Morrissey Manchester Arena Gig Review

Morrissey Gig Review Manchester Arena
Gig 34 of 2012: 28 July 2012


Leaping straight into the main event for Morrissey yesterday, I have to come clean, I feel a bit of a fraud. Morrissey was Mrs P's idol not mine, and I used to give my house mate at Uni dogs abuse for liking the Smiths despite my music choices at that time being very questionable.

However I have seen the light in later years, driven by seeing him live and also the return to form album 'You are the Quarry' which dominated the ipod a few years back. So with Morrissey not being my reason for living, and having seen a lot of gigs this year, what did I think - well he's first class, he draws opinions, and he is unique.

At half eight the lights went out and from the black came a 5 minute lady scouse voiced list of things that are not particularly pleasant.....'poll tax, apartheid, John Lennon's murder, death of the rain forest, red necks........' and on came Moz, to the centre of the stage with Band in their trade mark now 'We hate William and Kate' T shirts for a bow. Being up in the gods, it was amazing to see the surge of the crowd running right the way front to back on his appearance and he was away.

Kicking off with burst of You Have Killed Me, Everyday Is Like Sunday, You're The One For Me, Fatty (a particular favourite of me and Mrs P) and the phenomenal How Soon Is Now? there was no way that the faithful were not going to be over the moon, twitter was proclaiming it the best live experience people had ever had although for me the sound quality of sheds this size is lacking somewhat.


Morrissey was also quick to get the quips out on his pet subjects, such as 


'You'll notice I wasn't invited to the opening ceremony of the Olympics as my smile was judged to be too sincere'


'Well done on surviving that moronic jubilee, when will we be rid of that family'


'I was in Tel Aviv recently where I was given the key to the city, Manchester Council have given me nothing'


This wasn't to everyone's delight with the chap across the aisle from me standing up shouting shut up and just sing and waving certain hand gestures at various points, and whilst I don't agree with everything that comes from his mouth, he is consistent and has an opinion which is very rare in the music world these days. 


Songs continued to come thick and fast, some I knew, some I didn't, regular shirt changes, one launched into the mosh pit causing a frenzy, the mic lent to the crowd to provide thoughts, which didn't last long, arms reaching out to the devoted, introducing the band. An engaging performance.


Meat is Murder - backed by a film inviting us to 'meet our meat' will no doubt have converted a few more people to vegetarianism and per twitter brought tears from sections of the crowd.


The exception in the band to wearing the 'Will & Kate' T's was the extremely bouncy guitarist, who from a long way back I thought was a young lady but turns out to be Boz Boorer in drag, made me smile anyway when I realised.


After a couple of hours we were treated to an encore of Smith song Still Ill and he was gone, with a bow. Overall a really enjoyable gig, not life changing, not the best Moz gig I've seen, but all round great entertainment.

A bit bizarre though was the support act, regularly I'll come out of a gig having bought the supports album/single but Kristeen Young is definitely an acquired taste. Appearing from the darkness in the corner of the stage behind a madly used piano she sounded like a really loud and spikey Kate Bush to me, and not that easy to get into at all, other songs were sung to a backing tape with visuals, but no, not for me.

The other standout from Moz is the merchandise, well thought through and this was the best T I'd seen for ages:

Set list from here

1. You Have Killed Me 
2. Everyday Is Like Sunday 
3. You're The One For Me, Fatty 
4. How Soon Is Now? 
   (The Smiths song)
5. I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris 
6. Ouija Board, Ouija Board 
7. Maladjusted 
8. When Last I Spoke To Carol 
9. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me 
   (The Smiths song)
10. People Are The Same Everywhere 
11. I Know It's Over 
    (The Smiths song)
12. To Give (The Reason I Live) 
    (Frankie Valli cover)
13. Scandinavia 
14. Black Cloud 
15. Action Is My Middle Name 
16. I Will See You In Far-Off Places 
17. Meat Is Murder 
    (The Smiths song)
18. Let Me Kiss You 
19. Speedway 
20. Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want 
    (The Smiths song)
21. Encore:
21. Still Ill 
    (The Smiths song)

Famous Rock Landmarks No. 1: Salford Lads Club

A trip to Manchester to see the Charlatans and having half an hour to spare, I decided to go and see a rock land mark, so phoning the Missus to get the post code to Salford Lads Club headed into quite a rough area, turned into an estate (with significant metal fences up everywhere) and continued to follow the instructions to come to a stop at a fenced off dead end. 'You have reached your destination' chirped the nice lady from Tom Tom, 'I don't think' so I responded and drove off at pace. 


Stopping for a few minutes to surf the net I found a note to approach from the Coronation side so I tried again, drove past the little estate and then peering to my left saw the iconic front. It was again pretty challenging to get in (unless you ignore the one way sign outside) but after a few trys I parked up outside the entrance and stood where the Smiths had once stood. It is an iconic site, it really looks it. A nice couple took a pic for me and after a couple of minutes later I sped off.

History

The concept of the boys' club (lads' club being a term used exclusively in Manchester and the surrounding areas) grew up in the 19th century as a way of keeping young boys “off the streets” and encouraging them to become “good and worthy God-fearing citizens” The clubs were usually set up by local philanthropic businessmen, and it was soon realised that, to compete with the outside attractions of freedom from restraint and gambling, they must provide not only for draughts, bagatelle, and billiards but for more exciting pursuits that most boys could not otherwise obtain, such as gymnastics, boxing, fives, swimming and especially, outdoor games.

In Salford and Manchester a number of these clubs grew up in the most deprived areas, the first of which was Hulme lads Club founded in 1850. Salford Lads club was founded in 1903 by two brothers, James and William Groves from the family of brewers that were partners with Arthur William Whitnall in the Groves and Whitnall Brewery on Regent Road in Salford. Built and designed by Manchester architect Henry Lord, who was also responsible for the former Salford Royal Hospital and Salford Museum and Art Gallery, the club was opened on 30 January 1904 by Robert Baden-Powell, three years before he founded the scout movement.

The Club has held an annual camping holiday since 1904. According to club worker and local artist, Leslie Holmes: "Salford Lads Club has a remarkable tradition that predates the first scout camps set up by Lord Baden-Powell. Salford Lads Club first camp was at Llandulas in 1904 when 173 boys took part". The camps have been held at Tan-y-Bwlch, Aberystwyth during Whitsun since 1934. Famous members, who have camped at Aberystwyth include Graham Nash and Eddie Coleman, who, at 21, was the youngest Manchester United footballer to die in the Munich air disaster of 1958.

Membership has fallen to around 100 compared with 2,000 in its heyday. The club building gained Grade II listed building status in August 2003, as its tiled interior is virtually unchanged, with original fittings including a boxing ring, snooker rooms, and a gym with a viewing balcony. 

Music and film heritage

The 1960s pop group The Hollies used to practice at the club before they became famous. Allan Clarke and Graham Nash were both members and their membership cards are still in the club's archives.

The club gained international fame in 1986 when the alternative rock band The Smiths posed in front of the building for the inside cover of their album The Queen Is Dead. The Smiths' music video for the songs "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" and "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" also featured shots of the building's exterior. The committee was said at the time to be furious, and solicitors acting for the club claimed that;

Inclusion of the photograph may generally cause any person reading the [album] or listening to the record to attribute the material to the club, its committee or its members ... we would cite for example the reference in the song Vicar in a Tutu to the singer being engaged in stealing lead from a church roof, or indeed the very title to the album itself and the tenor of the title song."

However, over the last few years the club has begun to embrace this more recent legacy and welcome the fans to the club. The photograph, taken by pop photographer Stephen Wright was accepted into the National Portrait Gallery in 2008. The club is on the corner of St Ignatius Walk and Coronation Street in Salford and is a place of pilgrimage for many Smiths fans. It also featured in the music video for The Dream Academy's "Life in a Northern Town".

In 2003 a film documentary was made as part of the celebrations for the club's centenary. The film, which was introduced by Peter Hook, bassist for Joy Division and New Order, who lived on the Ordsall estate until he was 19, was made with the help of elderly residents and young members of the club and is a mix of interviews and location shots.

The musician Vinny Peculiar, alias Alan Wilks, has a longstanding association with the club, supporting various club events, performing for visiting Morrissey fans with ex-Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, and rehearsing with his band, which includes ex-members of The Smiths, Oasis and The Fall.

The building has also been used as the location for a number of films and television dramas including Channel 4's Shameless, Granada TV's 2002 remake of The Forsyte Saga, a 2004 music video: Life in a Northern Town Life in a Northern Town,the film version of the Jacqueline Wilson's novel, "Illustrated Mum", the BBC police drama Conviction and, in 2008, the remake of the 1970s BBC series Survivors.

The club can be seen in the opening sequence of BBC Sport's The Football League Show and, on the 19th December 2011, the setting for BBC1's first ever live broadcast of Football Focus.