Flop Eared Mule A Country Music Death Beast and Worker in the Dylan Industrial Complex | Sydney, Australia | Est. 2004

Update:
No photos because of the seats (let's not get me started) but I'll try in Bowral. Meantime, check out Leonard in his first musical phase: a country and western singer in The Buckskin Boys.

I've been following the setlists of Len's most recent tour -- which incidentally will number almost 100 shows in nine months by the time this Pacific leg is up -- so I knew he generally opens with "Dance Me To The End of Love." This is one of my very favourite songs, by anyone and so I had to be sure to be composed and focused from start to soak up every note -- no throwaway warm up openers tonight. In fact, the first highlight came even before the song when Leonard (Leonard Freaking Cohen) bounded, literally bounded, on stage and was greeted by a standing ovation. Excited as I was, I may not have thought of that myself but there was a great release in going up with the masses and I evidently felt sufficiently unrestrained that I couldn't help but tear up. And I squealed like I'd just seen a Bay City Roller.

I am saying he -- and will all he way through, my singer chauvinism has me in chains -- but of course the band was superb in a very Cohenesque way. The sound preserved the classic album sounds, 80s organ and drums, easy listening sax and girls backups, stripped though of some of the more egregious Songsmith-esque touches of some of the studio sessions. I snark because I love. (I love Leonard's cheap Casio keys and electric drums sound, I mean. Not Songsmith, heavens but no.) And so he had a lush bed and although you might suspect at his age his voice would need all the hideyholes it could get, not so. Although naturally it is not his 70s voice, it's not that far removed from the one on Cohen Live, a collection of late 80s/early 90s performances which I listen to a lot. Actually listening to that today it occurred to me that he was really pushing his voice as low as it could go and as growly, and leaning heavily on the words and phrasing, whereas the 2009 live Len had a much lighter touch without sacrificing any of the expression. This could be completely wrong, but luckily I have the chance to test the thesis in Bowral on Sunday. There were some notes where the voice, all the instruments and the words came together for a second or two and locked into place perfectly with the memory of the recorded versions and it would echo through my ribs. Also? Matey is still sexy as.

The hits kept on coming in the set list and you couldn't begrudge any omissions (although I'd love to hear some of the lesser ticket items on my favourite record, Various Positions). Last night at the second Sydney show he did "Sisters of Mercy" which I was temporarily disappointed about not getting at ours, except I think it was at the expense of "Democracy" which I was on the edge of my seat wait for. Everything was a highlight. "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" -- oh my god perfection. It was like hearing Chelsea Hotel #2 for the first time, not the one millionth, suddenly each line seemed to have a meaning I'd never considered before, although I had, it just seemed that way. I felt the same way about "Anthem" which seemed more compelling and more, well, anthemic than on the record. I was a puddle at his spoken word parts, part of "If It Be Your Will" before passing on to the Webb Sisters to complete and the variation on "A Thousand Kisses Deep." Oh hell, all of them. "Tower of Song" !!!! I loved his little smile when people cheered on the ironic "gift of the golden voice" line in that -- the big screens serve a purpose although being close enough to see those details with your own eyes is why I insist on being up the front. He played a bit of guitar, although clearly wasn't doing much heavy lifting on it it was still super cool to see. I loved to see him smile, and enjoy the experience so much.

He charmed me with his generosity, he charmed me with his bolo tie (!), he charmed me when he pronounced "about" like a Canadian, he charmed me when he stood head bowed and clasped to his chest reverently in front of his band like he was coming before the Don, his genuine humility at being there and the rapture was charming too. I loved I could share it with my sister, who first bought Various Positions on LP when I was 8 and she was 16, which I guess was the first step to here. (not just "here" the Len concert, but "here" the blog, and the rest of the music)

How do you know a person's opinions on just about everything can be safely ignored? When they crack that Leonard Cohen music is depressing. It is the opposite. Always has been.

And now on to Bowral, where we have second row centre and get to do it all again. Memo to pack a hat and sunscreen (or a leaf, a la Len)