Morrissey
10 out of 10 - Flawless.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Ventura Theater, CA
|
|
From the depths of the Ventura Theater, a suited ensemble of musical hooligans emerged and ferociously attacked the sold out crowd with a fervor unseen for ages. After a disappointing gig two days prior in San Diego, there were to be no casualties onstage tonight as Stephen Patrick Morrissey, aka The Moz, the man who put the “M” in Manchester, former leader or 80’s cult icon The Smiths tore this place a new one. Adorned is a Gucci suit and more cologne than Harrods’s, Moz and Company delivered one of the finest Morrissey shows that many seem to remember.
The high-ticket price-around $100-for the once in a lifetime event kept some of the un-desirables elsewhere and the 1,200 in attendance were treated to an amazing performance from the English blue-eyed crooner. As the set kicked off with an amazing rendition of The Queen is Dead, Moz glided across the stage side to side and to and fro with a passion lost in today’s musicianship. At the outset, the entirely professional ensemble played with passion and conviction as if this was to be the last show ever and the world was ending tomorrow. This tour is being billed as a greatest hits tour and it continued with The Last of the International Playboys and the raucous Ganglord.
As the night continued, Morrissey unleashed his button up shirts on a couple of occasions, ripped them of his torso and donated them to the audience, revealing a physique nourished on celery and carrots. The crowd went wild throughout the night as they continued to delight with oldies like Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want and the friendly, yet darkly sing able Everyday Is Like Sunday.
Being the smallest venue on this tour and a stop at the Hollywood Bowl and it’s 17,000 plus sold out months ago, this was an amazing experience for the Moz devotee. Only once did the band exit the stage due to stage invaders and the attendees were more than thankful for this. It has been widely rumored on some of his fan sites that this particular show is one of the better of the countless they have seen. If you are familiar with the rabidity of Morrissey fans, you know that if they say it’s that good, then it certainly must be.
 Set list for June 5, 2007 @ The Ventura Theater
1. The Queen Is Dead
2. Last of the Famous Int'l Playboys
3. Ganglord
4. The National Front Disco
5. Let Me Kiss You
6. New Song?
7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
8. Irish Blood, English Heart
9. I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
10. Please,Please,Please let me get what I want
11. Everyday Is Like Sunday
12. In The Future When All's Well
13. Disappointed
14. You Have Killed Me(Interrupted due to stage invaders)
15. I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
16. That's How People Grow Up (?)
17. I Will See You In Far Off Places
18. Life is a Pigsty
19. How Soon Is Now?
20. You're gonna need someone on your side (Encore)
All Photos: © Justin Wagner 2007
|