We went to see Morrissey at the Apollo Theater in Harlem last night. It was his second night of five concerts there this week.
He was very good, I thought. The set was:
The First Of The Gang To Die / Hairdresser On Fire / I Like You / How Could Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel? / Subway Train [into…] Everyday Is Like Sunday / A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours / All The Lazy Dykes / Don’t Make Fun Of Daddy’s Voice / Jack The Ripper / I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday / Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference / I’m Not Sorry / No One Can Hold A Candle To You / The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out / Irish Blood, English Heart // Hand In Glove
He only did one encore (Hand in Glove) and clearly had a cold – he called it Harlem Mumps – but it sounded like a cold. The day off for Wednesday’s Amateur Night at the Apollo should help that.
His band sounded better than they ever have in the gigs I have seen them (admittedly only the fourth time, the last being in New York in November 1997) but I recall that time them being a bit ropey and Moz stopping one of the songs mid-stream. He’s added a keyboard player and it made a lot of difference in some songs, especially There is a light… and A Rush & A Push. Some of the new stuff is superb, such as The Last of the Gang to Die, but some of the slower new stuff sounded a little weak, especially All The Lazy Dykes (hey, he makes up the titles, so complain to him).
His voice is still very impressive and despite the fact that he’s slightly paunchier than he was 20 years, over that time he is still dressing basically the same, singing some of the same songs, but a lot of newer ones, but about the same themes and doesn’t appear to want to change. For some that might be limiting, but for him, it enables him to retain his iconic status and if you like what he does, then it doesnt matter that it’s been similar for 20 years. That’s the whole point! Better that than some experimental prog-rock journey, any day of the week.
The Apollo was surprisingly small and a bit of a mess from the outside. The security people were shining torches at anyone who dared stand up, unless of course everybody stood up, then it became redundant. No pictures, as obviously cameras must be banned for fear of…
Mozzer: as good as ever. Band: better than ever. Venue: hmmm