Hmm, I managed to get another cold. Last year I had one all year, but this year it seems more like one a month.

And I went to the dentist this morning. A long, much-delayed trip.

Anyway, the nasty stuff is now out of the way.

I was reading all the exciting posts about the possibility of Morrissey touring. I'm sure I'll go if he plays New York, but I don't feel totally excited about it, to be honest. I have a funny history of Moz gigs. I'm just about too young to have seen the Smiths, and was 14 when he played the free Wolverhampton show (my mum would never have let me go). Then when he finally announced a tour in 1991, I was already committed to be on holiday. I was utterly gutted about this, but it turned out fine - he toured again in the autumn, and I got to see an incredible show at the Kilburn National in London on October 3rd. The show was really amazing, and the excitement in the air was almost tangible. I remember the crush at the front, and seeing friends pulled out over the front barrier. Then during 'The Loop', Moz threw out the tamborine. I got a hand to it, but I was one of about 20 people. I let go and went to get some air. I remember just sitting their dazed as he played 'asian rut' and a rockign 'that's entertainment'. It was really an incredible night.

I didn't see Moz again until the summer 1992 'Madstock' fiasco, when he played along with Madness, Ian Dury and Gallon Drunk at Finsbury Park in London. The whole day stank of rip-off (for example, you had to leave your leave all food outside the boundary of the park, and then pay for their slop inside), and there were so many people there of different persuasions (33,000, I believe) that the atmosphere was rather tense. Gallon Drunk's manic sound did not communicate very well over a PA in the park. When Moz came on, he looked out onto not adoring fans, but a bunch of big skinhead madness people. Even though I loved the just-relased 'Your arsenal', the show was a disaster.

The last time I saw him was in December 1992 (nearly 10 years ago - yikes!) at the Alexandra Palace. Again, the atmosphere was odd. I'm sure he picked up some far-right support at that point, whether he wanted to or not. The band was playing like a 'rock' band - five minutes of distortion at the end of songs, and so on. I came away disillusioned.

I did buy and enjoy Vauxhall and I, but I don't recall him touring with it. Maybe he did, and I missed it.

In NYC in 1997, I made a half-hearted attempt to see him in central park. I got there late, dressed in a suit. I sat on a bench and read a book. Someone took my picture.

Then in 2000, I turned up at the Beacon Theater on the night of the show. I had 2 friends with me. There was only one ticket left, so I didn't go. To be honest, it might have been a little weird for me anyway. Although I did buy 'maladjusted', I didn't think enough of it to keep it longer than 3 days before sending it to a friend in the UK who wanted to have the US version with the extra track.

So, the wheel has turned, and I'm actually quite interested in seeing him if he plays this year. People were posting 'dream setlists'. I'm going to try one, although it's hard, because the best songs are not necessarily the ones that come across best live.

Ok, here it is. I only put one Smiths song in, because - well, it would be weird without the rest of the band, right? It would be cool if he would play with a full orchestra one time.

• mute witness
• pregnant for the last time
• our frank
• that's entertainment
• suedehead
• last of the famous
• tony the pony
• sister I'm a poet
• disappointed
• every day is like sunday
• now my heart is full
• why don't you find out for yourself
• you're gonna need someone on your side
• we'll let you know
• I know it's gonna happen some day
• last night I dreamt that somebody loved me
• michael's bones