Newcastle - Metro Radio Arena (Feb. 23, 2018) post-show

Post your info and reviews related to this concert in the comments section below. Other links (photos, external reviews, etc.) related to this concert will also be compiled in this section as they are sent in.

Setlist:

I Wish You Lonely / Suedehead / I Started Something I Couldn't Finish / Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up On The Stage / Home Is A Question Mark / Munich Air Disaster 1958 / My Love, I'd Do Anything For You / When You Open Your Legs / Who Will Protect Us From The Police? / World Peace Is None Of Your Business / If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look At Me / Back On The Chain Gang / I Bury The Living / The Bullfighter Dies / Jack The Ripper / How Soon Is Now? / Spent The Day In Bed / Hold On To Your Friends / Everyday Is Like Sunday / I'm Not Sorry // Irish Blood, English Heart

Setlist provided by an anonymous person.

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• Morrissey's on scintillating form as he returns to Newcastle with a swagger by Mark Douglas (4 of 5 stars) - Chronicle Live. Link posted by Duggandog.

 

[andynewcastle]

I am pretty convinced the 'magic times' have indeed gone forever, though, as you say, the gig was still 'OK'. The issue is a simple one - Morrissey is now at a fairly advanced age. Every year, he gets a little slower, has a little less energy, a little less bounce, and is more static. The pace of the songs comes down similarly, whilst the band (particularly Boz) often appear to be going through the motions. Also, crucially, the audience is aging as well. There are still a few new young 'uns, but a lot of middle-aged and older folk in the crowd. The days of the entire audience being a seething pit of adrenalin charged, screaming, moving flesh has gone - now its mostly middle-aged folk standing still, nodding appreciatvely, or sitting down in the balcony. The rabid exciting atmosphere of the old shows has gone.

Possibly a Smiths reunion might reverse things - at least for a little while - as the crowds would be hysterical, at least until the novelty wore off. The only other things that might add a bit more energy would be for Morrissey to replace his current 'comfort blanket' session musicians, for an entirely new, young band - who looked genuinly excited to be on stage, and don't have to follow choreographed movements every gig (watch how Jese has to stand at the back throughout the gig, only coming forward on stage at the same set points night after night, before returning to the back - it's like watching a clockwork automaton doing the same thing every show).

Again - the shows are still OK though - they just aren't brilliant events anymore.

Yes, sorry to say we are some of the middle aged duffers clogging up the works. How much of the quieter atmosphere is down to us or just society in general I'm not sure. I must admit football matches aren't what they were and whether this is due to more middle class/older people going or just a lack of a feeling of "togetherness" in society I really don't know.

As to Morrissey's contribution to this, I think if he played a few more well known tunes he could have had the place rocking but I fully respect that is not where he is at. There are very few artists today that are still relevant and have something to say, the last thing I'd want to see is Morrissey become a tribute act to himself as most older musicians have become.

On that note I attended the Pixies in Newcastle at the O2 last year and I would say it was a similar mixture of young and old albeit in a smaller venue and the atmosphere was incredible. However the Pixies haven't released an album of artistic merit in almost 3 decades.

 

[Fawdy]

Yes, sorry to say we are some of the middle aged duffers clogging up the works. How much of the quieter atmosphere is down to us or just society in general I'm not sure. I must admit football matches aren't what they were and whether this is due to more middle class/older people going or just a lack of a feeling of "togetherness" in society I really don't know.

As to Morrissey's contribution to this, I think if he played a few more well known tunes he could have had the place rocking but I fully respect that is not where he is at. There are very few if artists today that are still relevant and have something to say, the last thing I'd want to see is Morrissey become a tribute act to himself as most older musicians have become.

On that note I attended the Pixies in Newcastle at the O2 last year and I would say it was a similar mixture of young and old albeit in a smaller venue and the atmosphere was incredible. However the Pixies haven't released an album of artistic merit in almost 3 decades.

I agree with all of that and I saw the Pixies and agree it was fantastic - except I thought their last album was really great. Morrissey may not want to play older songs but his new songs are distinctly average in comparison and the consequence of this is that his shows are not a patch on the passion filled events of the past. This does not have to be the way - Neil Young gets a fantastic balance of playing old classics along with new material that is vital because he challenges himself by playing with young exciting musicians in Promise of the Real. It is not easy and a difficult balance but Morrissey, on last night showing, is not getting it right. I am seeing a lot of gigs this year and Morrissey's will end up being amongst the least memorable. Compare that to his shows at the City Hall, Sunderland Empire and Dunoon which were some of the best gigs of my life.

 

[bedlam breakout]

have given my standing ticket away for leeds tonight, that set list will have me in a coma mid way through it, after seeing king kurt and the epileptic hillbillys last week at the amazing brudenell club giving a full on energy driven night of rockin mayhem for less than a 3rd of the price and 2.50 a pint I think the contrast will be stark. seen Morrissey 9 times and boz with the polecats but like someone else said -the magic has worn thinner and thinner as time has ticked on, the one I have given my ticket to hasn't seen him before so wont have anything to compare to so should enjoy it

 

[Raphael Lambach]

I wonder if he couldnt't add more LIHS songs. I'd like to hear "In you lap" and his new singles...

 

[Flibberty]

I agree with all of that and I saw the Pixies and agree it was fantastic - except I thought their last album was really great. Morrissey may not want to play older songs but his new songs are distinctly average in comparison and the consequence of this is that his shows are not a patch on the passion filled events of the past. This does not have to be the way - Neil Young gets a fantastic balance of playing old classics along with new material that is vital because he challenges himself by playing with young exciting musicians in Promise of the Real. It is not easy and a difficult balance but Morrissey, on last night showing, is not getting it right. I am seeing a lot of gigs this year and Morrissey's will end up being amongst the least memorable. Compare that to his shows at the City Hall, Sunderland Empire and Dunoon which were some of the best gigs of my life.

I really don't think it's that simple.

I mean if people were to actually check the setlists from 1991, 1992, 1995 and 1997, for example, the song selections were not realistically better than they are today. Much shorter sets with songs from Kill Uncle, the Boxers b-sides, Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted.

People were younger so it is only natural that their responses will have been different though.

 

[No More]

I wonder if he couldnt't add more LIHS songs. I'd like to hear "In you lap" and his new singles...

I did think he was going to sing The Girl From Tel-Aviv last night, as I swear the opening instrumental kicked in whilst Moz was having a little breather, but then it went straight into another song.

 

[NealCassidy]

have given my standing ticket away for leeds tonight, that set list will have me in a coma mid way through it, after seeing king kurt and the epileptic hillbillys last week at the amazing brudenell club giving a full on energy driven night of rockin mayhem for less than a 3rd of the price and 2.50 a pint I think the contrast will be stark. seen Morrissey 9 times and boz with the polecats but like someone else said -the magic has worn thinner and thinner as time has ticked on, the one I have given my ticket to hasn't seen him before so wont have anything to compare to so should enjoy it

What set list do you expect on the low in high school tour?

 

[NealCassidy]

I did think he was going to sing The Girl From Tel-Aviv last night, as I swear the opening instrumental kicked in whilst Moz was having a little breather, but then it went straight into another song.

Gustavo’s intro to Sunday is like the piano of in your lap, though the piano ditty cane first because he’s been playing the same one since long before lIHs

 

[matt]

Going to Leeds this evening. Will be my 7th Morrissey concert since I got into him aged 17 in 2004. It's over an hour's drive, and I'd be lying if I said I'm overly excited. Taking a friend who's a casual fan at best, she's never been to a Moz concert and I think the set list will really put her off. He could do with a few more 'hits' to pull in the casuals and shake the crowd up a bit as others have said.

 

[bedlam breakout]

What set list do you expect on the low in high school tour?

something to get an audience going , the songs are ok on the headphones but not crowd pleasers like the boy racer- billy budd- what she said etc etc- sorry mate its just not for me - I know exactly whats coming - a slow bore fest in a giant asda. - I go to gigs every other week and a lot of rockabilly, smaller venues with atmosphere and energy aplenty

 

[Gazza21]

Hi all, new here and seeing Moz for the first time tonight and exceptionally excited at the amount of LIHS material. I guess The Who are my fave band and on those forums we would LOVE them to be more like Moz in their setlist picks, whereas it seems the other way around on here! Guess the point is that an artist can't please all the people all of the time... but personally I'd rather see an artist who is current and believes in their latest material than a greatest hits set....

 

[Anonymous]

What's written on bands t-shirts? can't find good pic

 

[Anonymous]

What is wrong with you people that you all want to give money to a guy who thinks Marine Le Pen, Anne Marie Waters and Nigel Farage are the good guys? You must be all rabid right wingers. Is that the fan base now?

Unprovoked, from a moderator, this is just weird.

It's also wrong. Morrissey has never said he thinks Le Pen, Waters or Farage are 'the good guys'.

And nobody's giving money to anyone. They bought tickets to a show. They didn't donate to a political movement.

Go to a show, Skinny, ask the attendees their thoughts and I think you'll find very few rabid right wingers. You'll find, as in any walk of life, a wide range of opinions from a diverse range of people.

What a world we live in, where any comment is treated as a statement, as a position, as if it's a paragraph from a manifesto. Ask a question or put forward a supposition and, suddenly it's "you've made your position quite clear..." and condemnation rains down.

 

[Bobbi-B]

What's written on bands t-shirts? can't find good pic

They read,

THIS COUNTRY IS MAKING ME SICK

 

[Girl Racer]

Another one that’s not that excited about Leeds tonight, I first saw morrissey live in 1992 and have seen him many many times since, but there’s something off about this Setlist for me. Even debating whether to go or not. I probably will, and no doubt once I’m there I’ll be singing along thinking why did I even write this, but at the moment I’m feeling very meh about it.

 

[Anonymous]

Another one that’s not that excited about Leeds tonight, I first saw morrissey live in 1992 and have seen him many many times since, but there’s something off about this Setlist for me. Even debating whether to go or not. I probably will, and no doubt once I’m there I’ll be singing along thinking why did I even write this, but at the moment I’m feeling very meh about it.

Same here g racer. I'm from same era. Set list is dire. 12 dull/average songs, 4 pretty good and 4 genuinely great. Can't blame him for playing tons off the new album but he's picked some really dull older stuff too like Munich and If you don't like me. Surely no one loves those songs. I don't always moan about set lists. The one from just over a year ago was brilliant. Prob won't bother with London shows unless a friend is v keen and I can grab a ticket for £30 tops.

 

[Bobbi-B]

Another one that’s not that excited about Leeds tonight, I first saw morrissey live in 1992 and have seen him many many times since, but there’s something off about this Setlist for me. Even debating whether to go or not. I probably will, and no doubt once I’m there I’ll be singing along thinking why did I even write this, but at the moment I’m feeling very meh about it.

I know what you mean.
I must admit I felt the same about last night but was glad I went.

Seems the new album is a bit like marmite as they say, Personally I like it.
But .... you never know, maybe he might do a “greatest hits” tour in the future .

 

[Anonymous]

There's never a greatest hits tour but the set lists are always best when there's been a good year or two since the latest album as you'll then only get 3 songs off the last one, rather than 8 or 9. He has in the past changed as many as 5 songs on any particular night but that's the exception rather than the rule.

 

[Watson]

Unprovoked, from a moderator, this is just weird.

It's also wrong. Morrissey has never said he thinks Le Pen, Waters or Farage are 'the good guys'.

And nobody's giving money to anyone. They bought tickets to a show. They didn't donate to a political movement.

Go to a show, Skinny, ask the attendees their thoughts and I think you'll find very few rabid right wingers. You'll find, as in any walk of life, a wide range of opinions from a diverse range of people.

What a world we live in, where any comment is treated as a statement, as a position, as if it's a paragraph from a manifesto. Ask a question or put forward a supposition and, suddenly it's "you've made your position quite clear..." and condemnation rains down.

Wonderful post, but it is best to not try and be rational with Skinny. His ship sailed a long time ago...

 

[Anonymous]

That you've chosen this thread to post this displays a level of narcism you clearly have no self awareness of. As to the content of your breathless hyperbole you display all the intellect of a no platform head of the student union, have you ever considered a career at the Guardian?

I could point out where real evil and fascism lives these days, i.e. everywhere and that the terms "right" and "left" have become meaningless in politics, but if it wasn't this it would just be some other reason to hate Morrissey who you clearly have a problem with.

Thankfully we have people like Morrissey who isn't bound with fitting in or conforming to the prevailing lefist dogma and can state truths that people find unsettling.

That you’ve chosen this post to display your inability to grasp basic spelling and grammer - whilst attempting the use of language that’s well above your pay-grade - speaks volumes about you.

Please complete a basic, remedial English course, correct your work and resubmit for grading.