Live Review: An Evening With Morrissey

The Vivid LIVE Morrissey show was billed to start at 8pm. The Concert Hall filled out, people sat (almost) patiently, staring up at a screen hanging in front of the stage. The screen was host to an odd collection of clips: a mixture of spoken word, classic punk, pop and rock (Loudmouth – Ramones; New York Dolls performing in Germany, Fade To Grey – Visage), cabaret, overtly political archival footage from the Thatcher era, scored by Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead, and more. One of the more powerful sections of the clip show was the reading of Matisse by Gertrude Stein, a poem that might just parallel Morrissey’s own self-perception: “Some said of him that he was greatly expressing something struggling. Some said of him that he was not greatly expressing something struggling… He was a great one.” You’ve got to wonder how effective these openings can be though when everyone has a Twitter to scroll through and an Instagram feed to curate.

It was half an hour later before Morrissey answered the pleas of an especially impatient punter: “COME ON, MORRISSEY!” (The punter was never satisfied though, shouting “Come on” regularly, before thanking our mate Steve on stage [yeah, who knew Morrissey’s name was Steve?], and then pleading “One more song,” even when Morrissey showed no signs of stopping.) The Prophet Morrissey strutted out to an operatic score; the crowd stood immediately for the opening notes of Suedehead.

The morose Morrissey can still hold his notes perfectly, his use of language and imagery are second to none, and he knows how to engage a crowd, whipping his mic lead: “We aim to please.” Morrissey seemed at his best during songs like Kiss Me A Lot, playing the role of lovesick cynic, standing behind the mic stand and pulling all eyes to him. But he was also the showman, having a dance, bowing between songs, touching the hands of the faithful. He also happily bashed a tambourine and let his band take the spotlight at times. The set highlights were in two camps: Smiths fans ate up Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before and What She Said, while other punters ate up Now My Heart Is Full and The World Is Full Of Crushing Bores. Regardless, everyone loved him: “Have you ever met me? I’m not very nice.”

Brazen political messages were scattered through the set: World Peace Is None Of Your Business, The Bullfighter Dies, and Ganglord, featuring confronting video of police brutality. Meat Is Murder was particularly gory, featuring actual footage of animals being slaughtered. Morrissey stared up at the imagery while the crowd looked pointedly away, the Concert Hall bathed in red light. Last song: Morrissey left the stage after Smiler With Knife.

COSTUME CHANGE. Morrissey returned wearing a blue shirt to take a bow with his band. “One final crack of the whip thus”: he chose Everyday Is Like Sunday as the encore, to the delight of the crowd. Middle-aged punters clambered up on stage, first a small woman who managed to get a hug, and then others, but suited security men tried to pre-empt the people levering themselves on stage. Morrissey grabbed someone’s hand, only for that punter to use it to haul himself up. “…Everyday is silent and grey”, Morrissey ripped his shirt off and threw it into the crowd, before heading off stage – at least it was a fresh shirt.