Flashback: Leonard Cohen Stuns With ‘Chelsea Hotel #2’ in 1985
Leonard Cohen’s 1985 Various Positions tour came to Warsaw, Poland during a very difficult time in the nation’s history. The communist state was under Soviet control and martial law was lifted just two years later, but dissidents were still being jailed and the atmosphere was extremely tense. There weren’t a lot of major rock shows coming through the country, but at the last minute Leonard Cohen made a point to bring his tour to the Congress Hall at the Palace of Culture. This was perhaps the single lowest point of his commercial career, but he had a fanatical cult following in Poland and tickets vanished instantly.
When addressing the crowd after opening the show with “Bird on the Wire,” Cohen attempted to strike a balanced tone. “I come from a country where we do not have the same struggles as you have,” he said. “I respect your struggles. And it may surprise you, but I respect…
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