CONCERT REVIEW: Morrissey Shows Up in Edmonton
The joke here is that people were taking bets on when Morrissey would cancel his Edmonton show – again.
This guy is George “No Show” Jones-famous for cancelling concerts.
But no! Although he’d postponed the previously scheduled April show here, the Pope of Mope fulfilled his contract for the make-up date Thursday night in Edmonton, drawing an almost full house of devoted fans at the Jubilee Auditorium.
No protesters were spotted – save for hundreds of pissed off people forced to wait in a monkey-fuck security line that stretched well outside the doors (not usually seen in this building). People should know that it’s the artists who dictate the terms of security at their concerts. Morrissey may have fears of people wishing to do him harm, due to some controversial opinions and accusations of alleged racism, which sucks – but what can you do? Ma’am, please empty your purse …
Anyway, they delayed the show, which started with a pointless film in any case, and once inside, all was forgiven and everyone was happy to see their hero – the man with the big baritone who practically invented “Brit-rock.” They were just happy that he showed up.
It was like a college reunion! What year would you have to have been in college to be into Morrissey? 1985? 1990? Never mind. I challenge anyone to name a single song by Morrissey’s previous band The Smiths, or from his solo career – anyone who wasn’t standing the whole time and singing along at the show, that is. OK, The Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore. Minor hit in 1985, from the Smiths Meat is Murder album. The crowd loved it – and everything else Morrissey and his crackerjack band did. The people didn’t come for the “hits.” There are no hits.
The set was laden with solo material, some from his 2019 album California Son. Some songs delved deep into old-time musical textures, old-time rhythm and blues muddied up with rambunctious guitars, a sound well before our time yet oddly fresh. Then there were odd but well-chosen covers, like the lovely Wedding Bell Blues by Laura Nyro (recent version done with Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong), or Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders. Perhaps the covers were more memorable than his own stuff, but again it really didn’t matter. Morrissey is what one could call a “cult hero.” Did he or the Smiths ever get any commercial radio play in North America? Not really. It’s the personality and the emotion that matters. Morrissey gave a lot to his performance, with a booming voice and magnetic charisma, exerting himself enough to rumple his natty suit over time – dishevelling himself in the service of rock ‘n’ roll.
Morrissey delivered a hard-hitting 90-minute set filled with riffs as meaty as a steak and kidney pie, dramatic vocals, complaining lyrics, savage irony.
“Nobody wants my love,” he sang.
And in another song, “You can tell I have never really loved. You can tell by the way I sleep all day.”
People in the crowd shouted at intervals, “I love you!”
Morrissey shouted back, “I know!”
The man is a legend – and if you make the mental leap to set aside details of personal life and politics, and lose yourself in the purity of his distinctive music, Morrissey proved himself worthy of the title.
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