Finally got to see Morrissey live. That was a long-held wish come true. I went in with some hesitation, I still struggle with how to separate the art from the artist in this particular case, but I went into it with the mindset that if I expect anything from him, it's menace, 'cus on that front he always deliver.
Could’ve done without the “warm-up act,” which consisted of a 45-minute YouTube playlist, just playing on a screen. I thought it might be a selection of Morrissey’s favorite songs, but there was no clear thread to tie the selection of songs together, apart from being all from the 20th century. It was not until halfway through the actual show, when he projected a huge photo of himself and David Bowie, posing handsomely for the camera, with the words from Morrissey, something along the lines of "I still love them all" that it made sense, the playlist was a kind of tribute to lost legends. Nostalgia, okay, fine, not mindblowingly innovative, but we all get nostalgia, and who am I to judge, when I am much younger and inexperienced in the age of truly losing those around me. But that didn’t make it any less of a drag to stand through, and it was the first time I’ve ever heard a crowd literally boo before the band is even on. Everyone was visibly and audibly bored.
But of course, once Morrissey finally came on, all was forgiven. He delivered a decent show and it was lovely to hear some of my all-time favorite songs live at last.
Perhaps a bit unfairly, I couldn’t help comparing it to last year’s Nick Cave concert. Even though they’re completely different artists in style and tone, they’re around the same age, but I knew doing so was setting myself up for disappointment. The intensity and energy and presence Nick brought to the stage was insaaane.
Morrissey is a bit more settled, which, to be fair, aligns with everything we know about him, and I imagine he grapples more with fluctuations in both mental and physical energy day to day. He’s also 66, so, I mean 🤷🏼♀️ Give him a break, I guess. Still, something was missing in terms of energy, and true to form, he ended up canceling the next couple of gigs in Sweden, citing a mix of “exhaustion” and “lack of support from the music industry.”
I love your music, you grumpy old man. I wish you longed to stand with the Palestinians the way you love standing with the Israelis.
