But if anyone has comeback this year, it must be Morrissey. Despite what he sang in "The Loop" (I just want to say I haven’t been away, I’m still right here, where I always was) the very idea of Morrissey headlining Earl’s Court - twice as big as any venue he has headlined in his home country, even when he returned after a five year absence from playing live, would seem the place where sex-mad lovers must stop and draw the line.

This then, is Moz 2004. Back off the ropes and into the fray, reborn on the tour trail, packing them in across the world. A chance to see your very own idol, In Person, in an enormodome near you. And you don’t get much bigger than the 20,000 capacity Earls Court.  

He’s outlived Elvis, he’s outsung Sinatra, and he is the traditional Torch singer, recast in a modern mould. Witty, erudite, not ashamed to work the crowd, or to expose his weaknesses - though how much of his work is a fictional retelling of his own self-image is unclear - Moz is what Elvis should have been. There’s still the grand gestures, the traditional shirt-thrown-into-the-adoring-crowd ritual, the touching of hands with the masses : Moz offers us some form of contact, yet we only ever get a brush with his messanic healing hands. It’s some respects it’s all tease, and yet in others, it’s all pleasing.  

Arriving in incredible style, dwarfed by the 20 foot neon lights that spell out his name, Moz opens with "How Soon is Now?" and Earl’s Court suddenly becomes The World’s Biggest Teenage Bedroom. We all become lost in ourselves as he, and his six-piece band (a guitarist, a bassist, a drummer, a guitarist/bongo/recorder player, and Mike v Farrell on keys, backing vocals, bongos, guitars, and pretty much anything else he can get his hands on), proffer forth Live! In The Flesh! A twenty year old song from a band that hardly anybody here actually saw.  

The Smiths material is dispatched passionately but inauthetically - "There Is A Light" is played far slower than on record, and frankly it grinds to a halt about two-thirds of the speed of the record, which makes it for both a rousing mid-set peak, and yet also one that makes us miss The Smiths far more than we should do, because they played this song better. The three-guitar attack of "Bigmouth Strikes Again", and the lush, epic closer of "Last Night I Dreamt" leave us gasping : as if we needed reminding how good he could be - and often still is. If for nothing else, twenty thousand people all singing in unison - and if a double decker bus should kill the both of us, to die by your side, the pleasure, the privilege is mine - is the type of moment that really should topple Governments.  

The rest of the set is one third hit singles, one third b-sides and other obscure tracks, and one third Smiths tracks : something for everyone. But this fails to satisfy many in the cavernous arena : Moz neglects most of his canon of 24 solo singles (with just two of said 24 in the set), in favour of three b-sides and covers of Patti Smith and The New York Dolls that rest awkwardly on unfamiliar ears. In many respects this sabotages his triumphant finale, but we love him because of his faults as much as despite of them.    

A year ago, Morrissey was a legend in exile : he hadn’t released a record in seven years, had toured to an ever more selective audience (and ever-increasing prices), and was looking - to all intents and purposes - like a man who hadn’t realised that his time was up. And now this. Tonight, he was greeted with open arms, returning to London for the penultimate stop on his eight-month revival on the back of the frankly half-mediocre, half-brilliant "You Are The Quarry", and loved despite his sins.

 But for the spartan, 75 minute set  which works out at about 50p per minute per punter including booking fees, you can’t help but feel cheated. "So do you smile when you think about Earls Court" as he once sang? It could go on forever. It could all end tomorrow. In whatever case, we are blessed and cursed. 

I Have Forgiven Jesus, he sings. Tonight, London has forgiven Our intellectual Elvis  for being away so long. The world is full or crashing bores, and it would a poorer place without him.....

Comments

flashboy Written by Guest on 2004-12-23 06:34:28 blinding gig. morrissey is quite simply the most charismatic man in the world. and did anyone notice he was crying when he finished "Last Night..."? As indeed was I.

Written by Guest on 2004-12-23 19:00:49

Written by Guest on 2004-12-23 19:17:18 Great gig. We getting -older- ladies sang along. "There is a light " too slow...but who cares. He was unutterably gorgeous. For me , totally unexpectedly " Last Night I Dreamt" ...who would have imagined that for a painfully haunting and heartfelt encore.I recognised it from the first spooky sounds . Left us feeling sad and elated, in a weirdly surreal but satisfied space.Only Moz could get away with it so perfectly and leave us yearning for the next time...there will be one...won't there?that

Written by Guest on 2004-12-23 20:11:04 I've never seen a better live performer than the man himself, and this was definitely him on top form.

Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 02:51:18 yes too many b sides, yes it was a crap venue, yes it was too short however it was the only place to be on Saturday night. Quality.   But no Speedway - Morrissey should be forced by law to play Speedway at all gigs or face imprisonment.

Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 06:37:08 Morrissey mola bastante, yo fui desde España al concierto en Earls Court y fue estupendo, el mejor día de mi vida

Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 09:21:29 absoloutely great...who cares if he played alot of b sides...id have payed the 32 quid for there is a light and how soon is now alone. What a legend.

The light has gone out Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 12:10:35 Sorry Moz but i saw you in Lisbon a few years ago and you were awesome-loads of your solo catalogue and a few Smiths covers, and Edith Piaff beforehand, but there was nothing of the legend at Earls Court-too many b sides, nothing from maladjusted. One felt deeply disappointed. Trouble loves me- how dare that be left out.

Irene Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 14:16:56 Love you   Mr Morrissey...the story is old but it goes on....x

Irene Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 14:18:30 I LOVE YOU MR MORRISSEY  EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT RIGHT IN THE HEAD  THE STORY IS OLD BUT IT GOES ON X  FOREVER!

the story is old Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 17:53:05 merry xmas moz

Written by Guest on 2004-12-24 19:44:41 what can i say

ali Written by Guest on 2004-12-26 08:13:12 i fly over from bahrain to see the man he is a star .

Josie Written by Guest on 2004-12-27 11:50:41 The gig was great - Redondo Beach was amazing - a high point for me. I agree there were too many B-sides...we could have done with Suedehead, Sister I'm a Poet, Last of The Famous or Sing Your Life at least. The atmosphere wasn't bad for an aircraft hangar....we're all getting on a bit now...some fans even bought their children (who knew all the words to Smiths classics!).

Written by Guest on 2004-12-30 06:56:27 Not a bad gig, I went to the Brighton gig too the night before and it was a better gig and Mozz seemed more up for it and spoke to the crowd more. But good to see him back, good solo album for once, love the 'elvis' lights.

Bussumda-Zimbabwe Written by Guest on 2004-12-31 07:57:06 I just love Morrissey. But I know he will never play in Africa, where he has three fans:me, myself and I.

Mozzer's hair Written by Guest on 2004-12-31 12:34:01 i loved the show but missed the morrissey solo recordes- however as quarry is the best album i've heard in years this didn't really matter. i thought the slow version of "there is a light" was fantastic. i was in block 19 to anyone in that block-GET OUT OF YOUR SEATS!!!

Gasping but somehow still alive Written by Guest on 2005-01-04 08:10:45 I was about 3000 back from the stage in the arena. From How Soon Is Now to Last Night I dreamt, the whole show was a joy. Morrissey, Thank you for being you too, you have always been the difference. Much, much Love !

billy barr Written by Guest on 2005-01-04 13:56:23 awsome gig he really pulled out all the stops it was like he really wanted to shut everyone up and that he did.best track was by far girlfriend in a coma.rest of the band were superb especially the drummer. 10 out of 10

john boy Written by Guest on 2005-01-05 16:39:14 well i don´t care wot anybody says he is the man! and for 32£ it was worth every penny!

MARMADUKE Written by Guest on 2005-01-06 04:56:18 the gig was amazing. morrissey is beautiful the most charasmatic man ever the malady lingers on...... morrissey puts the M in Manchester he is a legend.MORRISSEY FOR PRESIDENT WOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

NATZ Written by Guest on 2005-01-06 05:00:48 WE LOVE U MORRISSEY U LIGHT UP OUR LIFES.THE LIGHT NEVER GOES OUT.U ARE THE CHERRY ON THE BUN.YOU ARE THE QUARRY AND WE HAVE FOUND YOU,YOU HAVE COME BACK TO US.

Crashing Bores the lot of you...... Written by Guest on 2005-01-06 16:57:56 Don't get me wrong - I'm a massive Morrissey fan and saw him at Glastonbury and at Blackpool Empress gardens in 2004 - but morrissey fans are mental, aren't they? I've seen it on morrissey fan sites, and I can see it here... there's a certain turn of phrase that they use, a recycling of lyrics, a tendency to call people "crashing bores" and a general sense of self-satisfaction that this makes them CLEVER and MISUNDERSTOOD.     Yawn.    Morrissey? I think he's great - not above the odd bad gig or the odd mistake, as some might believe, but it's good to have the old boy back where he belongs.    ST.

moz is mine ...ok i wish Written by Guest on 2005-01-21 19:55:35 ahhhh morrissey !! who cant love him really! i love him , just indescribably, all my family and friends know i am obsessed with the mozza! i would do anything for morrissey! haha well even if he is 45 hes still the hottest person ever to me and im only 15 but oh moz your just the best singer there is and ever could be he couldnt make a single bad song

girlfriend in a coma? Written by Guest on 2005-02-28 15:39:43 "awsome gig he really pulled out all the stops it was like he really wanted to shut everyone up and that he did.best track was by far girlfriend in a coma.rest of the band were superb especially the drummer. 10 out of 10 ". huh?! i was at this gig and he did not play girlfriend in a coma

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