While out for a walk this afternoon I spotted a poster announcing a Leonard Cohen concert in Granada in September! And I thought – hey, I should be working by then so maybe I’ll be able to go. Just checked out a couple of ticket sales websites … 150-200€ ! Sorry Leonard. I shall just add this to the list of summer events I won’t be attending.
My dear friend Lizzie insists that Bruce Springsteen is good for both the soul and the red blood cells (she’s just seen him at Glastonbury) and for some bizarre reason da Boss will be performing in Sevilla at the end of July … but again, outrageous prices.
Meanwhile, the concert I had really wanted to see was the amazing flamenco artist Sara Baras at the Italica International Dance Festival, being held in its original setting – Italica’s roman amphitheatre – for the first time since 1993. I was sure it was going to cost a small fortune and put it out of my mind after seeing this wonderful poster the other day, but when I was checking out Leonard Cohen tickets just now I decided to have a look at the Italica prices … and I almost wept. They were only 15 euros and, of course, are now sold out. Well, unless you’re headless (at least, I assume that’s what discapacitado means…)
casa azahar 
Couldn’t you plead temporary discapacitation from being chemo’ed all up?
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There’s a lot to be said for sussing out the good musicians who might become renowned later–and seing them when it’s affordable and you can probably enjoy them in a better venue.
I’m way off track with music now. But back in my misspent, well-spent youth, I enjoyed new wave. A series of acts came through Jay’s Longhorn Bar in Minneapolis, like Elvis Costello and the Police. It was great!
A year later, 1980, the Police came back and played an arena. The experience was totally different, like so many other bands I saw in arenas.
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Man, isn’t that the way. When you can afford it, it’s all sold out and when you can’t there are hundreds of tickets. I don’t have much temptation musically around here. I’m not that excited by CW and bluegrass, and the good Rockers don’t stop by Springfield very often.
Nobody comes to Lebanon. Except by accident. Oh, I lied. Earth Wind and Fire came last year for the St. John’s Hospital Benefit.
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I don’t go to gigs much – I saw Coldplay here in march and really enjoyed the concert, but didn’t enjoy the hassle of trying to get home on public transport from the venue – which is in the middle of nowhere in Sydney’s ex-Olympic village – after midnight with thousands of other people.
But maybe you could try a tweet asking if anyone has a spare ticket to the flamenco lady’s gig? You never know…
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The big acts come to Seattle Labor Day weekend for Bumbershoot. I went when you could still get in for cheap. Nowadays they want over $20/day, and then there is the festival food to buy. If you don’t get there before noon, you don’t get to see the big acts. They hand out bracelets that get you into the stadium for that, and when they’re gone, they’re gone. Once you have the bracelet, it’s difficult to leave and come back, so you have to stay there until the show in the evening. The crowds are horrendous, the queues are long, I don’t know who Death Cab for Cutie is, so I stay home. I like Folklife much better. Or you can try to catch them before they are big at Neumo’s or the Crocodile. The Springsteen level acts play Key Arena, and I really can’t afford those.
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There usually isn’t much temptation here either, though big acts (Springsteen, Madonna) sometimes make use of the Olympic Stadium. I would never go to a concert in such a massive venue just to watch someone from a great distance on a big screen on the stage, let alone pay 150 euros for the privilege.
But just imagine sitting outside on a warm summer night in a roman amphitheatre watching one of Spain’s best flamenco dancers performing the story of Juana la Loca. Which is what I am left to do … imagine it. I had no idea tickets for this would be so cheap. Ah well, maybe next year…
“Couldn’t you plead temporary discapacitation from being chemo’ed all up?”
It certainly wouldn’t be far from the truth. 🙂
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I think this is Mr. Cohen’s retirement tour. I’ve heard a few complaints about his ticket prices. These days I don’t go to the big popular shows much. Massey Hall is about the biggest venue I go to. We do occasionally go to a folk club on Ronsesvailles called Hugh’s Room.
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Those do sound like outrageous prices! Mind you, I’m not a big fan of either Cohen or The Boss. And festivals would be my idea of hell! Fingers crossed you can find a space ticket for the flamenco thing
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*spare*, not space. Obviously.
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*snigger*
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What you could do is contact the concert organizer and ask for a media pass. Tell them you’re a blogger with several sites, with an aggregate of X readers (include your Twitter readers and FB friends) on assignment from a blogger with an aggregate of 14,500 daily international readers, ie me. And we’re both Canadian. And you have cancer. Seriously, it’s Leonard Cohen, it’s probably his last tour, why would you not play every single card? If you blog it, I’ll run it on raincoaster.com too, and promote it on Twitter.
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If the concert was in Sevilla I might try this, Rain. But it would also mean staying overnight in Granada, and of course I wouldn’t want to go alone. Good idea though!
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Went to the ticket office today just in case there were any “space tickets” for Sara Baras and was told they had sold out ages ago.
Here, you can see why I wanted to see her so badly… the first clip is quite modern and innovative, the second is more traditional.
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Here in Ottawa, the tickets went on sale at 9:30 am and were sold out by 9:45 — for TWO shows!. That was because they had so many pre-sales and whatnot that there were only a few tickets left to sell to the punters on the day.
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