Hallelujah – He’s Still Singing!
I got a message from a friend, Victoria, on Facebook who has lots of photo’s on there and I was mooching around as you do and saw a reference to seeing Leonard Cohen in January. So I was straight back on it 
…
We to’d and fro’d with messages … I went to Glastonbury last summer simply to see The Man … (he is!) … A couple of friends, Alanah and Mark, had a stall at the festival (selling a great alternative to the plastic carrier bag) … and I was lucky enough to go help them out in return for the privilege.
So it was my first time at a summer event that has become the biggest and one of the longest running festivals, yet strangely my first visit, I say strangely because back in the day … they were an integral part of the summer season.
So Victoria and I have agreed to find one of his UK concerts this year and head out to watch or more importantly listen to him. So what’s the relevance to this site … Well its the ‘feel good factor’ through the warmth of friends and music … a great combination. Didn’t someone once say that ‘music soothes the savage beast’ … It taps into something quite primeval … as does dance and there’s nothing quite like a bit of ‘arms flailing’ abandoned (dance like no-one is watching) dancing.
Inner Calm
And no-one understands wild abandonment better than Leonard Cohen, with his deeply resonant liquid gold vocals, the poetic lyrics, Eastern European sounding string instruments, the warm musical tones and his gorgeous backing singers. And although its very well documented as to what led him getting ‘back on the road’ … I think he’s loving it too. When I saw him none of the kids around me knew his music, by the end they were wowed!
Who wouldn’t love such a raconteur as the space between songs grew to equal importance, as we hung on his every word. He flirted on some occasions and humbly doffed his trilby at others, and sometimes just stood in silence bathing in the audiences appreciation. He has a wry sense of humor and is simply adored.
I’m very happy the tour continues into 2009 and checking out dates for Victoria, who wants to come over to the UK to see him, I can see he’s playing all over Europe … wonderful news … may he never retire!
And just in case it wasn’t clear, he was magnificent, perfect delivery in every which way. Where most other acts filled their 60-minute set Cohen almost touched 2-hrs. He understood the value of over-delivery and wanted to give back to the crowd. I hadn’t seen him perform before (so nothing to compare) but it seemed as though the 5-yrs he spent in seclusion, at the Mount Baldy Zen Centre (ordained as a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk in 1994) were evident from his beautiful stillness.
Although I’m not sure where I’ll be watching him … I’m excited at the prospect and looking forward to it …
Jane
Go listen to this wonderful extract ….
Last night I was talking to a friend …. she went on a course with Darren Eden last weekend, a 1-day introduction workshop on developing the Intuition.
The information was revealing yet disruptive to my day as have been putting off this particular passion, having decided I lack experience, and filed it away for a future date rather than now.