Yes, I agree that his voice sounds amazing. He hasn't lost that.
But yeah, he seems to be dialing it in. I can't explain how even from the barrier it was underwhelming.
Having not been at any gigs since last June, all I can say is my impression is that the pacing of the shows seems all wrong. They start off pretty good (QID, Suedehead, Speedway, Staircase), but then in the middle there is a loooooooooong run of new songs (many of which are mid-to-slow tempo) mixed with a few older slow songs (Trouble Loves Me, Yes I Am Blind) and then comes the big finale - often involving Kick the Bride Down the Aisle, the Bullfighter Dies and Meat is Murder in some combination. And then a send-'em-home-happy encore. This is an overview, and yes there are a few other goodies mixed in somewhere, and sure some shows are paced better than others....but you get the idea.
Below is an off-the-cuff example of how just a few minor tweaks would make these shows better, without turning Moz into a Greatest Hits Act. 5-7 of the better WPINOYB songs per night, plus the right mix of older songs in the right order. Also please note substitution options to keep the set fresh. Nothing below is a total curve-ball, with the exception of 'Now My Heart is Full' (not played since 2006) and "The More You Ignore Me..." (not played since 2004? Maybe it was played in 2007, can't recall.) In any event, two songs that would be welcomed back with open arms.
The Queed Is Dead
Suedehead
Staircase at the University
Kiss Me a Lot
The Last of the Famous International Playboys
or November Spawned a Monster
Istanbul
Trouble Loves Me
or Yes I am Blind
Certain People I Know
or Sister I'm a Poet
or Billy Budd
Stop Me If You Think That You've Heard This One Before
or There is a Light
Irish Blood English Heart
or You Have Killed Me
One of Our Own
or Ganglord
or Earth is the Loneliest Planet
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
Everyday is Like Sunday
World Peace is None of Your Business
I'm Not a Man
or Art Hounds
Speedway
or Now My Heart is Full
National Front Disco
or The Boy Racer
or The First of the Gang to Die
Encore:
The Bullfighter Dies
Hand In Glove
or How Soon Is Now?
or Shoplifters