GHENT (Gent), Belgium St Peter's Square - Leonard Cohen Concerts, August 20 & 21

From October 24  leonardcohenforum 

Leonard Cohen fans enjoying two concerts in Ghent Belgium at Sint-Pietersplein, Saint Peter's Square. Fans listened to the sound check at a bar across the street. (The concert stage was not visible.) Meet-ups took place at the Gruut Brewery which included a birthday party for IrishMar and Jarkko.

Thank you to Maarten Massa and his wonderful family, wife Wenche, sons Brecht & Wietse and to Maarten's parents, Eddy and Ann for all their hard work and generous hospitality to make the weekend in Ghent so special.

And thank you to Astrid Corbisier (Tinkie) for the delicious cakes to celebrate the birthdays of Jarkko and IrishMar.

A few notes in my little notebook:

-The taxi driver told me after the first concert, that there were hundreds of people sitting outside the fence surrounding the Square listening to the concert. Ghent is a University town and there were many students in town at the time.

-The sun was shining so bright at the beginning of the concert that next to no stage lighting was used during the first half.

-I ran into Leanne Ungar before the first concert at the Merch stand. She was unable to participate in this leg of the tour in her role of sound monitor mixer because she had to get back to her teaching position at Berklee College of Music.

-When I was introduced to Maarten's younger son, Wietse, I responded, "How do you do". He looked puzzled. Of course he was, that is an English expression. I explained it is similar to saying, "Comment ça va? " Ah, he liked that. So several times during the concert breaks, Wietse came over to me with the biggest smile and said ,” How do you do”. Delightful.