The last ever Morrissey show in the U.S.!?! My SIN CITY blog

T

thelastofthefamous

Guest
Saturday November 13th
@ The Joint--Las Vegas, NV

Vegas was definitely not in my initial plans. The previous 5 shows I had already attended on the current tour seemed to be about as much as I could conceive doing given the financial and time constraints imposed upon me in this unforgiving world. However, as I wait in line in Milwaukee October 16th, my cell phone dubiously rang. Twas none other than Catie 88. She informed me that tix for the Vegas show were to go on sale within an hour…that she was going to buy two tix, one of which was for me because I should go too. I told her I really couldn’t commit at this point…that I’d have to wait until after my Milwaukee weekend to make up my mind.

Truthfully, my mind was to be made up for me though. When Milwaukee was over, I realized that I wasn’t ready for my Moz experience to be over. I wanted to feel the anticipation of another show to look forward to. That coupled with the persistent rumors that Mozzer may indeed be at the end of the line…that this could be the last ever U.S. tour…and Vegas, the last ever U.S. show. How could I possibly not somehow make the trek to Vegas? Time to start booking flights.

Jetting off to Sin City would prove to be more costly than I had initially anticipated…but if it’s a year of the mac and cheese diet for me…so be it! I rendezvoused with the illustrious Catie88 at the airport and we hopped into a cab to our weekend residence at The Alexis Park, right across the street from The Hard Rock. My friend Jen from Philly had an early morning flight Saturday back from Moz Angeles, where she had attended the previous night’s show. She convened with us around 9-10am and we made our way over to The Hard Rock to begin our long day in line. The queue was longer at this point than we had hoped. However, our worries were somewhat alleviated when learned that the line wasn’t merely comprised of Moz devotees, but also of people waiting for Velvet Revolver New Year’s Eve show tickets to go on sale at Noon. The radically different appearances in hair and dress style should have tipped us off!

Aside from days when one must face terribly inclimate weather, waiting in line all day preceding the show is not something I loathe. In fact, to the contrary, it really is a welcome part of the whole Morrissey experience. Kinda like an expanded pre-game show…sharing lots of Moz stories and “Moz-solo” gossip! I met many cool new kids, too many to name. But many thanks must go out to the incredibly generous (and now infamous) Craig, who kindly cut pieces from Morrissey’s shirt that he had caught the night before…and handed them out to some of us who were with him in line. Very kind indeed. Also got to hear Mary’s (met her in Milwaukee) adventure of a day. Not only did she run into Morrissey at the airport this morning, but she also ended up on the same flight as him flying from Moz Angeles to Vegas! Wow! This never happens to me. I get stuck next to a middle-aged man having an unending bout of seizures in his sleep. Go figure.

As daylight faded into twilight, I ventured into the casino for a few minutes. I was tipped off that sound check was just getting underway and quickly made my way through a set of double-doors leading to a small foyer. Once inside, I could hear the music echoing in from another set of locked doors facing us. I snuck up and peeked through the crack in between the doors and into the club. The band was sans Morrissey unfortunately, but this was an unexpected treat nevertheless. The boys belted through a handful of songs, all familiar material to the current tour…until…finally…music would reverberate through the empty club…a song that had never yet been played in front of an audience. We wondered if tonight would be the night…only time would tell, cuz I’m not…just yet. Eventually the casino security staff caught onto a few of us getting our sneak preview and they made us vacate our little alcove. Twas at this time when I was accosted by miss Stephanie from Albuquerque. She was a Moz virgin as they say (and in Moz’s celibate world, isn’t that the only way to be?) and tonight would be her first time seeing Him in the flesh. She was unaware of the long line looming outside of people waiting to get into the show for a good spot. As door time was fast approaching, I told her to stick with me, and I would ensure she would have a choice vantage point for the show…and hopefully make her first Moz experience a night she would not soon forget. We headed back to my group in line. The line was growing longer and wider. And with all the line-cutting that went on in front of us, I didn’t feel quite so guilty for hooking my new friend up.

Finally we were hustled into the casino and back around towards the double-doors that we had snuck into for sound check earlier. When the final set of doors into the club were opened…the chaos began. Everyone began darting inside, past the ticket checkers and running toward the stage. No actual security check or pat-down whatsoever. Anything could have been snuck in. When the mad dash was over, Stephanie, Jen and I found ourselves one person back from the rail, just left of center stage (Boz side). The stage barrier was set out a little farther than usual. That along with the ample security certainly doused any great hopes for anyone to make their way up upon the stage for a hug. As we waited during the prelude, Jen eventually decided that her best shot at making a stage invasion was to move all the way over to the side of the stage and possibly sneak up behind the bouncers initial line of sight.

Ironically, the big “Morrissey” Vegas-style lights were absent tonight. Moz and the lads walked out onto center stage, side by side with arms around each other and bowed before us…a nice tradition of this tour. The boys were in kilts and NY Dolls t-shirts…Moz in dress shirt, blazer and impeccable pin stripe trousers.

The setlist for the last show of the American tour would seem a bit askew from the first song. Although it had been done a couple times before, the opener of “Shakespeare’s Sister” as opposed to the customary “How Soon Is Now?” would tell the tale of a slightly off-kilter arrangement of songs that would last the whole night through. The rollicking glam of “Daddy’s Voice” would gleefully come next…definitely one of my all time favorite b-sides…and the sly homoerotic lyrical change to “someONE got stuck in my throat” had us all buzzing. As this was followed up with the underrated “How can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?”, it was clear that the longstanding opening trio of “HSIN?”, “FOTGTD” and “November…” were regrettably long gone. I say that only because this trifecta represented 3 different Moz eras and did so very powerfully and effectively. It really had me pondering for what else was in store this evening.

As usual, I had scratched out some thoughts during the commotion of the day so as to have another letter to hopefully hand off to Moz during the show. I had kept the letter in my pocket, waiting for my song. And then it came. “Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference”. I pulled out my letter, hoping he would walk over to my side of the stage to take it from me at the appropriate time of the song (after the verse including “written words on paper..can you write?”) as He has on the previous few occasions. I can’t say that I know for sure if he recognized my face, be Mozzer did indeed saunter right over to me during this exact part of the song…as if he knew all along that this was our time to make the exchange. The stage barricade was set back a fair distance from the stage. Moz bent down and stretched…as I outstretched my own hand as far as I could. It almost seemed in slow motion. Finally we made our connection. He took my note and slipped it into his pocket. I had my moment with Him. I was happy.

The galloping guitar chords of “Bigmouth Strikes Again”, the most welcome addition of the new tour, would sweep us off our feet next…just a friendly reminder of how terribly potent and life-changing “The Queen Is Dead” was and still is. As our sneak peek via sound check had us predicting, “Friday Mourning” would indeed make its live debut this evening. I was happy to be amongst the first audience privy to catching the song live, although I must admit this particular song isn’t amongst my favorites of this year’s b-side crop. I think the tune is simply a bit sterile to be quite honest, although as often can be the case, I did find it to be at least a little more likeable in the live arena as opposed to its actual recording. I love the opening feedback swirl that Boz conjurs up for the next song, “I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday”. However, whenever they let this song loose on the tour, I cannot help but wish for other songs to be played from my favourite Mozzer solo record “Your Arsenal”. “Glamorous Glue” would be perfect…or even one of the poppy songs like “We Hate It…” or “…Fatty”. It’s just an amazing album that has not been adequately represented on recent tours.

“Munich Air Disaster 1958” is a slight, but pretty ballad that I have come to appreciate more and more with each consecutive playing. The always alluring Smiths legend “Shoplifters of the World Unite” got the room swaying once more. And then…

“You Know I Couldn’t Last”?!? Has time really escaped me that quickly? Why was this, which has been the main set closer for the whole tour being played so early on? Don’t end the show so soon on us Mozza!!! In fact, don’t ever end the show…I would just assume be here with you for the rest of my life! Wild delusions aside, this was a bit perplexing…and through the duration of the track I wondered what the significance was, if any, of this being played now…

At the song’s conclusion, Moz and the boys would remain on stage…and as they strolled onward through two additional “Quarry” songs in a row…”Let Me Kiss You” and “I Have Forgiven Jesus”…it would appear that this was just another unusual and rather odd song placement. At least a sigh of relief that it was not yet over…the heart wrench to come…

“Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me”. Even Moz himself appeared to be touched by his reading of this song. Almost more than the heart can bear…but I’m pleased to struggle through it every time. The mood would be lightened with “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get”. A couplet of “Quarry’s” first two singles and most fiery tracks would ensue…”Irish Blood, English heart” and “First of the Gang to Die”…and as these raucous new singalongs concluded, our hero exited the stage. Only the encore would remain.

Moz and the boys reappeared upon the stage…the only closing remarks we were to get from Moz, “Just remember, whatever happens, I love you”…and then, the churning guitar feedback of “How Soon Is Now?” would make its appearance. A brilliant song, of that there is no doubt. However, when it was over…and clear that it would compose the only encore we would receive this night…it did leave me desperately wanting to hear “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out”…my favorite song of all time. Both songs are absolutely classic. But why cut “There Is A Light…” for this, the last show? To me, it just seemed like a more appropriate closing number. A song of hope. And lord knows, with this being the last show, we needed that hope. But it was not to be. I know it’s over…

While Moz and the lads treated the Los Angeles audiences the two nights previous to a remarkable 3 encores, we, perhaps, greedily, expected as much…or something beyond the ordinary for the LAST show of the U.S. tour. So the fact that we were not given such did make things seem somewhat un-special or anti-climactic. Moz wasn’t particularly chatty this evening…he did thank the “irregular regulars”, a nice acknowledgement to those of us who managed to trek about to as many shows as possible. There were no stage invasions. A few tried, but only to be quickly snatched up by security. Moz didn’t seem as helpful in trying to bring anyone up this night either, as often he is prone to do. Jen, although unable to make it up on stage as she desired, she did manage to hold his hand when he walked all the way over to the left side during one song. And Stephanie, decided to lunge up herself towards the end of the set…she also failed to make it all the way up, but she did have a tight clasp on Mozzer’s arm, blowing him kisses before she was pried apart. It just seemed like something was missing all night long. Things seemed a bit surreal. And not that the mood of the crowd or of Morrissey was negative perse…it was one of those instances where it seemed like He was moodless, or conversely, filled with so much varying emotion…and wasn’t sure Himself how he felt or how to react.

None of this critique is meant to paint the negative picture it seems. The show, the experience, Morrissey…it was fabulous! Sometimes when discussing all that Moz does amongst the diehard, we tend to focus on the shortcomings of a particular show, or album, or lyric. I think it’s because we expect so much…such high standards…close to perfection. And like the rest of us, He is certainly not perfect. Would we love Him the same if He was? He wouldn’t be Morrissey without some of the “flaws” he has.

As the lights shone bright and the overhead music switched on, the staff more than encouraged all of us straggling inside the club to vacate the premises. Stephanie found her way back to me…herself in a heavenly state following her touch of Moz experience earlier. Oddly enough, a boy came running over to her, wanting to touch her hand that had touched Morrissey’s just a little while before. He then proceeded to hand over to her a handmade “Morrissey” belt that he wanted her to have. A very hot black leather belt with “Morrissey” embroidered on in large red letters. Later in the evening Stephanie kindly offered the belt to me as a thank-you for helping her earlier. Although not necessary, I accepted and thanked her for the gift and have worn it proudly since! Picked up some Corona and headed back to the hotel room where Laura, Jen, Catie, Mary etc. downed some drinks and reminisced about the show late into the night.

Spent the next day cruising the Strip and blowing a small sum in the slots. Very magnificent to view the lights illuminating the Strip contrasting with the lush landscape of the mountains behind. An early Monday morning flight would send me home. A long, long day of flying back to Buffalo through Atlanta. I did, however, read “How Soon Is Never?” which wasn’t nearly as bad as my dear friend Mary-Kate had forewarned me.

I certainly hope the rumors will prove to be just that, and we will indeed enjoy the privilege of seeing Moz tour the States again. The prospect of never seeing him again is really too much to contemplate right now. For now, back to humdrum life in Buffalo….come, come, nuclear bomb.
 
Very nice recount--I like how you bring to life the confusion of that night's setlist. I am sorry, though, not to have noticed this wonderful BELT. Hope you are well:)
 
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