Cohen Unlimited are a group of Irish professional musicians who were formed to create ‘Thanks for the dance’ – The Leonard Cohen Story. The idea for the show came from a Charity show to raise funds for the RNLI and cancer support services in Wicklow a year after Cohen’s death in 2016, and singer Robert Doyle and musical director Fergal Cantebury.
The show features the poems and songs of the legendary Canadian singer songwriter, and singer Robert Doyle tells stories and anecdotes between the songs about Cohen’s life, the story behind the songs and about meeting Cohen. The stage imitates Cohen’s last world tour and also features a visual display of his life in the background.
All the band are based in Wicklow Town and are life-long musicians, from backing singers Louise Jameson O’Flaherty, Jhil Quinn and Emma Nicolai, to Bass guitarist Ben Dunne, Drummer Keith Pogue and Keyboard player Eilish Fisher to the wonderful lead guitarist, Fergal Cantebury to Lead singer Robert Doyle, who has done charity shows for 40 years but unbelievably only turned professional the week he got his pension in September 2021. Robert has sung Cohen songs since discovering him at age 14 and met Leonard Cohen back in 1979 after attending his concert in Zurich. When Cohen was chatting with Robert and discovered he sang his songs, he asked him to sing for him and the band.
Cohen Unlimited sold out every performance in 2022 from Galway to Wexford to Dundalk Belfast and Dublin. With over two hours of stunning entertainment that will keep Cohen’s fans enthralled, the band have the incredible honour of performing songs from Cohen’s last 2 albums that he never got to perform to a live audience before he passed away in 2016.
Robert Doyle is a true tribute performer. He doesn’t try to impersonate but rather doffs his hat in respect to a brilliant band as he shares anecdotes. I expect Robert Doyle and Cohen Unlimited will be an annual feature in many venues. Munster Express
