I Want My MTV - Morrissey walks

Watching the music video for Morrissey's most recent single ("All You Need Is Me"), it occurred to me that something felt oh so very familiar about it... the outstretched arms? The tambourine? Mozzer surrounded by boys? Yes those, okay, sure. But more than that, it's the walk. Morrissey singing and walking towards the camera: the most basic of Morrissey music video tactics. How many other videos of his can you name that feature this overplayed action-infusing device?? I came up with a total of eight...


"All You Need Is Me" (above)


"Tomorrow" (above)


"We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" (above)


"The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get" (above)


"Dagenham Dave" (above)


"Certain People I Know" (above)


"I Have Forgiven Jesus" (above)


"The Youngest Was the Most Loved" (above)

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 28 October 2007

"Why is the last mile the hardest mile?"

There are a vast number of Morrissey lyrics which I could summon and apply to the final of his five recent shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, and that's always been a large part of the genius of the man. Like his hero Oscar Wilde, Morrissey has quite a knack for combining truth and humor in ways that resonate in the mind of the listener and remain eminently quotable for years. For years, for a lifetime, and perhaps even longer.

For the fifth night in a week I made my way to the dreaded "Frankenstein Ballroom" (as Morrissey has come to call it) for one final Morrissey concert. I was tired, exhausted even, from weeks of work and travel followed by CMJ and this series of concerts. The world's smallest violin playing just for me, I get it, but it's important to note my state of mind. And, in a word, I was tired. Yet so excited. I even got to the venue early enough to catch the entire set from the opening band for once.

Girl In A Coma took the stage around 8:00pm and had a mountain to climb before they played a single note. Even with the obviously Smiths-friendly name, I doubted this band. No, I hadn't even heard them play a song yet, but I already hated them. I was grumpy, distrustful of Morrissey's taste for openers, and ready to get on with seeing the headliner. It was fairly obvious that I wasn't the only one who felt this way either, which created just about the worst environment a band could possibly walk in to, but Nina, Jenn, and Phanie took the stage with confidence and wasted no time in laying it all on the line. Ultimately, Girl In A Coma isn't a band ready for a stage as large as Hammerstein, but they still blasted through their set (the song "Clumsy Sky" was a particular favorite) with equal parts energy, pop hooks, and guitar power. At times I felt some Siouxsie in the vocals, some Doug Martsch in the guitar work, and an overall Joan Jett/Yeah Yeah Yeahs kind of vibe from the band. By no means were they the "ideal" opener for Morrissey, but they also weren't nearly as bad as some might say.

After Girl In A Coma it was movie time again - same as the first four nights. As the clips of "Ou Ca, Ou Ca" and "Bubble Gum" and The Untouchables played, I considered the previous four concerts and some of my favorite moments from each. Hearing "The Loop" and "Death Of A Disco Dancer" the first night, "Disappointed" and the stage invaders the second, "Ganglord" (for me, the single greatest vocal performance I've heard from Morrissey) and "Life is a Pigsty" on the third, and pretty much everything about the fourth night. Not to mention that I found myself loving, and looking forward to, his newest compositions each and every show. I was even starting to get to know the words to these newest songs, but then again I was starting to get to know everything about this Morrissey @ Hammerstein routine. I even found myself happily singing along to the post-show cool down song "That's Life" each night. But, by the end of Saturday's show, my voice was fading fast from cheering and singing along. Bizarrely, Morrissey's voice seemed to be getting better and better as the shows went on. Until, that is, the show last night.

Once again the band opened with the rocking "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" / "Billy Budd" combo. By the end of the second song, it was apparent that Morrissey's voice was feeling the strain of the current tour (and 5 show NYC run), and the delayed enthusiasm when he launched into "Interesting Drug" (a song not yet played during the NY stint) reflected that the audience might've been feeling the same manner of fatigue. Perhaps this is just me thinking that everyone else was in the same "5th show in-a-row" boat, but it was apparent that Morrissey also sensed weariness from the crowd. Still, he remained true to the performance, often smiling and/or humorously wincing when his voice cracked under the pressure of a third show in as many days at the tail end of a rather extensive tour.

None of that is to say that Sunday night's concert was a bad show by any means. No, this was another stellar performance from Morrissey and crew. I'd give it an 8.5/10, placing it right alongside the other nights as one of my favorite concerts of the year, and making my personal "best show of the series" Saturday night's show. However, with the inclusion of "Interesting Drug" and "Good Looking Man About Town", as well as the return of all-denim suits for everyone in the band (my favorite of the week's Morrissey outfits) and more than a very good helping of stage invaders, the concert Sunday night rose above any level of exhaustion potentially lingering about the ballroom and perfectly capped off a week of Morrissey (including thirty four different songs played for NYC - see below) that will resonate in the hearts and minds of those lucky enough to attend for years to come.

Setlist:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Billy Budd
Interesting Drug
Shoplifters Of The World Unite
Irish Blood, English Heart
I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
Girlfriend In A Coma
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
Human Being
I Like You
Jack The Ripper
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
Stretch Out And Wait
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Good Looking Man About Town
Sister, I'm A Poet
Death Of A Disco Dancer
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
You Have Killed Me
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
How Soon Is Now?
--
First Of The Gang To Die

Alphabetical 5 show NYC song list:
All You Need Is Me / Billy Budd / Dear God, Please Help Me / Death Of A Disco Dancer / Disappointed / First Of The Gang To Die / Ganglord / Girlfriend In A Coma / Good Looking Man About Town / How Soon Is Now? / Human Being / I Just Want To See The Boy Happy / I Like You / I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris / Interesting Drug / Irish Blood, English Heart / Jack The Ripper / Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me / Life Is A Pigsty / One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell / Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / Sister, I'm A Poet / Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before / Stretch Out And Wait / That's How People Grow Up / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / The Last Of The Famous International Playboys / The Loop / The National Front Disco / The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores / Tomorrow / Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself? / You Have Killed Me

Listen:
"Ganglord" by Morrissey
"Clumsy Sky" by Girl in a Coma

Watch:
"Interesting Drug" (live from this show)
"Sister I'm A Poet" (live from this show)

Related:

• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 27 October 2007
• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 26 October 2007
• EF's "Moon River" 8+ post
• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 23 October 2007
• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 22 October 2007
• EF's "Southpaw" 8+ post

*above photo from HERE.

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 27 October 2007

"And if you have five seconds to spare…"

Just the facts. Night four of Morrissey at the Hammerstein Ballroom was the best show of the series so far - a 9.5/10. Morrissey wore a tuxedo, was in high spirits, went off on a rant about Canada in regards to their killing of baby seals, and delivered his strongest vocals of perhaps any show I've seen him perform to date.

The intro song remained the same ("Wayward Sisters" by Klaus Nomi) as did Morrissey's on stage time (9:05ish). Near me, once again, were some notable celebrities and another fight. I've come to expect both now at New York area Morrissey shows. There were two songs performed that hadn't yet been played during this current run of shows in NYC ("The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" and "The National Front Disco") and they were the highlights of the evening for me.

Final show is tonight.

Setlist:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
You Have Killed Me
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Irish Blood, English Heart
I Like You
Jack The Ripper
I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
The National Front Disco
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
All You Need Is Me
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Sister, I'm A Poet
The Loop
Death Of A Disco Dancer
Stretch Out And Wait
Dear God, Please Help Me
How Soon Is Now?
--
First Of The Gang To Die

Listen:
"Wayward Sisters" by Klaus Nomi

Watch:
"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" (live from this show)
"Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?" (live from this show)

Remaining New York dates:
28 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Related:

• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 26 October 2007
• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 23 October 2007
• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 22 October 2007
• EF's "Southpaw" 8+ post

*above photo from The Music Slut HERE.

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 26 October 2007

"Oh, but I know what will make you smile tonight..."

Morrissey sure does know his audience. Not that this is some great feat, I'm sure that each of you know his audience, but it's worth keeping in mind when considering how such a little thing can sometimes make such a big difference. Fans obsess over his (and his band's) every move. From his choice of apparel (tonight, jeans and two different designer shirts before moving on to his standard encore shirt), to detailing each word he utters between songs, to knowing, researching, and noting his pre-show music. It goes even deeper than this, but it is Morrissey's intro song that shook my world (hyperbole) and set the tone for last night.

Night three of Morrissey's five-show run at the Hammerstein Ballroom brought with it an obvious change. Due to her churlish demeanor, Kristeen Young was asked to leave the tour and was replaced by Girl In A Coma. A minor change really - Morrissey has never been known for his impeccable taste in openers - but worth noting, if only for the fact that the song "That's How People Grow Up" includes clips of Kristeen's wailing vocals. Would they play it? Anticipation.

Everything after the opening band remained the same as the first two shows - pop icon imagery played out on a large screen concealing the stage. On cue, right at 9:00pm, the curtain dropped and I waited for that voice. "Adolf Hitler," she would say. I considered that I was nearly ready to mouth along with each word of "Imperfect List" by this point. And then... THIS IS DIFFERENT. I said that, outloud. "This is different, whoa this is different," I lumpishly noted (to myself, or whoever else might be listening). It wasn't the same old, same old, it was... synths and operatic singing... Klaus Nomi?? Was this the Kill Uncle tour intro song?! Wow. If deciding to replace* longtime intro "Imperfect List" with "Wayward Sisters" was a sign of anything, it would seem that Morrissey was washing himself clean of the whole matter with Kristeen Young. At the very least, here he was setting an entirely different tone for those of us in for all five nights. It made me smile - the band took the stage.

From the first strum of the guitar in the second song the audience erupted. It was chaotic, frenzied, and entirely expected. This was a Friday night audience, loosened up with a few more drinks than previous nights, and ready for their Morrissey. Actually, they welcomed the band to the stage with uproarious applause before, and after, "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"; but it was right when "Billy Budd" crashed into the room that the night saw the first of many crowd surfers. The energy was amorous, dangerous, desperate, and perfect. However, it seemingly took the band a few minutes to fully understand this and then rise to the crowd's level of enthusiasm. For those interested in assigning rankings and random numerical ratings to art, the band's early-set lethargy, coupled with what I'd say was the weakest of the three setlists so far, leads me to call this show an 8.5/10. It was merely the second best show out of the three thus far, and yet still a far better concert than I'm likely to see delivered by any other artist not named Morrissey.

Highlights from the evening were the new additions to the set not yet heard on nights one or two - "Ganglord", "I Just Want To See The Boy Happy", and "Life is a Pigsty" - as well as the songs that have quickly become my live favorites this time around (namely, "The Loop", "Death of a Disco Dancer", "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?", and every song written since 2003 (they all truly show off the man's voice impossibly well)). And if you're keeping score, they did indeed play "That's How People Grow Up", complete with banshee vocals and all. I felt a moment of weirdness about the whole thing but Morrissey just cruised right through the awkwardness, controlling the song and keeping Kristeen Young's vocals right where they belong, in the background. It's impossible at this point in Morrissey's career not to be reminded of two men he loved and idolized growing up, both of whom were identifiable by one name only. Elvis and Frank.

Frankly, Mr. Morrissey has grown quite nicely into his role as a pop icon. He's matured as a performer and as a singer. Gone are the fussy antics that led to thirty minute (if at all) long sets in the early nineties and in their place is a man well aware of just who he is, who his audience is, and of precisely how to mix things up over a five night series of concerts so that each and every person goes home with a smile thinking "this night has opened my eyes."

Setlist:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Billy Budd
All You Need Is Me
Irish Blood, English Heart
Shoplifters Of The World Unite
Ganglord
That's How People Grow Up
Tomorrow
I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
Death Of A Disco Dancer
The Loop
Jack The Ripper
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
Sister, I'm A Poet
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Stretch Out And Wait
Life is a Pigsty
How Soon Is Now?
--
First of the Gang to Die

Listen:
"Wayward Sisters" by Klaus Nomi

Watch:
"Shoplifters Of The World Unite " (live from this show)
"Sister I'm A Poet" (live from this show)

Remaining New York dates:
27 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom
28 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Related:

• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 23 October 2007
• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 22 October 2007
• EF's "Southpaw" 8+ post

*it turns out that "Wayward Sisters" has already been used on this tour.
**above photo from HERE.

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 23 October 2007

"A rush and a push..."

Stage invaders. Those daring idiotic fans who throw caution (and sanity) to the wind and take to the air in an attempt to clear the concert moat and make it onto the stage for even a few partial moments of a moment with Morrissey. To be able to shake his hand, give him a hug, whisper "I love you" or "thank you" in his ear. It's the pinnacle of Morrissey/Smiths fanaticism, and, to many of us weirdos, a Morrissey show isn't complete without at least one or two of them. It's part of the culture. Don't try to understand it if you think it's really so strange, just take my word for it. It all makes sense in our world.

Last night the Hammerstein Ballroom again played host to a Morrissey concert, though you'd not know it if you were passing by outside the venue before the show and heard the security guys telling people "Morissette, Alanis Morissette is this line, The Tragically Hip is on the other side." Apparently The Tragically Hip played The Grand Ballroom last night. I wonder how that worked out for them... I wouldn't know, I was headed to the main ballroom for Alanis.

Once again I arrived right around 8:30 and caught the final few songs from the opener Kristeen Young as I found my concert spot. This time I decided to stay towards the back, just to vary it up a bit. Variety is important when you're going to 5 shows from the same artist in one week. Thankfully Morrissey understands this too - but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

The timing for Tuesday night's show went something like this: curtain dropped at 9:00 on the dot, Morrissey took the stage right around 9:05. At which point he promptly proclaimed "Welcome to the Frankenstein Ballroom!" Indeed. Have you ever looked closely at the interior of Hammerstein? It appears to be held together with bubblegum and duct tape and thousands of loose screws. I can only imagine what the backstage area looks like. Still, it must offer enough comfort to not have fully frustrated Morrissey and his lads because everybody seemed to be in high spirits.

Again they started the show with "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", but there was something different. An extra pep in their collective step. It was evident in the audience too. Right away I knew this was going to be an even better show than the first night and it most definitely was. If you'd like a rating on a ten point scale - for the sake of comparing (since I rated the first concert an 8 out of 10) - I'd give this show a 9 out of 10. I mean, even Morrissey's choice of outfit (denim, head to toe) was much better.

As the band blazed through the first four songs a crazy thought occurred to me. I nearly hated myself for even thinking it, but there I stood thinking "if The Smiths DID reform and tour, they honestly might have a hard time delivering the same kind of punch that Morrissey's current band does." Blasphemy! But I'm serious. This current lineup, and tour setlist, really flat-out rocks. There's barely any jingle jangle in the guitar work, even when they play songs by The Smiths. Not that that's necessarily good or bad, just worth noting.

Speaking of which, the fifth song ("The Boy With The Thorn In His Side") of Tuesday's set came as a pleasant surprise. It was followed by two more songs not played during the first show: a New York Dolls cover ("Human Being" - after which Morrissey quipped "If you don't know the original would you please leave the building NOW!") and another new Morrissey song ("I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"). All three of these songs were delivered perfectly, with Morrissey's voice sounding better than ever.

In all, the band played six new songs not heard during the first night (with "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want", "Disappointed", and "Dear God, Please Help Me" making up the remaining replacement songs), a clear sign that Morrissey and crew are well aware of the fact that many in the audience were likely present both nights. In response, the crowd exuded appreciation and joy and wonder and love; and, unlike night number one, a few of them displayed these emotions by - you guessed it - invading the stage.

Rrrrrrrrrrush!

Setlist:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Billy Budd
All You Need Is Me
Irish Blood, English Heart
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Human Being
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
Tomorrow
That's How People Grow Up
Jack The Ripper
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
The Loop
Sister, I'm A Poet
Stretch Out And Wait
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
Death Of A Disco Dancer
Disappointed
Dear God, Please Help Me
How Soon Is Now?
--
First of the Gang to Die

To see a scan of the setlist from last night, click HERE.

Listen:
"Human Being" by The New York Dolls

Remaining New York dates:
26 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom
27 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom
28 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Related:

• Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 22 October 2007
• EF's "Southpaw" 8+ post

*above photo from HERE - I didn't bring my camera this time simply because I didn't feel like it. it's nice to just be able to enjoy the show and not worry about pics or video. down with cameras!

Morrissey @ Hammerstein Ballroom - 22 October 2007

"A sad fact widely known..."

The last time Morrissey was in town was three years ago, 2004. That year I went and saw him perform seven different shows in New York City. Yes, seven. Five at the Apollo Theater, two at Radio City Music Hall (both of which are far superior venues to the Hammerstein Ballroom). Am I crazy? Was it worth it? Perhaps crazy, and most definitely worth it. Those five shows at the Apollo were some of the best live concert moments of my life. Over and over again, each night, for a week. I miss that feeling of seeing one of my most favorite performers one night and getting to do it all over again the very next night. Yes, I'm a fan of Morrissey. Fanatical.

I've called The Smiths my favorite band for about two decades or so now. I've lived the life of a devotee, styled my hair like Morrissey, taken the pilgrimage to Manchester, et cetera, and I'm not quite willing to completely let go of the man and the music that has so impacted my life. Therefore, when his current series of shows at Hammerstein was announced, I did what came naturally and bought tickets to all five shows. I'm just saying, consider this your warning, you'll be reading four more of these Morrissey @ Hammerstein reviews here on EAR FARM in the coming week.

Being a veteran of a Morrissey show or fifteen, I already knew the drill. Punctuality. Doors at 6:30, Kristeen Young at 8:00, Morrissey on stage right at 9:00. Therefore, I showed up around 8:30 and caught the very end of Kristeen's set while finding a perfect spot (up close, house left) to set up camp. Before the show a large screen descended upon the stage and images/scenes from a variety of old movies were shown. These were Morrissey's heroes. Morrissey's Morrisseys. Things such as a James Dean screen test, scenes with Brigitte Bardot singing, a clip of David Johansen backstage, and a particularly amusing clip from a film with two police officers talking about how they were about to "arrest Morrissey." Then, promptly at 8:58pm, the screen dropped and the house went dark. A familiar voice (to those of us who've seen Morrissey in concert in the past few years) came over the sound system. It was "Imperfect List" by Big Hard Excellent Fish. With baited anticipation I closed my eyes for a moment and smiled. Suddenly I was home again.

At 9:03pm Morrissey and his band took the stage. My first thought was "GAH! What is that ugly blue on blue "thing" he is wearing?!" Soon I let go of my issues with his wardrobe choice, but not until after he and his band plodded through "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" - not an ideal opener in my opinion. However, please keep things in perspective here. I would rather have been standing there hearing a stumbly version of an old Smiths song than nearly anywhere else on the planet. But yeah, I'd say the band didn't really get it together until midway through "London", if I'm being honest. It all seemed to be a bit of them just 'going through the motions' until the upright bass came out for "The Loop". That's the moment the show went from an average Morrissey show to a great Morrissey show.

There were a few more dips in the set ("Stretch Out And Wait" didn't exactly soar, however I adored hearing it so, so what?) but in general this was a top level Morrissey concert, perhaps an 8 out of 10 for me personally. He offered up his trademark between-song commentary and acknowledged not being able to make it to NYC previously "after a few coughs and a few sniffles" by jokingly saying "welcome to the Madison Square" and thanking the audience for being patient in waiting for him to come to town; at one point stating, "finally our little donkey made it to New York City."

Predictably, the band played "How Soon Is Now?" as their final song before the encore. A song that's reached near-"Stairway to Heaven" levels of mythos and one I'd be more than happy to not have to hear again during the remaining four shows (impossible). However, as I stood there taking in this most well-known of anthems by The Smiths it occurred to me that the band, and Morrissey, were delivering one of the finest renditions I'd heard yet (live that is) of "How Soon Is Now?" - and thinking back to last night, I'm totally fine with hearing this song for the one millionth time again in a mere eight hours. No, actually, I can't wait.

Setlist:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
Tomorrow
Sister I'm A Poet
London
The Loop
That's How People Grow Up
Jack The Ripper
I Like You
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
Stretch Out And Wait
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Billy Budd
All You Need Is Me
Death Of A Disco Dancer
Irish Blood, English Heart
Shoplifters Of The World Unite
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
You Have Killed Me
How Soon Is Now?
--
First of the Gang to Die

Listen:
"Imperfect List" (Mix 2) by Big Hard Excellent Fish

Download a lossless version of last night's concert HERE.

Remaining New York dates:
23 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom
26 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom
27 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom
28 October @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Related:
EF's "Southpaw" 8+ post

*above photo from HERE - I didn't bring my camera last night because they were SO strict in 2004 about cameras. so much so that they made people with camera phones check their phones at the coat check and retrieve them later. this wasn't the case last night, so hopefully I'll grab some pictures tonight.

Morrissey to play five shows @ Hammerstein Ballroom

As announced on the (official) Morrissey 'zine True To You, the Mozfather will be touring Mexico and the US during September and October, including FIVE shows at (my least favorite mid-large size venue I've ever been to) the Hammerstein Ballroom.

New York dates:
22 October : Hammerstein Ballroom
23 October : Hammerstein Ballroom
26 October : Hammerstein Ballroom
27 October : Hammerstein Ballroom
28 October : Hammerstein Ballroom

The rest of the dates for this final leg of his 2007 North America tour can be found HERE. No word yet on when tickets go on sale, or if he plans to actually appear at each of these scheduled dates.

Related:
EF's "Southpaw" 8+ post