1772 FRIENDS at Leonard Cohen Paris Olympia Concert - Images Captured by Olivier Bouyssou

October 1, 2012

combination of two video screenshots

All the thrilling photos above are screenshots from a video filmed by Olivier, First We Take Manhattan, at the first Paris Olympia Leonard Cohen concert on September 28, 2012.

Olivier commented:

"I was sitting on the first of row of mezzanine and it was not easy to film because of security watching...

We had a wonderful night."

Mitch Watkins working his pedalboard- video screenshot

In addtion to the wonderful audience perspective shooting down to the orchestra level, the sound monitors on stage were no longer obstructions to the same degree when shooting from a floor seat up to the stage.

With that camera advantage, Oliver's outstanding videography also included something new for me, a clear view of Mitch Watkin's guitar pedalboard.  Mitch's adroit footwork was visible in many frames, sometimes using one foot and sometimes both.

I know very little about pedalboards other than what I learned in the excellent documentary film, "It Might Get Loud" when various effects were demonstrated by The Edge (U2).  And Leif Bodnarchuk mentioned in his tour diary blog, No Ideas, about servicing Mitch's pedalboard.

So, I found watching Mitch Watkins working his pedalboard a bonus of this outstanding video of the song.

Thank you, Olivier for you excellent camera work..

First We Take Manhattan at the first Paris @ Olympia (Paris-2012)  OldIdeas2012

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• Olivier Bouyssou is Olive31 on the Leonard Cohen Forum and OldIdeas2012 on YouTube
• Per Wikipedia, seating capacity of the Paris Olympia is 1,772.  (plus additional orchestra seating like at the Leonard Cohen concert 2,000 capacity)

Leonard Cohen FRIENDS Out and About With the Band in Ghent

Rafael Bernardo Gayol and...lots of FRIENDS

(Front)  Elke Franz, Marco Dolfino, Frauke Goeschel, Will Lageveen, RAFAEL, Hans Kloss, Eija Arjatsalo, Meritxell Cardelus, Caren Gutschmidt

(Back) Wijbe Lageveen, Andrea Dolfino, Franz Henning, Beatriz Salles, Ann-Kristen Aschenbrenner, Jarkko Arjatsalo, Sinikka Hiljnen

August 19, 2012

"I found it heartwarming that he referred to us as friends and thanked us all night long"

Rafael Bernardo Gayol and FRIENDS

(clockwise) Eva Martonyi, Ingrid van Daele, Szilvia Szanto, "the Rafael group"

Roscoe Beck and FRIENDS

(clockwise) Gwen Langford, Eva Martonyi, Betty Vercauteren, Ingrid van Daele, Vlasta Podebradska, Luc Huybrechts & Betty Vercauteren

Sharon Robinson, Hattie & Charley Webb and FRIENDS

(L-R by row) Gwen Langford, Mandy MacLeod, Willy Lageveen,
Eva Martonyi, Hans Kloss, Ingrid Van Daele
Jill Hammond, Gwen Langford, Mandy MacLeod

Alex Bublitchi, Neil Larsen, Javier Mas, Mitch Watkins, Robert Kory and FRIENDS

(Top L-R) Eva & Alex Bublitchi - Alex & Henry - Gwen langford & Javier Mas
(c) Gwen and Neil Larsen
(Bottom L-R), Mitch Watkins & Gwen, Alex & Vlasta Podebradska, Robert Kory (LC manager) & Mandy

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For all your wonderful photos, a big thank you goes to: Gwen Langford, Eva Martonyi, Szilvia Szanto, Mandy MacLeod, Betty Vercauteren, Ingrid van Daele, Hans Kloss, Caren Gutschmidt, Wijbe Lageveen, Eija & Jarkko Arjatsalo

Special thanks to Wijbe and Willy Lageveen for the Rafael group photo and names.
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• My apologies for any typos  

Leonard Cohen's Band Knock Around at Old Ideas World Tour Rehearsal Today

Mitch, Alex, Javier

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June 27, 2012

"Javier Mas, Mitch Watkins and Alex Bublitchi knock out a little variation on a theme during a break today in the camp rehearsal hall." 

A Little Afternoon Knock Around from Camp Cohen on Vimeo.

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At the end of the clip, the hands applauding at the left belong to Leonard Cohen

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Photos: video screen shots

Thanks to: J.S. Carenza III ("Joey"), webmaster Greetings From Camp Cohen

Magical Moment - In Roscoe Beck's Own Words

June 20, 2012

This photo was posted by Roscoe Beck on Facebook today.

Roscoe's caption:

Veterans of Leonard Cohen 1979/1980 Tours. From left to right: Leonard Cohen, Sharon Robinson, Roscoe Beck, and Mitch Watkins

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I am guessing this photo was taken at the Leonard Cohen 2012 Old Ideas World Tour rehearsal space in Los Angeles.

Mitch Watkins Joins Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas World Tour Band

May 10, 2012

Jarkko Arjatsalo, webmaster of the Leonard Cohen Forum, posted the photo above with this announcement:

Mitch Watkins has joined the band. He has toured with Leonard in 1979, 1980, and 1985.

More about Mitch at http://www.mitchwatkins.com

Mitch will be on the guitar. Bob Metzger cannot go on tour because of health issues.

This photo with caption was also posted on May 10
Source: Greetings From Camp Cohen,
(webmaster J.S. Carenza III aka Joey Carenza)

Hattie Webb can’t get enough of veteran tour mates Mitch Watkins and 
 Roscoe Beck as they relive past LC campaigns through newly surfaced
 and hilariously incriminating  photos of the ‘79/’80 LC tours 
which produced the “Field Commander Cohen” live record.

  

For some excellent background reading about the start of Mitch's collaboration with Leonard Cohen, try this article on MarieM's Speaking Cohen: Playing With Cohen (Austin American Statesman by Brad Buchholz, Mar 31/09)