Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Monday October 31, 2016 :
I was never a Smiths fan. What I mean by that is that I did not invest any real emotion into the band or their music. ‘How Soon Is Now?’ is cool, and ‘This Charming Man’ is… cute, but I cannot name a third Smiths song. As for Morrissey solo, I have heard even less. With that said, I still felt that I needed to see him live.
The Civic Theatre in Newcastle is a beautiful venue to see any performance, and Morrissey within these walls feels quite appropriate. I understand the love that many fans have for this man, how highly he is regarded, and for the faithful who filled the opulent Civic Theatre, they were given a performance that I can only imagine was memorable for them. As a music lover who was seeing Morrissey for the first time, I was left very impressed.
As I enter the Civic, a fully seated venue, people are already on their feet waiting for Morrissey. More join them as the curtain rises and the mic is backlight by a spot. I could feel the anticipation building, the crowd fully ready to welcome Morrissey live in Newcastle.
I can honestly say that over the next couple of hours, I knew not one song. Morrissey onstage has an air of vulnerability and awkwardness, his stage manor is not aggressive or in your face at all, yet there is a strength that is palpable. His singing voice is just beautiful, and the melody lines that it weaves are truly unique.
His five piece band provided a backing that was surprisingly tougher than I was expecting. The guitars were cutting and vicious at times, with Morrissey’s sweet vocals providing sweetness to the grit. The lighting and sound could not be faulted, with the simple lighting setup being used masterfully throughout the night.
Once I had adjusted to a tougher Morrissey live on stage, the first highlight for me was the mid-tempo fourth song of the night (‘Istanbul’). The tempo was pulled back and there was a darkness to the music. Then the cutting guitar was let loose, and I was sold.
Half a dozen tracks later, and again it was the dirty mid-tempo rock dirge that got me in. The stage is enveloped with smoke, backlit, as the song’s (‘Jack The Ripper’) grandeur fills the Civic Theatre. The lighting, though simple, lifted the song to that special place where I am mentioning it to you.
A couple of songs later, and I am assaulted by Slaughterhouse footage as the band is bathed in blood red. The lyrics of the song (“Meat is Murder’) are as blunt as the footage, and there was nothing pretty about the performance. It was confronting and nasty, in keeping with the subject matter. Without being ‘preachy’, Morrissey has delivered his message in the best way possible, with a performance that is memorable.
21 songs later, including a quick two minute punk encore (Ramones ‘Judy Is A Punk’), and I have seen one of the best live shows of the year without knowing a single song. I really could not fault it.
Reviewer and Photographer : Kevin Bull