While all the photos of the July 6, 2009 Leonard Cohen Nantes Concert taken by Hyacinthe Raimbault are of solid quality, I'm especially taken with the shots of Leonard Cohen in dance mode (above) and Roscoe Beck, accoutred in a venue-congruous beret, playing standup bass (below).

Hot Press posted the following February 24, 2012:

Leonard Cohen for Dublin
Legendary troubadour set to return to Kilmainham...

Having played two landmark concerts there in 2008, Hot Press has learned that an application has been made for a licence to stage a Leonard Cohen gig again in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham. If green-lighted, which seems a formality, the Canadian legend will play Dublin in either August or September.

Leonard Cohen and Dublin have carried on a long love affair. He spoke to The Guardian about his 2008 Tour dates in the city:

I was touched by the reception. I remember we were playing in Ireland and the reception was so warm that tears came to my eyes and I thought, 'I can't be seen weeping at this point', then I turned around and saw the guitar player weeping.

2008 Leonard Cohen Dublin Concert Photos

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Credit Due Department: The Leonard Cohen quote is from Entertainment.ie. The photos of the 2008 Dublin concerts were taken by and used with permission of Michael Foley of Michael Foley Photography.

I'm taken by photos of Leonard Cohen performances set in those venues invested with hundreds of years of their own history. Not only are romanticized notions of the past evoked, but the contrast between contemporary stage lighting and sound systems and the ancient backgrounds can be especially striking. (On the other hand, I am reliably informed many such sites are uncomfortable, lack sufficient parking and toilet facilities, and feature suboptimal acoustics).

In any case, this shot taken by Ipoh kia at the July 16, 2008 Leonard Cohen World Tour concert at Edinburgh Castle, the site of a royal castle since the 12th century, certainly qualifies for this category.

Used under Creative Commons license.

Published as a warning to those planning to attend the upcoming Rod Stewart concert at Hanging Rock, this photo of the line of cars traveling to the 2010 Leonard Cohen World Tour show held at that venue likely triggers different thoughts depending on ones perspectives.  Those who attended the Cohen show may recall a prolonged, frustrating wait to enter the grounds.  Local politicians, however, are able to view a rosier picture.

Cr McLaughlin [of the Macedon Ranges Council.]said the concert would bring a number of direct and indirect benefits to the shire.

"We are expecting the second Hanging Rock concert to be another boon to our economy, after the estimated $1.9 million injection made through the 2010 Leonard Cohen concert."

The Cohen concert took out the 'best international contemporary concert' award at last year's Helpmann Awards.

"High-profile events like these go a long way in promoting our region to visitors. There are many indirect and long-term benefits with visitors getting a taste for the region and taking advantage of our many shops, restaurants and cafes," Cr McLaughlin said.

From Rod Stewart Fans Warned Of Traffic Delays by Angela Valente (Macedon Ranges Weekly, 14 Feb, 2012). Photo by Matthew Furneaux.

This shot of Leonard Cohen in concert in Istanbul, Turkey (taken either August 5 or 6, 2009), one of many photos of cultural events on display in an article celebrating the 40th anniversary of Istanbul's Culture and Arts Foundation, was simply so evocative of the moment as to mandate posting here.

Leonard Cohen To Tour: “Every so often you do have that itch.”

"Yes, yes,” Cohen told HARP. “I haven’t been out since ’93. The years went by and I thought ‘I’ll never go out again.’ But every so often you do have that itch. You’ve heard that saying in rock ‘n’ roll, they don’t pay you to sing, they pay you to travel.

“But you forget about that stuff. The actual concerts are always compelling. If you’ve got good musicians, and you’re playing, and people know the songs, and they want to hear them live, it is a wonderful thing. And so I’m drawn to that.”

Update: Alas Harp Magazine, the source of this article, is no more. Happily, Marie of Speaking Cohen archived a copy of this piece and DrHGuy was sufficiently prescient  to grab a copy of this wonderful photo of Leonard Cohen.

You're welcome.

This post was first published at DrHGuy on Jan 23, 2008

Leonard Cohen will be touring with his band in Canada and US in May and in Europe in the summer. More details will be announced in February. ([This] advance notice is posted with Leonard’s permission)

This notice posted at leonardcohenforum by Jarkko, the site's webmaster on Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 5:55 pm, was the first authorized announcement of what would become a three year tour. Curiously, the media didn’t seem to notice until today [Jan 22, 2008] when numerous sites and sources are making the announcement, referencing the leonardcohenforum item.

Show Me The Money

As an indicator that Cohen meets the wealth criteria, this evidence is offered

And The Taste

I never discuss my mistresses or my tailors
                                            - Leonard Cohn 

And, as for taste, the sharp-eyed asdeguia points to the Munns shopping bag slung from the singer-songwriter's arm.(see sequence of photos atop this post).  

Click image to enlarge. 

From 2010 Pollstar Ranking Of World Wide Concerts

It's worth noting that the 2010 Leonard Cohen World Tour did not begin until July 25, 2010 in Zagreb. It ended on December 11, 2010 in Las Vegas.

The title of this note is taken from a  line within a well-written personal appreciation of the Leonard Cohen World Tour by Emily St. John Mandel - Take This Waltz: Leonard Cohen’s Tour Comes to an End.

As that excerpted phrase suggests, this is not an evenhanded analysis or an unbiased critical review, but if you are moved by Leonard Cohen's music and especially if you attended a concert during the World Tour, this article may well articulate those sentiments about his recently completed concert tour you haven't yet put into words.

Highly recommended:  Take This Waltz: Leonard Cohen’s Tour Comes to an End.