leonardcohenforum.com

Closing Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf4efjA6FaM

Sophia

There are reports in the Greek press
about Leonard's concert in Athens but
we are still on holidays.

Stay tuned.

Dem

From "K" ,Kathimerini newspaper inset, August 10:

ΛΕΟΝΑΡΝΤ ΚΟΕΝ

Συγκίνηση χωρίς εφέ

Υπήρχαν κάποιοι νεότεροι που εντυπωσιάστηκαν από την έλλειψη «εφέ». Δεν ήξεραν ότι κάποτε αρκούσε ο ποιητικός λόγος και η θεόπνευστη μουσική για να κάνουν τα γόνατα να λυγίσουν και το κεφάλι να πέσει προς τα εμπρός (έτσι, σε στάση προσκυνητή ή κουλουριασμένου εμβρύου, είδα πολλούς στο Terra Vibe εκείνο το βράδυ).
Υπήρχαν κάποιοι «εκείνης» της γενιάς, που εντυπωσιάστηκαν από τη δύναμη της φωνής του 73χρονου Λέοναρντ και από το ότι μπαινόβγαινε στη σκηνή τρέχοντας σαν πιτσιρικάς.
Υπήρχαν επίσης διάφοροι μοναχικοί ξαπλωμένοι ανάσκελα που άκουγαν με τα μάτια καρφωμένα στον ουρανό, ζευγαράκια σε όλες τις στάσεις της τρυφερότητας, κορίτσια και γυναίκες όλων των ηλικιών που δεν έκαναν τον κόπο να σκουπίσουν τα δάκρυα από τα μάγουλά τους (γιατί το επόμενο τραγούδι θα έφερνε καινούργια) και πολλοί επαγγελματίες Έλληνες μουσικοί.
Υπήρχαν ,τέλος, δυο-τρεις χιλιάδες άνθρωποι εκεί, που περάσαμε από τα ίδια στάδια: στην αρχή εντυπωσιαστήκαμε , μετά τραγουδήσαμε και μετά καταλάβαμε ότι η μουσική είχε περάσει μέσα στις φλέβες μας και είχε συντονίσει όλο το σώμα (και το σφυγμό) στο ρυθμό. Λίγο αργότερα, πήραμε είδηση ότι η φωνή και οι λέξεις που έβγαιναν, λες, από τις πιο βαθιές γωνιές της ψυχής αυτού του μεγάλου ποιητή εισέβαλλαν μέσα από τους πόρους του δέρματός μας , μας κατέλυαν και μας μεταμόρφωναν σε άυλα πλάσματα. Σε ψυχές δηλαδή που μέσα από τις απώλειες , τις επιθυμίες, την αγάπη, τους έρωτες και τους εσταυρωμένους των τραγουδιών, ξαναγινόμασταν πιο ανθρώπινοι άνθρωποι. (Οι ήττες και η ποίηση μπορούν να το κάνουν αυτό.)
Κι όταν κάποιος καταφέρνει με τα τραγούδια του να συνεγείρει την ψυχή σου, μπορεί με απρόσμενη ευκολία να κάνει και τα γόνατά σου να λυγίσουν και το σώμα να παραδοθεί στην προσευχή που δεν ξέρεις πια αν βγαίνει από τα ηχεία ή από το στήθος σου.
«Προσευχή» είναι άλλωστε η λέξη με την οποία μπορεί κάποιος να περιγράψει μονολεκτικά όσα επί τρεις ώρες ο Κοέν και οι μουσικοί του κατάφεραν να εκπέμψουν.
Hallelujah δηλαδή, μέχρι εκεί που κατοικούν οι θεοί.

ΥΓ.:Μία από τις συγκινητικότερες, πιο εύηχες και τέλεια συντονισμένες συναυλίες που έχω δει ποτέ να ισορροπεί πάνω στο σχοινί του σχοινοβάτη.
Μ.Λ

And some nice shots here:

http://www.photosandgigs.com/blog/?p=290

Sophia

Here is a translation I made of the piece Sophia posted above:

LEONARD COHEN

Emotion without “special-effects”

There were some younger ones that were impressed by the lack of "visual effects". They did not know that there were times when poetry and God-inspired music were enough in order to make the knees bend and the head to fall in front (in such a position of pilgrimage or of a foetus, I saw many in Terra Vibe that evening).

There were also some of "that" generation, that were impressed by the force of the voice of 73 years old Leonard and by seeing him getting in and out of the stage running like a youngster..
There were also some lying on the ground alone with the eyes fixed to the sky above, couples in all the positions of tenderness, girls and women of all ages that did not bother to sweep the teardrops from the cheeks (because the next song would bring new ones) and a lot of professional Greek musicians.

We were finally, two-three thousand persons there that we passed from the same stages: impressed at the beginning, then singing along and at the end feeling that the music was getting into our veins and tuning our body (and our pulse) in to the rhythm. Little later, we realized that the voice and the words that came out, you could say from the deepest corners of the soul of this great poet, were passing through the pores of our skin, breaking us and transforming us into immaterial creatures. Into souls that is, that through the losses, the longings, the love, and the crucifieds of the songs, we were becoming again more human-like humans. (Defeats and poetry can do that.)

And when somebody manages with his songs to rouse your soul, he can with unforeseen easiness make also your knees bend and let the body surrender to a prayer that you do not know anymore if it is coming out from the loudspeakers or from your chest.

"Prayer" is the word with which one can describe what Cohen and his musicians accomplished during those three hours.
Hallelujah that is to say, all the way up to where the Gods live.

PS) It was one of the finest, most emotional and perfectly coordinated concerts I have ever seen balancing on a walker’s tightrope.
M.L

Dem

Hello all,

I had the privilege of attending the Athens show. Needless to say it was absolutely fabulous, no matter that i didn't understand a thing he was saying in greek (i'm romanian). I loved the place (Malakasa - Terra Vibe Park), although far from the city and a little bit hard to get there for a tourist. Anyway, lucky for me I have the chance of seeing him again live on 21st of September in Bucharest.

Beside the pictures down below, you can see more at: http://www.duscupluta.ro/2008/08/14/cohen/ and http://www.duscupluta.ro/galerie/index. ... -%20Athens

Edit: "Hey, that's no way to say goodbye!": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11MW5Ojwyww&eurl

Very nice pics indicibil
thank you.

This is why I never use my camera at concerts! Always someone to do it much better than me. Thank you.
You should also advertise your Hydra cats pictures, they are lovely. And I'm very happy to find a romanian finally "dus cu pluta" in the same direction as me.
Laura

Amazing photos indeed, thank you indicibil!
Two more reviews here:
http://www.ethnos.gr/article.asp?catid= ... id=1368591 (Ethnos newspaper)
and
http://www.avopolis.gr/live/default.asp?ID=1048

Sophia

There are no words to describe this concert. 18 days have passed and I can still feel the magic of that night.
Are there any Greek fans who are thinking of attending another concert of Leonard abroad?
Maybe,we could organize sth together.Bucharest isn't that far.And for London we can find cheap air tickets if we book early.
Is there any chance of Leonard giving another concert here in Greece during the fall tour?

Yes! Come to Bucharest, come to Bucharest! It would be only fair. And I hope it will be as wonderful as the concert we lived in Athens.
Laura

Τhe following was published in “TA NEA” newspaper
The day before the concert at Terra Vibe.
http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=4&artid=79412


LEONARD COHEN TOMORROW AT MALAKASA
The Gentleman, "Suzanne" and the indelible lyrics
by Maria Markoyli

There is a sweet anticipation in the air. It’s really at least fifteen years since the last time Leonard Cohen had was on stage. And now, one of the most important creators, the voice that can speak the simplest words that can «stick" on you indelibly, returns. With songs like life stories.

In between are the years that separate «I m Your Man" from today. On the other hand, you have Cohen that "has influenced" almost anything good you can listen in discography today. From the underground, frozen sound of the National to the porcelain music of Rufus Wainwright. And not only.

His induction ceremony at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last March was hiding a big surprise for his fans. Cohen announced his decision to go on the road again with concerts, to make a tour, here and there. A dream. And he is already on the road. 150.000 people saw him in at the Glastonbury Festival in England.

"Suzanne" is well. And Cohen better. In these concerts now he plays almost three hours - say the reports so far. He is moving, polite and has a great band with him. Usually he starts with "Dance Me tο The End of Love". And then: "So Long Marianne" and "First We Take Manhattan".

At 73, he can lead his audience to the steepest refrains ("The Future") and onto other extreme emotional situations ("I m Your Man"). Four years before, Cohen released «Dear Ηeather», but now there’s a new album in the making. We will have news about it shortly, as at this moment the artist communicates with his public. His voice today is deeper and cannot reach all the notes. Does this bother anyone? Of course not. Cohen returns to Greece. And not to (his) Hydra for holidays. His retreat in the nineties was a Buddhist centre up in the mountains of California. The spiritual Cohen never disappeared even when he was making his recordings. Later he found himself in the midst of a legal adventure when it was revealed that his manager had stolen a big part of his money and life goes on.

Actually, as he has said, he had no intention of becoming a singer. All he wanted was to write, although the guitar he had begun to learn as a child always intervened and changed his plan. With his suit, his hat and a small smirk at the corner of his lips he makes you think that everything was planned from the beginning. Yes? No. «I was just enjoying the company of women", he says again and again. He is a classic ladies' man. That is enough for him and he says that it flatters him. Then he lowers his look. Cohen-style modesty. Which in reality is unrestrained force, a statement of a conqueror with only arms the songs. Those and his cracked voice.

Translation D.Tsimperis

ok, it's an article from before the concert, but nevertheless...

http://wwk.kathimerini.gr/kath/entheta/ ... 7-2008.pdf

p. 31

serpico11 wrote:There are no words to describe this concert. 18 days have passed and I can still feel the magic of that night.
Are there any Greek fans who are thinking of attending another concert of Leonard abroad?
Maybe,we could organize sth together.Bucharest isn't that far.And for London we can find cheap air tickets if we book early.
Is there any chance of Leonard giving another concert here in Greece during the fall tour?

I'm also attending the Frankfurt concert and I'm really excited! Flying tickets are cheap enough.

There is an article in Kathimerini, 31-08-2008, characterizing the Leonard Cohen concert the most impressive concert in Athens this summer. Here is a link to the online version:

http://news.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_art ... 008_282692

and the article with the photo: