...that he plays the same sort of set when he commences his tour in September!

Bridlington, here I come...

He did how soon is now!!! WOW!!!

Was Alain there?

Let us hope that someone was sneaky enough to get a recording of "How Soon Is Now?" from Reading, and posts it on the internet, or on this delightful site. I wonder if it is a reworking of the song, or played it as is?

The second moment of real Reading history comes with Morrissey’s opener – it’s The Smiths’ classic ‘How Soon Is Now’ and there is a communal sigh of ecstasy. To the best of anyone’s knowledge, the grand old trouper has never played it live before. The set is peppered with the good stuff from new album ‘You Are The Quarry’ with some solo and Smiths gems including a glorious ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’, a storming ‘Shoplifters Of The World Unite’ and a suitably wan ‘Everyday Is Like Sunday’. Moz more than makes up for his grumpy Glasto performance.

http://strongbowrooms.nme.com/features/story.php?feature=128

How Soon is Now/ November Spawned a Monster/ First of the gang to die/ I like you/ Everyday is like Sunday/ Shoplifters of the world Unite/ Irish Blood, English heart/ Now My Heart Is Full/ The World is Full of Crashing Bores/ Munich Air Disaster 1958/ There is a Light That Never Goes Out/ Let Me Kiss You/ Don't Make Fun of Daddy's Voice/ Jack The Ripper/ You Know I Couldn't Last

Review to follow

broken

great setlist! im glad he used a b-side from ibeh. and also you know i couldnt last. awsome

HSIN! what next?? do we think it just coincidence that Moz is playing Blackpool the very night the illuminations get switched on!!! hehe!

The NME wrote earlier this week that tonight's show would be the highpoint of Morrissey's Summer. It seemed inevitable. Morrissey's comeback has gained a momentum all of its own - the kind of momentum he hasn't had since "Viva Hate" was released, backed up with two fantastic singles that kept it in the top 40 for a fair old while.

Thumbing through the Reading programme earlier on that afternoon, the notes discussed Morrissey's comeback and pondered on the reasons for his return to the pinnacle of British pop. It seems Morrissey has finally become that most British of things - a "national treasure." The programme notes proclaimed him so, and so it seems that during the course of the past 5 months, the questions about his comeback have been answered and he has finally proven the doubters wrong. Everyone likes Morrissey again. Not least the two bands on stage immediately before Morrissey today - the Libertines and Franz Ferdinand. Tonight's show would be an opportunity to show the young upstarts how it's really done, and to cap a fine Summer with a performance at one of the most prestigious festivals. The only question was, could he manage to top his slightly tired Glastonbury display?

Razorlight were the first band I caught. They looked like Busted, only not as attractive, and sounded like Busted meets the Darkness, only without the tunes. I did a little sunbathing, then returned to watch the New York Dolls. They managed to hit a few highs, notably "another piece of my heart" and "personality crisis." It was a good show. The Roots managed to go through an entire set without playing a single discernable tune. Franz Ferdinand were up next and played most of their recent album. It worked much better live than on record, and they really got the crowd going. The Libertines were up next, and first twenty rows were pandemonium. Carl played his way through a good selection of songs, cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and virtually every teenager in the crowd lost the plot. They really have won the hearts of the kids. Their set lacked the variety and quality of songs to really fly, but they performed well and the audience really seemed to love them.

Around 8.20 and the lights dimmed. The cover was removed from the "Morrissey in Las Vegas" lighting and "the imperfect list" began. Morrissey took to the stage, and from the outset it was obvious tonight was going to be his night. The first chords began and instinctively I thought it was "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" as the effect they used was very similar. Morrissey struck a pose straight from the cover of "Kill uncle" - palm outstretched, looking upwards towards the sky. The lights zoned in on him and suddenly the drums started and we all knew it was "How Soon is Now." There was an enormous cheer, a mixture of surprise and elation and Morrissey simply held the pose as the huge chords chimed away in the background. It sounded immense, and the crowd seemed to know every word. "November Spawned a Monster" was as weird and intoxicating as ever, but it wasn't until "First of the Gang to Die" that the crowd really went quite bonkers. It says a lot about Morrissey's new material that probably the most exuberant reactions were reserved for his two latest singles. Can you imagine a similar reaction in the late 90s to "Dagenham Dave" and "The Boy Racer?" Exactly.

An excellent "I Like You," a singalong "Everyday" and "Shoplifters," complete with Marr's only real guitar solo, played perfectly and even embellished slightly by Boz and Jesse, and then the songs just flowed. "Now My heart is Full" sounded less guitar-heavy than on "INtroducing Morrissey" but much heavier than the almost acoustically-light version played on the Oye Esteban tour. It almost sounded like a distant cousin of "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" and worked very well. "Have you watched Emmerdale?" asked Morrissey, "well you may not have watched it, but you know the world is full of crashing bores." "Bores" and recent b-side "Munich" slowed the tempo a little, and allowed us all to

Read the rest of this comment...

Phenomenal. May be still on a festival buzz high (my blisters think not) but that was the first time I've seen him live and I saw from the very front - I was hanging right over the bar!! The man is a god, and a genius, and the show was absolutely electric. He was being (what I gather is) his usual wisecracking self in between songs, introducing them with things like "Radio 1 wouldn't play my singles. Let's all boo Radio 1" (erstwhile sponsors of the event), TIALTNGO with a story about being pulled over for speeding and also taking the time to explain to Julia that Emmerdale was crap. (Julia by the way was standing by the cameramen directly in front of the stage with a walking stick, and was very sweet and waved to us. You guys are way too hard on her.) I can't believe how many songs he played - it was a much longer set than I was expecting (complaints? Uh, not here!) and was consistently brilliant. Sorry, superlative overload over.
Would love to gleefully point out here what level of brilliant he actually was. The Darkness and their firework show were apparently the highlight of last night, from what I heard from everyone who was there. They all mentioned specifically the firework bit. Morrissey played a set, with nothing more than his usual name-in-lights set and the same old moving lights rubbish that goes in all live concerts. He even afforded the luxury of leaving out some absolute stunners (nothing from Your Arsenal and only one from Vauxhall And I unless I'm mistaken) and was still head and shoulders above anything a fireworks display could have offered the proceedings. Don't think I'm comparing Moz to The Lameness. Just be comforted with the fact that he could pull blinders like that standing on his head.
Honestly, fireworks?? I scoff in your general direction, Justin.

moz's set tonight felt like an act of war against his detractors. Reading has long been UK 'alternative' music's annual review, and is by association NME's open day, and it's hard not to see his choice of songs as planned specifically for this event.

opener 'how soon is now' was like a nuclear baseball bat squashing all the other acts playing the festival. the band have really got inside the song - it was devastating.

then 'november', 'shoplifters' 'everyday', 'now my heart is full' and 'first of the gang'. it was an assault of classics from the 80s to the present, like he was saying: 'this is my stuff - what have you got?'

having fooled me into thinking he'd conceded to the festival hits show that people were moaning for after glastonbury, he then headed into a fans-only selection: 'daddy's voice', 'munich air disaster', 'jack the ripper' and finally 'you know i couldn't last'. i can't help thinking he's been saving the latter for Reading (and NME).

all in all, a fantastically entertaining fuck you to the critics. after 'you know i couldn't last' people were expecting another hit - which he didn't give them, perhaps generously leaving the door ajar for the white stripes - who did their best in the circumstances...

in 'there is a light': after he sang 'please don't drop me home...because i haven't got one', he muttered "believe me"...

he also said he'd been clocked in caversham driving at 32mph in a 30mph limit 'when there was no-one around', and got 3 points on his licence. so introducing a song (sorry can't remember which) he said "this one's not for you caversham"

Meh....... How was Munich Air Disaster live?

Fucking glorious!

Tell me there's a bootleg of this show. I don't chase down every boot, but this has instantly become one of the key shows of Morrissey's career by the sound of it...

i love this setlist. i can't wait for his california shows.

Am i the only person that thinks how soon is now is rubbish?

The lyrics are great but otherwise i would say the song is totally overrated.

I've got to say that I think Morrissey really nailed the set list on this occasion. Of course, there's always certain songs we'd like to see in there (for me, 'Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?', 'Bigmouth', 'Trouble Loves Me' or 'Still Ill' would be bliss) but at Reading, with this setlist, he struck a perfect balance between ensuring that non-fans had a pretty good time (and this IS necessary if you want to get new fans or play a festival audience, cos otherwise there's no point in going, you might as well play another gig to the hardcore) and pleasing the hardcore by not compromising.

So we kick off with 'How Soon Is Now?', which, apparently, was devastatingly good live, and which is the song most likely to be known by non fans (I have known people say they like "that song by TATU from the TV program" without being aware of its Smithsian origins). So instantly, he's got the whole crowd, rather than at Glasto, where 'Daddy's Voice' alienated those who don't know him. Then he capitalises on it - 'November' and 'First Of The Gang', storming up tempo numbers, with 'Gang' the recent single. So now he's got EVERYONE's attention, not just the hardcore. Playing corking versions of 'Shoplifters' and 'IBEH' will have helped in this regard. And of course, for the 'torch' moment, he plays 'Everyday'.

But then, having won people over so they're attentive (unlike at Glasto) he delivers a string of songs to appeal to the hardcore fans. So he doesn't compromise on that side of things either. But again, he chooses well. Let Me Kiss You has broad appeal and 'Jack The Ripper' is manifestly great. He avoids the meanderings of 'I'm Not Sorry' and 'Lazy Dykes', which, while they have their fans, could bore non-fans a little. 'Munich Air Disaster' is up tempo, so even those who don't know it will probably be listening, while those who do will be exceptionally pleased. Then concluding with 'YKICL' was great too - on the one hand, it's a pretty rockist number, with its pounding guitars offsetting the balladic passages. But on the other hand, it brooks no compromise with the audience. He could have encored with 'Heaven Knows...' or 'Panic' or 'Suedehead' as crowd-pleasers, but of course that's too obvious, so he doesn't and again his integrity remains intact.

Personally, I'd have rather he played something like 'Nobody Loves Us' or 'Sister I'm A Poet' than 'Munich', but you truly cannot argue with the set. I thought Glastonbury was embarrassing, and I posted thus, but here he seems to have really seized the bull by the horns, and come out on top. Congratulations Moz! It's moments like these (and every time I hear a Smiths record) that I think "yeah, this is why you're my fucking FAVOURITE artist ever!!".

I can imagine getting flamed to hell for this by some Anonymous poster, but was the rendition of Everyday is Like Sunday the medlied version with Subway Train, like it has been for the rest of the tour?

I am a huge Moz fan and absolutely love How Soon Is Now but why is everyone totally freaking over this setlist? I just don't get it. Moz added one new "old" song and the rest is practically the same set he has been playing with the exception of a a new song (YNICL) and a B-side. Not much of a surprise in my eyes. How about we lose that stupid Daddy's Voice song and play another antique? Lose the B-side as well...bad song.

Great set. I wish he would've picked any other IBEH b-side apart from Munich to play, especially IHTWTWYS. Still, I shall stop being such a touchy little number with my minor gripes. You can't have everything in life, but that set-list comes close. Fantastic.

How was 'Jack The Ripper' played? As per the 'World Of Morrissey' renidition? Or slower? Or just differently? Also, how well was 'Munich Air Disaster' played? What's it like live?

Sounds like an incredible set - bodes well for those of us here in N. America waiting for Sept/Oct.

He plays Leeds tonight - wouldn't it be fitting if he closed out the set with Panic?

'The Leeds side streets that you slip down' would elicit a huge cheer from the crowd, plus, he could dedicate the song to our friends at Radio 1, who have been so supportive of the new single. The perfect closer to a great weekend.

So how is he in Leeds? No news yet and I'm itching to know if there were any surprises, come on, dish the dirt????

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source/cfw/FrameSet.aspx?s=ImagesSearchState|0| 15|0|1|||0|0|0|0|3|morrissey|0|0&p=3&pk=4

A hundred times better than the RFH.. This was a truly great Morrissey performance. Great songs, great atmosphere, and some genuine emotion.. eys welling up and everything.. 'Don't make fun of Dady's Voice'.. great song.

No my heart is full.. Sublime.
Brilliant afternoon/night.. And Franz Ferdinand rocked the house as well.

http://strongbowrooms.nme.com/

Moz is currently well in the lead of the Saturday night festival favourites poll.

Amazing fucking show. Just got back from reading. I'm new to Morrissey, first time i've ever seen him. I'd only heard the two singles from this year and last of the famous international playboys before but he blew me away at reading. I've seen some amazing live performers, but never seen anything like this before you couldn't take your eyes off him

I was in the front and met a girl called keg - hey meg if you visit this site

I loved there is a light that never goes out and don't make fun of daddy's voice but there was another one i cant see in the list above

the words were "I wish we'd gone down, gone down with them to where ... their heads"

can anyone help? I really want to buy my first morrissey album and i'd like to buy the one with that song on it

some great reviews, can't beat broken's review so i'll leave it there

cheers

kevin

Well, I managed to brave the whole of the Reading weekend and it was pretty good, even if it was a bit muddy on the Friday :)

Friday and Sunday weren't great but saturday was excellent.

I was too tired after the Libertines to stand at the front, so I had to watch morrissey from around the middle of the crowd. There was an amazing atmosphere during his set. I can't quite put it into words, but he was electric, he really was.

How Soon Is Now and Everyday Is Like Sunday were the crowd singalongs, and Irish Blood went down a storm around half way through the set.

Hmm what else? Oh some cool quotes about getting a speeding ticket, and he said "has anyone seen emmerdale recently? This song is called the world is full of crashing bores"

Everyone laughed at that one

I think he changed the words to "some rained coated lovers brothers and sisters"

he changed the words of how soon is now to "i am human and i need to be loved, just like every animal does"

that's it

thanks for the reviews guys this is the best I've ever seen Morrissey - totally blew my socks off.

Sarah

We traveled all the way from Greece to see Morrisey at this Reading festeval in England. The people of England are very good, and made us very welcome with their helping us find the festeval sight

The English food is not so great! I eated noodles at this festeval and i thought i was eating human hair

LOL

Morrisey was our god for this festeval. I seen him only 3 times in my life, but I lovbe him since I am only 16 (now 32)

this is the greatest Morrisey concert i have ever seen, we all celebrated like when greece won the soccer worldcup, everyone around us were singing the words....

we took 3 other Greeks with us, none morrisey fans...

now they all are morrisey fans

LOL

we love you in greece morrisey, you are our god

he started the concert with his amazing how soon is now and november spawned a monster... he played some classics like now my heart is full and there is a light which will never go out

... then he rocked out at the end playing his new songs like don't make fun of daddys voice and you know i couldn't last - this was the perfect concert, and we jumped around like crazy people at the concert.

we hop to see you in greece soon morrisey, we love you in greece

god bless

stephanos

I'm one of the "old-timers" on this site. Yes, I did see the Smiths back in 1984, and I do have an original hatful of hollow t shirt not like limp bizkit's C&A effort! That said, this is deffo one of his best ever shows. This was up there with March 1985 at Brixton, october 86 at the palladium or morrissey's first gig at wolverhampton. You can't fault the setlist, and fucking grand performance by Moz. My only quibbles would be with munich air disaster, not one of his strongest songs, and a more uptempo number towards the end would have been great. Something like shakespeares sister or panic.

The performance was morrissey at his best, no question. Looking forward to Perth. Standing with a couple of hundred people and this setlist - what a lucky bastad i am!

Forgot to say

no alain again. I hope alain's ok and back soon, but the band sounded tight on saturday.

ken.

Hello to Stephanos and phillipe. Special thanks to Ken and Sally for showing us around Reading and for being great company at the festival.

I loved the whole festival, loved England and Morrissey played a great show.

I look forward to seeing him play at greece and hope he keeps playing How soon is now - my favorite ever smiths song.

This was my first time seeing Morrissey or momo as we call him. He's totally different to how you expect from his records. He was jovial and funny. The whole audience laughed at times.

This concert was unsurpassable.

Thanks for the help Ken

Enchantez

Phillipe

I don't think theres been a single bad review so far, must be a first for this site. Reading is the last show I'll be able to see this summer, but what a way to finish. It's all been said already, far more eloquently by broken than i can manage, but this was great, truly great.

Well done mozza, you've shown what you can do once again - and you know i couldn't last was a showstopper

I've been reading the NME for 2 year nows, and i'd never heard of Morrissey until last year when they did this smiths and morrissey special. I looked at the guy and thought, "how strange" with the flowers and NHS glasses. But anyway it kinda started an interest in me and made me wonder how the smiths sounded... so i bought "The Queen is Dead" and three listens later I was in love...

I bought every smiths album and i've been listening to nothing but the smiths ever since. Half a Person, How Soon is Now, Hand In Glove, I love everything about the Smiths, the words, the music, the style...

anyway because everyone said morrissey solo isnt as good, i decided not to buy his albums....

then I saw the first of the gang to die video....

and i bought you are the quarry. This album is brilliant, it's like the Smiths, only all grown up. Then my love affair went a step further.... on saturday i got to see morrissey live for the first time.

I took some gladioli to the show and got so close to the front i almost fainted. When Morrissey came on stage, he was like nothing on Earth.... so cool and English, so charismatic. I was in love again....

The whole show was incredible, the best experience in my life. I loved all of the songs from you are the quarry and the smiths songs, but some of his other songs were brilliant too. Songs like everyday is like sunday, and don't make fun of daddy's voice.....

Well, I just wanted to share my experience with you.

Now I'm off to buy all of the solo albums...

Luke, 15, London

brilliant gig. Every song was full of emotion and he put on a fine performance.

classic

Finally I'm back, I expected to be one of the first to write a review, but there must have been quite a few soft southerners with day tickets!

I don't know what I can add to broken's review. One of the best I've ever read on this site.

I'm not sure if you got the set-list quite right though - wasn't "everyday is like sunday" before "I Like you?"

anyhow, top marks for that review, Morrissey was indeed on great form, and easy the star of saturday night. The white stripes couldn't come close.

Only about 10 people seemed to be enjoying their set

I'm annoyed I didn't bother going now. HOW SOON IS NOW, for gods sake! argh.

Subway Train the intro for Every Day is Like Sunday is it available ? i think it was performed at all of the summer gigs ?

Has anyone got a recording of the show if so I'd be interested in a copy. You can contact me at daviddrinkwater1956@hotmail.com

Pointless post. As you well know, Johnny never appeared on the stage at all. And I'm sure he's quite capable of still more than holding his own as a player. You don't have talent like THAT and just completely lose it. Please make USEFUL comments!