Stoke-on-Trent - Victoria Hall (July 5, 2011) post-show

Tomorrow. Don't do that to me. I'm sat at home wondering if I should be on a train right now!

 

[swiss]

Morrissey just gets better and better. An absolutely superb night. Grimsby was good last week but tonight was on another level. He seems very happy at the moment and is feeding off the crowd adulation that he gets. If I never saw him again that concert would live in the memory forever. Highlights for me were Speedway, Alma matters, Everyday is like Sunday, I know its over and Panic was an added bonus.

 

[Anonymous]

Good things first:

the gig was amazing, the best since 2002 Birmingham Carling Academy,

I know it's over and meat is murder reduced me and my friend to tears. The crowd were really fantastic tonight, and Moz seemed to respond accordingly, crawling across the floor as he left the stage before the encore. Very funny.

After the gig, some of us hung around to wait for a possible glimpse of the band and Moz. I ventured over to a group of people who included Moz'a tall Irish gypsy-looking security dude, and was told to "f*** off now i've got the cigarette i asked for". Im not blaming Moz's security guy, but some south african shaved headed dude said this.
Then, a member of group 3 security, who did the whole gig, told me to f*** off and i repeated this, and he began to threaten me very aggressively.
moz's tourbus left with them forming a perimeter around it,
at the end, i shook moz's irish tall security guard's hand and said "are you moz's security?" he denied it, but i knew he was,

So...amazing gig, lousy security guard assholes.

ps- when an english guy who lives in Hanley says to American fans, "hello, it's nice to meet you: try and be more friendly and less weird/shy" i won't bite!

 

[Steven T]

"Honestly the best night of my life . Every aspect was perfect...plus I was at the front! It was funny to watch the meat head security completely own anyone who tried to escape their grasp."

Yeah, the security guards made some moments less magic for me, especially when I was trying to do a few videos and their bald bonces kept coming into shot, but what can you do? At least Moz tried to shake as many hands as he could. I agree though, it was an awesome gig. I really like these intimate shows in off-the-beaten-path venues.

Did anyone see that big fat guy attempt to stage dive and it took two big security guards to cart him off?? It was like watching them try to control an angry bull. And his trainer came off.

 

[Sir Tuborgnights]

Bloody-f*** he did a pump between songs!!!!!!!! Smelled like veggie "Prada"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Anonymous]

"Did anyone see that big fat guy attempt to stage dive and it took two big security guards to cart him off?? It was like watching them try to control an angry bull. And his trainer came off."

------------------

He had someone to train him to stage dive?

 

[Anonymous]

Absolutely excellent night, mutual love and the singalong for There Is a Light was magic.

More nights like these, please.

 

[Rupert]

My 5th Moz gig, and definitely on par with the first time I saw him. Beyond stunning. His voice is noticeably more powerful this tour, and he's even started nailing falsetto again (end of I Want and First Of The Gang), something which he struggled with on the Refusal/Swords run. The setlist was absolutely spot on and well sequenced. Not too bothered about not hearing Kid's A Looker or Satellite, even though the latter is probably one his better covers. Would have loved Charming Man before Panic, but I've caught it on the last few dates. I always thought Panic was the perfect opener, and indeed it's a perfect closer. I also thought that crashing straight into First Of The Gang after I Know It's Over worked really well, really fired the audience up again before the encore. Loved every song, but I have to give the song of night to Speedway. Astonishing. The way it really kicks in after the second chainsaw break. Class. New songs sound really good live, I always preferred Action to People Are The Same, but the latter is fast becoming favourite of mine. Gustavo is really coming across great as well, some really great synths coming through that aren't cheesy at all, sounds very orchestral and authentic. And anyone who thinks Jesse ruins the sound, his guitar work on I Know It's Over was very sensitive and beautiful. There Is A Light was great, although I preferred it on the Quarry tour when they played it with capo on 5th fret. This tour they're doing it the original key, and slightly slower than on record. Which is fine, but I think the Quarry tour version was much more energetic. Some guy down the front managed to hand Moz a laminated sheet that read 'BECAUSE WE MUST' early on in the set (You Have Killed Me?). Morrissey held it to his chest for a few seconds. Was one of those real spot on moments. Great hearing You Have Killed Me Again too actually. Shocking display from the security, my heart goes out to the poor guy who tried to shake Moz's hand and literally got pulled out, and pounded. c***s. Overall, one of the best gigs I've ever witnessed. Morrissey is literally on fire. I hope he gets the record deal he more than deserves. Every record company in the country should be down on bended knee begging in my opinion.

 

[Anonymous]

Foie Gras comment: Some facts folks. K & W were at a "Chef" school in Quebec where they learned how to make Foie Gras.......while outside, a great many anti-monarchy and vegetarian protesters gathered. So, Sir Moz, get your facts straight. We all know what goes into Foie Gras and Blood Pudding, etc, etc, etc. It's not like all Canadians go out and kill ducks and make a nasty paste with their livers...much like not all Brits go fox hunting. For all we know, you rascal Moz, you've got a rifle in your closet and take the occasional shot?

What are you on about? he was just saying that kate didn't give a shit she was just smiling whilst handing it out, he is talking about k & w i believe you think he its talking about all canadians, he was not.

 

[Anonymous]

Morrissey just gets better and better. An absolutely superb night. Grimsby was good last week but tonight was on another level. He seems very happy at the moment and is feeding off the crowd adulation that he gets. If I never saw him again that concert would live in the memory forever. Highlights for me were Speedway, Alma matters, Everyday is like Sunday, I know its over and Panic was an added bonus.

Morrissey just gets better and better. ???????????????
You must be 15 years and a stroker!!!!!

TROLL POST!!

 

[Anonymous]

Good venue, v good setlist. Moz in red shirt then white then a bluey.

Best songs = speedway (featuring oddly sung verses) and i know it's over

At the start someone gave Moz a sign which he liked and put it by the bass drum.

There is a light = too slow.

During Panic someone threw a plastic bottle at Moz which narrowly missed him and was collected by stagehand.

Magners 4.50 a bottle

Best gig since bham 2002

 

[Gin]

Amazing gig. He is just awesome and gets better and better. So glad to have been part of such a memorable gig. There is a light and first of the gang highlights in an outstanding set. And he looks so fabulous still!

 

[Anonymous]

What did the badges say that the band were wearing?? I saw one on the bassist which said "I hate girls". What were the others?

 

[Rupert]

Some guy down the front managed to hand Moz a laminated sheet that read 'BECAUSE WE MUST' early on in the set (You Have Killed Me?). Morrissey held it to his chest for a few seconds. Was one of those real spot on moments. Great hearing You Have Killed Me Again too actually.

 

[Anonymous]

is the lovely shy girl in the queen is dead shirt with a how soon is now tattoo on her arm on here??? x

 

[motorcycleaupairboy]

I saw his last gig (at least I think it was) at the Victotria Hall in 1991. My first Morrissey gig. It was an overwhelming and life changing experience. Within a week the ripped jeans had gone, long hair replaced by a quiff, cowboy boots replaced by DMs and the wardrobe adorned by more interesting shirts. I so wish I could have been there tonight to relive my disappointingly un-mispent youth.

One of my main memories of 1991 was reading the NME and MM the week after. Both reviews were savage and seemed far fetched in the extreme. The NME writer was Barbara Ellen, who I knew from her photo. We had commented how much she had enjoyed the gig and had seen her singing along and dancing. I guess this was a salutary lesson in what it is like to be a Morrissey fan and a portent of what was to come.

Glad it was a great gig. Wish I could have been there. I guess the years would have flown away.

 

[Anonymous]

more dates sounds great!- midlands! chelt and birmingham!

 

[MarcoPoloMotel]

Please please PLEASE let's keep some perspective here! No-one can surely deny that he gave some alltime top gurns. And plenty of them. T'was thoroughly splendid. I did a quick calculation. Taking into account the booking fee, we got a gurn for every 42 pence. You can't even get a half of Tetleys for that nowadays, so who are we to complain?

Personally I thought I Want the One, Ouiji, Meat is Murder, Speedway, & Llamas Matters rocked, and they murdered TIALTNGO.

Took someone who'd never seen him before. My friend came out saying "he's good but he's definitely on drugs"

 

[The Smiths Indeed]

Stoke set list & some quotations:

[The Operation intro]
"The joint starts shaking, it's ready to crumble, the boy's out digging, looking for a rumble in a ... [Private World]"
I WANT THE ONE I CAN'T HAVE ("why, thank you")
YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME FATTY
IRISH BLOOD, ENGLISH HEART
SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD UNITE (there's a fight down the mid-front)
YOU HAVE KILLED ME (brandishing a gift BECAUSE WE MUST sign & lyric change: "I forgive you, I forgive you, I forever blowing bubbles")
"This song is called Just A Song At Twilight"
EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY
ONE DAY GOODBYE WILL BE FAREWELL
"Are you bored? Are you ouija?"
OUIJA BOARD
"As you, as you all file out to visit the bog-atry where you will no doubt quite rightly have a cigarette, as you leave will you please say hello to ...[band introductions]"
THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT
I'M THROWING MY ARMS AROUND PARIS
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE
"Now, because as you know we live in a dictatorship, everyday of our lives we are force-fed Wiliamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate. And everything they do is so good and so funny and brings us all together and it's so heart-rendering [sic] Williamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate. And I'm sure in the last couple days you saw the hysterically good Williamandkate in Canada where lovely Williamandkate made foie gras which is the most cruel dish on the planet and the absolutely beautiful Kate fed the horrible foie gras to the people and she was laughing, she was laughing, she was laughing. Williamandkate... bag of shit!"
(The 'Wonderful' William & Kate/Foie Gras/Bag of Shit - story)
MEAT IS MURDER
"Are you still with us? Did you know that action is my middle name? How did you know that? You are very clever."
ACTION IS MY MIDDLE NAME
ALMA MATTERS (over the outro: "frank and open deep conversation")
"Ah, it's never enough. It's never enough. They want you to bleed to death."
SPEEDWAY
I KNOW IT'S OVER
FIRST OF THE GANG TO DIE
"Ciao" (Morrissey walked off stage left, but a stage hand indicated he should use the other side. So, Morrissey slowly walked back across the stage, eventually falling to his knees & crawling part of the way across.)

[encore]
"We would like to thank our new friends All The Young [big cheer]. And we would like to thank the City of Stoke [bigger cheer], where the men are men [pause] and the women are men [biggest cheer]."
PANIC

[exit music: Death by Klaus Nomi]

 

[Rupert]

Stoke set list & some quotations:

[The Operation intro]
"The joint starts shaking, it's ready to crumble, the boy's out digging, looking for a rumble in a ... [Private World]"
I WANT THE ONE I CAN'T HAVE ("why, thank you")
YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME FATTY
IRISH BLOOD, ENGLISH HEART
SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD UNITE (there's a fight down the mid-front)
YOU HAVE KILLED ME (brandishing a gift BECAUSE WE MUST sign & lyric change: "I forgive you, I forgive you, I forever blowing bubbles")
"This song is called Just A Song At Twilight"
EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY
ONE DAY GOODBYE WILL BE FAREWELL
"Are you bored? Are you ouija?"
OUIJA BOARD
"As you, as you all file out to visit the bog-atry where you will no doubt quite rightly have a cigarette, as you leave will you please say hello to ...[band introductions]"
THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT
I'M THROWING MY ARMS AROUND PARIS
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE
"Now, because as you know we live in a dictatorship, everyday of our lives we are force-fed Wiliamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate. And everything they do is so good and so funny and brings us all together and it's so heart-rendering [sic] Williamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate. And I'm sure in the last couple days you saw the hysterically good Williamandkate in Canada where lovely Williamandkate made foie gras which is the most cruel dish on the planet and the absolutely beautiful Kate fed the horrible foie gras to the people and she was laughing, she was laughing, she was laughing. Williamandkate... bag of shit!"
(The 'Wonderful' William & Kate/Foie Gras/Bag of Shit - story)
MEAT IS MURDER
"Are you still with us? Did you know that action is my middle name? How did you know that? You are very clever."
ACTION IS MY MIDDLE NAME
ALMA MATTERS (over the outro: "frank and open deep conversation")
"Ah, it's never enough. It's never enough. They want you to bleed to death."
SPEEDWAY
I KNOW IT'S OVER
FIRST OF THE GANG TO DIE
"Ciao" (Morrissey walked off stage left, but a stage hand indicated he should use the other side. So, Morrissey slowly walked back across the stage, eventually falling to his knees & crawling part of the way across.)

[encore]
"We would like to thank our new friends All The Young [big cheer]. And we would like to thank the City of Stoke [bigger cheer], where the men are men [pause] and the women are men [biggest cheer]."
PANIC

[exit music: Death by Klaus Nomi]

Excellent summary, pretty much covered it. I also noticed the lyric mention of Our Frank, now that would be a superb addition to the set. We're not hopeful, but we shall see.

 

[Anonymous]

Stoke set list & some quotations:

[The Operation intro]
"The joint starts shaking, it's ready to crumble, the boy's out digging, looking for a rumble in a ... [Private World]"
I WANT THE ONE I CAN'T HAVE ("why, thank you")
YOU'RE THE ONE FOR ME FATTY
IRISH BLOOD, ENGLISH HEART
SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD UNITE (there's a fight down the mid-front)
YOU HAVE KILLED ME (brandishing a gift BECAUSE WE MUST sign & lyric change: "I forgive you, I forgive you, I forever blowing bubbles")
"This song is called Just A Song At Twilight"
EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY
ONE DAY GOODBYE WILL BE FAREWELL
"Are you bored? Are you ouija?"
OUIJA BOARD
"As you, as you all file out to visit the bog-atry where you will no doubt quite rightly have a cigarette, as you leave will you please say hello to ...[band introductions]"
THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT
I'M THROWING MY ARMS AROUND PARIS
PEOPLE ARE THE SAME EVERYWHERE
"Now, because as you know we live in a dictatorship, everyday of our lives we are force-fed Wiliamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate. And everything they do is so good and so funny and brings us all together and it's so heart-rendering [sic] Williamandkate Williamandkate Williamandkate. And I'm sure in the last couple days you saw the hysterically good Williamandkate in Canada where lovely Williamandkate made foie gras which is the most cruel dish on the planet and the absolutely beautiful Kate fed the horrible foie gras to the people and she was laughing, she was laughing, she was laughing. Williamandkate... bag of shit!"
(The 'Wonderful' William & Kate/Foie Gras/Bag of Shit - story)
MEAT IS MURDER
"Are you still with us? Did you know that action is my middle name? How did you know that? You are very clever."
ACTION IS MY MIDDLE NAME
ALMA MATTERS (over the outro: "frank and open deep conversation")
"Ah, it's never enough. It's never enough. They want you to bleed to death."
SPEEDWAY
I KNOW IT'S OVER
FIRST OF THE GANG TO DIE
"Ciao" (Morrissey walked off stage left, but a stage hand indicated he should use the other side. So, Morrissey slowly walked back across the stage, eventually falling to his knees & crawling part of the way across.)

[encore]
"We would like to thank our new friends All The Young [big cheer]. And we would like to thank the City of Stoke [bigger cheer], where the men are men [pause] and the women are men [biggest cheer]."
PANIC

[exit music: Death by Klaus Nomi]

without a doubt, best concert review ever. just the facts. some people don't get this. whoever posted this, can you please do this for every show?