I'm not really sure if Morrissey (or whoever came up with the gong idea) put much thought into having a gong on the tour, but i did a bit of quick research (very quick) about gongs and tried to find some symbolism or something:

GONG: a metallic disk that produces a resounding tone when struck

Symbolism: Morrissey is 'resounding' by going on tour again and making new songs even though some say that he's a thing of the past

Okay, now you can all reply and tell me that i'm dumb and wrong, but at least I tried. And for those of you who care:

gong: percussion instrument consisting of a disk, usually with upturned edges, 3 ft (91 cm) or more in diameter in the modern orchestra, often made of bronze, and struck with a felt- or leather-covered mallet or drumstick. Of ancient origin—representations of the gong date back to the 6th cent. a.d.—it has also been called the tam-tam. First used in Western music in the funeral march of Gossec's Mirabeau (1791), the gong has since been a regular member of the European-type orchestra, but it is used sparingly. It is commonly used in East Asian music and in the gamelan music of Bali and Java.

The only reason the gong is onstage is there needed to be SOMETHING on the stage bigger and rounder than Morrissey's bum !

I thought I'd add to the Gong talk. There are a few meanings here. The first poster got deep, which I think, is probably true, but hasn't anyone seen "The Gong Show"? My first instincts were that Morrissey was probably poking fun at himself. On the "Gong Show", when a contestant (an amateur, if you will) was bad...they'd get Gonged! Take note of the songs that the drummer uses the gong, there's a few hidden jokes in there. Its a joke. Doesn't anyone get a joke anymore? (I can't believe we're actually analyzing the gong, what is happening in our lives?) I grow so tired explaining. Oh well, my grave steadily awaits me.

The gong is Morrissey's tribute to quirky, eccentric, off-kilter UK group The Divine Comedy who used always to have a gong on stage and even once wrote a rather sweet song which mentioned a 'dinner gon' (the birds of paardise farm).

John Steed

Everyone has said the drummer uses the gong (during Speedway and others...), so, isn't it more likely that it's simply another musical instrument that happens to be on the stage?

When are we going to start analyzing why there are two guitars and a bass? In fact, I think we should analyze this: why isn't there a fiddle? Hmmmm....could it be that Morrissey secretly hates Belle and Sebastian, who tours with 4 violins and a cello, and in protest to that Scottish band, he refuses to use violins?

Plus, that clarinet looks an awful lot like a penis...anyone care to share?

Please tell me that this wasn't like the "King Leer" show? He did actually play songs?

does anyone know how i can reach him, and if so, will you please tell me? thanks very much!

this was the first morrissey concert that i have attended. it was very enjoyable. i didn't care for king cheetah. also, i thought the 30 minutes it took for morrissey to take the stage once king cheetah was finished was annoying. morrissey seemed very talkative and appeared to be in good spirits. he was also funny. at one point in the show he asked the audience something like " so who is the most interesting musical artist to come out recently"? and i guess somebody mentioned moby and morrissey said "didn't i say interesting musical act? isn't moby a dj"?
anyway my favorites were jack the ripper, alsatian cousin, and hairdresser on fire.
the new songs were good also.

Ok the set list was similar to CO show (I think)...Morrissey said to Julia. "You must be getting bored of this...I'm not asking you, I'm telling you." then he played Suedehead. Great comment on Gary’s shoes from the Audience Morrissey replied he made them himself from curtains. Any way can any one confirm that he ran out crying from any of the other shows? I think he did at this one.

* Julia is a lady fan who follows Morrissey on tour. She used to sell a fanzine didn’t see her this time.

i'm with everybody on king cheetah...
i dont find them incredibly original or entertaining..but their set was short so that was appreciated..the venue was great. the setlist of course was predictable, and you have to love gary's humor as they walked off stage before the encore..trying to get us to make more noise to speed up the encore..mr morrissey was quite the talkative one and had some pretty great comments..the band sounded well although i think they could benefit from a more powerful drummer..i think there might be a few bugs to fix, and it seemed as if both boz and gary noticed when dean messed up and let him know. kudos to dean though for playing with such a well established band. speedway was incredible and november was surprisingly good. the mozzers voice was clean and crisp..couldnt have sounded better

I was shocked and appalled by the lackluster attitude posted by the attendants of the santa fe show. How Morrissey looks (which is still fantastic) has nothing to do with the success of the music or show. My girlfriend and I drove from Oklahoma to see this show, and for us it was totally life changing. Oklahomans have a slim chance of ever catching him live, save the Tulsa show a few years ago, and it was such a wonderful trip for us. I thought the band sounded great, Morrissey was in great spirits, and the set list was almost perfect. The new songs sound incredible. Morrissey shook our hands and we were ranting and raving all the way back home. Moz if you are listening, please come back to oklahoma someday!!!! You are truly loved.

Ok...me and my girlfriend drove from dallas to see the show. the venue was awesome. it was made for a pretty intimate night. the performance was decent. i wouldn't say the best. the crowd attitude was so unenthusiastic. i tried to make up for it. i almost rushed the stage myself. i should've. there was a tiny a** barrier. anyhow...either way, i am still in awe i got to see moz and the boys play such a small venue...at an indian school no less!

Morrissey still has that charimatic power that you cant help but feel, and i loved that new tune First of the gang.i just cant help but feel a little sad leaving the shows cause how the band is looking now. Alain looks like shit, Boz is looking bad(well has been for awhile now) the once again new drummer messes up probably 4 times during the show. oh well, no sense in clinging onto the old days right?