In your virtual or real experience, what has been the greatest MOZ concert(s)?

[Belligerent Ghoul]

 

[Sonar]

NO!!! The sexy lilac! That's yours or did you just borrow the picture?
(If I were you I'd better say "the latter". Otherwise I'm afraid I've got to kill you )

 

[andy_fozzy]

The day he played Portsmouth Guildhall, my hometown.

Absolutely amazing.

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

NO!!! The sexy lilac! That's yours or did you just borrow the picture?
(If I were you I'd better say "the latter". Otherwise I'm afraid I've got to kill you )

The latter!

 

[Sister]

In my real experience - London Palladium 28/05/06
Which was my hometown at the time.

 

[Fawdy]

Newcastle City Hall. I've seen him 3 times there and reckon it is the perfect venue for Mozzer. That said I reckon the 'Quarry' tour concert was the best. It was all so unexpected. The other two were probably early '90's from vague recollection.

 

[Worm]

Santa Monica Civic Center, without a doubt. Two words: general admission. Morrissey played a scorching set, and I got to the front for most of it.

 

[The Goat]

How many gigs has he played? So why just put those up? Other than that, great thread.
My choice would be Rome 2006 purely for the setting, backdrop to it all, the scorching weather and great beers!
Oh and it was the only time Morrissey has called back to one of my comments!
A week after Italy's World Cup victory, He said 'Congratulations on being the best team in the world'
To muted silence, I called out 'Manchester City'
and he replied 'yes, I remember that team as well'.
Does anyone have a recording of that gig?
Move Festival was also a good 'en, probably my fav Manchester gig.

The Goat

 

[Johan de Witt]

How many gigs has he played?

476, if you include tonight's gig (is it over yet).

I was surprised you put my favourite up, Brixton Academy 1995. Pure magic. Never seen an audience go so wild too.
Le Zenith, 1992, is a close second.
And both were on the list, chapeau!
How did you choose these ones?

From virtual experience, I must say I really would love to have been to the Phoenix show, August 9, 2002, when Morrissey returned after what seemed an eternity and played new songs (spectacular ones too) for the first time.

 

[Jose]

For me it's Palladium, 28-05-2006.
Second row, dead center.
The tuxedo.
The surprise-attack with Panic as opening song.
Morrissey shaking my hand.
Magical night...

 

[nothingwrongwithme]

Stirling 2006. One of the best for me. At one point I stopped watching the stage and just looked at the faces around me. There was one blond-haired girl, stood stock still,screaming the lyrics to the song with tears running down her face, another guy with his arms around his girlfriend, grinning from ear to ear and on top of that, one guy, overcome with emotion, jumping from the balcony onto the stage, (alas to fall back into the crowd) while Lynn Boorer (Boz's missus) stood on the balcony, arms outstretched in horror incase he had hurt himself. And Morrissey singing Human Being for the first time.
God what a show. Thinking about it just makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

 

[Walkers Crisp]

For me, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester May 8th...best Moz experience so far.

I couldnt believe i was that close in the first place (1st row, the stage was VERY low..only about 3 feet high), and I wasnt expecting The MozMeister to stretch out his arm to touch me. He kind of grabbed my hand, held on for 5 seconds, and gave me the sweetest smile of all.

Me being a fat, hideous person never ever deserving such attention i thought i was in heaven..for evermore.

After all, in hindsight, I think I was in the right place at the right time ). Nothing more, nothing less.

Great moment anyway. Cherished forever.

 

[The Goat]

Me being a fat, hideous person never ever deserving such attention i thought i was in heaven..for evermore.
.

Hey Walkers Crisp - you may see no worth in you -oh but I do!
We are all deserving of such attention, and I'm sure Morrissey makes sure its not just 'the pretty ones' that get it. In fact, remember at the Bridgewater Hall, when fans were being pushed back from the stage but he beckoned those sat in wheel chairs to come forward and they did and received a handshake and a mad roar of approval from the crowd?
We are all special in His eyes, including yourself.
See you in Berlin!

The Goat

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

476, if you include tonight's gig (is it over yet).

I was surprised you put my favourite up, Brixton Academy 1995. Pure magic. Never seen an audience go so wild too.
Le Zenith, 1992, is a close second.
And both were on the list, chapeau!
How did you choose these ones?

From virtual experience, I must say I really would love to have been to the Phoenix show, August 9, 2002, when Morrissey returned after what seemed an eternity and played new songs (spectacular ones too) for the first time.

Hello Johan. It's nice to talk to you finally. As you know very well polls allow for 15 choices. With regard to this poll I combined both my personal experiences and my virtual experiences. There is some logic, some method, to every poll I create but I never reveal it. Because you asked:

Wolverhampton = A classic gig (bye bye Smiths, hello Solo) captured on film and released for public sale.

Pacific Amphitheater = As close to my hometown in Orange County, California as Moz could be, this was his second ever solo show in America and the entire thing was filmed by Tim Broad, however, only 3 songs ever surfaced on TV + the sound-check. This was an amazing show!

Starplex, Dallas = Filmed and released for public sale as “Live in Dallas.” A good virtual experience for me...however the Pacific Amphitheater show would have made for an excellent - dare I say better - release.

Madison Square Garden = I was very tempted to put the Los Angeles Forum up here where he duet-ed with Bowie and sold the place out in just over 10 minutes but I went with MSG…something for the New Yorkers / East Coast-ers…and because Moz has mentioned this gig in interviews many times. By all accounts an excellent show.

Santa Monica Civic = I wanted to respond to Worm’s comment above. This wasn’t just a non-seated concert. This was nothing less than Beatlemania or seeing a young Elvis I imagine. It was absolute pandemonium. There were, if memory serves me well, 20+ minor injuries and it made the TV and printed news. I touched Morrissey’s hand…it wouldn’t be the last time…but it was the first.

Madstock, Finsbury Park = For the media uproar it generated. Is it NME or enemy?

Hollywood Bowl = Moz sold this beautiful and acoustically perfect venue out faster than the Beatles…breaking their long-held record. It seats over 18,000 and he played it 2 nights!! And remember this was in the days before E-commerce so we all stood in line, camped out, or phoned in for tickets. Many celebrities were in the audience. The performances were excellent, the band tighter and more cohesive. These shows are emblazoned on my mind as quintessential “Your Arsenal” - shiny shirts and all.

Le Zenith = Much of this made it to “Beethoven Was Deaf” – another good virtual experience and far better than “Live At Earls Court.”

Brixton Academy = The Smiths played their last gig here and although Moz had returned once before as a Solo artist by all accounts this gig was even better than his first re-visit since the breakup of The Smiths.

El Auditorio Nacional = It meant a great deal to the fans in Mexico and Moz speaks of it fondly even nowadays…reminding us that he played to a sold out (or near sold out) crowd when Oasis apparently played this same venue to a half-empty audience.

Royal Albert Hall = A triumphant return as shown in the documentary “The Importance of Being Morrissey.”

M.E.N. Arena = No words are required. Manchester is Mecca for Moz fans.

Move Festival = “Who Put The M in Manchester?” makes this gig look even better than M.E.N.A. The crowd singing along to “Everyday is Like Sunday” – I just can’t explain so I won’t even try to.

The Point = Probably the best of those X-Mas Quarry Arena dates with rumors swirling that this might be the last concert ever. We found out later that Moz said (regarding his goodbye hints) “It’s always good to leave a paper trail…”

The day he played my hometown / other. = This would get the most votes as is expected. Of course, a person can vote for more than one choice in this poll…but oh well.

I wish I could have had space for:

Summer Sonic Festival, Chiba, Japan - 18 August 2002 = Part of the gig was shown on TV in Japan and I have a bootleg DVD of it. It’s a very good concert…showing a very humble Morrissey…a man without a record deal. His rendition of “Meat is Murder” at this concert was particularly excellent.

-Ghoul-

 

[Worm]

Indeed. The Santa Monica Civic Center show was pandemonium. It was the first time I understood the crazy violence that goes hand in hand with the music. Until then I'd only read about it. When I experienced it, I was transported-- and soundly thrashed, although unbloodied and unbroken in spirit I managed to hang on for the duration at the front. Perhaps you shoved me, or I you. In any case, that show made the gatefold picture on "Rank" look like the queen's tea party.

 

[Please]

WHERES Earls Court 2004!!!

 

[Belligerent Ghoul]

Indeed. The Santa Monica Civic Center show was pandemonium. It was the first time I understood the crazy violence that goes hand in hand with the music. Until then I'd only read about it. When I experienced it, I was transported-- and soundly thrashed, although unbloodied and unbroken in spirit I managed to hang on for the duration at the front. Perhaps you shoved me, or I you. In any case, that show made the gatefold picture on "Rank" look like the queen's tea party.

The pushing of passion. There were times at that gig that I was off my feet, lingering in air, squished between bodies. I remember people climbing over top to get out, asking us to get them out, and asking security to pull them out, etc. I remember when security handed us water bottles and we drank from them and passed them back to other devotees. The bruising of ribs, elbows at your sides, hands firmly on the barrier. Steam coming off bodies. After the show my white Moz t-shirt had blood on it but it wasn't my blood. Violence with malice I did not witness...only unbridled passion, reckless abandon, and the human injuries that sometimes come with said territory.

 

[Diogo Neto]

From the ones I've seen would I'd pick Paris ay the Olympia on the 30 Sept. 2002, and Buenos Aires at the Personal Festival 6 Nov. 2004
Sadly never watched a gig in the U.K. it is and would be really something I'm sure..

 

[Missing Link]

Ok, here's the real deal!...

Wednesday October 30, 2002, BirminghamAcademy, Birmingham, England

This Birmingham show was just electric. I was right at the front. People were passing out all around me and being man-handled over the barrier to the bouncers. They were even handing out water. The crush was amazing. People were randomly hugging each other at the end. It was a truly emotional experience...

Later on the tour I was at the Brixton Academy concert and Morrissey summed up his feelings about the Brum show and a couple of others too.

Download this and he'll tell you himself. You can hear how choked up he is - speaking between Meat Is Murder and November on the setlist, he's almost in tears...
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6RITI7XU

If anyone has a boot of the Brum gig, I'd half die for a copy...

 

[lilybett]

Out of the ones I've been to, it was seeing him at the Manchester Apollo

But seriously, I wish I'd been at his triumphant birthday show at the MEN two years ago...