Dublin melts
Flying in from the west, wings beating a low, sonorous melody, the Leonard Cohen World Tour 2008-2009 has, at last, settled on these shores. For four nights from this evening, the Manchester Opera House will host Leonard and his band play as they attempt to overthrow the audience using only beauty and the moonlight.
Last week Leonard played two gigs in Dublin that apparently melted the hearts of all present. These shows were reviewed on Monday night’s BBC 4 programme Front Row, by host and self-confessed Cohen fan, Mark Lawson. It seems Leonard is fully relaxed and in the groove after playing 22 shows in Canada last month.
Somehow I managed to buy tickets to see Leonard next month in the 02 dome, even though the dome’s website crashed for an hour or so on the morning they were put on sale. Then I was offered a ticket to tomorrow’s show in Manchester by a friend, so will get two chances to see Laughing Len.
Although Mr Lawson went to see Leonard in Dublin, he interviewed novelist Anne Enright about her experience of the concert. This saved him from having to interview himself I suppose. Enright was effusive, Leonard was described as “fit”, “beguiling”, “so charming”, “engaging” and horror of horrors “almost happy”. As Lawson put it, “like the Dalai Lama, but without the ego.”
My impending trip to Manchester is gripping my mind at the moment, and Leonard’s concerts are monopolising conversation in Dublin too, says Enright. One of her friends described seeing the show as a “lifer” – one of those occasions when you “think about your life and see your life wandering in front of you”. I say, let it wander.
One of the things I’m most looking forward to is hearing songs from his last couple of albums played live – especially Ten New Songs. It’s an album I love, but I think a full band would do it better justice than Leonard on his Casio keyboard. Enright also mentions the feeling that his more recent work has not been well served by his collaborators and the benefit brought to his songs by new arrangements, and proper musicians in the concert.
I’m not sure it is entirely the collaborator’s fault, but from Various Positions onwards the music has had something missing a little on the musician front. Thankfully, the songs and lyrics themselves are so strong that they could be played on a stylophone and still melt rocks. The Irish Independent gave a similarly positive review too.
Tags: 02 Arena, Dublin, Front Row, Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen World Tour 2008, Manchester Opera House