the show's obviously still going on. and your setlist is lame.

stop me
last of the famous
irish blood
interesting drug
sister, i'm a poet
all you need is me
one day goodbye
why don't you
the loop
death of a disco dancer
jack the ripper
billy budd
crashing bores
stretch out
paris
tomorrow
boy with the thorn
please please please
pigsty
hsin?

fotgtd

I now start my 11 or 12 hour ride back to Philly - had no place to stay in SC :( there were plenty of stage invaders, I have pics of several and my normal videos (you know the deal check myspace.com/joebenzon when I get home) only 1 shirt thrown into the crowd. venue very empty. mozz commented that they had been on tour for 300 years. he also said he wakes up every morning and is older then elvis and oscar wilde, but younger then bono. i grabbed some extra show programs and the local newspaper, if you want one just hit me up - I just as you pay shipping. i am on my way now to steal the official show poster - wish me luck

You are soooo lucky!!! And I'm jealous!

This was my third concert/tour I have been luck enough to have been witness to. I was seated in row L, which wasn't all that bad, yet not where I wanted to be. When Moz began to sing Tomorrow (approx. 3/4 of the way through the show), I decided that it was either live strong or live with regret. Not knowing if this would be the last time I would see him perform, I began my migration forward. As security was set up at the end of the front rows, I knew my only way to get down to the stage was to crawl over ever row right down the center of the venue. Everyone I came across was more than accommodating to let me squeeze next to them as I passed through. I was able to make my way to the orchestra barrier without much effort, but had to wait until the lights died down enough for me to scale the wall and seats that backed up to them. After what seemed to be an eternity, I made my move undetected. I must thank a certain person, Terry, for donating his wristband to me so that in the case of me not making the stage, I'd at least be deposited back into the front rows to try again. Once How Soon Is Now ended, I saw the best chance to go, so I went. I made it up onstage and gave my musical idol a hug. It was the only thing I could do to let him know how much I, and those who appreciate his music, felt. Thank you Morrissey for coming to Greenville and making me so very happy!

Best Wishes,

Paul

I arrived at the venue a couple of hours early to park and walk around G'ville, and people were just walking in and out of the Peace Center. There was virtually no security, no bags searched or anything like that so hopefully we'll get some good recordings. When I took my seats (row C, which ended up being 2nd row from the left part of the stage), I found one elderly usher guarding the stairs onto the stage. At one point in time, said usher left the stairs unguarded. So I'm not surprised in the least at the number of stage invaders!
Moz came on in a black shirt and black trousers. He did not throw the black shirt into the audience, but instead went backstage and changed into his blue. That one eventually went into the pit. He did shake hands a lot, talked to Julia, passed the mic a couple of times. One disappointment in the crowd was when he asked "is there any point in ever having children" and passed the mic and instead of answering, the girl squealed "Oh my God! I love you!" to which Mozzer rolled his eyes.
Many stage invaders, most of them very polite. Security seemed to let the polite ones shake his hand before grabbing them. The guy next to me made a break for it and got tackled pretty hard, never making it to Morrissey. Stage invasion got really bad during First of the Gang. One guy fought two elderly ushers over on the left side of the stage, with a security guy and a cop coming over. A huge group of people mobbed Moz, who got whisked off the stage...but not before losing his watch.
All in all a great show, except for prematurely losing Morrissey there during the encore.

Moz didn't really seem as talkative tonight as he was earlier on in the tour (did anyone else think his voice sounded a tiiiiiny bit scratchy?) He didn't even say anything before breaking out into Stop Me... After that he announced "Welcome to another night at the opera". Then after Irish Blood, English Heart he stated "We're in the Peace Center, all these songs are in the name of peace." After Interesting Drug (which I'm so glad he played!)he asked if he & the boys were being too "flashy," I didn't think they were, but I could've done without some of the strobe lights; considering my migraine :[ A few songs later after One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell he said "Any requests... (with a questioning tone... but continued to say)will be... _____ ignored" (Because of the drunken guys behind me that liked tossing the word "faggot" about (welcome to the south!)I couldn't make out what adjective he used... Next came the quote about being older than Elivs & Oscar Wilde, but younger than Bono that someone's already recounted. Following Jack the Ripper he said that he'd been on tour for 300 years, and asked if anyone knew what happened every night... a few people tossed out some ideas (including one fellow who yelled magic, ha!)and Moz said that every night Julia came to see him play. She briefly spoke, then he said "Thank you to Julia, thank you to me" Before Boy With The Thorn In His Side he said that "Every song tells a story; none more filthy than this one" After it he said something but people were still cheering loudly over him, so he asked when they were finished "Did anyone hear what I said?" most people yelled that they hadn't so he asked "Does anyone care?" again some yells & then he asked "What will you give me in exchange?" Again, he wasn't very chatty; however when he did talk he was a bit cheeky! (I love it.) I was surprised he didn't make any political statements, I thought maybe someone would've informed him Barack Obama was in-state as well. All in all, great show & great setlist.

Overall great show, Moz in great form, but he seemed a bit less than enthusiastic at times.

The pit (which I couldn't get into, but was just outside of) was L-A-M-E. Bunch of old ladies talking to each other and drinking while Moz was onstage! Some of the people weren't even standing up! They didn't deserve to be there (obviously not fans, knew none of the songs, etc., kept speaking to one another during Moz's set, etc.) Moz deserves better.

  It sucked a bit that we couldn't go into the pit and liven it up a bit, but the local security/ushers said that with too many people in there that the orchestra pit would collapse. Whatevs.

Was on the Mikey side of the stage. Botched stage invasion at the end, local security guy tried to rip my arm off, but did not succeed. Almost got to Moz just after some guy was pulled off his back. Oh well. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but I understand; Moz was ushered off the stage moments later as the invasions were getting way out of hand. (Not as great as DC [20+!) but lots of invasions anyways.)

Almost at the Atlanta venue now, but will post the rest later.

Wish me luck tonight! (I NEED it.) Oh, nevermind... ;)

Musings

Well, the man was in fine form. This was the first time seeing Morrissey live for me, and I was definitely not disappointed. Having read these boards since the series of LA and NY shows, I didn't know what to expect when Moz visited my mostly reserved (conservative) city.

I must say that by reading the comments after each show, there weren't any surprises. The opening film montage, the shirt changes, Julia, Auld Lang Syne, and an encore. Here are some of the (laughable) reactions to these unfolding events that haven't been posted:

During Auld Lang Syne, Morrissey laid down upside-down against the drumset. After a few minutes, the silence became too much for the rowdy bunch, and many shout-outs included, "Are you okay?" I would have really liked to have heard "Asleep," which would have been appropriate in its place.

He said, "We're at the Peace Center. All of these songs are about peace... MOSTLY."

For band introductions, Boz was introduced as "the conductor," bassist was said to be playing the bassoon, "from the same parents" - drummer, and "not from the same parents" - Solomon.

I had also been reading that Moz doesn't like people "chained to their seats," and that he constantly encourages stage participation, but that wasn't the impression I got from seeing it live. It was one thing when someone calmly got up and faced him for a handshake (he always bowed to these individuals), but completely another when he was mid-tune and tackled for a hug from behind. He genuinely seemed annoyed by this, and I can't blame him. I'm not saying this ruined my experience, but these people weren't happy enough to be pressed against the front of the stage getting multiple handshakes - everyone HAD to have a hug. Moz did actually thank Greenville before starting FOTG, but he didn't get a chance to say anything after since he was whisked away after getting GANG TACKLED. To hear that his watch was taken is deplorable.

It's hard to say one or another is at fault, but the venue doesn't host concerts like Morrissey on a regular (or irregular?) basis. You see off-broadway shows and Sesame Street Live-style stuff. I felt bad for the venue to see orchestra seats knocked over as a result of these animals, or the (very) polite elderly ushers having their eardrums blown out. At the same time, the venue should've known what to expect. Maybe they did. In any event, I hope all the megafans enjoyed converging on Greenville. Moz didn't like Chastain in Atlanta earlier in the tour because it was like a dinner theater, but he has a new reason to never return to my fair city. Thanks.

He did pigsty! I wanted him to sing that so badly in D.C :(

anyone know who the picture is that he used for a backdrop? I am guessing Neal Cassady

Morrissey, you never fail to make us happy even though the crowd was so sorry...
  Who was the beautiful boy I met at the entrance who asked if I was alone...

www.myspace.com/joebenzon

Click on the blog at the top

Lots of pictures of the stage invaders

"One Day" could be Morrissey's No 1! This song proves that Mozza is Back to his Very Best song writing! If it was rightly produced, this could be THE Mozza hit!
Wot A Killer tune?!

oh, if only PEACE were possible. Stretch out and wait @ the Hammerstein.

Lucky things !

Hazard

It was a nice show. My girlfriend and i really enjoyed it and we appreciate Moz visiting our fine state once again.

Just got back to the UK, having travelled over to Greenville, just to see Morrissey. As much as its great to see him I feel cheated by the venue. Greenville its self is a great place, and all the people we met were so nice. However, what really got to me and my wife was the set up once we were inside. The orhestral pit was practically empty, and half the people in there were not even fans, just season ticket holders with nothing else to do, you could read the dissapointment on Morrisseys face, I would have given anything to have the chance they did to be so close to him, and they wasted it, one old fat guy sat down all the way through, he must have been well into his 70's! The total fucktard of a security guard near us (guarding the pit on the left) wouldnt let us through, despite me asking, pleading, offering large sums if cash! If you are reading this (and im sure your not) I hope you feel pleased with yourself. Twat. I managed to get through at one point, when the lights went out, he came and through me out though. Also tried at the end to get on stage twice, once knocking all the chairs over, and once on the left stage with about four guys on me. Needless to say i failed. Nice to meet some great people though, Greta, Guy in the hat next to me, and the guys in our hotel the next morning who we were talking about atlanta with. Wanted to go to atlanta but in the end had to go home, it would have cost another $2500 to arrange it all with flights, on top of the $3000 we spent allready getting to greenville! I think maybe next time we will wait for him to come here in the UK.

I definitely feel cheated by the concert in Greenville! If it weren't for the fans who so disrespectfully kept assaulting Moz on stage, we would have had a full concert!... or at least heard his last words. Do you people honestly think he enjoyed being fondled or man-handled on stage like that? Show some respect and decorum. I am embarrassed for you! He did not like being interrupted mid-song by blabbering fat old fans!

November spawned a monster of a show. thought it was good, no complaints

I flew in from Philadelphia Sunday morning and had a chance to walk around downtown Greenville for a couple of hours. The town had a great "feel" and it was a perfect autumn day. I saw Arturo outside of the Peace Center around 1:00 PM and I asked him not to hurt me too badly when I got up on stage. His response, "Then don't get up on stage!" made me laugh.

After a few drinks at The Westin and a couple more at the venue, I made my way down to the pit. The inside of the Peace Center was beautiful and reflected Morrissey's preference for intimate venues when he added this leg to the tour. It was my first time seeing Girl in a Coma and they put on a very energetic opening set.

When the lights went down after Girl in a Coma's last song, we took our places next to the stage. The pit was only 3 rows deep and well guarded, but I was surprised that no one was standing behind me. It appeared to me that some of the people in the pit were Peace Center season ticket holders and were there for just another Sunday night out. I wasn't complaining.

Morrissey was fabulous and the lads were tight. They deserve a lot of credit for their music that so wonderfully complements Morrissey's words and voice. Boz and Solomon were within arm's distance most of the night and the musical highlight of the night for me was being next to those guys for "The Loop."

A little over half way through the concert during "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores" I was the first to make it up on stage and embraced Morrissey while he sang, "Take me in your arms and love me." I jumped off the stage without being touched by security, slid right back into my place, and floated through the rest of the concert. After the song, Morrissey commented, "Don't do it (take him in my arms and love him!) unless you really mean it." The girl next to me yelled back to him, "He really means it!"

What set this show apart from all of the others I've been to were the fantastic people I met there. I always go to Morrissey concerts alone -- my wife isn't interested in going with me and my friends couldn't pick Moz out of a lineup. The people I met in Greenville really made the whole pre- and post-show special. Jackson, Valerie and Nancy (my drinking buddies.) John and Eve (who may be the coolest father/daughter combination on the planet.) Juliet (who missed Greenville but it sounds like you more than made up for it in Atlanta!) And the nice couple next to me in the front row who sent their tickets back to the guy on Ebay after he sent them 4 instead of the 2 they bought. If you guys didn't return the extra tickets, I would have never had one of the best nights of my life. Thank you all -- I appreciate you!

A few days later, my voice has barely returned and I'm limping around because of a torn calf muscle from jumping off the stage. I stopped trying to explain to people at work why I'm such a mess -- I'm just telling them that it was worth it.

sorry folks but my pictures did not develop well , i will post some of them anyway but the quality is poor.

The sound was good, but early on, the sound wasn't working too well in the monitors. Nonetheless, Moz was particularly fine with yodelling flourishes. The stage was low (waist high for me), there was no barrier, and the Peace Center was a relatively peaceful place.

I don't recall if anyone mentioned the boxes at each entrance for cards and gifts for Morrissey. Joe Benzon had a brilliant photo of this on his myspaz page. We amused ourselves for about an hour by looking at the things people had placed in the box, among them: a note reading "For a good time call...", a plastic orange slinky, Halloween candy, a $1,000 bill (fake, of course) declaring love for Moz, large signs on posterboard, and a note begging for Moz to come back to Cali because when he leaves we end up immolating ourselves. I wonder if the contents of those boxes actually end up in Mozzer's possession...

Fate handed me a pair of pit tix front row, dead center for the Peace Center through ticketbastard one night. Everything fell into place to bring me to Greenville and placed me squarely at Morrissey's feet. I cannot believe how lucky I've been on this tour.

I wanted to get up and dance to Girl in a Coma, but I didn't want to block anyone's view. So for the first couple of songs I went off to the side and danced. Boz was watching the grrls from stage right (audience's left). The few people in the pit were all seated and seemed rather clueless about what a force of nature a Moz concert could be.

I'll only point out stuff I don't think was covered or was incorrectly reported in the previous reviews, which have been wonderful:

After Klaus Nomi's Wayward Sisters intro, Mikey played a ragtime ditty. No one I know could identify it, though.

During Playboyz, Moz answered the question with, "Yes, you have failed!"

After Sister, I'm a Poet, Moz did band intros, and Mikey was introduced as the lead singer of the Mamas and the Papas. Hah hah!

During "All You Need Is M" Moz pointed at me every time he sang, "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone". Too true.

Got smacked by his mic cord when he was whipping it about. That shit smarts! I think Moz is a serious sadist. But I wouldn't give up my prime spot for anything.

D told me, after I yelped rather indecently at one of Mozzer's particularly saucy moob-grabbing moments, "You need to get off your moob obsession." I said, I'm sorry I can't, it's because I get off on the moobs. We were so close that Moz must've heard it, and he fondled/flashed his tits even more during "Why Don't You F ?", to my delight.

After "Why Don't You F ?", Moz asked me if I was in pain. I replied, "When am I not? But you're here now, so it's okay." I don't think the mic picked it up very well. Moz said, "You're half-convincing." Meanwhile, this drunken blonde harridan in a sparkly/sequinned black top demanded coarsely, "Gimme that mic!" So Moz gave her the mic, and she yelled, "I love you!" Then Moz gave the mic to a guy who told a long-ass story about how he has a piccy of Moz in his room and how he realises that he's now older than that pic of Moz (which he has had for 11 years?). Moz was very patient with this guy. If I had even said a quarter of what that guy said, Moz would've started pwning me for taking too long. But Moz was nice and said that he's older than Elvis, older than Oscar Wilde (when they did, I suppose), but younger than Bono. Loud cheering and applause.

Before Silly Sod, Moz asked, "Every night what happens?" Julia replied with something like, You're here, you sing, and it's wonderful!

Moz prefaced Crashing Boars (sic) with something like, As you're pushing your shopping trolleys through the grocery store you realise that the world is full of ...

During Stretch, when he asked, Is there any point in having children? he gave me the mic and I answered, "Only yours," which caused him to screw up his face in embarrassment/distaste. Yeah, he probably rolled his eyes, as others have reported. I torture him with complim

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No way, ese! That set list is not for reals!

he's singing like it's 1999 is he?

who knew that the setlists were on rotation?

Go to hell you piece of shit!!