Fans certainly got plenty of bang for their Lennie buck, with the Hal Wilner-produced spectacular clocking in at over four hours.
You’ll have to wait until the next issue of Hotpress for the full ringside report, suffice it to say that Jarvis Cocker (‘Chelsea Hotel’, ‘I Can’t Forget’) and Antony Hegarty (‘You Know Who I Am’, ‘If It Be Your Will’) stole the show with their stunning vocal performances.
Also getting an official “well done, chaps!” are Laurie Anderson for her treated vocal take on ‘Dear Heather’; The Handsome Family who gave ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ a delicious Southern Gothic twist; and a newly clipper cut Gavin Friday who dedicated ‘Everyone Knows’ (Everyone knows that the boat is leaking/Everybody knows that the captain lied) to Bertie Ahern.
He also partnered Mary Margaret O’Hara on a deranged-but-in-a-good-way version of ‘Hallelujah’, which elicited rapturous applause from some and stunned silence from others.
The ‘Trouper Of The Night’ award went to a heavily pregnant Beth Orton who gave it serious socks on ‘So Long Marianne’ and ‘Sisters Of Mercy’.
Lou Reed and Nick Cave fans will be pleased to hear that their heroes didn’t disappoint either, and it was nice to see – and hear – long-term Cohen accomplices Julie Christensen and Perla Batella take centre-stage for once.
Ace Hot Press snapper Andrew Duffy was on the prowl, and took shots of what was a fabulous night. Click to view the gallery!