 features a review of Leonard Cohen at London’s Wembley Arena – in this archive feature from December 2008 (Take 139) we get the inside story from Cohen’s bandmates on their extraordinary year with the singer-songwriter that even Bob Dylan calls “a real poet”){kind=link}
THE FIRST SHOW: FREDERICTON PLAYHOUSE, CANADA, MAY 11, 2008
Wilfred Langmaid [reporter, Fredericton Daily Gleaner]: He arrived on Wednesday or Thursday, and the show was on the Sunday. It was the poorest-kept secret in the city. Maybe it was the nature of Fredericton, but he was walking around, down the path by the river, and no-one accosted him. The Playhouse is tiny, in the 700-people range. Leonard was obviously nervous. We were in the fourth row, and could see him pacing back and forth backstage. He came on to a two-minute standing ovation. He looked out with that nervous, shy smile, and kept bowing and nodding his head; a sheepish grin, but loving every moment of it.
Charley Webb [singer]: Leonard seemed really excited. For the first couple of gigs, there was a sense of anticipation, and nerves. Leonard does talk of his nerves that he’s had over the years. He occasionally has now what he calls his “nip” – his whiskey and soda.
Hattie Webb [singer]: One night I quite fancied a whiskey and soda in the interval, and he was pouring me one out as well [as his]. It looked a strange colour, and then we realised that he was pouring Guinness instead of soda. We both cracked up, and then he started afresh.
Sharon Robinson: He was nervous. More so than our performance, he was not sure how the audience was going to receive the whole idea. He takes all of his work very seriously. In that respect, he was a little worried before he went on.
Charley Webb: Hattie and I weren’t plugged into what to expect. We’d never seen Leonard live. It took a while to harden to being affected by grown men and women sobbing and screaming directly in front of you. But Leonard was warmed by that. It’s almost like he could part the Red Sea. He lifts up his microphone and everything settles.
Hattie Webb: It was a very smart way of Leonard to start the tour. Instead of being in an enormous arena with less personal connection, you could see the faces of the first 20 rows. Leonard immediately connected with people, and his own nerves dissipated within a couple of songs.
Leif Bodnarchuk [guitar technician]: I’ve never seen such a genuinely enthusiastic reception. I’ve see kids go wild, but this older audience was incredible. We were stunned!
Wilfred Langmaid: By the fourth song, “Bird On The Wire”, the nervousness was gone. He was gracious, he was thinking on his feet. At the start of set two, when he was getting the keyboard programmed for “Tower Of Song”, he pressed a wrong button, and laughed and had to put his glasses on. He was literally feeling his way.
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MILE ONE CENTRE, ST JOHN’S, NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA, MAY 23, 2008
Roscoe Beck: Bob Dylan was playing the venue right next door to the hotel. It was a large venue, 16,000 seats, and the sound system was a little loud for us, and we were all trying to protect our ears, so we had to wear earplugs. They’ve known each other for a long time, and I know there’s a lot of respect for each other. Jennifer Warnes told me a story once that there was a dinner once, they were honouring Bob Dylan. And Leonard was there and Jennifer was there. And at one point, Bob Dylan took Elizabeth Taylor by the hand and said, “Come, let me introduce you to a real poet…”