Morrissey, Tues. Oct 12 @ The Hummingbird Centre

“This is an evening of loud music and poetry,� Morrissey declared to the audience last Tuesday night at the Hummingbird Centre. “More specifically, it's the dying art of live music.� While the art may be dying, Moz and The Lads proved it is not yet completely dead and nor is the magic of Morrissey.

With the first shake of the tambourine into the racing opener, Smiths’ classic ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’, the built-up electricity of sold-out crowd was released in wild cheers that did not subside for the entire set of nearly two hours. The set was full of old favourites from The Smiths as well as selections Morrissey’s magnificent solo catalogue of the 80’s and 90’s. What stood out most for this fan though was how well Morrissey’s new material, taken from this year’s You Are The Quarry, stacked up with these past glories, emphasizing again how great this new album truly is.

Morrissey performed eight songs off his new album, the first since 1997’s Maladjusted and now his best selling, best charting album ever. First was ‘First Of The Gang To Die’, a joyous lament of the ill-fated “Hector� that had everyone in attendance dancing and singing along. Next were ‘I Like You’ and the incredibly Moz-esque entitled ‘The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores’, two songs that capture the unique humour and unrivaled wit that Morrissey is so known and loved for. The greatest dramatics of the night came during the trio of …Quarry tracks, new single ‘Let Me Kiss You’, ‘I Have Forgiven Jesus’ and rocker ‘How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel’ [another great title]- none greater than when Morrissey opened the front of his shirt and bore his tortured heart for the self-deprecating climax to ‘Let Me Kiss You’. The momentum increased again with the help of the crowd’s synchronized clapping to the driving intro of ‘Irish Blood, English Heart’ which even out thundered the previous track, Smiths anthem ‘How Soon Is Now?’. Finally, the band really put their stamp on for the set closer ‘You Know I Couldn’t Last’, my personal highlight of the evening.

Before the encore, Morrissey morbidly prophesized that “50 years hence we all will be dead,� and then rhetorically asked “so really, what’s the point?� He then answered his own question with the playing of the night’s final song, The Smiths’ ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’. Tuesday night Morrissey proved once again that his light is far from going out, and it never will.
--chrisarclark