Leonard Cohen postponed

via CAAI

Tuesday, 02 November 2010 15:37 Post Staff

Music legend Leonard Cohen’s long-awaited concert in Phnom Penh has been postponed until an unspecified date, the concert’s Cambodia-based promoter has said in a statement on its website.

The statement said the cancellation of the show, scheduled for November 27 at Olympic Stadium, was due to “logistical issues insurmountable in the given time”, but committed to rescheduling the event.

Local ticket holders will be eligible for a full refund from the promoter’s office starting on November 10, whereas online bookings will be refunded through entertainment partner AEG, said Chris Minko, the CEO of Mekong Sessions.

Minko said that he expected the show to be rebooked for 2011, and that Cohen also planned to play a second concert in Phnom Penh that would be free and open exclusively to Cambodians.

He said the concert was postponed because of a lack of available equipment, in addition to the unwillingness of some companies to supply Cambodia and “Mafia-style monopolies on supplies in the region”.

Minko said that he was working through these challenges in the hope of developing a local music scene that would support several major shows per year.

In addition to garnering excitement from fans, the show has drawn criticism for its ticket prices, initially priced between US$300 and over $600.

Minko defended the high costs, saying they were the result of the small venue and the quality of the show.

He said he was “pleased at the level of regional interest” in the show, and also added that organisers were considering “new price categories” for the rescheduled event.

According to Cohen’s website, the musician cancelled a show in Honolulu last month stating nearly identical reasons. Minko said he thought the Hawaiian organisers faced a similar challenge.

It is “very important to understand that we are talking highest quality international concerts here – nothing less is acceptable,” he said.

Leonard Cohen will finish this world tour, which spans Europe, Australia and North America, on December 11 in Las Vegas. He plans to hit the recording studio afterwards, according to his website.