I’m a longtime Morrissey fan and I never post here… but I just popped on to check out the setlist and I can’t describe how disappointed I am. I’m actually more angry this time. Angry at myself because I actually thought Moz might shake things up a little and come out with a fresh set.
Morrissey is an incredibly selfish performer, he sings what he wants to sing, not what we want to hear. But even under that umbrella of law, he could still give audiences a set that will excite people. Ganglord has no business being in a 2016 setlist. Paris? He’s still playing f***ing Paris? I think he’s played it at every show since its debut 9 years ago. It’s a mediocre album track at best, not a seminal Morrissey song that’s played live endlessly. World Peace, Kiss Me A Lot, Istanbul and Meat Is Murder all in row? That’s a block of songs where you can leave the venue, get a cheese sandwich, eat it at the cafe and come back having missed nothing. Its all garbage and I defy audiences not to make a run for the toilet or bar during that stretch. He’s got a set a balls playing those tracks at all, let alone back to back.
Scandinavia is also a terrible song that should not be a live track. The dreadful Oboe Concerto follows the lackluster Far-Off Places and it’s polished off by the mediocre and overplayed Let Me Kiss You with an encore of Irish Blood… a great track that should be retired from the live roster along with First of the Gang.
I don’t know any other artist who deliberately rams their new material down the throat of audiences. He might as well come out and say “Hi, I’m Morrissey… I’m going to play most of my latest album for you (now over two years old), then I’m going to play selections from the last decade or so of material that no one really cared about. If there’s any room left, I’ll play some songs you might actually want to hear, but it’s all stuff I’ve been playing into the ground for the past few years anyway.”
For longtime fans, this set has nothing of merit. Everything on this set (apart from Have-A-Go) has been played to death over the years to the point where hearing them performed live is about as exciting as watching a movie you’ve seen 100 times. I’d be numb to these songs in person.
The casual fan will be bewildered by the lack of presence of any crowd pleasers aside from Suedehead and Everyday Is Like Sunday. There’s nothing here for them either.
So who is this set for? Well, I guess it’s for Morrissey. But he’s not the one paying hundreds of dollars for the pleasure. I have to imagine that even the band rolled their eyes when they saw the setlist for this tour. They must be sick of playing half these songs.
There are of course the blinded fools who will say this set is perfectly fine. Probably the lunatics who line up all day to press themselves against the stage. I’m sure they’d be fine if Morrissey sang America Is Not The World 19 times in a row. But those of us who aren’t enamored by his every syllable and gesture expect and deserve more.
And that’s the frustrating thing. Morrissey can manhandle a crowd with the right setlist. It wouldn’t even be so hard. Just play songs you’ve played in the past. Take out Paris, Bores, Far-Off Places, Oboe, Scandinavia, Ganglord and World Peace…. Replace with Playboys, Nobody Loves Us, Lost, Our Frank, Maudlin Street, NF Disco and toss in a Smiths song. It’s not that hard. Audiences would love it.
I’m no fan of The Cure, but on their latest tour, they learned 100 songs, play for nearly three hours and mix it up every night. Now obviously we know Morrissey would never give us that. The longest show he’ll do will tap out at 90 minutes. The shorter set means that each of the 19-22 songs are prime real estate in his set. And look what he’s giving us! He’s always been an artist that convinced himself that his latest efforts are his best work. He wants us to feel the same way. But we don’t. Don’t get me wrong, he has some extraordinary songs in the past 20 years alone. I think Staircase is as good as anything he did in the 90’s… but for f***’s sake, mix it up a bit.
Is anyone else as frustrated about this or will you guys just accept anything the king bestows upon you? Fans should revolt and just not give him the money. I think I’m done going to Morrissey concerts, which is very regretful. I can’t support this.
I truly feel sorry for audiences in Hong Kong, Imdonesia, Singapore and Thailand who will have their one and only Morrissey concert experience be marred by such a dreadful setlist.
