Cohen Leonard - Leonard Cohen: a remarkable life

T here has been very little promotion for tonights performance. The show has not even been advertised by Cohens own official website. Nevertheless the people have come to this mutant Spanish suburb named Benimamet. They have come to experience the poetry in person, to bear witness to a long life fully lived and to hear the man sing. A man who, amongst many other public and private victories has singlehandedly authored some of the classic pop songs of the 20th century; a man now deeply entrenched within the third act of his life. Tonight the dusky narrow streets of this ancient village ferry various nationalities. They are of numerous ages, miscellaneous faiths, non faiths and I count myself among them. Sitting outside the appointed and cavernous venue the brutally named Luis Puig Velodrome the sun goes down over crowds gently milling in the Mediterranean sunset.

I am sat shooting the breeze in the September evening with Leonard Cohens current guitarist Javier Mas. Were outside the rear of the domed sports Hall, between the security guard studded artists entrance and a couple of enormously glistening freight trucks. Conversely, this air of subliminal security and efficient industry that surrounds the singer does not deter those who wish to gravitate toward Mr Cohen tonight, it actually attracts them. As Javier and I talk of everything and nothing a well dressed middle aged lady approaches us. She is German but speaks both Spanish and English with barely a trace of accent. Are you with the Leonard Cohen band? she asks politely, unsure exactly of whom to address. Her face is open and innocent. I point to the guitarist and smile, and disappear as she applies her focus exclusively to the Spanish guitar maestro on my left. Before Javier can even engage her shes talking frantically. I know Leonard, from a long time ago, we were friends, many years ago and I know its his birthday and do you think that I could perhaps?

Its as if by reminiscing fast enough she will override any obstacle in her path to Mr Cohen. Javier shakes his head firmly and cuts her short sweetly. He is used to such requests. As if explaining to a child for the third time, he tells her it is impossible for anyone to meet Leonard tonight or tomorrow night or at any time during this tour and that in addition, its not actually his birthday today. The lady stutters into response. No, I know, its on the 21st but you see I As far as Javier is concerned this conversation has ended and he has a show for which to prepare. I intervene, asking the lady how she came to know Leonard. She begins her story too eagerly, perhaps against the disappointment blooming within her. I met him at a show in Germany about 30 years ago we wrote each other letters and I have many signed poems of his, I kept them all. I still have them in frames even now As she speaks she metamorphoses into a young girl once more, it is 30 years ago and she is home again. Her patter soon trails off. There is a beat of silence. The spell is broken. Were outside a sports hall in Spain and it is 2009 and she is not getting backstage. The lady turns back to Javier with one last request. She offers him a Cohen Best Of CD and it dawns on me how badly designed such objects are for the purpose she has in mind. She wants Cohen to sign it. Do you think at least you could.? Javier again shakes his head, no, and says something quietly in Spanish. The lady nods, smiles sadly and walks off into the Valencian dusk.

Security is very tight on this tour. In Granada a few nights previously, local singer Enrique Morantes, invited to the show by old friend Leonard himself, was actually refused entry to the backstage area after the show. Leonard had specifically asked for Morantes company but the zealous tour manager would still not allow it. Many, including Javier was pissed off at this but it was not something worth causing a fuss over. The members of the current Cohen touring group are chosen not only for their musicianship but for the feng shui of their attitudes. Everyone needs to be relatively easy going in order to maintain the incredibly strong but deceptively mellow sense of equilibrium that lubricates a tour like this. Someone in Javiers position is obviously put under heavy extra curricular pressure by those seeking actual physical contact with his boss. If the guitarist so much as steps outside of the sanctuary of the hotel/bus/venue/circuit, he is hassled. Thus the itinerary follows a taut, high pressure schedule. Such an agenda is designed to make the whole experience as streamlined, economical and as friction free as possible for Cohen, a man who will be an elegant 75 years old in a few days time.

The singers manager Robert Kory is the main power behind such a policy, and his insistence on tight security is based on a very personal experience. Kory himself was just one among many when introduced to Cohen backstage on the 1988 Im Your Man tour. Presented by a friend to the tired and wine saturated singer Cohen was drinking heavily at the time Kory was acutely aware that to Cohen he was just another anonymous face among many that night. While the brief backstage meeting was amiable, ultimately it seemed pyrrhic and futile for all concerned. Yet the experience left an inedible impression on the then young lawyer. Its probably because of that meeting that Ive been so adamant on the current world tour about a closed tour policy, says Kory. Because those backstage meetings after a show with a crush of people are unsatisfying for those who go backstage and particularly for the artist. I mean, when we first met, what did Leonard Cohen know of me, right? Im introduced to him by a friend and weve got seconds A few minutes at most in a crush of people whats the point? Theres no meaningful interaction. So a closed tour policy is a good policy I think. Kory is well aware of the demands made upon a performer, whom however fit is now nevertheless, technically elderly. He needs this space, stresses Kory to be able to perform at the level at which he is performing in order to deliver a tour at the level at which we are delivering.

Sat in the dwindling Spanish dusk, I asked Javier exactly why Leonard does such very long shows of up to three and a half hours a night. A beaming Javier replies: Because hes so generous.