It takes a bit of courage sometimes to go and see your idols in person.
After one invests so much energy and adoration, the fear that they won't
live up to personal expectations can eclipse all other emotions.
Since the mid-80s my favourite band has been the Smiths , and my
favourite singer/songwriter their enigmatic frontman Morrissey. Since the
Smiths toured very infrequently, i never got the chance to see them
before they broke up in 1989. Wednesday night at Shinjuku's Liquid Room i
finally got to see Morrissey perform solo.
I describe Morrissey as enigmatic bacause in many ways he is the
antithesis of the pop star. Success, money, drugs, or groupies never held
any interest for this infamous resident of Manchester. Hypersensitive to
the people and occurences around him, he is a recluse who reportedly
spends much of his time alone reading.
His songs plumb the depths of his feelings - themes of loneliness,
despair, awkwardness and unrequited love surface again and again. Before
they got too personal, though, witty, clever, sardonic lines keep the
author at a safe distance.
This tour came on the heels of Morrissey's new release "Southpaw
Grammar". Of his four solo LPs and dozens of singles, it is the hardest
rocking and most musically accomplished. Morrissey smiled and greeted the
audience as he took the stage on Wednesday, dressed in an elegant white
dress shirt and blue blazer. Although reportedly hospitalised for
depression only a week ago in England, he was well up for the show.
He immediately launched into an upbeat rendition of "Do your best and
don't worry" followed by two more from the new album "Reader meet Author"
and "Boy Racer". It bacame apparent this was the tour to see him, as this
new material held up so well in front of a live audience.
The band sounded good - tight, fast and loud. And Morrissey sounded
great ; he's come a long way from the initial Smiths recordings. He hit
the highs with relish and refrained from snarling the lyrics, as he is
sometimes wont to do.
One of the most fascinating things to see during the show was how
Morrissey interacted with the audience. From the first song, he was
grasping hands, stepping down off the stage, and actually helping
frenzied fans to get up on stage.
All night men and women leapt up to embrace their hero. Although two
roadies were employed to gently escort them off stage, Morrissey always
allowed himself to be hugged first, sometimes hugging back.
Rather than consider them a necessary evil needed to buy tickets and
CDs, Morrissey really cares for his fans. He not only feeds off their
love, he seems to need it. It's as if he turns to them for reafirmation
that he is not baring his soul in vain.
After a couple of more new songs, Morrissey thrilled the crowd by
breaking into "London" , a short, fast Smiths number about escaping from
Northern England. Solo performers usually refuse to do songs from past
associations, but Morrissey seems happy to keep the Smiths alive.
He finished out the set with the whimsical "You're the one for me
Fatty", "Speedway", the 10-minute "The teachers are afraid of the pupils"
and a rocking version of "National Front Disco". Before the last song he
stripped off his sweatdrenched shirt, wiped his brow, and tossed it into
the crowd.
For an encore he did "Suedehead", his most identifiable single, and
"Shoplifters of the world unite" another great Smiths single. Finally the
tall singer bowed deeply to the crowd, thanked us, and waved goodbye. It
was a great performance , and he seemed as uplifted as we were after
giving it.
My fears were all for naught. I have to say Morrissey surpassed all my
expectations.
Morrissey certainly has his share of detractors. Many accuse him of
whining, of being frivolous, or being a prima donna. These things may be
true, but then again there's no one quite like him.
from the Japan Times