The Final Night, In New York

Wednesday evening, the 26th, I had every intention of going to a class on Microeconomics. That afternoon on a lark, I phoned the ticketslave, and was informed that not only were there 500 individual seats unsold, but also that Microeconomics would be in New York tomorrow whereas Morrissey, would not.

The next thing I know, I'm at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Inside a large main floor, no seats(!), three stories above, a circular dome, its underside painted in quasi-Tiepolo fresco. It's all very classy, and it's about to be used in ways its builders had never intended. I walk past two makeshift bars, and a table filled with Moz merchandise, and blend into a crowd 15 heads deep. I wait and listen to conversations, the type of which I read daily in the discuss section of pages like this one. The crowd, classified perfunctorily are white, under thirty with all the traits of fine art majors, however there exceptions in every direction of every variation.

I suppose its 8 o'clock when the Smoking Popes come on stage. They introduce themselves as the "opening band", and the crowd proceeds to treat them accordingly, even throwing a perfectly full cup of beer at the front man. While there's no excuse for such tactics, I wonder if it's brought on by simply playing good music and ignoring the 1500 people in the room. By the time they leave the stage, the band looks so sad, I'm feeling sorry for them for having to tour around the country with Morrissey. I feel it a shame for myself that such good music was tainted with such low enthusiasm.

Alas the 70's music begins, before I know it a stage backdrop of the two swimmers is down and a Nico song is ending to a beautiful screeching of feedback, and then the "Operation". Morrissey walks on stage, all black, a button up shirt, barely buttoned, bare chest. He said: "Hello New Jersey" (every New Yorker hates New Jersey), the crowd cheers anyway. He sings the same songs as on the rest of the tour, rare additions being "London", "Do Your Best and Don't Worry" & "Ambitious Outsiders". In between songs he says "You Sexy", pointing at the waves of fans. Then wipes his sweat from his forehead and flicks it into the crowd. "Give me that" pointing to a Morrissey album a fan is holding in the crowd, "No not that" he says referring to something another fan is holding, "that's not valuable". The album is flung to the stage, opening into three pieces, the black vinyl piece falling near Moz, who careful picks it up and places it out of harm's way.

Flowers are tossed to the stage and back to the crowd in endless ceremony, that makes me think of love rejected. I throw a business card which bounces of Moz's hand, a procession of cards proceed, each one bouncing off, until a cigarette stops in his hand. He puts the cigarette in his mouth and decides to give it back to the crowd. The band prepares for a song with acoustic guitars, but for whatever reason he says, "If we can't do it, lets move onto the next song." A dozen fans attempt to make it to the stage, half a dozen make it far enough to touch Morrissey, the greatest being the young man who kisses his cheek as he is dragged away.

It's a wonderful blur of fans pressed against the railing that's three feet from the four foot stage, the show ends, all that remains in the encore. He returns to the stage in minutes, a blue shirt buttoned no different then the last. He bursts into "Shoplifters". Nearly seven-eighths through the song he stops, points to the far (my) left, motions what are you doing?, shakes his head, says " UGLY MAN" then repeats in a mantra "ugly man, ugly man, ugly man..." (about a dozen times). He is pointing at an eight-foot tall biker/bouncer, who has just about killed a fan for trying to get onstage. The bouncer face looks like that of a murderer on trial who has just been found guilty. Morrissey walks off stage.

Then the unpredictable, the 1500 fans turn and point at the bouncer and repeat "ugly man, ugly man , ugly man,... ''(over, over again). The bouncer and the rest of his reich leave. The lights come up, the show must be over, until... he walks back onstage and says, "Now that you won't be beaten I hope you enjoy the rest of the show". He delivers "Satan Rejected My Soul" ...When it's over he thanks the fans, everyone who followed the band around, confirms his love, repeatedly, and leaves. That was the final night, in New York. Contrive what you will from it, thank you for listening.

Michel Yazinsky

P.S. Did anyone there know if Whybleau left with Morrissey?