Morrissey

Heaven knows they hang on every word


REVIEW - MORRISSEY
Alexandra Palace by Adam Townsend

IT wasn’t the most reassuring of hellos. But then bellowing: “For what you are about to receive may you be truly, truly sorry,” seconds before launching into your opening song is just the kind of thing we’ve come to expect from Morrissey over the years.
As are pithy asides and this time Stephen Patrick had a good few of those for us. Radio One got it in the neck for not playing his records. As did the press for daring to speculate that this most iconic of miserablists had recently found love. That, apparently, is “total sh*t‚” which may have come as a relief to those Mozzer worshipers hanging on his every word at a packed Ally Pally.
For those of us who spent our teenage years treasuring every Smiths record produced, this was a night of unrequited love, however. Though the new band, and particularly the scorching new guitarist Jesse Tobias, were on top form, the venue was as atmospheric as a tram shed and Morrissey’s decision to play almost exclusively from the last two comeback albums didn’t fill the void.
Those Smiths songs we were treated to offered a glimpse of what could have been. The laconic Still Ill, rhythmic Girlfriend In A Coma‚ and mournful How Soon Is Now‚ had the crowd in raptures. Sadly, the dirge that is Life Is A Pigsty‚ from the new album Ringleader Of The Tormentors was less inspiring. Morrissey did gee us up in his playful moments, his few lines of Maybe It’s Because I’m A Londoner‚ gave us a chuckle, but Come Back To Camden‚ from You Are The Quarry and a longer set would have prompted an even bigger knees-up.