesars as it was there we were meeting Judy’s friend Doug to get inside info on where we might meet Leonard. Walking through The Forum we felt we were outside as the ceiling was made to look like we were. There were statues everywhere and it looked amazing though with the exception of postcards and the like we bought nothing else there. After this we went to book our helicopter tour of The Grand Canyon as we didn’t book it before we left in case we didn’t arrive due to the weather.
Basically as the rest of Friday is described in my Leonard meet-up report I’ll skip past that to Saturday. It felt great getting up after a massive four hours sleep but lots of adrenaline floating around the blood kept me sustained. After spending Friday looking for Leonard we decided to do something different Saturday and after breakfast we made our way down to see the volcano at The Mirage. We discovered it is only shown after 5pm so decided to come back the following night and instead made our way across to Madame Tussauds. It was great fun “meeting” the stars and having our picture taken with different people including Bono, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Stevie Wonder and Barack Obama. Lady Gaga had only arrived 2 days previous. As we were exiting the merchandise shop and laughing at some hilarious fridge magnets we noticed we could get wax models of our hands for $12! Bargain, we had to get that.
As we left to head for lunch at The Flamingo we were asked where we are from. Replying Ireland and Scotland the guy said “Scirish” We looked at him in confusion and he claimed there was a race of people called Scirish who were a mix between Irish and Scots. We laughed and disappointed him by telling him this was not true.
Having lunch which came with a free shot of vodka at The Flamingo we could look out at flamingos, black swans and huge fish. We did plan to return on Sunday but didn’t have a chance as time was tight after meeting Leonard. We headed down to The Eiffel Tower expecting a queue but were pleasantly surprised to discover none! For $10 dollars we were also delighted to discover we could stay up there as long as we wished as we had planned on returning on the Sunday to see the night lights. Now we could do day light, dusk and night views all at once as it gets dark very early! To say the views were stunning are an understatement. It was fantastic up there and I was very snap happy and got photos of a gorgeous sky at sunset and also of a fountain display at The Bellagio across the road. After descending the tower we went to look at this from ground level. While the circle formations can be seen for the tower it was still an amazing sight from the ground.
It was then time to head across to Caesars for the second concert. This was a bittersweet moment as while it felt great going to see Leonard for a second night running it was also going be our last chance to see him in concert for the foreseeable future. As with Friday the remainder of Saturday is contained in the other reviews.
Well I couldn’t have imagined for a better start to Sunday and I will be forever grateful I met Leonard. I will treasure our time together in my heart and of course treasure my photos and signed memorabilia as well. After meeting Leonard we had to find a place to check for confirmation email for our Grand Canyon trip and I needed a new memory card for my camera as I had used my last one for my Leonard photos. After having memory card issues in the past I wasn’t going to risk anything happening to these!
We didn’t even have time for lunch which was just as well as even though we hadn’t eaten much in the past 24 hours I wasn’t hungry. Meeting Leonard was sustenance enough! So it was straight back to my hotel for a snack and wait for our limousine to take us from the hotel. As my first time in a limo I wasn’t amused that we were being collected at a back car park! Not very luxurious but maybe it was better that way as I when I was getting in I was less than elegant. On asking how one could be elegant I was told it isn’t easy!
We were driven from the hotel to the airport where we checked in and watched a helicopter safety video. It was then for the 2nd most exciting part of our adventure as we made our way to the helicopter. To say flying to the Grand Canyon was a breathtaking is almost an understatement! It was an absolutely stunning view as we flew over Lake Mead and The Hoover Dam. On the journey there and back we had headphones with commentary and it was explained that there is only approximately enough water to last 25 more years in Vegas! Apparently they use it for energy and are looking at changing that to using the sun. That is a no brainer as plenty of sunshine in Nevada!
As we flew over the Grand Canyon I remembered when someone told me that every time one goes there it looks completely different and I have to agree with that because even though I’ve seen photos and videos this looked like nothing like I’d seen before! We landed at a designated spot for the tours where there were benches and were now incidentally in Arizona. We had a few minutes to walk around and take photos before having a champagne lunch. I was surprised how rocky it was. While I expected rocks I had expected sand too but saw none. It was great seeing cactus in their original landscape.
After taking some photos and having our lunch where I forced myself to eat a small roll as I was didn’t fancy getting dizzy up in the air from the lack of eating even though I wasn’t hungry! Had no such problems with the champagne though! It went down a treat! The journey back to Las Vegas gave us the most stunning sunset I have even seem and ironically it was the eastern skyline that looked the most beautiful as it was a beautiful mix of blue and purple colours. While flying down The Strip was great to do I was on the wrong side of the helicopter to see it properly but I did have my memories of seeing it from The Eiffel Tower. When we arrived at the airport we couldn’t land when planes were taking off so we had to hover over the planes and I enjoyed that! While I dislike travelling on land I can’t say the same for the air and I now have a dream to fly for just one day. It wouldn’t be a good job for me though as I do be raging when I can’t take photos when I’m out with nature!
When we landed we thanked and tipped the captain for a truly memorable evening and headed to get our limousine back to my hotel. I decided to be cheeky and asked the driver to take the long way around so I could see some of the Vegas I missed through trying to find Leonard! He kindly obliged as he had to drop another guy off anyway. I wanted to go to the lobby in Caesars to check email using their wifi so I asked to go there instead. It is across the road for the driver so it wasn’t putting him out but saved our already sore limbs a 30 minute walk as he couldn’t stop outside the front of The Imperial Palace as it hasn’t got a nice driveway like Caesers. That turned out to be a good move as he stopped right outside one of the main entrances which were a much better location than where we were collected!
After checking my email and taking one final walk around Caesars and to the entrance of The Colosseum to once more take in the view of the massive Leonard poster (still in total shock we had seen him in person) we headed down to watch the volcano at The Mirage all the while taking some photos of the night lights of Vegas. While we watched I of course took many photos. If there is one thing Vegas is expert at it is to constantly surprise and this did surprise and it was so stunning we decided to come back for it again so I could record it! We thought it would be a good idea to finally eat and headed across the road to a place called The Steak House. Only this place isn’t a steak house it was another darn casino and the biggest one we had seen at that! I literally couldn’t see the end of it and with Christmas lights added in I had seen enough so we got an ice cream and went back outside to await the volcano. After eating ice cream I realised I still wasn’t hungry and Mandy said she felt the same so we decided to skip dinner and head back to my hotel for a drink and to have a flutter on the slot machines. We had the biggest Strawberry Daiquiri I’d ever seen but one with the least amount of alcohol!
All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes. It was a sad moment as we had shared a brilliant weekend together and will treasure our time with Leonard together forever. I was and am truly grateful for the time I spent with Mandy and Judy and hope our paths cross again.
After packing I headed to bed for what I hoped would be a decent night sleep not needing to be up until after 6am. However being me I woke at 5am. After laying there for a moment I decided to get up and have a final look at The Colosseum which although was across from my hotel I wouldn’t see as I was leaving. I enjoyed those few minutes just before dawn where for once Vegas was peaceful. I then decided to head back upstairs and write my report of the meeting so I’d have it on paper when it was fresh in my mind.
Although the airport was busy it was easy to check in and go through security. I made sure to secure my window seats as I’d being told I’d see the Rocky Mountains. I’d missed this on the way in as it was dark that journey. It was lovely meeting up with Mick Purcell and sharing with him my story of meeting Leonard. He had being my companion on the trip to Lissadell for Leonard’s birthday so to be able to tell him I’d told Leonard this was special. On boarding the plane I was pleased to notice I could see Caesars in the distance and made sure to capture one last image. It is a place I wouldn’t normally like no matter how much I like the statues and decor but as the location where I met Leonard it now has a special place in my heart.
We had almost an hour of a delay here due to some mechanical fault on Big Bird but finally we were given the all clear for takeoff. I was lucky to have a lovely lady beside me for the flight called Melba where she generously listened to story of my adventure. It was great to have wifi for that flight and I showed Melba my review of Leonard’s concert in Lissadell to which she was very complementary. Wifi came in handy to share photos of the stunning views we were lucky to have. For most of the journey we had the most amazing scenery I’d ever seen including Lake Mead, The Grand Canyon and The Rocky mountains. I especially loved passing over The Rocky’s as it reminded me of the wonderful song by John Denver, Colorado Rocky Mountain High! Someone passed a comment at one stage of the journey as to what part of America we might be and as my phone has Google maps I turned it on to discover we were somewhere over South Carolina. Unfortunately my battery was just about dead so I was unable to do this again at a later time again!
On arriving late in Philadelphia we had to rush to get to our connection in time. I was glad to leave for Dublin as I was looking forward to getting home and finally getting a chance to look at my photos! My companion for this journey turned out to be Mick’s niece Jean and we spent a while chatting before dinner arrived. I ate some to keep my strength up and then while Jean decided to sleep I listened to Leonard on my mp3 player while I wrote my concert reviews. Being the first time I listened to his music since meeting him it was very special and I thought I was doing a good job keeping my emotions in check that is a good job until Hallelujah came on. Hearing my favourite song for the 1st time after meeting its creator was overwhelming and I’m glad I had a travel pillow because I couldn’t stop the tears flowing throughout the whole song.
After this I managed to compose myself and was relieved no one had seen this moment. It was a strange feeling a while later when the sun rose as we had left Vegas in daylight and approached and left Philadelphia in darkness and now as we approached Ireland it was getting bright. Of course I knew this would be happening as we would be arriving in Dublin around 9am. While I did wish I could have stayed away longer it was nice to see the Irish coastline as even though we had cloud under us it seemed to clear at just the right time! It was now the end of my wonderful journey which was even better than I could ever have imagined. Now I know meeting Leonard was a big part of this but I have to say while there are some things I don’t like about Las Vegas on the whole I did as it is a photographers paradise and it will always have a special place in my heart as the place I met my master.
My adventure began a day early thanks to our horrendous weather which made driving conditions dangerous so it was up to Bewleys Airport Hotel for the night. While I did know of other fans that would be on the flight it was a little daunting travelling technically alone to the USA.
On arrival on Thursday morning I was relieve to discover it was relatively quiet and I was able to secure window seats for both flights which I would be taking that day as I had a changeover in Philadelphia. On boarding the plane or “Big Bird” as I’m affectionately calling all planes, I discovered a woman sitting in my seat. I politely told her this to which she was very angry and refused to accept what I was saying. I showed her my ticket with the seat number and offered to help her find her seat if she would show me her ticket. To this she responded that she could read. I’d enough of being polite at this stage and told her if she could read she wouldn’t be in my seat! Eventually she found her ticket and moved to the row in front minus the good window view! Explained why she took my seat!
We had a short delay while Big Bird was being defrosted due to the sub zero temperatures. How I couldn’t wait to arrive in Las Vegas and get some warm sunshine into my bones! The journey across the Atlantic passed relatively quickly as I read magazines and a book. I discovered doing cross words made time fly by! The food while not spectacular was adequate and a lot better than what was to come on the flight from Philly to Vegas. On the first flight we got dinner, snacks and any amount of refreshments mostly free. However the second flight though almost as long only had a snack service and everything except drinks had to be paid for. Of course alcohol if one wanted it had always to be paid for!
On arrival at Philadelphia we were not amused at the long walk to the terminal to get our flight to Las Vegas. It was even worse than Ryanair flights in Dublin. We had the same to contend with on the way back. We wondered where the respect for people travelling long distance was! Although it was very funny to be greeted on entry to the airport to a huge bill board with the message “Senator Michael Nutter welcomes you to Philadelphia”. These sign were all over the airport and make one wonder why he doesn’t change his name!
It was great when we finally set off on the final leg of the journey to Las Vegas. I spent most of this flight talking to a gentleman named David who is a Jehovah’s Witness. We had an interesting debate and while our beliefs are poles apart it was a respectable conversation.
It was interesting walking through Las Vegas International Airport to see the poker machines. Though I had known they would be there it was still a funny sight though nothing to what I would see later. After collecting my suitcase I found a shuttle bus going to my hotel The Imperial Palace. Driving into The Strip I was awestruck at the sights before me. Arriving in the dark with bring lights everywhere is very impactful and even though I’d seen photos and videos nothing prepares the mind for this! One thing for sure I was in a place completely different to Ireland and being surrounded by the Nevada desert meant everything was completely different! Normally in this instance I’d reach for my camera but all I could do was stare!
On arrival at the hotel I opened the door to a huge casino right in the lobby! Ok, where do I check in? Spotting the desk I checked in and then proceeded to find my hotel room. This proved tricky as the hotel was a maze and although I was there four nights I didn’t ever completely know the way to get there and had to make sure to have landmarks. Although the hallways left a lot to be desired I was relieved to enter a clean room, basic but adequate.
After this it was time to go meet other fans at a pre-arranged meet-up at a different hotel. On exiting my hotel I very cagily started walking down the street having become used to having to do this at home in case I’d fall on the ice! It took a few steps to realise I didn’t need to this here as no snow and ice here!
Making my way to the Bellagio I was staring in awe at all the lights around me. Everywhere is brightly lit up in Las Vegas on The Strip. One of the first things I noticed was the replica half size Eiffel Tower. Even at half size it looked impressive. What were also impressive were huge screens advertising the concerts. It was lovely to hear Leonard singing Hallelujah as I made my way down The Strip. It was great to meet up with Mandy in the Bellagio as we had previously met at Lissadell. I also met Judy who is a Facebook friend and whom Mandy was staying with for the duration of the weekend.
After a quick bite to eat it was time to head across to Caesars Palace for another meet up and to set eyes on the Venue. The Colosseum can be seen from the outside but one enters it from inside Caesars Palace. Heading to collect my concert tickets I was very impressed to see a massive poster on the wall of The Colosseum of a smiling Leonard. I got many photos here over the duration of the weekend! I was relieved on collecting my tickets that I would be able to upgrade my ticket for the Saturday show as when I was booking I could only get the 3rd level and I didn’t want to be up there for Leonards last concert!
Walking around Caesars Palace I was very impressed with the decor even though upper class hotels are not usually places I feel comfortable in. While everything was copies they were made with the same material as the originals and it looked and felt fantastic! There was energy about the place which I needed as I had being awake 26 hours at this stage! As we made our way to meet the other fans there was a sea of casinos everywhere we looked. Las Vegas is a 24 hour city which never sleeps and at anytime one would see plenty of people gambling!
After collecting nametags and wrist bands for the concerts and meeting fellow fans I finally answered my body’s call and headed back to my hotel for sleep. However it was to evade me and now on home turf it is still evading me! After 3 hours I went back downstairs and the place was full of life! After managing another couple of hours lie down it was time to meet the women and start on the list of places I wanted to see in Las Vegas. However thanks to my desire to meet my master I didn’t actually get to see that much but I wouldn’t swop meeting Leonard for anything in the world!
We spent most of Friday trying to find him which I have already covered in my write up of meeting him so I won’t go over that again! First thing Friday I had to find Avi and collect photo books which I had pre-arranged to collect. After this we went for breakfast or should I say brunch at Caesars and let’s just say Mandy is a carnivore and leave it at that! We then went for a walk in The Forum shops at Caesars as it was there we were meeting Judy’s friend Doug to get inside info on where we might meet Leonard. Walking through The Forum we felt we were outside as the ceiling was made to look like we were. There were statues everywhere and it looked amazing though with the exception of postcards and the like we bought nothing else there. After this we went to book our helicopter tour of The Grand Canyon as we didn’t book it before we left in case we didn’t arrive due to the weather.
Basically as the rest of Friday is described in my Leonard meet-up report I’ll skip past that to Saturday. It felt great getting up after a massive four hours sleep but lots of adrenaline floating around the blood kept me sustained. After spending Friday looking for Leonard we decided to do something different Saturday and after breakfast we made our way down to see the volcano at The Mirage. We discovered it is only shown after 5pm so decided to come back the following night and instead made our way across to Madame Tussauds. It was great fun “meeting” the stars and having our picture taken with different people including Bono, Lady Gaga, George Clooney, Stevie Wonder and Barack Obama. Lady Gaga had only arrived 2 days previous. As we were exiting the merchandise shop and laughing at some hilarious fridge magnets we noticed we could get wax models of our hands for $12! Bargain, we had to get that.
As we left to head for lunch at The Flamingo we were asked where we are from. Replying Ireland and Scotland the guy said “Scirish” We looked at him in confusion and he claimed there was a race of people called Scirish who were a mix between Irish and Scots. We laughed and disappointed him by telling him this was not true.
Having lunch which came with a free shot of vodka at The Flamingo we could look out at flamingos, black swans and huge fish. We did plan to return on Sunday but didn’t have a chance as time was tight after meeting Leonard. We headed down to The Eiffel Tower expecting a queue but were pleasantly surprised to discover none! For $10 dollars we were also delighted to discover we could stay up there as long as we wished as we had planned on returning on the Sunday to see the night lights. Now we could do day light, dusk and night views all at once as it gets dark very early! To say the views were stunning are an understatement. It was fantastic up there and I was very snap happy and got photos of a gorgeous sky at sunset and also of a fountain display at The Bellagio across the road. After descending the tower we went to look at this from ground level. While the circle formations can be seen for the tower it was still an amazing sight from the ground.
It was then time to head across to Caesars for the second concert. This was a bittersweet moment as while it felt great going to see Leonard for a second night running it was also going be our last chance to see him in concert for the foreseeable future. As with Friday the remainder of Saturday is contained in the other reviews.
Well I couldn’t have imagined for a better start to Sunday and I will be forever grateful I met Leonard. I will treasure our time together in my heart and of course treasure my photos and signed memorabilia as well. After meeting Leonard we had to find a place to check for confirmation email for our Grand Canyon trip and I needed a new memory card for my camera as I had used my last one for my Leonard photos. After having memory card issues in the past I wasn’t going to risk anything happening to these!
We didn’t even have time for lunch which was just as well as even though we hadn’t eaten much in the past 24 hours I wasn’t hungry. Meeting Leonard was sustenance enough! So it was straight back to my hotel for a snack and wait for our limousine to take us from the hotel. As my first time in a limo I wasn’t amused that we were being collected at a back car park! Not very luxurious but maybe it was better that way as I when I was getting in I was less than elegant. On asking how one could be elegant I was told it isn’t easy!
We were driven from the hotel to the airport where we checked in and watched a helicopter safety video. It was then for the 2nd most exciting part of our adventure as we made our way to the helicopter. To say flying to the Grand Canyon was a breathtaking is almost an understatement! It was an absolutely stunning view as we flew over Lake Mead and The Hoover Dam. On the journey there and back we had headphones with commentary and it was explained that there is only approximately enough water to last 25 more years in Vegas! Apparently they use it for energy and are looking at changing that to using the sun. That is a no brainer as plenty of sunshine in Nevada!
As we flew over the Grand Canyon I remembered when someone told me that every time one goes there it looks completely different and I have to agree with that because even though I’ve seen photos and videos this looked like nothing like I’d seen before! We landed at a designated spot for the tours where there were benches and were now incidentally in Arizona. We had a few minutes to walk around and take photos before having a champagne lunch. I was surprised how rocky it was. While I expected rocks I had expected sand too but saw none. It was great seeing cactus in their original landscape.
After taking some photos and having our lunch where I forced myself to eat a small roll as I was didn’t fancy getting dizzy up in the air from the lack of eating even though I wasn’t hungry! Had no such problems with the champagne though! It went down a treat! The journey back to Las Vegas gave us the most stunning sunset I have even seem and ironically it was the eastern skyline that looked the most beautiful as it was a beautiful mix of blue and purple colours. While flying down The Strip was great to do I was on the wrong side of the helicopter to see it properly but I did have my memories of seeing it from The Eiffel Tower. When we arrived at the airport we couldn’t land when planes were taking off so we had to hover over the planes and I enjoyed that! While I dislike travelling on land I can’t say the same for the air and I now have a dream to fly for just one day. It wouldn’t be a good job for me though as I do be raging when I can’t take photos when I’m out with nature!
When we landed we thanked and tipped the captain for a truly memorable evening and headed to get our limousine back to my hotel. I decided to be cheeky and asked the driver to take the long way around so I could see some of the Vegas I missed through trying to find Leonard! He kindly obliged as he had to drop another guy off anyway. I wanted to go to the lobby in Caesars to check email using their wifi so I asked to go there instead. It is across the road for the driver so it wasn’t putting him out but saved our already sore limbs a 30 minute walk as he couldn’t stop outside the front of The Imperial Palace as it hasn’t got a nice driveway like Caesers. That turned out to be a good move as he stopped right outside one of the main entrances which were a much better location than where we were collected!
After checking my email and taking one final walk around Caesars and to the entrance of The Colosseum to once more take in the view of the massive Leonard poster (still in total shock we had seen him in person) we headed down to watch the volcano at The Mirage all the while taking some photos of the night lights of Vegas. While we watched I of course took many photos. If there is one thing Vegas is expert at it is to constantly surprise and this did surprise and it was so stunning we decided to come back for it again so I could record it! We thought it would be a good idea to finally eat and headed across the road to a place called The Steak House. Only this place isn’t a steak house it was another darn casino and the biggest one we had seen at that! I literally couldn’t see the end of it and with Christmas lights added in I had seen enough so we got an ice cream and went back outside to await the volcano. After eating ice cream I realised I still wasn’t hungry and Mandy said she felt the same so we decided to skip dinner and head back to my hotel for a drink and to have a flutter on the slot machines. We had the biggest Strawberry Daiquiri I’d ever seen but one with the least amount of alcohol!
All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes. It was a sad moment as we had shared a brilliant weekend together and will treasure our time with Leonard together forever. I was and am truly grateful for the time I spent with Mandy and Judy and hope our paths cross again.
After packing I headed to bed for what I hoped would be a decent night sleep not needing to be up until after 6am. However being me I woke at 5am. After laying there for a moment I decided to get up and have a final look at The Colosseum which although was across from my hotel I wouldn’t see as I was leaving. I enjoyed those few minutes just before dawn where for once Vegas was peaceful. I then decided to head back upstairs and write my report of the meeting so I’d have it on paper when it was fresh in my mind.
Although the airport was busy it was easy to check in and go through security. I made sure to secure my window seats as I’d being told I’d see the Rocky Mountains. I’d missed this on the way in as it was dark that journey. It was lovely meeting up with Mick Purcell and sharing with him my story of meeting Leonard. He had being my companion on the trip to Lissadell for Leonard’s birthday so to be able to tell him I’d told Leonard this was special. On boarding the plane I was pleased to notice I could see Caesars in the distance and made sure to capture one last image. It is a place I wouldn’t normally like no matter how much I like the statues and decor but as the location where I met Leonard it now has a special place in my heart.
We had almost an hour of a delay here due to some mechanical fault on Big Bird but finally we were given the all clear for takeoff. I was lucky to have a lovely lady beside me for the flight called Melba where she generously listened to story of my adventure. It was great to have wifi for that flight and I showed Melba my review of Leonard’s concert in Lissadell to which she was very complementary. Wifi came in handy to share photos of the stunning views we were lucky to have. For most of the journey we had the most amazing scenery I’d ever seen including Lake Mead, The Grand Canyon and The Rocky mountains. I especially loved passing over The Rocky’s as it reminded me of the wonderful song by John Denver, Colorado Rocky Mountain High! Someone passed a comment at one stage of the journey as to what part of America we might be and as my phone has Google maps I turned it on to discover we were somewhere over South Carolina. Unfortunately my battery was just about dead so I was unable to do this again at a later time again!
On arriving late in Philadelphia we had to rush to get to our connection in time. I was glad to leave for Dublin as I was looking forward to getting home and finally getting a chance to look at my photos! My companion for this journey turned out to be Mick’s niece Jean and we spent a while chatting before dinner arrived. I ate some to keep my strength up and then while Jean decided to sleep I listened to Leonard on my mp3 player while I wrote my concert reviews. Being the first time I listened to his music since meeting him it was very special and I thought I was doing a good job keeping my emotions in check that is a good job until Hallelujah came on. Hearing my favourite song for the 1st time after meeting its creator was overwhelming and I’m glad I had a travel pillow because I couldn’t stop the tears flowing throughout the whole song.
After this I managed to compose myself and was relieved no one had seen this moment. It was a strange feeling a while later when the sun rose as we had left Vegas in daylight and approached and left Philadelphia in darkness and now as we approached Ireland it was getting bright. Of course I knew this would be happening as we would be arriving in Dublin around 9am. While I did wish I could have stayed away longer it was nice to see the Irish coastline as even though we had cloud under us it seemed to clear at just the right time! It was now the end of my wonderful journey which was even better than I could ever have imagined. Now I know meeting Leonard was a big part of this but I have to say while there are some things I don’t like about Las Vegas on the whole I did as it is a photographers paradise and it will always have a special place in my heart as the place I met my master.
Leonard Cohen Tour Finale Las Vegas DEC 2010
As a teenager Leonard Cohen practised hypnotism and I sometimes wonder is that what he does to us at his concerts as no matter how many times I've seen him live I always feel compelled to go again. I'm happy to be under this spell though as it meant I have had the best experiences of my life. Having this year alone previously seen Cohen in concert here in Ireland and also in Poland decided I just had to attend the final two shows of the tour so it was off to Las Vegas for only my second ever time out of Ireland. Poland had being the first, such is the impact Cohen has had on my life. Since the concerts at The Colosseum in Caesars Palace Las Vegas were the final two shows of a mammoth three year tour I just knew I had to be there no matter what the sacrifices I'd have to make.
The first of the two shows took place on Friday December 10th with the final show taking place the following night. Both nights saw almost identical set-lists with the only exception being the addition of Born in Chains on the final night. However no two Cohen concerts are the same regardless of set-list and while always brilliant each night had its own special moments and memories.
On the Friday night on entering The Colosseum for the first time I was very taken with the design and compact it looked. It seemed incredibly small for a venue which can hold up to 5000 patrons. I was almost at the rear of the venue for the Friday show but felt like I was close to the stage!
Cohen and his wonderful band entered the stage shortly after 8pm to a wondrous applause from a delighted audience where there were many who like myself had travelled thousands of miles to be able to witness the magic at the end of the tour. Hearing the familiar sounds of the now traditional opening song at a Cohen concert, Dance me to the end of Love I sat back relaxed and all ready to enjoy what I knew would be over three hours of entertainment to come.
As always Cohen and his fantastic band performed to the highest level. It is a testament to Cohen of how well he is respected in the industry that he can attract great musicians in their own right to go on tour with him for three years. The mutual love and respect they all have for each other is there to see and really adds to what is already a perfect formula. During all of the many solo parts for each musician Cohen stands there hat removed head bowed. Even though this is a familiar sight to my eyes it never fails to move me or to impress me. In all the concerts I attend I've never seen this high level of mutual respect before except in an actual band situation. Lead singers may command respect but I've never seen it returned in the same way as Cohen returns it.
I find it hard to pick individual musical highlights as I love all the songs and when each is performed to perfection it is almost impossible to choose individual songs. However as always for me Hallelujah was a standout moment, bittersweet that while I knew I'd hear Cohen perform it again the following night the end was nigh. Other standout songs for me from the first night include Gypsy Wife , a spoken rendition of A thousand Kisses Deep which was unfortunately nearly ruined for me when a woman nearby started moaning really loudly. While initially funny it did become an irritant after a while. To my ears and those beside me it sounded like moans of pleasure, however while talking to a friend after the concert he told me a woman fitting the description I described was being taken off on a stretcher! Mad or ill, it makes me wonder!
Another song which was extra special was the solo performance of Boogie Street by Sharon Robinson who had being absent for some European dates due to illness including the concert I attended in Katowice. I was very happy to see her return and as always her vocals were impeccable. Robinson has co-written many of Cohen'srecent songs where of course he has supplied the lyrics and she the music. Along with the aforementioned Boogie Street two of these songs include Waiting for the Miracle and In My Secret Life. I absolutely love the melodies of both these songs so Robinson will always be held in high respect and I was delighted to see her back and looking and sounding fantastic.
Non-musical highlights included when Cohen described Las Vegas as an unmagical place and a curious place. It does seem a strange place for Cohen to perform as everything is very over the top and extravagant which are descriptions which one could never use when describing Cohen. Usually Cohen introduces Anthem with saying how privileged we are to gather in this privileged place while so much of the world in plunged in chaos which he did indeed return to for the final show but we appreciated the change for one night only!
At the end of this song as it is always the end of the first half Cohen introduces us to his wonderful band. Always eloquent in his introductions it is a part of the show I love and each band member in turn is described in a wonderful way like when he introduces his musical director Roscoe Beck as the pilgrim of perfection. However in recent shows he has taken to giving drummer Raphael Bernardo Gayol an extended introduction. While I had heard about it I had seen it before the Friday night show. My favourite quote from this new extended introduction was when Cohen called him the drummer in the quietest rock and roll band around!
Another personal highlight from the Friday show was during Cohen's thanks at the end of the show. While thanking the fans he acknowledged that many of us had travelled long distances to be there and he couldn't describe us as fans that it was more than that. This touched my heart and it most certainly true that I don't just love Cohen for his wonderful songs, it is indeed more than that!
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Friday concert the Saturday one simply blew me away. I don't think Lissadell will ever be topped for me but this has come very, very close. Right from the start there was a raw energy to everything and the atmosphere was electric. We knew we were in for a very special night but we also knew this would be the final concert for the foreseeable future which meant emotions were heightened right from the off. This could be seen on stage too where everyone seemed to be pushing that little bit extra. It brings new meaning to the phrase 110% as that is what it felt like they were giving.
Nearly every song ended with a standing ovation at the Saturday show from most of the audience. The first song of the Friday show to achieve this was Hallelujah which is performed in the second half of the show to put this in perspective.
There was a very special moment when during the last few minutes of the interval a section of the fans started singing Passing Through and when Cohencame out on stage after hearing the fans he sang a line from it for us. For the final show it had being arrangedvia email to get as many women as possible to wear something with polka dots for the final show in tribute to the lyrics of Closing Time. While I did indeed have a headband on I was too far back to be seen from the stage but it was great to see people waving these items over their heads during the song with some people throwing them on stage!
As mentioned earlier in this report Cohen performed Born in Chains on the Saturday night. Having not being performed the previous night I was very pleased to hear it. There are solos from Sharon Robinson and individual solos from Hattie and Charley Webb. .Mixing these beautiful singers with Cohen's gorgeous voice makes for the most wonderful harmonies and adds such magic to each song. I do love though the solos in this song and also when The Webb Sisters sing If it be Your Will as well as the aforementioned Boogie Street by Robinson. All of the band members play an important roll with many solos throughout. I especially love Javier Mas introduction to Who By Fire, Dino Soldo's solo during Bird on the Wire and a personal favourite has to be Neil Larson's piano solo during my beloved Hallelujah. I also appreciate the important roles of bassist Roscoe Beck, lead guitarist Bob Metzger and of course the master timekeeper Rafael Bernardo Gayol.
Like the Friday night it is is extremely difficult to pick individual highlights apart from of course my precious Hallelujah where on the Saturday night I felt my heart was breaking as I knew it will be long time before I get to hear it performed live again. So Long Marianne is also a personal favourite to hear live and it comes very close to Hallelujah both in my affections and as a personal highlight at each concert. I was very happy when Cohen again recited A Thousand Kisses Deep this time with no interruption. While I love Cohen for his singing of his songs first and foremost this is an absolute gem when it is recited. Cohen who was first a poet is an expert at recitation.
While the end was nigh we really couldn't ask for more as we were treated to almost four hours of magic with only a twenty minute interval. I really felt for Cohen and his band for as heartbroken as we were that the tour was over they has spent three years on the road together and the bond between them all is plain to see. There were tears in my eyes as Cohen said his final thanks to everyone involved over the last three years.
Now the tour is finally over Cohen is heading into studio to record his twelfth album and first since 2004. If the three songs premiered on this tour, Born in Chains, The Darkness and Feels so Good are anything to go by this record will be amongst the best work he has ever released. Rarely is an artist still at the top of his game in his mid seventies but then Leonard Cohen is an unique entity.
After the show on the Saturday night I was lucky enough to meet both Dino Soldo and The Webb Sisters.It was great being able to personally thank them for their contribution to the tour and each show. However nothing will ever beat the moment when on the Sunday morning I actually met Cohen and was personally able to thank him for the effect he has had on my life and for his amazing concerts and that I really do hope he tours again. I also conveyed this wish to his manager Robert Kory who promised he would do his best to make this wish happen.
I say thank you to Leonard Cohen, his wonderful band and crew and will be forever grateful to have being there to witness the magic. For now, I say until we meet again, So Long Leonard Cohen it has being a pleasure to attend these concerts.
The first of the two shows took place on Friday December 10th with the final show taking place the following night. Both nights saw almost identical set-lists with the only exception being the addition of Born in Chains on the final night. However no two Cohen concerts are the same regardless of set-list and while always brilliant each night had its own special moments and memories.
On the Friday night on entering The Colosseum for the first time I was very taken with the design and compact it looked. It seemed incredibly small for a venue which can hold up to 5000 patrons. I was almost at the rear of the venue for the Friday show but felt like I was close to the stage!
Cohen and his wonderful band entered the stage shortly after 8pm to a wondrous applause from a delighted audience where there were many who like myself had travelled thousands of miles to be able to witness the magic at the end of the tour. Hearing the familiar sounds of the now traditional opening song at a Cohen concert, Dance me to the end of Love I sat back relaxed and all ready to enjoy what I knew would be over three hours of entertainment to come.
As always Cohen and his fantastic band performed to the highest level. It is a testament to Cohen of how well he is respected in the industry that he can attract great musicians in their own right to go on tour with him for three years. The mutual love and respect they all have for each other is there to see and really adds to what is already a perfect formula. During all of the many solo parts for each musician Cohen stands there hat removed head bowed. Even though this is a familiar sight to my eyes it never fails to move me or to impress me. In all the concerts I attend I've never seen this high level of mutual respect before except in an actual band situation. Lead singers may command respect but I've never seen it returned in the same way as Cohen returns it.
I find it hard to pick individual musical highlights as I love all the songs and when each is performed to perfection it is almost impossible to choose individual songs. However as always for me Hallelujah was a standout moment, bittersweet that while I knew I'd hear Cohen perform it again the following night the end was nigh. Other standout songs for me from the first night include Gypsy Wife , a spoken rendition of A thousand Kisses Deep which was unfortunately nearly ruined for me when a woman nearby started moaning really loudly. While initially funny it did become an irritant after a while. To my ears and those beside me it sounded like moans of pleasure, however while talking to a friend after the concert he told me a woman fitting the description I described was being taken off on a stretcher! Mad or ill, it makes me wonder!
Another song which was extra special was the solo performance of Boogie Street by Sharon Robinson who had being absent for some European dates due to illness including the concert I attended in Katowice. I was very happy to see her return and as always her vocals were impeccable. Robinson has co-written many of Cohen'srecent songs where of course he has supplied the lyrics and she the music. Along with the aforementioned Boogie Street two of these songs include Waiting for the Miracle and In My Secret Life. I absolutely love the melodies of both these songs so Robinson will always be held in high respect and I was delighted to see her back and looking and sounding fantastic.
Non-musical highlights included when Cohen described Las Vegas as an unmagical place and a curious place. It does seem a strange place for Cohen to perform as everything is very over the top and extravagant which are descriptions which one could never use when describing Cohen. Usually Cohen introduces Anthem with saying how privileged we are to gather in this privileged place while so much of the world in plunged in chaos which he did indeed return to for the final show but we appreciated the change for one night only!
At the end of this song as it is always the end of the first half Cohen introduces us to his wonderful band. Always eloquent in his introductions it is a part of the show I love and each band member in turn is described in a wonderful way like when he introduces his musical director Roscoe Beck as the pilgrim of perfection. However in recent shows he has taken to giving drummer Raphael Bernardo Gayol an extended introduction. While I had heard about it I had seen it before the Friday night show. My favourite quote from this new extended introduction was when Cohen called him the drummer in the quietest rock and roll band around!
Another personal highlight from the Friday show was during Cohen's thanks at the end of the show. While thanking the fans he acknowledged that many of us had travelled long distances to be there and he couldn't describe us as fans that it was more than that. This touched my heart and it most certainly true that I don't just love Cohen for his wonderful songs, it is indeed more than that!
While I thoroughly enjoyed the Friday concert the Saturday one simply blew me away. I don't think Lissadell will ever be topped for me but this has come very, very close. Right from the start there was a raw energy to everything and the atmosphere was electric. We knew we were in for a very special night but we also knew this would be the final concert for the foreseeable future which meant emotions were heightened right from the off. This could be seen on stage too where everyone seemed to be pushing that little bit extra. It brings new meaning to the phrase 110% as that is what it felt like they were giving.
Nearly every song ended with a standing ovation at the Saturday show from most of the audience. The first song of the Friday show to achieve this was Hallelujah which is performed in the second half of the show to put this in perspective.
There was a very special moment when during the last few minutes of the interval a section of the fans started singing Passing Through and when Cohencame out on stage after hearing the fans he sang a line from it for us. For the final show it had being arrangedvia email to get as many women as possible to wear something with polka dots for the final show in tribute to the lyrics of Closing Time. While I did indeed have a headband on I was too far back to be seen from the stage but it was great to see people waving these items over their heads during the song with some people throwing them on stage!
As mentioned earlier in this report Cohen performed Born in Chains on the Saturday night. Having not being performed the previous night I was very pleased to hear it. There are solos from Sharon Robinson and individual solos from Hattie and Charley Webb. .Mixing these beautiful singers with Cohen's gorgeous voice makes for the most wonderful harmonies and adds such magic to each song. I do love though the solos in this song and also when The Webb Sisters sing If it be Your Will as well as the aforementioned Boogie Street by Robinson. All of the band members play an important roll with many solos throughout. I especially love Javier Mas introduction to Who By Fire, Dino Soldo's solo during Bird on the Wire and a personal favourite has to be Neil Larson's piano solo during my beloved Hallelujah. I also appreciate the important roles of bassist Roscoe Beck, lead guitarist Bob Metzger and of course the master timekeeper Rafael Bernardo Gayol.
Like the Friday night it is is extremely difficult to pick individual highlights apart from of course my precious Hallelujah where on the Saturday night I felt my heart was breaking as I knew it will be long time before I get to hear it performed live again. So Long Marianne is also a personal favourite to hear live and it comes very close to Hallelujah both in my affections and as a personal highlight at each concert. I was very happy when Cohen again recited A Thousand Kisses Deep this time with no interruption. While I love Cohen for his singing of his songs first and foremost this is an absolute gem when it is recited. Cohen who was first a poet is an expert at recitation.
While the end was nigh we really couldn't ask for more as we were treated to almost four hours of magic with only a twenty minute interval. I really felt for Cohen and his band for as heartbroken as we were that the tour was over they has spent three years on the road together and the bond between them all is plain to see. There were tears in my eyes as Cohen said his final thanks to everyone involved over the last three years.
Now the tour is finally over Cohen is heading into studio to record his twelfth album and first since 2004. If the three songs premiered on this tour, Born in Chains, The Darkness and Feels so Good are anything to go by this record will be amongst the best work he has ever released. Rarely is an artist still at the top of his game in his mid seventies but then Leonard Cohen is an unique entity.
After the show on the Saturday night I was lucky enough to meet both Dino Soldo and The Webb Sisters.It was great being able to personally thank them for their contribution to the tour and each show. However nothing will ever beat the moment when on the Sunday morning I actually met Cohen and was personally able to thank him for the effect he has had on my life and for his amazing concerts and that I really do hope he tours again. I also conveyed this wish to his manager Robert Kory who promised he would do his best to make this wish happen.
I say thank you to Leonard Cohen, his wonderful band and crew and will be forever grateful to have being there to witness the magic. For now, I say until we meet again, So Long Leonard Cohen it has being a pleasure to attend these concerts.
Meeting Leonard Cohen
Sunday December 12th 2010, the date that showed me dreams can come true will be forever etched on my heart. Meeting Leonard Cohen and being able to thank him in person for the way he has enriched my life is something I will be eternally grateful for.
The road to actually meeting Leonard began on Friday December 9th when we were told by our new found friend Doug of the possible areas around Caesars Palace where we might meet Leonard. This local knowledge proved very useful over the days that followed.
After sussing the entrance which Leonard would arrive and knowing the time, meant we were lucky enough to see him being driven in for the sound check. While we didn’t actually set eyes on him then once the driver exited the building I shouted at him to know had he just dropped off Leonard Cohen to which he confirmed he did.
Having discovered the tower block in which the band and crew were staying after the concert on Saturday and while we didn’t meet Leonard then in which I’m pleased as I don’t think a casino is an adequate location to meet Leonard. However we were ecstatic to meet Dino Soldo and Hattie and Charley Webb where they all stopped to chat and sign my flag and pose for photos. This flag had travelled with me to the concert in Katowice Poland where I was lucky enough to stand at the front for the encores and display it for all the band and Leonard to see my message “Thank you Leonard and co for the magic and memories of Lissadell”.
Although I was a good bit back at the show on Saturday Dino had seen me waving the flag and pointed down at me and waved. He confirmed this when I met him. The Webb Sisters also confirmed that they had seen it as did many of the crew members we also spoke to. I had the longest conversation with Hattie on Saturday night and I told her how I had shaken her father’s hand in Poland and I also told her about how special a photo she had sent to our friend Gill who had given her and Charley a Unified Heart and how Gill was unable to be in Las Vegas but had helped me get there. She was very moved by this and I was very moved by how genuinely nice everyone we met was.
Shortly after this we met Ed Saunders who I thanked for looking after Leonard and asked him could he give me any info on departure. He told me while he didn’t know the location the time would be between 10am and 10.30am. This proved vital when we mixed it with Doug’s local knowledge the following morning.
Having all arrived nice and early Sunday morning Doug discovered where a lot of the crew were waiting so we gathered there to wait. We didn’t have long until Leonard exited the building wearing his trademark suit and hat with sunglasses and his guitar on his back. I had daydreamt about this scenario for so long that I instantly started shaking all over as I walked to where Leonard was standing and signing for Doug and Judy. I could hardly believe the one thing I had wanted to happen in the world more than anything was happening to me right at that moment. For me it wasn’t just about meeting Leonard, it was about thanking him personally for the massive effect he has had on my life. It is very hard for me to convey this in words but suffice to say the effect has being huge!
While I waited I prayed I wouldn’t say something stupid or start crying as I’m a very emotional person so didn’t want to ruin this one opportunity! Thankfully even though I was shaking like a leaf I did nothing I regret.
When Leonard turned to me I told him how special this moment was and how I was shaking he thanked me and told me I was ok. He kept telling all of us how kind we were to which we replied he was the kind one. People say you should never meet your heroes as they don’t live up to your expectations. This most certainly was not the case with Leonard. He was simply amazing and lived totally up to my expectations. He is a total gentleman among the nicest people I’ve ever met.
I had brought with me a lyrics book of Leonard’s songs and at the page for Hallelujah I had inserted my two concert tickets and a photo and a fridge magnet. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind signing one ticket and the lyrics of Hallelujah as it is my personal favourite song of his indeed my all time favourite song. Leonard being the total gentleman signed everything and when I asked him to sign the lyrics to me watching him write it was poetry in motion as he took great care over each letter.
When he finished this I showed him my flag at which he was very impressed. His first word was wow and he told me it was something else. After we posed for a photo with it where we both held it up I asked him to sign it and draw a Unified Heart on it. He said he would try as he isn’t very good at drawing! I told him he was and in any case he would be much better than me at drawing it!
While he was signing all my stuff I told him how much his music means to me and how it caresses my soul. He liked that comment telling me I was very kind. I also told him when I went to see him in Poland alone it was my first time out of Ireland and Las Vegas was my second. He was so kind and seemed touched by my words.
He then signed various bits and pieces for Mandy and Judy and spoke to them for a few minutes too where they shared their stories with him. I was very glad for the company I had while meeting Leonard. Both ladies are genuinely lovely people and helped make my Las Vegas journey a memorable one! Of course without Doug we would have never met him so I was very pleased for him too.
When Leonard was finished signing I asked him for a hug before he left to which he replied of course and he then hugged Mandy and Judy too. He then proceeded to walk towards the exit of Caesers and not wanting to be a nuisance we followed at a respectable distance all the time trying to comprehend what had just happened! As he headed to the area where the buses were parked he would stop every now and then and wave back at us thanking us. We thanked him and told him we loved him.
Then Robert Kory walked out and came over to us. I begged him to help get Leonard back on tour after the album is recorded and to make sure to come to Ireland as we love Leonard and we know he loves Ireland. I told him he’d have few complaints if they did a tour of every venue in Ireland. He told me he always does as he is told and would do his best to make it happen. He then proceeded to walk over to Leonard and the two of them lay against a wall talking and looking to where we were and smiling.
Next for me was the most special moment of all. While we stayed where we were taking photos we trying to make sure we weren’t being to invasive. Suddenly Leonard started walking towards us! We could hardly believe our luck. As he approached us he told us again how kind we were. I’ve just wondered now as I type this did Robert tell him what I said. If so I thank him for this moment where Leonard voluntarily returned to talk to us.
While Mandy asked him to sign one more item I took the opportunity to tell Leonard about my Lissadell experiences. I told him about my first trip for my birthday and seeing the area where the concert was marked out and how special to then return for the concert and how amazing that was. I asked him how it felt for him to be playing there and he said it was something else. I then told him about mine and Mike Purcell’s trip across Ireland back to Lissadell for the unveiling of the plaque at where the tree had being planted in his honour by the forum, a Canadian Maple of course. I said how we stayed in the Pier Head Hotel and how at 12pm on his birthday we put the plaque at the tree. I described where the tree was planted and told him of our desire for him to return. He was visibly touched when I told him this story.
Mandy then told him she had being to see him in Moscow to which he replied it was a rough one. It pained us to think of the uncomfortable time he would have had there as Mandy described the regime to me.
I then asked Leonard could I have one final hug before he left which he obliged and this time we simultaneously kissed each other on the cheek. Now that is a moment which I will never forget. When he walked away this time I decided to go back into the hotel and I knew how generous Leonard had being to us and after he took the trouble to walk back to us I was deeply grateful.
On returning to the hotel we spotted Charley and Dino again and though Dino was busy I was able to share my experience with Charley. I quickly told her the Lissadell story and how much it meant to me. She was very impressed and so nice. I told her I had many photos of all the events on my FB page and I understood if she didn’t want a fan on her page she was welcome to add me for one day just to look at the photos. She was very moved by this and I was shocked to see my words made her eyes well up with tears!! She told me I was so kind, now where had I heard that before! This just overwhelmed me for to my eyes it is Leonard and his wonderful band members that are the kind people for giving us so much time and consideration.
I find it hard finding the right words to describe how much meeting Leonard means to me. This year has being an emotional rollercoaster and had someone told me earlier this year I’d be going to Poland and Las Vegas I’d have laughed at them. I do know one thing though Leonard and his music reaches a place deep inside me that no one else can. He really has enriched my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined. To finally meet him is a dream come true and it can only be described at the best moment of my life. As I wrote my review of the concerts on the flight home I listened to Leonard’s music and the instant Hallelujah came on I was overcome in convulsions of tears of actually have met Leonard and what had came with it. I can only describe this as the best moment of my life.
The road to actually meeting Leonard began on Friday December 9th when we were told by our new found friend Doug of the possible areas around Caesars Palace where we might meet Leonard. This local knowledge proved very useful over the days that followed.
After sussing the entrance which Leonard would arrive and knowing the time, meant we were lucky enough to see him being driven in for the sound check. While we didn’t actually set eyes on him then once the driver exited the building I shouted at him to know had he just dropped off Leonard Cohen to which he confirmed he did.
Having discovered the tower block in which the band and crew were staying after the concert on Saturday and while we didn’t meet Leonard then in which I’m pleased as I don’t think a casino is an adequate location to meet Leonard. However we were ecstatic to meet Dino Soldo and Hattie and Charley Webb where they all stopped to chat and sign my flag and pose for photos. This flag had travelled with me to the concert in Katowice Poland where I was lucky enough to stand at the front for the encores and display it for all the band and Leonard to see my message “Thank you Leonard and co for the magic and memories of Lissadell”.
Although I was a good bit back at the show on Saturday Dino had seen me waving the flag and pointed down at me and waved. He confirmed this when I met him. The Webb Sisters also confirmed that they had seen it as did many of the crew members we also spoke to. I had the longest conversation with Hattie on Saturday night and I told her how I had shaken her father’s hand in Poland and I also told her about how special a photo she had sent to our friend Gill who had given her and Charley a Unified Heart and how Gill was unable to be in Las Vegas but had helped me get there. She was very moved by this and I was very moved by how genuinely nice everyone we met was.
Shortly after this we met Ed Saunders who I thanked for looking after Leonard and asked him could he give me any info on departure. He told me while he didn’t know the location the time would be between 10am and 10.30am. This proved vital when we mixed it with Doug’s local knowledge the following morning.
Having all arrived nice and early Sunday morning Doug discovered where a lot of the crew were waiting so we gathered there to wait. We didn’t have long until Leonard exited the building wearing his trademark suit and hat with sunglasses and his guitar on his back. I had daydreamt about this scenario for so long that I instantly started shaking all over as I walked to where Leonard was standing and signing for Doug and Judy. I could hardly believe the one thing I had wanted to happen in the world more than anything was happening to me right at that moment. For me it wasn’t just about meeting Leonard, it was about thanking him personally for the massive effect he has had on my life. It is very hard for me to convey this in words but suffice to say the effect has being huge!
While I waited I prayed I wouldn’t say something stupid or start crying as I’m a very emotional person so didn’t want to ruin this one opportunity! Thankfully even though I was shaking like a leaf I did nothing I regret.
When Leonard turned to me I told him how special this moment was and how I was shaking he thanked me and told me I was ok. He kept telling all of us how kind we were to which we replied he was the kind one. People say you should never meet your heroes as they don’t live up to your expectations. This most certainly was not the case with Leonard. He was simply amazing and lived totally up to my expectations. He is a total gentleman among the nicest people I’ve ever met.
I had brought with me a lyrics book of Leonard’s songs and at the page for Hallelujah I had inserted my two concert tickets and a photo and a fridge magnet. I asked him if he wouldn’t mind signing one ticket and the lyrics of Hallelujah as it is my personal favourite song of his indeed my all time favourite song. Leonard being the total gentleman signed everything and when I asked him to sign the lyrics to me watching him write it was poetry in motion as he took great care over each letter.
When he finished this I showed him my flag at which he was very impressed. His first word was wow and he told me it was something else. After we posed for a photo with it where we both held it up I asked him to sign it and draw a Unified Heart on it. He said he would try as he isn’t very good at drawing! I told him he was and in any case he would be much better than me at drawing it!
While he was signing all my stuff I told him how much his music means to me and how it caresses my soul. He liked that comment telling me I was very kind. I also told him when I went to see him in Poland alone it was my first time out of Ireland and Las Vegas was my second. He was so kind and seemed touched by my words.
He then signed various bits and pieces for Mandy and Judy and spoke to them for a few minutes too where they shared their stories with him. I was very glad for the company I had while meeting Leonard. Both ladies are genuinely lovely people and helped make my Las Vegas journey a memorable one! Of course without Doug we would have never met him so I was very pleased for him too.
When Leonard was finished signing I asked him for a hug before he left to which he replied of course and he then hugged Mandy and Judy too. He then proceeded to walk towards the exit of Caesers and not wanting to be a nuisance we followed at a respectable distance all the time trying to comprehend what had just happened! As he headed to the area where the buses were parked he would stop every now and then and wave back at us thanking us. We thanked him and told him we loved him.
Then Robert Kory walked out and came over to us. I begged him to help get Leonard back on tour after the album is recorded and to make sure to come to Ireland as we love Leonard and we know he loves Ireland. I told him he’d have few complaints if they did a tour of every venue in Ireland. He told me he always does as he is told and would do his best to make it happen. He then proceeded to walk over to Leonard and the two of them lay against a wall talking and looking to where we were and smiling.
Next for me was the most special moment of all. While we stayed where we were taking photos we trying to make sure we weren’t being to invasive. Suddenly Leonard started walking towards us! We could hardly believe our luck. As he approached us he told us again how kind we were. I’ve just wondered now as I type this did Robert tell him what I said. If so I thank him for this moment where Leonard voluntarily returned to talk to us.
While Mandy asked him to sign one more item I took the opportunity to tell Leonard about my Lissadell experiences. I told him about my first trip for my birthday and seeing the area where the concert was marked out and how special to then return for the concert and how amazing that was. I asked him how it felt for him to be playing there and he said it was something else. I then told him about mine and Mike Purcell’s trip across Ireland back to Lissadell for the unveiling of the plaque at where the tree had being planted in his honour by the forum, a Canadian Maple of course. I said how we stayed in the Pier Head Hotel and how at 12pm on his birthday we put the plaque at the tree. I described where the tree was planted and told him of our desire for him to return. He was visibly touched when I told him this story.
Mandy then told him she had being to see him in Moscow to which he replied it was a rough one. It pained us to think of the uncomfortable time he would have had there as Mandy described the regime to me.
I then asked Leonard could I have one final hug before he left which he obliged and this time we simultaneously kissed each other on the cheek. Now that is a moment which I will never forget. When he walked away this time I decided to go back into the hotel and I knew how generous Leonard had being to us and after he took the trouble to walk back to us I was deeply grateful.
On returning to the hotel we spotted Charley and Dino again and though Dino was busy I was able to share my experience with Charley. I quickly told her the Lissadell story and how much it meant to me. She was very impressed and so nice. I told her I had many photos of all the events on my FB page and I understood if she didn’t want a fan on her page she was welcome to add me for one day just to look at the photos. She was very moved by this and I was shocked to see my words made her eyes well up with tears!! She told me I was so kind, now where had I heard that before! This just overwhelmed me for to my eyes it is Leonard and his wonderful band members that are the kind people for giving us so much time and consideration.
I find it hard finding the right words to describe how much meeting Leonard means to me. This year has being an emotional rollercoaster and had someone told me earlier this year I’d be going to Poland and Las Vegas I’d have laughed at them. I do know one thing though Leonard and his music reaches a place deep inside me that no one else can. He really has enriched my life in more ways than I could ever have imagined. To finally meet him is a dream come true and it can only be described at the best moment of my life. As I wrote my review of the concerts on the flight home I listened to Leonard’s music and the instant Hallelujah came on I was overcome in convulsions of tears of actually have met Leonard and what had came with it. I can only describe this as the best moment of my life.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Leonard Cohen, Lissadell House July 31st 2010
Leonard Cohen and Lissadell House surely a match made in heaven was the thoughts that crossed my mind many times over the last few months as I waited for what could be the most magical concert I’d ever be lucky enough to attend. Cohen having been a lifelong fan of the work of W.B Yeats relished the thoughts of performing there as much as we the fans relished the thoughts of seeing our hero in possibly the most amazing location possible.
Having seen Cohen live last year and that gig transcending Cohen to God like status in my mind I have never before felt so much excitement and impatience in the build up to a gig. Could the tantalising mixture of Leonard and Lissadell really be a recipe for a night we would never forget? The answer to that is a resounding yes! From start to finish this was the most amazing concert I’ve ever been at. Having possibly the greatest poet of our times performing in the place that inspired his hero added a certain magic that I don’t believe I’ll ever witness again in my lifetime.
Playing for an impressive 3 hour 45 minutes with only a 20 minute interval Cohen and his fantastic band delivered to the highest possible standard playing the songs his fans so love to hear and adding in couple of new songs to wet our appetites for the promised new album due in the spring of next year. Dance me to The End of Love was the opening song of this wonderful night followed by The Future and Ain’t no cure for Love in what was a serenely mellow first half. I find it impossible to pick a highlight for this half as every song is a highlight in itself. The mix of Cohen’s sultry tones and the fabulous musicianship of his incredible band was musical poetry to me ears. However as wonderful as all the familiar tunes were I was delighted to hear the first of 3 new songs, Born in Chains. This new song showcases that even in his mid seventies Cohen can still write great melodies and fantastic lyrics. What I especially loved was that Cohen shared the singing of this song with the sublime Webb Sisters and his extremely talented co-writer Sharon Robinson.
Possibly the highlight of the first half wasn’t even the music but for when Cohen said he was delighted to be playing at Lissadell and quoting Yeats “The light of evening, Lissadell, great windows open to the south, two girls in silk kimonos, both beautiful, one a gazelle” before quoting what is possibly his own greatest lyric “Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in”. He then preformed Anthem from which that song lyric came from to take us to the interval.
Like the 1st time I saw Cohen live the 2nd half proved to be my preference even though nearing the end Mother Nature treated us to misty rain! My favourite Cohen songs Hallelujah and So Long Marianne were preformed in this half. Hallelujah is in my humble opinion the greatest song ever written and it has to be my ultimate concert highlight hearing it sung live by its creator. Cohen starts and ends this song on his knees and delivered an outstanding performance that even though familiar to my ears gave me Goosebumps and had tears streaming down my face. Even now as I’m transported back to that moment I find my eyes filling up.
Hallelujah aside, like the 1st half it is extremely difficult to pick individual highlights as everything was sublime. I am probably starting to sound like a cliché but I’m overwhelmed by the intensity of this amazing experience and feel so lucky to have witnessed this magical encounter. It must be noted how brilliant Cohen’s band are. During various moments during the night we were treated to solos form most of the band including Dino Soldo and Javier Mas. As mentioned before as always Cohen’s backing singers, The Webb Sisters and Sharon Robinson were outstanding. The mutual respect between both Cohen and his band is plain for all to see and adds to what is already an excellent ambiance.
Even after the incredible 3 hours and 45 minutes Cohen who will be 76 later this year was still in top form but there had to be an end and it was a touching end when he performed Lover, Lover, Lover which wasn’t even on the setlist. Other songs of note during the night included Famous Blue Rain Coat, Suzanne, In My Secret Life, First we Take Manhattan and I’m Your Man. It was a special moment for me when my friend who accompanied me to the concert started cheering after this song even though she isn’t a massive fan.
I know I could have easily listened for even longer to the concert but respect to Leonard that at his age he puts younger artists to shame and maybe they should take note on how to deliver a night of perfection where it is impossible to find fault in anyway. The fan interaction between Cohen and also amongst us the fans helped make this a night never to be forgotten. There was a big contingent of the “Leonard Cohen Forum” at the concert with over 90 of us having specially made name tags in honour of the special occasion. This interaction with people who are strangers showcased the magic and lure Cohen has amongst his faithful followers.
As I walked out of the Lissadell estate I had feelings of utter happiness and sadness mingled in. Happiness that not only did the gig live up to expectation but managed to surpass it in every possible way but sadness that what will possibly have been the best concert I will ever attend was over. I thank Leonard Cohen for the music, the lyrics and for being such an amazing human being and sharing himself with us and I also thank the Cassidy family for allowing this fantastic concert to take place in their front garden. I and all the other fans will be forever indebted to their generosity.
Having seen Cohen live last year and that gig transcending Cohen to God like status in my mind I have never before felt so much excitement and impatience in the build up to a gig. Could the tantalising mixture of Leonard and Lissadell really be a recipe for a night we would never forget? The answer to that is a resounding yes! From start to finish this was the most amazing concert I’ve ever been at. Having possibly the greatest poet of our times performing in the place that inspired his hero added a certain magic that I don’t believe I’ll ever witness again in my lifetime.
Playing for an impressive 3 hour 45 minutes with only a 20 minute interval Cohen and his fantastic band delivered to the highest possible standard playing the songs his fans so love to hear and adding in couple of new songs to wet our appetites for the promised new album due in the spring of next year. Dance me to The End of Love was the opening song of this wonderful night followed by The Future and Ain’t no cure for Love in what was a serenely mellow first half. I find it impossible to pick a highlight for this half as every song is a highlight in itself. The mix of Cohen’s sultry tones and the fabulous musicianship of his incredible band was musical poetry to me ears. However as wonderful as all the familiar tunes were I was delighted to hear the first of 3 new songs, Born in Chains. This new song showcases that even in his mid seventies Cohen can still write great melodies and fantastic lyrics. What I especially loved was that Cohen shared the singing of this song with the sublime Webb Sisters and his extremely talented co-writer Sharon Robinson.
Possibly the highlight of the first half wasn’t even the music but for when Cohen said he was delighted to be playing at Lissadell and quoting Yeats “The light of evening, Lissadell, great windows open to the south, two girls in silk kimonos, both beautiful, one a gazelle” before quoting what is possibly his own greatest lyric “Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in”. He then preformed Anthem from which that song lyric came from to take us to the interval.
Like the 1st time I saw Cohen live the 2nd half proved to be my preference even though nearing the end Mother Nature treated us to misty rain! My favourite Cohen songs Hallelujah and So Long Marianne were preformed in this half. Hallelujah is in my humble opinion the greatest song ever written and it has to be my ultimate concert highlight hearing it sung live by its creator. Cohen starts and ends this song on his knees and delivered an outstanding performance that even though familiar to my ears gave me Goosebumps and had tears streaming down my face. Even now as I’m transported back to that moment I find my eyes filling up.
Hallelujah aside, like the 1st half it is extremely difficult to pick individual highlights as everything was sublime. I am probably starting to sound like a cliché but I’m overwhelmed by the intensity of this amazing experience and feel so lucky to have witnessed this magical encounter. It must be noted how brilliant Cohen’s band are. During various moments during the night we were treated to solos form most of the band including Dino Soldo and Javier Mas. As mentioned before as always Cohen’s backing singers, The Webb Sisters and Sharon Robinson were outstanding. The mutual respect between both Cohen and his band is plain for all to see and adds to what is already an excellent ambiance.
Even after the incredible 3 hours and 45 minutes Cohen who will be 76 later this year was still in top form but there had to be an end and it was a touching end when he performed Lover, Lover, Lover which wasn’t even on the setlist. Other songs of note during the night included Famous Blue Rain Coat, Suzanne, In My Secret Life, First we Take Manhattan and I’m Your Man. It was a special moment for me when my friend who accompanied me to the concert started cheering after this song even though she isn’t a massive fan.
I know I could have easily listened for even longer to the concert but respect to Leonard that at his age he puts younger artists to shame and maybe they should take note on how to deliver a night of perfection where it is impossible to find fault in anyway. The fan interaction between Cohen and also amongst us the fans helped make this a night never to be forgotten. There was a big contingent of the “Leonard Cohen Forum” at the concert with over 90 of us having specially made name tags in honour of the special occasion. This interaction with people who are strangers showcased the magic and lure Cohen has amongst his faithful followers.
As I walked out of the Lissadell estate I had feelings of utter happiness and sadness mingled in. Happiness that not only did the gig live up to expectation but managed to surpass it in every possible way but sadness that what will possibly have been the best concert I will ever attend was over. I thank Leonard Cohen for the music, the lyrics and for being such an amazing human being and sharing himself with us and I also thank the Cassidy family for allowing this fantastic concert to take place in their front garden. I and all the other fans will be forever indebted to their generosity.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Review of Stevie Wonder 24/06/2010
Having being lucky enough to have seen most bands and singers still alive that I want to see there are only a few acts left on what I call my bucket list of a concert wish list. Topping that list for a long time was Stevie Wonder and finally that dream came true on June 24th 2010. When it was initially announced in April that Stevie was finally making a return to our shores I had tears in my eyes.
As I headed down to The O2 on Thursday evening extremely excited I had an underlying fear of could Stevie live up to my expectations. Arriving at The O2 I was delighted to see I would be at the top of the queue for my entrance as a coveted barrier spot was my desired location. Due to an extended sound check we had a delay of about 20 minutes before entering the venue. I could see some of this through a tiny window but due to good insulation no sound came out to greet us! Finally the doors were open and I very happy to see that our entrance opened first which meant I was the first person to enter the building and had my choice of position along the barrier at the stage! I choose to stand at the gap between Stevie’s keyboard and grand piano. I knew I’d miss seeing some of the band that would be behind him but at least I’d have a great view of Stevie himself.
Finally it was 8pm and we knew that now it wouldn’t be long until we would have a living legend standing before us singing the songs we know and love so well. At approximately 8.20pm this wait was over and Stevie was guided to a certain spot on the stage, he then unaided worked his way to the front of the stage. Right from the start Stevie was totally on form giving a brilliant performance of Master Blaster which he wrote as a tribute to Bob Marley. Dressed in a striking blue African inspired outfit with his trademark sunglasses and dreadlocks Stevie looked great and had a huge smile across his face for most of the night. There were lots of interaction with the crowd from the start and lots of opportunities for a sing-along. The band and backing singers were excellent and included percussionists, guitarists, a drummer, a bass player, keyboard players, sax players and 3 backing singers. For the latter parts of the gig the backing singers were also dancers. The Dublin Gospel Choir came out on stage for the last song of the night and the delight on their faces at being there was plain to see although Stevie didn’t really utilise them to best that he could have done.
It is actually very hard to pick highlights from this concert as nearly every song is a highlight for some reason or other! However my personal highlight would have to be for the audience reaction to Stevie after Living for the City and the tribute to Michael Jackson which followed this. I’ve been to a lot of concerts but never before had I felt such love from an audience for an artist than I did at that moment on Thursday night. All around the venue people were cheering and chanting “Stevie, Stevie.......” I actually became quite emotional during that moment. When it lead into Stevie playing Michael Jackson’s Human Nature on harmonica with one of the backing singers singing parts of the song I had tears streaming down my face. It was a beautiful tribute to The King of Pop on the eve of the first anniversary of his death.
Another of my favourite moments was when Stevie miraculously changed his voice back to when he was a child to play his very first number one hit from when he was 12 years old by appearing to drink a magic potion. Fingertips’ is an upbeat up-tempo song that was made to be played live and was originally released as a live record. It was great seeing Stevie dance while he sang this song. Having watched many of the videos of his songs on YouTube it was plain to see that he is as full of energy and fun now as he was in the 1960’s/70’s. He was even unashamedly flirting with one of his backing singers at one stage telling her to move in closer and wrap her arms around him!
Other musical highlights included sublime performances of Superstition, Uptight, Sir Duke, Signed Sealed Delivered, I Wish and My Cherie Amour. I could possibly list every song he played as everything he played was wonderful. He came out on stage playing a keytar and also played keyboards, grand piano and of course harmonica all to an excellent standard. His vocals are amazing and have the same power now as they did 30/40 years ago. No matter how constructive I try to be I can honestly say I cannot fault this gig in any way. I do admit I would have loved to have heard him play Part Time Lover as it is my favourite of all his songs. However the calibre of what he did play more than made up for that.
I reluctantly left The O2 at the end of the gig knowing I’d fulfilled a dream but wanting that dream to continue. Any fears I had before the gig were unfounded. Stevie lived up to every expectation and more besides. He truly is one of the greats and I’ll be eternally grateful I was lucky enough to have seen him perform live.
As I headed down to The O2 on Thursday evening extremely excited I had an underlying fear of could Stevie live up to my expectations. Arriving at The O2 I was delighted to see I would be at the top of the queue for my entrance as a coveted barrier spot was my desired location. Due to an extended sound check we had a delay of about 20 minutes before entering the venue. I could see some of this through a tiny window but due to good insulation no sound came out to greet us! Finally the doors were open and I very happy to see that our entrance opened first which meant I was the first person to enter the building and had my choice of position along the barrier at the stage! I choose to stand at the gap between Stevie’s keyboard and grand piano. I knew I’d miss seeing some of the band that would be behind him but at least I’d have a great view of Stevie himself.
Finally it was 8pm and we knew that now it wouldn’t be long until we would have a living legend standing before us singing the songs we know and love so well. At approximately 8.20pm this wait was over and Stevie was guided to a certain spot on the stage, he then unaided worked his way to the front of the stage. Right from the start Stevie was totally on form giving a brilliant performance of Master Blaster which he wrote as a tribute to Bob Marley. Dressed in a striking blue African inspired outfit with his trademark sunglasses and dreadlocks Stevie looked great and had a huge smile across his face for most of the night. There were lots of interaction with the crowd from the start and lots of opportunities for a sing-along. The band and backing singers were excellent and included percussionists, guitarists, a drummer, a bass player, keyboard players, sax players and 3 backing singers. For the latter parts of the gig the backing singers were also dancers. The Dublin Gospel Choir came out on stage for the last song of the night and the delight on their faces at being there was plain to see although Stevie didn’t really utilise them to best that he could have done.
It is actually very hard to pick highlights from this concert as nearly every song is a highlight for some reason or other! However my personal highlight would have to be for the audience reaction to Stevie after Living for the City and the tribute to Michael Jackson which followed this. I’ve been to a lot of concerts but never before had I felt such love from an audience for an artist than I did at that moment on Thursday night. All around the venue people were cheering and chanting “Stevie, Stevie.......” I actually became quite emotional during that moment. When it lead into Stevie playing Michael Jackson’s Human Nature on harmonica with one of the backing singers singing parts of the song I had tears streaming down my face. It was a beautiful tribute to The King of Pop on the eve of the first anniversary of his death.
Another of my favourite moments was when Stevie miraculously changed his voice back to when he was a child to play his very first number one hit from when he was 12 years old by appearing to drink a magic potion. Fingertips’ is an upbeat up-tempo song that was made to be played live and was originally released as a live record. It was great seeing Stevie dance while he sang this song. Having watched many of the videos of his songs on YouTube it was plain to see that he is as full of energy and fun now as he was in the 1960’s/70’s. He was even unashamedly flirting with one of his backing singers at one stage telling her to move in closer and wrap her arms around him!
Other musical highlights included sublime performances of Superstition, Uptight, Sir Duke, Signed Sealed Delivered, I Wish and My Cherie Amour. I could possibly list every song he played as everything he played was wonderful. He came out on stage playing a keytar and also played keyboards, grand piano and of course harmonica all to an excellent standard. His vocals are amazing and have the same power now as they did 30/40 years ago. No matter how constructive I try to be I can honestly say I cannot fault this gig in any way. I do admit I would have loved to have heard him play Part Time Lover as it is my favourite of all his songs. However the calibre of what he did play more than made up for that.
I reluctantly left The O2 at the end of the gig knowing I’d fulfilled a dream but wanting that dream to continue. Any fears I had before the gig were unfounded. Stevie lived up to every expectation and more besides. He truly is one of the greats and I’ll be eternally grateful I was lucky enough to have seen him perform live.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)