Live review: Morrissey
Morrissey
Sunderland Empire
1st February 2008
Great gigs are magical. At a great gig, even the most jaded hack is transformed into true believer, Number One Fan. At a great gig, every song is an anthem, every quip the stuff of legend. The shoddiest of venues is transposed into a Valhalla of sound, a gilded palace of music. Great gigs are as rare as hen’s teeth, and this was one of them.
As soon as you stepped into the theatre, you knew that this was a place Morrissey would love. An ornate confection of gilt and glamour, the Sunderland Empire Theatre evokes the rich history of drama and entertainment from music hall to pantomime and everything in between - a particular kind of Englishness that Moz relishes.
Support tonight comes from splendid all-girl grungy, Texan trio, Girl In A Coma and in between acts, the theatre thrums and vibes with hungry anticipation, while The Ramones, The Crystals and Martha Reeves and The Vandellas throb through the PA.
All about, a large contingent of be-quiffed men, young and middle-aged alike, visibly shake and jitter with expectation. Beers are quaffed to slake thirst and kill time, the steady hum of conversation growing as more people drift to their seats.
Suddenly, darkness. A roar erupts: “Morrissey!” The man appears and the place goes absolutely bananas. The crowd surges forward. The seated leap to their feet. People are screaming. Grown men have tears in their eyes. There is a strange feeling in the air, part religious ecstasy, part orgiastic frenzy. And it’s brilliant.
Tuxedo-ed and sparking, Morrissey launches into Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. In reclaiming his song from the recent clutches of the hit parade, Morrissey stakes his claim and completely slays his audience, leaving them slaphappy and supine, ready to welcome his every utterance with nothing short of pure adoration.
Moz himself was in great form, constantly chatting and joking around with the audience. And this from a man often touted as the very apogee of grumpiness!
Morrissey rattled through tracks such as Last Of The Famous International Playboys, The Loop (its frenzied rockabilly thrash a particular highlight), Death Of A Disco Dancer, Stretch Out And Wait, I Just Want To See The Boy Happy and First Of The Gang To Die with unabashed brio.
With the strains of a beautifully heartbreaking rendition of Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want ringing in our ears, we are sent back out into the February night, with no fear of the biting North East wind. A great gig keeps you warm at night. A great gig is something special indeed.
Sunderland Empire
1st February 2008
Great gigs are magical. At a great gig, even the most jaded hack is transformed into true believer, Number One Fan. At a great gig, every song is an anthem, every quip the stuff of legend. The shoddiest of venues is transposed into a Valhalla of sound, a gilded palace of music. Great gigs are as rare as hen’s teeth, and this was one of them.
As soon as you stepped into the theatre, you knew that this was a place Morrissey would love. An ornate confection of gilt and glamour, the Sunderland Empire Theatre evokes the rich history of drama and entertainment from music hall to pantomime and everything in between - a particular kind of Englishness that Moz relishes.
Support tonight comes from splendid all-girl grungy, Texan trio, Girl In A Coma and in between acts, the theatre thrums and vibes with hungry anticipation, while The Ramones, The Crystals and Martha Reeves and The Vandellas throb through the PA.
All about, a large contingent of be-quiffed men, young and middle-aged alike, visibly shake and jitter with expectation. Beers are quaffed to slake thirst and kill time, the steady hum of conversation growing as more people drift to their seats.
Suddenly, darkness. A roar erupts: “Morrissey!” The man appears and the place goes absolutely bananas. The crowd surges forward. The seated leap to their feet. People are screaming. Grown men have tears in their eyes. There is a strange feeling in the air, part religious ecstasy, part orgiastic frenzy. And it’s brilliant.
Tuxedo-ed and sparking, Morrissey launches into Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before. In reclaiming his song from the recent clutches of the hit parade, Morrissey stakes his claim and completely slays his audience, leaving them slaphappy and supine, ready to welcome his every utterance with nothing short of pure adoration.
Moz himself was in great form, constantly chatting and joking around with the audience. And this from a man often touted as the very apogee of grumpiness!
Morrissey rattled through tracks such as Last Of The Famous International Playboys, The Loop (its frenzied rockabilly thrash a particular highlight), Death Of A Disco Dancer, Stretch Out And Wait, I Just Want To See The Boy Happy and First Of The Gang To Die with unabashed brio.
With the strains of a beautifully heartbreaking rendition of Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want ringing in our ears, we are sent back out into the February night, with no fear of the biting North East wind. A great gig keeps you warm at night. A great gig is something special indeed.
posted by YG&B at 1:51 PM
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