Great gig. The venue was similar to the Point in Dublin, an old warehouse kind of building in a docks area. The crowd was packed into a room which was about 500 feet long and about 50 feet wide but it made for a good atmosphere!
Played "Just Haven't Earned it" again and "Best Friend on the Payroll". Moz seemed in good spirits and made a few comments. He spotted Julia stage left before the encore and handed her the mic. "Crashing Bores" was ALMOST in reference to MJ..."You may have seen the news over the past. few day, which proves, if it is not already proven that the world is full of crashing bores"
Off to Russia in about 8 hours so have to leave the great nightlife of Finland behind unfortunately.

Whalley Range

Just got back home after getting some grub on the way. Well, what can I say: if the gig yesterday in Tampere was great, this was amazingly splendid! As the name of the venue says, it's an old cable factory and that explains it's long shape. Morrissey performed in the same place also in 2006, so he was familiar with it. A big thanks to the audience which was "on board" from the start and also welcomed the support more loudly than in Tampere - at least from where I was standing it seemed to be so (row 4/5ish, left side). The band was excellent as usual and Morrisey in good spirits. Coma was replaced by Payroll. Otherwise it seemed pretty much the same. Oh - two shirts thrown! Both went towards the front middle and I couldn't see what happened to them next.

One of his comments was on the number of record shops crashing in Helsinki. As I recall, he did say something about the record shops also in 2006, so he must have made his rounds today and noticed some familiar store missing.

Now I'm just trying to recover! :D

Moz in great spirit, and very chatty mood. The venue was a former cable factory, now adapted for gigs. Perhaps not the best choice for a Summer concert: we thought to have entered a huge Finnish sauna. He did sing “You just haven’t earned it yet baby” and “Best friend”, while dropped “Coma” and “Why don’t you find”.
The crowd was excellent, and Moz and the band clearly enjoyed it.
The chats I spotted are:
1) “I thought Helsinki was cold” – and then he showed his over-sweaty shirt.
2) Something like “Do you think we are moving too fast? Would you like to hear ‘Let the right one slip in’?”. Nobody replied, probably because nobody understood the question. So he went on: “Yes? No? Say YES!!”, so somebody said “Tonight!”. So he understood nobody understood, and went on with a “Yes, let’s move as quickly as possible”.
3) "It's sad to see how many record shops have closed in Helsinki". Someone answered "Whaat?", and so he did not mind.
4) Something like “Have you noticed all the fuss we are hearing on the news in the last couple of days.. And this goes to prove – as if it was needed – that the world is full of crashing bores!”, introducing the song. He did not mention Michael Jackson, but the reference seemed clear.

Then he spotted Julia in the audience right before the encore.. handed her the mic, she just said: “It’s great to see you”.
All songs very well executed (Moz even sang “First of the gang” till the very last syllable), except a false note at the start of “Bores”.
A few lyrics change here and there, I distinctly remember an “all over the planet” instead of “all over America” in LMKY.
All in all, an excellent show. Highlights of the evening (imho): “Life is a pigsty” (for the atmosphere, and well, I love the song) and “The Loop” – it’s a sight to see him play the tambourine.

Lots of hand shaking, and two shirts hurled to the crowd: one at the end of LMKY, and another after the encore. And yes… (yes yes!) I got a scrap of it – was a hard fight but worth it, for the envy of my friends who kept smelling it (I’d say it’s Chanel, he did not have enough time to sweat in it).
A truly remarkable show… last time I saw him, was in Bollate, Italy 2006, and though I think he could perhaps finally drop some songs from that tour (“How soon is now”, “Bores” and “Kiss you” still survive), this in Helsinki was a gig to remember.
Goodnight, and thank you!

So it seems that he had a reference to MJ, to those who were there, was it a respectful reference?

Copied from Helsingin Sanomat newspaper:
http://tinyurl.com/mb2qxp

This Charming Man
Billy Budd
Black Cloud
How Soon Is Now?
One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
Ask
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
The World Is Full of Crashing Bores
Let Me Kiss You
You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby
When Last I Spoke to Carol
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Best Friend on the Payroll
Life Is a Pigsty
Sorry Doesn't Help
The Loop
Irish Blood, English Heart
I'm OK by Myself

Encore:
First of the Gang to Die

Much better than Tampere and he played "Some Girls" and "You just..." both

Great gig, the venue was much better than the one in Tampere. Anyone know the name of the excellent Nancy Sinatra-track that was shown in the intro-film prior to the Helsinki and Tampere shows?

If I'm not mistaken I don't believe this has ever been played live before? Ever? Even with The Smiths. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Surely worthy of a mention and a discussion???

Instead we have 30 odd posts pontificating about a throwaway remark about Wacko Jacko (and I do believe Moz was referring to the "sycophants who say I knew him first and I knew him best" although he knew he was being quite naughty! I mean have you seen some of those that have been wheeled out. Gary Coleman, Gary Busey (!) Uri Geller, Del Steadman from Five Star (!!) Robin Gibb etc etc)

----Oh mods do I get any points for getting a line in from Paint A Vulgar Picture which does not relate in any way to the "Morrissey you're such a hypocrite for rereleasing your ar*e"- ---

As*e may mean maladjusted in this instance!

just a mention,morrissey recorded live in eurockeenes france 2006 is on sky arts channel 256 on digital tv today at 4.50pm. maybe people havnt seen it so nows your chance.viva mozz