Ten years ago, I was on top of the world. Morrissey—yes, Morrissey—announced a U.S. tour, including TWO back-to-back nights in Chicago at venues across the street from each other. Needless to say, I glued myself to my computer, hopped on Ticketmaster and paid an arm and a leg for tickets to both shows. The blessed two days finally arrived, and on the second night, Morrissey proceeded to become violently ill and ran off the stage after only about 15 minutes. Sigh.
Fast forward to now: Morrissey—yes, Morrissey—announced a single date in the U.S. for all of 2006 in support of his latest album, Ringleader of the Tormentors. And yes, it was in Chicago at one of the very same venues. Imagine my excitement!
Opening act Kristeen Young, a labelmate of Morrissey’s, reminded me of the Dresden Dolls meets Kate Bush. Very angry, very shrill at times, yet pretty rockin’. She had a tough job winning over this crowd, but she did an admirable job. Morrissey himself stood in the balcony and seemed to enjoy the performance. Between sets, we were treated to vintage clips of the Moz mainstays: the New York Dolls, an Elvis impersonator, a screen test with James Dean … typical Morrissey icons.
The show brought out the usual Morrissey clones with the hair, old-school glasses and even some gladioli, which is always a fun sight to see. People traveled from Arizona, New Jersey, Georgia and countless other places just to catch a glimpse of Morrissey. People even traveled from Canada (since he will no longer perform there until the country treats their seals humanely and stop clubbing them to death). And Morrissey did not disappoint. The singer was in fine form, chatting with the crowd, insulting American journalists, delighting fans with a quick glimpse of skin and ultimately tossing his shirt into the audience—no doubt into the hands of a die-hard fan, who hopefully won’t sell it on Ebay. Morrissey even referenced playing in the venue many years before, playfully acknowledging that the venue’s toilet paper has improved since his last visit.
Although I’m not particularly impressed with Ringleaders, its songs translated pretty well live. The Middle-Eastern sitar-inspired “I Will See You in Far Off Places” fared best, feeling very tribal as it reverberated throughout the giant venue. The gaggles of screaming fans really lost it with each opening note of a classic song, including a fast-tempo version of “Panic,” a wonderfully ironic rendition of “Disappointed” and one of the best solo tracks of all time—“National Front Disco.” There were no surprises for those who have been following Moz’s set lists in Mexico, but it was pure joy to see fans of all ages and persuasions sway to “How Soon Is Now,” clearly an anthem for anyone who has ever felt like the misfit that Morrissey always claims to have been.
The band took a backseat to Morrissey this time around, as opposed to previous tours. Dressed uniformly and ready to hit any high-school prom circa 1985, they sounded tight but never engaged the audience. This was Morrissey’s show, and the band was smart not to compete. Vocally, Moz sounded good. During his 2004 tour, I was a bit disappointed and feared it would be the last time he toured, so it was a pleasant surprise to see him fit and also sounding good.
Morrissey has got staying power. No matter what is going on in the current musical and pop culture climate, he is always a draw. He’s a smart performer who knows to profess his love to the crowd repeatedly, and this night was no exception. And he knows without a doubt that his strangely optimistic and tongue-in-cheek gloom will never let us—his adoring fans—down.
Set List:
Panic / First Of The Gang To Die / The Youngest Was The Most Loved / You Have Killed Me / Disappointed / Ganglord / William, It Was Really Nothing / Everyday Is Like Sunday / Dear God, Please Help Me / Let Me Kiss You / I’ve Changed My Plea To Guilty / In The Future When All’s Well / I Will See You In Far Off Places / Girlfriend In A Coma / Irish Blood, English Heart / Life Is A Pigsty / How Soon Is Now? / I Just Want To See The Boy Happy / The National Front Disco // Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
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