 |
| Mickey Sullivan, Nashville, Nov 5, 2009 Backline guitar technician for Leonard Cohen and Javier Mas |
(Avi Elkoni / brightnow)
A few months ago with the end of the world tour looming, I decided to start a neat little project. The idea was to start an ‘all inclusive’ project to say thank you to the UHTC [Unified Heart Touring Company] crew for taking such good care of Leonard and the band at the end of the world tour in Las Vegas...
...Next came a great idea from Bridger15 [Arlene Dick] who asked to “adopt” her favorite crew member. We took this idea a step further and invited everyone to adopt a crew member and write a personal letter to them. ..
This is my personal letter to Mickey Sullivan, Backline Guitar Technician for Leonard Cohen and Javier Mas
Dear Mickey,
You must have noticed that for us, the fans, the Leonard Cohen World Tour of 2008–2010 was pretty special. It had been so long since Leonard’s last live performance that many of us came to accept the sad fact we would never get to see him perform on-stage again.
When the tour was announced, it was more than a dream come true, it was a miracle. We soon found that every concert was a perfect miracle in its own right – the sound, the lighting, the unobstructed view of the stage from every seat, the timing and every other little detail – it was flawless.
I know very well this kind of perfection does not happen by itself. Every detail was a result of the hard work and commitment of the crew, and we know you all labored to make the miracle happen night after night. You spent months on the road, travelling tens of thousands of miles, loading in, tuning, focusing, testing, loading out and starting all over again more than 240 times.
With your high degree of musical knowledge, you took outstanding care of the instruments for Leonard Cohen and Javier Mas for the entire tour. You accurately tuned and tested and performed ongoing maintenance on their instruments ensuring the best results. For that I am grateful to you beyond what words can express.
You came on stage several times during every concert to assist with the smooth transition of multiple instruments. These exchanges were seamless and enhanced the flow of the concert.
You are held in high regard by many Forum fans, always having time to chat with us and beaming one of your incredible smiles. Your warm smile is legendary along with your generosity in handing out set-lists quietly even in the midst of a frenzy. I know this first hand, you were very kind to me several times, especially in Gothenburg. I really appreciated that.
Every night the fans applaud the performers, but today we applaud you. We know the success of this tour would not have been possible without your hard work and we want you to know that your contribution to the tour is something we’ll never forget.
Soon we will all move on with our lives, but before we do, we’d like to present you with a few items as a sign of our gratitude. Everything in the bag was carefully chosen, designed and funded by volunteers fueled by love for Leonard’s work and much appreciation for yours. I hope you enjoy our little gift to you. We will forever cherish the memories you helped create by carrying and supporting the load of the Unified Heart Touring Company.
With gratitude,
Arlene Dick (bridger15)
No comments:
Post a Comment