On January 22nd, one of my bucket list items was well and firmly ticked off with my attendance at the ceremonial worship of my favourite living human being, Leonard Cohen. This man has been a revelation to me from the age of about 14. Songs of Leonard Cohen purloined from my dad's record collection, and his strange low, compelling voice and arrangements just, well, spoke to me beyond anything I've ever heard. Even alongside Dylan, Drake and many other singer songwriters in whom i've tried to find the same qualities, this man is as flawless an authentic musical and poetic force as you could ever hope for. At least he is in my eyes!

He came onstage to a standing ovation at Auckland's Vector Arena. Annabel remarked that we were the youngest people in the audience, and I simply didn't care. I wouldn't have cared if i had been 18 or 108, what was being produced for us was timeless word and song in perfect unity. It was nothing short of a spiritual experience.

The musicianship and arrangements I thought I would have disliked or zoned out to concentrate on the man, but you know what, I think if this tour produces a live album, which it surely must, we'll see a whole new generation of people discovering the beauty of these songs, not as stripped down entities, but as lush, expressive orchestrations full of humour, hope and despair!

In fact, his manager going off with all those millions has ironically gifted to the world the necessity of this tour, and with it, doubly enshrining Leonard Cohen's place in history.I had a lump in my throat for all 3 hours of it, and more than once was voicing "you can't cry, it's a gig!" to myself just to stop things from boiling over.

And if that weren't enough, Leonard Cohen would easily replace my previous choice for President of the United States, Larry David, who would i think do much better as a sociopathic Secretary of State.

I shall end with a poem inspired by the night. my first in a while (be gentle carin, and no sniggering).

i felt something that night
and if you don't know the answer
then i'm gonna make this damn thing
burn brighter than a star

in your face
there was a word
translated softly
and spoken
before hope began

as if listening to you
brought the room into existence
and laughing shook the edges
of the universe into rapture

take part in the connection
of matter, of molecules, of feelings and of all
these i promise you is more
than mere mirage

for undivided source i am
to you no longer forgotten
with sound and smile and recognition beyond
the walls of thought

The Stranger Song 1967

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocq_noEO2uU

Suzanne, Isle of Wight 1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqu3U05tkAw

Suzanne, Germany 1979

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuL2xTKYxMw

Famous Blue Raincoat, Germany 1979

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8lQJCCWxNk

Avalanche

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-oLmOm9vk0 

Who By Fire

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2T274bXIxU

The Future

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_drEFOaPaK8

On stage with another of my heroes Ron Sexsmith, singing badly but having fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e842XqQAu-Q

More Leonard Cohen on YouTube.....

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=leonard+cohen&search=

we're off to button moon
we'll follow mr spoon
button moon, button moon.

So sang ex Dr Who Peter Davidson on children's tv between the years 1981-1987.

It reminds me of coming home from school and for some reason it's been in my head for days. Annabel thinks i've gone mad.

Anyway, found a snippet for all those 30 odd year old people out there humming it to themselves...

Here for posterity will be some songs i've written and other doodlings. They're a few megs each in WMA format, but they should stream quite nicely on most connections.

1. Connect Intro (written and performed by lorna lithgow of Glasgow!)
2. Commonplace
3. Are You Here
4. Connect
5. Love Themselves (instrumental)
6. Going Away
7. Leave Me Once (instrumental)
8. New Way Down
9. Waiting Against Hope (instrumental)
10. Come Again
11. Oh how your love is strong (Bert Jansch)

And the lyrics...

Commonplace

A common waste of time
Giving up to try
What have you left us?

A common place to go
A friend who seems to know
This is the answer

You don't seem to know
Where this fire has come from
Just obey

A common waste of time
Giving up to try
What have you left us?

A common place to go
A friend who seems to know
This is the answer

You don't seem to know
Where this fire has come from
Just obey

Come on, come on, come on you want it
Stay here
Come on, come on, come on you want it
Stay here

Take control
Leave you soul
Lose your mind

In the evening, i'll believe you
In the morning, i will leave you
In the evening

Are you here

I know that you are here
I know that you are here
Let me sleep, don't let me fall
Let me sleep, don't let me fall
It's up to you
It's up to you
Let me sleep, don't let me fall
Let me sleep, don't let me fall
It's up to you
It's up to you
It's up to you
It's up to you
Are you here
Are you here

Connect

commandant, it's the last command
that you need to take
beauty comes, makes you lose control
of the past you made

you don't even think twice
you don't even think twice
you don't even think

she's alright, went without a fight
forced you out of yourself
sadness came, made you take control
of the past you made

you don't even think twice
you don't even think twice

something can connect us
hope remains so clear
something can connect us
hope remains so clear
something can connect us
hope remains so real

Going Away

going away,

i can't forgive you, what you've done
it's too hard to come to terms
with everything you said
how could you lie so mysteriously to me

wasted thoughts in the morning at the bus stop
wasted thoughts in the evening at the tv
wasted thoughts, my wasted life
thinking about you, wish i'd never thought about you
i wish you no harm, i hope that you're warm
but i will never, never, understand

New Way Down

caught up in the city tonight
between all the silent remarks
how hard, could it be to enter your heart
can you see me waiting for you

i heard, everybody's talking about this new way down
you said everybody's starting on this new way down

caught up in the city tonight
between all the silent remarks
how hard, could it be to enter your heart
can you feel me waiting for you

i heard, everybody talking about this new way down
you said everybody's starting on this new way down

the thoughts on the ceiling
thoughts will not end
till they're received, by you, by you, by you

Come Again

hope is such a tired word
your face has woken up this silent dream
oh you, you, must come again

a morning look, a haggered glance
this melting kiss and no thoughts amiss
oh, you, you, should come again

loving you is endless like the wind
loving you is endless like the wind
loving you is endless like the wind
and our screams, they're in time

la la la la la la la la