Leonard Cohen, Belfast setlist

What a concert? The Odyssey is a real toilet though.
Where I was sitting I had to look through grating to be able to see either the stage or the screens. Really should have been a £15 ticket rather than 75 sheets.
The sound mix itself was perfect but the hall didn't do it any justice. especially closer to the back (where I was) because in my right ear I could hear a faint semblance of what the lucky ducks at the front were hearing and in my left the echo of this slapping off the back (tin) wall.

Now, I will say that in a couple of places this slapback actually added to the atmosphere of the track (A Thousand Kisses Deep for instance) but by and large it was unbefitting of the amazing performance going on.

Leonard was just brilliant, skipping and running like a small child onto the stage and performing with a relish of not only the material, but of life that is simply missing in any earlier (ie the Future and earlier) performance videos I have seen. And I swear to god he had every woman in the place wetting themselves...Especially during "I'm Your Man"
I even seen this girl sitting outside the arena afterwards on her own (obviously drunk) licking his picture...not bad for a 75 year old...though at the risk of using a cliché, he really did seem more like 75 years young...

Also, It must be said (because it rarely is) that the man is a great guitarist.

In conclusion....a beautiful thing.



First Set
---
Dance me to the End of Love
The Future
Ain't No Cure for Love
Bird on the Wire
Everybody Knows
In My Secret Life
Who by Fire
That Don't Make it Junk
Waiting For The Miracle
Anthem

Second Set
---
Tower of Song
Suzanne
Sisters of Mercy
The Partisan
Boogie Street
Hallelujah
I'm Your Man
A Thousand Kisses Deep (2008 poem version)
Take This Waltz

First Encore
---
So Long Marianne
First We Take Manhattan

Second Encore
---
Famous Blue Raincoat
If it Be Your Will
Closing Time

Third Encore
---
I Tried to Leave You
Whither Thou Goest

Xen and other tone poems

1. Xen 1 (WHOAMI)
2. Xen 2 (XENJAM)
3. Xen 3 (LIMBUS)
4. Xen 4 (ANALOGUE)
5. Xen 5 (HAARPSONG)
6. Xen 6 (IYOUTHEMOON)
7. Platform Suite
- Press Start
- Theme and Variations
- The Underwater Caves
- Ceramic Zone
- Boss Level/Game Over
8. Aja (Fagen/Becker)
9. Wavelength
10. Laminate
11. Murder Ballad (2004 version)



Xen 6 technically isn't a tone poem as it has lyrics...but who am I to be pedantic?


Artwork will be by the lovely Rory McGuigan (www.rorymcguigan.com)


more info very soon