About Us
Imperfect Offering is a nine piece band performing the music of Leonard Cohen. When Peter McMillan, lead vocalist of Imperfect Offering, began playing the guitar in 1972, one of the first songs he learnt was Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’. Inspired by the “I’m Your Man” tribute album and Cohen's own public performances in the last decades of his life, Peter decided to form a band to perform the music of Leonard Cohen here in New Zealand.
Imperfect Offering first met together in November 2014. The band, including musicians from jazz, classical, country and rock backgrounds, have been performing together since April 2015. They had sell-out concerts in Auckland in 2016 and appeared on Television One News on the event of Cohen's death in November 2016. The North Island tour to commemorate Leonard Cohen began with sellout concerts at Meteor Theatre, Hamilton, and Q Theatre, Auckland, October & November 2017 and continued into 2018.
In 2018 the band has played to full houses including performances at the Pump House Theatre, Takapuna, Ascension Wine Estate, Matakana, and MTG Century Theatre, Napier. Imperfect Offering's biggest audience that year was in the gorgeous Concert Chamber in the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday 28 October 2018. And to finish a busy year, the band's first appearance in the Capital City Wellington earned them a standing ovation in St Andrews on the Terrace, in November.
In 2019 Imperfect Offering was invited back to perform at Ascension Wine Estate, then on a tour of the North Island including Kerikeri, Whangarei, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Q Theatre in Auckland City and culminating with our biggest audience yet, 437 at Baycourt, Tauranga.
2020 saw two sell out concerts at the PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna, a return visit to Wellington and a first visit to the South Island, Nelson's Theatre Royal. Many Nelsonians were disgruntled at not being able to get tickets, so Imperfect Offering will perform two consecutive nights in their return visit, 2022.
The band is in recess throughout 2021 and is looking forward to a full concert series in 2022.
There has been huge interest in Cohen's music and Imperfect Offering are proud to present a nine-piece band to perform his best-loved songs including "Suzanne", "Bird on the Wire", "Everybody Knows" and his best known song "Hallelujah" as well as music from his last albums, "You Want It Darker" and "Thanks for the Dance". Imperfect Offering is not a tribute band. There was only one Leonard Cohen and it is not possible to replicate his distinctive voice and performance. However, Imperfect Offering invites you into a rich experience of Leonard Cohen, the man, his poetry and his music, where your heart will be warmed, your soul nourished and you can expect to come away inspired and more joyful!
The name Imperfect Offering is inspired by Cohen’s lyric in ‘Anthem’
"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in"
Imperfect Offering first met together in November 2014. The band, including musicians from jazz, classical, country and rock backgrounds, have been performing together since April 2015. They had sell-out concerts in Auckland in 2016 and appeared on Television One News on the event of Cohen's death in November 2016. The North Island tour to commemorate Leonard Cohen began with sellout concerts at Meteor Theatre, Hamilton, and Q Theatre, Auckland, October & November 2017 and continued into 2018.
In 2018 the band has played to full houses including performances at the Pump House Theatre, Takapuna, Ascension Wine Estate, Matakana, and MTG Century Theatre, Napier. Imperfect Offering's biggest audience that year was in the gorgeous Concert Chamber in the Auckland Town Hall on Sunday 28 October 2018. And to finish a busy year, the band's first appearance in the Capital City Wellington earned them a standing ovation in St Andrews on the Terrace, in November.
In 2019 Imperfect Offering was invited back to perform at Ascension Wine Estate, then on a tour of the North Island including Kerikeri, Whangarei, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Q Theatre in Auckland City and culminating with our biggest audience yet, 437 at Baycourt, Tauranga.
2020 saw two sell out concerts at the PumpHouse Theatre, Takapuna, a return visit to Wellington and a first visit to the South Island, Nelson's Theatre Royal. Many Nelsonians were disgruntled at not being able to get tickets, so Imperfect Offering will perform two consecutive nights in their return visit, 2022.
The band is in recess throughout 2021 and is looking forward to a full concert series in 2022.
There has been huge interest in Cohen's music and Imperfect Offering are proud to present a nine-piece band to perform his best-loved songs including "Suzanne", "Bird on the Wire", "Everybody Knows" and his best known song "Hallelujah" as well as music from his last albums, "You Want It Darker" and "Thanks for the Dance". Imperfect Offering is not a tribute band. There was only one Leonard Cohen and it is not possible to replicate his distinctive voice and performance. However, Imperfect Offering invites you into a rich experience of Leonard Cohen, the man, his poetry and his music, where your heart will be warmed, your soul nourished and you can expect to come away inspired and more joyful!
The name Imperfect Offering is inspired by Cohen’s lyric in ‘Anthem’
"Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in"