Leonard Cohen Sept 25, 2010 Lille Concert Redux – New Photos, Videos Plus “When Leonard Met Ruth”

Play It Again, messalina79

Since the publication of yesterday’s post, Leonard Cohen September 25, 2010 Lille Concert – Videos, Photos, Review, three quality videos from that show, “Chelsea Hotel #2,” “Born In Chains,” and “The Darkness,” have come online, all courtesy of messalina79, and Heck Of A Guy has garnered permission from rpan to post her photos from the performance. Enjoy.

Click on images for best viewing.

Bonus – A Cohen Encounter Of The Somewhat Nifty Kind

As ongoing readers may recall, YouTube’s messalina79, the videographer responsible for today’s recordings of the Lille performances, AKA somewhat_nifty at LeonardCohenForum, AKA Ruth in meatspace, was DrHGuy’s co-conspirator in the production of Another Other Leonard Cohen Album. Given this and Ruth’s many other contributions to this site, it would be a violation of the tenets of civilized behavior not to share the story DrHGuy likes to call The Morning After or When Leonard Met Ruth.

This excerpt and image are from Ruth’s own post at LeonardCohenForum:

It was this morning as I arrived at the station to catch the Eurostar back to London after a fantastic show at the Zenith Arena the night before. I had been disappointed that it was so rainy in Lille, as it meant I could not do much exploring – it cleared up about half an hour before I had to go, so I had a quick wander round the Grand Place and then hurried to the station – a big glass building on the corner. Through the glass I could see the Crowne Plaza hotel over the road, and I saw a van being loaded, and next to this a group of people, one of whom was wearing a fedora…. As I had left plenty of time to check-in for the train, I wandered over for a closer look, thinking it was maybe one of the crew, but no, it was The Man himself, standing outside chatting to two younger ladies who looked to be part of the team (I thought at first it was the Webb sisters, but no). I was stood on the other side of the road, thinking ‘can I …?’. After a quick pep-talk with burningviolin on the phone, I decided to go for it and quickly crossed the road, narrowly avoiding several French automobiles (why do they drive on the wrong side of the road, ffs?! :lol: ). Conversation as follows (ok, so not very revelatory, but it’s still special to me):

s_n: Mr Cohen, could I possibly ask you to sign my book? (1st edition of The Favourite Game)

LC: Of course. (chuckling) I haven’t seen one of those for a long time.

(as it’s an old book it already has a dedication written by someone else in the 60s)

s_n: It’s the English first edition.¹ It’s been written in already, but not to me

LC: That’s not you? What’s your name?

s_n: Ruth

LC: R-U-T-H?

s_n: yes

LC: What’s the date today? Is it the 27th?

s_n: (who has had the 25th September engraved on her memory for some time) no, it’s the 26th. It was a wonderful concert last night, I came over from London for it.

LC: Thank you. There you go.

s_n: Thanks so much for this, it really means a lot. Enjoy the rest of the tour.

The Rest Of The Story

Inexplicably absent from Ruth’s LeonardCohenForum account is the role DrHGuy played in arranging the seemingly chance event.

As many folks have learned, any instance of cooperation with DrHGuy entitles one to perform beaucoup additional favors for him for a period of time colloquially known as “throughout all eternity.” In this case, just prior to her departure to Lille, Ruth graciously acceded to an email request from DrHGuy to take care of a project on behalf of another Cohen fan that DrHGuy himself could not complete in a timely fashion.

Clearly, Ruth’s meeting with Leonard Cohen, especially when one considers the timing, can be fully attributed to the karma she accumulated by agreeing to perform that good deed for a fellow Cohenite in need. And who, one asks rhetorically, created that Cohen-specific karma-earning opportunity?²

And now that the methodology is established, DrHGuy, big(united)hearted lug that he is, will be forwarding Ruth many, many such requests so that all of her dreams can come true.

So, boys and girls, should DrHGuy ever ask a favor of you, …³

Credit Due Department: All photos, except the image of the autographed book, are by rpan.

Those who read this post often viewed these pages next:

_____________________

Yes, the next edition of You may be a Leonard Cohen fan if … will include an entry along the lines of “You may be a Leonard Cohen fan if you travel from London to Lille for a Leonard Cohen concert carrying at all times a first edition of Cohen’s novel, ‘The Favourite Game.’” [↩]
Just in case the subtleties of the situation or the nuances of the rhetorical proposition resulted in any ambiguity, the answer is “DrHGuy, that’s who.” [↩]
In discussing their respective meetings with Leonard Cohen, both Ruth and DrHGuy (see What Leonard Cohen Told Me Backstage In Chicago) agree that the only disappointing aspect of the experience is that neither has yet been quizzed about their reminiscences by Sylvie Simmons, who has, in the course of researching her impending biography of Cohen, apparently interviewed everyone (else) with whom their icon of choice has ever been in contact.

Consequently, DrHGuy and Ruth (under her Cohennym, messalina79) have – yep – begun writing their own biography of Leonard Cohen with the working title “Leonard Cohen – Is He Way Cool Or What? And So Is Sharon Robinson.” [↩]