
On the last of four sold out nights at the Fillmore, I could not predict the outcome of Morrissey's anticipated performance. Would he be worn out? Would he feel like he needed to out-do himself? This is the Mozz we are speaking of, he never ceases to impress, so I gladly paid for my 80$ ticket.
The venue is a gorgeous place with a very intimate feel, perfect for such an icon. I was suprised by the amount of people were attending; I was expecting to be much more crammed in. I must admit I was slightly dissapointed because I really wanted to rub up against my tattooed shoulder neighbour, though odds are, he wouldn't have been interested: I was in the gayest event in the gayest city in the world.
The party began with an odd little number led by
Kristeen Young; I spent the entire set figuring out who she reminded me of, her style being such an eclectic cocktail. My first guess was Bjork during her Sugar Cubes era, maybe it was the swan-like prom dress she was wearing, but as far as the singing went, she could also be compared to the likes of Tori Amos, Kate Bush or Amanda Palmer from the Dresden Dolls.
But far more suprising was the girl's keyboard, which, along with the thunderous drumming, sounded strangely like a Primus bass line. She could make her instrument sound like a distorted guitar, while she was only in the lower tones. Very heavy, but quite charming at the same time. I predict many good things for Kristeen Young, the carnivalesque burst of energy in her songs is quite enjoyable. She also had a plastic pear attached to her wrist.
After some quick set arrangements and a revealing of the Richard Burton backdrop, the band began playing to an explosion of cheering and Mr. Morrissey takes the stage.
Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before started the set, much to the enjoyement of hardcore Smith fans. Highlights of the night included
Irish Blood, English Heart,
Death of a Disco Dancer, How soon is now?, You have killed me and
First of the gang to die. I was dissapointed that
Everyday is like Sunday was not performed, as it is one of my all time favourite songs and it was played on the past tour dates, though I was pleasantly suprised with some of the choices.
The drum kit quoted
''Some of us is turning nasty'' and it could have been true for a few rude people, but the overall crowd was quite mellow and respectful. Obviously, there were many lookalikes from all walks of life, but no stage invasions, not many attempts either. The
Morrissey Madness I had heard about was nowhere to be found. Everyone was, well, nice to each other.
As predicted, the man himself was absolutely charming, constantly interacting with the audience and handing out the microphone to whoever wanted it te he most. One moment most will remember was the 7 year old boy named just like the Englishman, a situation to which he answered ''
And I thought I was just a trivial pop icon.'' Later on, he proceeded to bring the kid on stage, who showed off some pretty cool dance moves without any stage fright, holding Morrissey's hand. It was simply adorable.
Though I expected the crowd to be much crazier, the show itself was better than predicted. The Mozz looks amazing, Who can still pull of removing his shirt and throwing it into a pit of hungry fans? Twice? At 48, he appears devastatingly good and his voice is as strange and appealing as it was in the early days.
We all wanted more but it was over too soon. For some reason, as we waited outside of the Fillmore for a handshake, a hug, a picture, or a clever quote, he did not interact at all and left immediatly for the tour bus. It might be quite a contrast to the pop star on stage, but let's admit it, the man needs some rest after a four day stand.