San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater (May 12, 2022) 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:

We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful / Billy Budd / Disappointed / Ouija Board, Ouija Board / Never Had No One Ever / Satan Rejected My Soul (aborted) / Knockabout World / I Am Veronica / How Soon Is Now? / The Loop / Little Man, What Now? / Everyday Is Like Sunday / Suedehead / Have-A-Go Merchant / Half A Person / Irish Blood, English Heart / First Of The Gang To Die / Jack The Ripper // Let Me Kiss You / Sweet And Tender Hooligan

Setlist courtesy of setlist.fm

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• Photo posted by @suedehead_shop / Instagram, courtesy of Facebook- Cesar Hernandez. Link posted by Famous when dead.
  
  
• Little Moz onstage with Morrissey - How Soon Is Now - Fremont Theater - San Luis Obispo May 12, 2022 - Martin Marshmallow / YouTube (embed disabled). Link posted by Mozzer1980.
  
  Description: Dreams do come true. Little Moz met his musical hero, the great and mighty Morrissey. Not bad for a kid's first concert!
  
  Link posted by Ketamine Sun:
  
  
• [Morrissey Central] "SAN LUIS OBISPO" (May 13, 2022)

 

[Janice]

Was Dunoon 2011? f***ing hell, I’m getting old.

Yes

Perth
Inverness
Dunfermline
Dunoon
‘Oik’

Those were the Scotland gjgs. Good times

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Yes

Perth
Inverness
Dunfermline
Dunoon
‘Oik’

Those were the Scotland gjgs. Good times

Yes, you’ve triggered memories. I spent the whole Perth gig pretending not to see people from work, and Inverness was so dull that I was soured on the whole area, then I saw Johnny Marr there and it was magical.

 

[Amy]

He looks fantastic, and what a great setlist.
"Disappointed" and "Billy Budd", wow.

 

[Les Tameside]

This was an interesting show strangely marred by a pronounced absence of drama and ceremony. With no pre-show videos, no band introduction, no words about "I Am Veronica" and practically no banter at all, at times it felt more like witnessing an extended soundcheck rather than a gig proper. Even as a longtime fan who has watched him pass through several phases of his career, there's still something that doesn't feel quite right about seeing Morrissey in what essentially felt like an underpopulated high school auditorium (condolences to Vegan Cro and @Redacted, this show was most certainly not sold out). This seemed to be reflected in his mood, which was overtly short and distant.

The band was rough. Perhaps I'm being unfairly analytical, but Alain's presence seems to offer not much beyond a cynical advertisement for a past of greater credibility. He stands there underutilized while Jesse still clearly directs the show. His joyful leads on "Have-a-Go Merchant" were impossible to hear, though maybe the mix was better elsewhere (I was third row center which isn't always ideal for sound). It's a tough situation for a band; the stop-start schedule with sporadic gigs and a revolving cast of characters robs a group of musicians from truly gelling into a synergistic unit. I imagine they'll hit their stride just in time for the Vegas residency to conclude, which is a shame. For now, they sound like what they are: a timid, incohesive group of session players.

Still, the euphoria of watching the man step out in front of the microphone remains. Observing his movements (slightly more encumbered) and listening to his voice (just a bit dispassionate), you can't help but wrestle to reconcile the many different versions of both Morrissey's and your own life as a song plays out that you've been listening to for decades.

I feel, as I've felt for a while, that the inclusion of Smiths songs is unnecessary. I say this not to arouse the Johnny-haters, of which I am certainly not one. "Half a Person" worked best last night, while "How Soon is Now?" was easily the dullest and most lethargic rendition I've personally seen him perform. I'd always rather hear him do a solo deep cut (or even modern classic, as "Irish Blood English Heart" seemed to get one of the loudest crowd reactions for whatever reason.)

Finally, the charade with the kid was really nauseating and forced. As these things usually are, it was very clearly all about the father. There was a collective cringe in the first few rows as this little performance was taking place. It may appear sweet in the abstraction of an instagram video, but it was very awkward on the floor. After the show ended, this nut was propping up his kid against the flow of human traffic in order to force each person to acknowledge him as they filed out of the theater. I also had the misfortune of hearing him somewhat berating the child before the show in the men's room, which raised a red flag for me. I assume these picture perfect social media moments involving children are often motivated by some sort of pathetic ego agenda by the parents and this didn't seem too different from that.

Anyway...nitpicking aside, this was actually one of the better Morrissey shows I've seen over the past 10 years. Something has changed, a bit for the better and bit for the worse. He finally seems old, an inevitability it seemed like he would somehow avoid. It's a different sort of show now, perhaps labored in ways where it once came so naturally.

I wish my dad threw me on stage to meet Morrissey after a good berating. I got The Haughton Weavers instead. Not that they were a bad band, or anything.

 

[Magnificentseven]

This was an interesting show strangely marred by a pronounced absence of drama and ceremony. With no pre-show videos, no band introduction, no words about "I Am Veronica" and practically no banter at all, at times it felt more like witnessing an extended soundcheck rather than a gig proper. Even as a longtime fan who has watched him pass through several phases of his career, there's still something that doesn't feel quite right about seeing Morrissey in what essentially felt like an underpopulated high school auditorium (condolences to Vegan Cro and @Redacted, this show was most certainly not sold out). This seemed to be reflected in his mood, which was overtly short and distant.

The band was rough. Perhaps I'm being unfairly analytical, but Alain's presence seems to offer not much beyond a cynical advertisement for a past of greater credibility. He stands there underutilized while Jesse still clearly directs the show. His joyful leads on "Have-a-Go Merchant" were impossible to hear, though maybe the mix was better elsewhere (I was third row center which isn't always ideal for sound). It's a tough situation for a band; the stop-start schedule with sporadic gigs and a revolving cast of characters robs a group of musicians from truly gelling into a synergistic unit. I imagine they'll hit their stride just in time for the Vegas residency to conclude, which is a shame. For now, they sound like what they are: a timid, incohesive group of session players.

Still, the euphoria of watching the man step out in front of the microphone remains. Observing his movements (slightly more encumbered) and listening to his voice (just a bit dispassionate), you can't help but wrestle to reconcile the many different versions of both Morrissey's and your own life as a song plays out that you've been listening to for decades.

I feel, as I've felt for a while, that the inclusion of Smiths songs is unnecessary. I say this not to arouse the Johnny-haters, of which I am certainly not one. "Half a Person" worked best last night, while "How Soon is Now?" was easily the dullest and most lethargic rendition I've personally seen him perform. I'd always rather hear him do a solo deep cut (or even modern classic, as "Irish Blood English Heart" seemed to get one of the loudest crowd reactions for whatever reason.)

Finally, the charade with the kid was really nauseating and forced. As these things usually are, it was very clearly all about the father. There was a collective cringe in the first few rows as this little performance was taking place. It may appear sweet in the abstraction of an instagram video, but it was very awkward on the floor. After the show ended, this nut was propping up his kid against the flow of human traffic in order to force each person to acknowledge him as they filed out of the theater. I also had the misfortune of hearing him somewhat berating the child before the show in the men's room, which raised a red flag for me. I assume these picture perfect social media moments involving children are often motivated by some sort of pathetic ego agenda by the parents and this didn't seem too different from that.

Anyway...nitpicking aside, this was actually one of the better Morrissey shows I've seen over the past 10 years. Something has changed, a bit for the better and bit for the worse. He finally seems old, an inevitability it seemed like he would somehow avoid. It's a different sort of show now, perhaps labored in ways where it once came so naturally.

The band sounded great to me, I've been quite surprised at just how well Alain and Jesse gel together. I was in the second row and Morrissey certainly seemed in a cheerful mood to me. I enjoyed the banter after Satan was ditched, which I wasn't sad about, it's never been one of my favourites. And I thought the kid getting up on the stage was rather sweet, perhaps I'm just not as cynical, but he looked genuinely in awe at being up there with Morrissey and it was lovely to see. I wasn't mad about it disrupting HSIN either because I feel like I've heard that song enough lately. Loved the show.

 

[Lucifer Sam]

It’s an odd situation. I was raised catholic, went to catholic school, did the whole communion and confirmation thing etc.
I don’t do any of it now, I don’t even believe in god, but if someone asks if I’m catholic I say yes.
Culturally catholic, is that a thing?

Yes, I think it is. According to polling in the U.S. at least, most self-described Catholics do not make their Sunday obligation every week, so they may consider themselves Catholics but they aren't practicing. I think cultural Catholicism is even more pronounced in Mexico, because the Catholicism there is folk religion, superstitious and aesthetic, what with Rosary necklaces, curanderos, Our Lady of Guadalupe icons, votive candles festooning garish home altars, and ghoulish Day of the Dead celebrations.

I am reminded of a joke Christopher Hitchens liked to tell, about a man in Northern Ireland detained at a roadblock who was asked, "are you a Catholic or a Protestant?" to which the man replied, "I'm an atheist." Unrelenting, the guard demanded: "right, but are you a Catholic atheist or a Protestant atheist?"

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

The band sounded great to me, I've been quite surprised at just how well Alain and Jesse gel together. I was in the second row and Morrissey certainly seemed in a cheerful mood to me. I enjoyed the banter after Satan was ditched, which I wasn't sad about, it's never been one of my favourites. And I thought the kid getting up on the stage was rather sweet, perhaps I'm just not as cynical, but he looked genuinely in awe at being up there with Morrissey and it was lovely to see. I wasn't mad about it disrupting HSIN either because I feel like I've heard that song enough lately. Loved the show.

It’s interesting how people can be at the same show and have quite different experiences. So, thank you.

Watching the videos he seemed to be in a better mood than the first show.

 

[Famous when dead]

 

[nicky wire's legs]

View attachment 81287
View attachment 81288

this is so sweet and heart warming! what a little cutie!!

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I have been a Catholic vegetarian myself, but a person is in a very lonely subset in such a position. And what you can't say, as a Catholic vegan or vegetarian, is that eating meat is ethically wrong. Because then you are making up your own sin, whereas the Church does not consider meat-eating sinful. So it's a contradiction.

I agree, Morrissey might perceive himself as Catholic, but I think it's probably a vague, aesthetic, cultural sort of Catholicism, one which most people would not recognize. He's not a practicing Catholic. His Catholicism is probably more like James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, who admired the Latin Mass, and the altar surrounded with flowers at Easter, and the pious old hunchbacked ladies in black veils praying their Rosaries.

 

[Magnificentseven]

It’s interesting how people can be at the same show and have quite different experiences. So, thank you.

Watching the videos he seemed to be in a better mood than the first show.

He was simultaneously much more relaxed during this concert and more animated. His shirt even came off and I feared those days were gone. Perhaps it was the absence of the tux that did it, maybe it was the venue or the crowd or maybe he had simply got into the swing of things. Either way, it made for a fantastic experience. For me anyway, and the people I met afterwards certainly enjoyed it as well. It didn't hurt that the set-list was another belter.

 

[Redacted]

This was an interesting show strangely marred by a pronounced absence of drama and ceremony. With no pre-show videos, no band introduction, no words about "I Am Veronica" and practically no banter at all, at times it felt more like witnessing an extended soundcheck rather than a gig proper. Even as a longtime fan who has watched him pass through several phases of his career, there's still something that doesn't feel quite right about seeing Morrissey in what essentially felt like an underpopulated high school auditorium (condolences to Vegan Cro and @Redacted, this show was most certainly not sold out). This seemed to be reflected in his mood, which was overtly short and distant.

The band was rough. Perhaps I'm being unfairly analytical, but Alain's presence seems to offer not much beyond a cynical advertisement for a past of greater credibility. He stands there underutilized while Jesse still clearly directs the show. His joyful leads on "Have-a-Go Merchant" were impossible to hear, though maybe the mix was better elsewhere (I was third row center which isn't always ideal for sound). It's a tough situation for a band; the stop-start schedule with sporadic gigs and a revolving cast of characters robs a group of musicians from truly gelling into a synergistic unit. I imagine they'll hit their stride just in time for the Vegas residency to conclude, which is a shame. For now, they sound like what they are: a timid, incohesive group of session players.

Still, the euphoria of watching the man step out in front of the microphone remains. Observing his movements (slightly more encumbered) and listening to his voice (just a bit dispassionate), you can't help but wrestle to reconcile the many different versions of both Morrissey's and your own life as a song plays out that you've been listening to for decades.

I feel, as I've felt for a while, that the inclusion of Smiths songs is unnecessary. I say this not to arouse the Johnny-haters, of which I am certainly not one. "Half a Person" worked best last night, while "How Soon is Now?" was easily the dullest and most lethargic rendition I've personally seen him perform. I'd always rather hear him do a solo deep cut (or even modern classic, as "Irish Blood English Heart" seemed to get one of the loudest crowd reactions for whatever reason.)

Finally, the charade with the kid was really nauseating and forced. As these things usually are, it was very clearly all about the father. There was a collective cringe in the first few rows as this little performance was taking place. It may appear sweet in the abstraction of an instagram video, but it was very awkward on the floor. After the show ended, this nut was propping up his kid against the flow of human traffic in order to force each person to acknowledge him as they filed out of the theater. I also had the misfortune of hearing him somewhat berating the child before the show in the men's room, which raised a red flag for me. I assume these picture perfect social media moments involving children are often motivated by some sort of pathetic ego agenda by the parents and this didn't seem too different from that.

Anyway...nitpicking aside, this was actually one of the better Morrissey shows I've seen over the past 10 years. Something has changed, a bit for the better and bit for the worse. He finally seems old, an inevitability it seemed like he would somehow avoid. It's a different sort of show now, perhaps labored in ways where it once came so naturally.

No need to tag me in your nonsense, this review is just as believable as you are, which is what I would think had I bothered to read it

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

He was simultaneously much more relaxed during this concert and more animated. His shirt even came off and I feared those days were gone. Perhaps it was the absence of the tux that did it, maybe it was the venue or the crowd or maybe he had simply got into the swing of things.

Either way, it made for a fantastic experience. For me anyway, and the people I met afterwards certainly enjoyed it as well. It didn't hurt that the set-list was another belter.

Besides it being a great show, you seem to know how to enjoy life, while others are cynical and never will, sadly.

If you’re going to anymore shows, have a great time

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

One day you can be catholic, the next day something else. It’s all make-believe in the end.

 

[Magnificentseven]

Besides it being a great show, you seem to know how to enjoy life, while others are cynical and never will, sadly.

If you’re going to anymore shows, have a great time

Well I didn't analyse every moment, I have a feeling that Stan was busy composing his review while the show was still going on...

Thanks, I'll be at Cruel World. Can't wait.

 

[marred]

Hopefully not. I don't think Moz will get hooked on that. I never saw or plan to watch Star Wars!!!!

Oh wow. How enlightened of you.

 

[Stan Doffish]

Besides it being a great show, you seem to know how to enjoy life, while others are cynical and never will, sadly.

If you’re going to anymore shows, have a great time

No reason to take my post personally. As I said, it was an interesting show and I had a great time. One of his best setlists in a long, long time. Enjoying one's self and making critical observations are not mutually exclusive.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

No reason to take my post personally. As I said, it was an interesting show and I had a great time. One of his best setlists in a long, long time. Enjoying one's self and making critical observations are not mutually exclusive.

I enjoyed your post, it allowed me to point out how people could could perceive the same show differently. So, no need to take my critical observation of your post personally.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Well I didn't analyse every moment, I have a feeling that Stan was busy composing his review while the show was still going on...

I don’t know about Stan. But unfortunately that happens, for some it’s a constant comparison to a ‘better past’, which gets in the way of actually experiencing the present moment as it really is.

Thanks, I'll be at Cruel World. Can't wait.

 

[Stan Doffish]

I don’t know about Stan. But unfortunately that happens, for some it’s a constant comparison to a ‘better past’, which gets in the way of actually experiencing the present moment as it really is.

You're misunderstanding my perspective. It's not a comparison, it's a reconciliation. It's not about better or worse, it's simply about bearing witness to an inevitability and making peace with it. One of the few things Morrissey pointedly said last night between songs was "the past is a country."