London - Eventim Apollo (March 19, 2023) post-show

Post your info and reviews related to this concert in the comments section below. Other links (photos, external reviews, etc.) related to this concert will also be compiled in this section as they are sent in.

Setlist:

Our Frank / Alma Matters / Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before / Irish Blood, English Heart / I Wish You Lonely / Jim Jim Falls / I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris / Sure Enough, The Telephone Rings / Istanbul / Girlfriend In A Coma / Everyday Is Like Sunday / Knockabout World / The Loop / The Night Pop Dropped / Without Music The World Dies / Half A Person / Trouble Loves Me / Suedehead / Jack The Ripper // Sweet And Tender Hooligan

Setlist courtesy of @NealCassidy.

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• Photo from @lmwrapp / Twitter. Link posted by Famous when dead.
  
  
  
  Image also featured on Morrissey Central:
  
  THERE’LL BE BLUE BIRDS OVER / THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER (March 2o, 2023). Link posted by TheSmiths_1985.
  London triumph as the last night of the tour

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Media items:

• Fiona Dodwell: "Still On Top Form: Morrissey Live At London’s Hammersmith Apollo" - March 20, 2023
• WhyNow: Morrissey at the Hammersmith Apollo review - Big Mouth goads the radical in us - March 20, 2023

 

[Anonymous]

Been to plenty of the gigs in recent years and another one chalked off tonight, the queue was long from the start, I was there 20 mins before doors opened and it was already back onto the street. Thought the additions in the video at the start were okay. Predictable opening given what he’s played recently, was sad not to hear we hate it but have heard it at the last uk dates so not overly bothered, alma matters is a standard for me, nothing spellbinding. Was surprised at the dinosaur rampage to get up close in the first three numbers, last few gigs had become so tame I thought those days were coming to an end. Most of them retreated by the mid set. Trouble love me is nice, I wouldn’t have please please please but I was expecting something different when it didn’t appear, turned out it was Jack the Ripper and then hooligans was another rampage to the front by many, not sure why they waited until then when they could have inched forward when the smoke cleared. It’s a solid venue, the standing wasn’t sardines at the front and looked like it plateaued at the back to me when I spun around during Sunday. Moz was surprisingly chatty, thought he’d mention Mother’s Day, thought he might add I know it’s over but alas not to be. All in all it’s a gig for a pretty enthusiastic fan I’d say, his voice seemed pretty strong, not as good as autumn though. Think I’d pause before buying a ticket for Leeds or palace - at £75 a pop plus all the aggro it’s a harder sell not knowing if you’ll have 80% of the same tunes, I thought the gigs in Stockton/Blackpool were better where it’s smaller. Best I’ve seen him in London is still the o2 in 2012, Hammersmith is a solid choice though but I prefer the palladium. So in summary, nice to see him chatty and working on new material, another couple of rarities and I think everyone would have gone home happy. Still a solid 7/10.

 

[Fig40058]

Someone mentioned the “argie bargie” tonight, and I have to concur. A lot of very bad tempered aggressive 50 something men who deliberately block anyone trying to (politely) squeeze through as if it’s their own personal kingdom.

 

[Famous when dead]

 

[Banbury Moz Army]

Post your info and reviews related to this concert in the comments section below. Other links (photos, external reviews, etc.) related to this concert will also be compiled in this section as they are sent in.

Setlist:

Our Frank / I Wish You Lonely / Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before / Irish Blood, English Heart / Jim Jim Falls / Sure Enough, The Telephone Rings / Girlfriend In A Coma / Everyday Is Like Sunday / Without Music The World Dies / The Bullfighter Dies / The Loop / The Night Pop Dropped / Istanbul / Half A Person / Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want / Knockabout World / Trouble Loves Me / Suedehead / Jack The Ripper // Sweet And Tender Hooligan

Setlist courtesy of @Mozzer1980, Mars, setlist.fm & FWD.

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• Photo from tommygirl83 / Instagram. Link posted by Famous when dead.
  
  

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Been to plenty of the gigs in recent years and another one chalked off tonight, the queue was long from the start, I was there 20 mins before doors opened and it was already back onto the street. Thought the additions in the video at the start were okay. Predictable opening given what he’s played recently, was sad not to hear we hate it but have heard it at the last uk dates so not overly bothered, alma matters is a standard for me, nothing spellbinding. Was surprised at the dinosaur rampage to get up close in the first three numbers, last few gigs had become so tame I thought those days were coming to an end. Most of them retreated by the mid set. Trouble love me is nice, I wouldn’t have please please please but I was expecting something different when it didn’t appear, turned out it was Jack the Ripper and then hooligans was another rampage to the front by many, not sure why they waited until then when they could have inched forward when the smoke cleared. It’s a solid venue, the standing wasn’t sardines at the front and looked like it plateaued at the back to me when I spun around during Sunday. Moz was surprisingly chatty, thought he’d mention Mother’s Day, thought he might add I know it’s over but alas not to be. All in all it’s a gig for a pretty enthusiastic fan I’d say, his voice seemed pretty strong, not as good as autumn though. Think I’d pause before buying a ticket for Leeds or palace - at £75 a pop plus all the aggro it’s a harder sell not knowing if you’ll have 80% of the same tunes, I thought the gigs in Stockton/Blackpool were better where it’s smaller. Best I’ve seen him in London is still the o2 in 2012, Hammersmith is a solid choice though but I prefer the palladium. So in summary, nice to see him chatty and working on new material, another couple of rarities and I think everyone would have gone home happy. Still a solid 7/10.

Yeh, unless he starts changing up the setlists then it looks like you have to be a pretty ardent fan to attend more than one in a row especially; either that or a totally new fan who hasn't heard anything live before, but I'm sure he knows that most of the people who attend have been a million (hyperbole, obviously) times before, so I don't get why he doesn't change it up more.

I would love him to sing something completely out of the blue, but unfortunately it's his prerogative what he sings, yet it won't stop me being at every UK gig and possibly further afield.

We know now that setlists are likely to have only a few changes even from tour to tour, so those that purchase tickets can't legitimately complain if they have been paying attention, and that's on them.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Well, I'm a huge Paul McCartney fan as well and I can tell you a lot of hardcore fans are very annoyed that he plays so much Beatles material and so little newer songs, and complain endlessly about it. It's impossible to satisfy everyone!

I do agree the shows could be longer. But maybe he just doesn't feel up to longer shows.

I wish it was longer, too. I think he's stated in the past that his jaw locks after about an hour and a half which is (probably not so coincidentally) when the gigs come to an end; whether that's true or not who knows?

But it can affect your ability to open your mouth, breathe and swallow, so, if true, it could certainly impact a vocal performance.

 

[HaHaHa89]

Some of you are very hard to please!

 

[theprivilegeismine]

The flowers ban was put in place by Morrissey a long long time ago and has been a stated restriction at all venues ever since.

The reason was that it started to cause a safety issue on stage with the numbers of flowers being thrown and a slipping risk for him.

I guess that means that he doesn't want the cause of him landing on his arse being us, but as for it being his own impeccable sartorial choices, well, that seems like a chance he's willing to take. Every. Single. Gig. Bless him. It's really quite cute.

 

[Light Housework]

I guess that means that he doesn't want the cause of him landing on his arse being us, but as for it being his own impeccable sartorial choices, well, that seems like a chance he's willing to take. Every. Single. Gig. Bless him.

Yes, but what do you think of his voice? From the clips I've heard of this gig, he sounded fantastic.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Yes, but what do you think of his voice? From the clips I've heard of this gig, he sounded fantastic.

He was on top form, as was his vocal, but as someone else mentioned he was using throat spray. Whatever he needed that for it didn't impact his vox, as far as I could tell.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

What was said before Sweet & Tender Encore - transcribed/transcription -

"If you are lucky enough to have a mother, please look after her because she will go just like that. If you are lucky enough to have animals, please look after them because all they want to do, all they want to do, is love you."

"Democracy, free speech is coming back to this country. It's coming back, and if anybody tells you to sit down, you tell them to shut up."

 

[Tom]

Dreadful setlist for a closing night in London, considering he just played there in the Fall. Awful and lazy.

 

[Judy Figginag]

Was just ok but seen it now so won’t bother with Crystal Palace or leeds if they even happen.

Just doesn’t have the energy and drive of 15 years ago. New stuff is lacklustre and if I was new to listening to him and that was what was on offer I would probably not bother again. Mediocre.

Not a true fan in any sense of the word. Go back to your prized Very Best of the Smiths CD with the Charles Hawtrey cover.

As for the nonsensical comment about the drop off in energy compared to 2008, the guy is 63 but he still sounds in fantastic voice. I doubt you are the same guy you were 15 years ago either! To paraphrase the great Ali, ‘Well, I asked your wife, and she told me you're not the same man you was 15 months ago!’

 

[Crisstti]

What was said before Sweet & Tender Encore - transcribed/transcription -

"If you are lucky enough to have a mother, please look after her because she will go just like that. If you are lucky enough have animals, please look after them because all they want to do, all they want to do, is love you."

"Democracy, free speech is coming back to this country. It's coming back, and if anybody tells you to sit down, you tell them to shut up."

God that is so sweet

 

[Crisstti]

I wish it was longer, too. I think he's stated in the past that his jaw locks after about an hour and a half which is (probably not so coincidentally) when the gigs come to an end; whether that's true or not who knows?

But it can affect your ability to open your mouth, breathe and swallow, so, if true, it could certainly impact a vocal performance.

Why would that happen?

 

[Judy Figginag]

Dreadful setlist for a closing night in London, considering he just played there in the Fall. Awful and lazy.

About as awful and as lazy as referring to autumn as the Fall. Unless you’ve stumbled across some insider information that Morrissey was once in cahoots with Mark E. Smith and briefly joined the ever-revolving line-up.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

God that is so sweet

It really is. He always somehow knows the right things to say. And it's true, although the last part is more an idealists perspective and wishful thinking, and I am also an idealist but my cynicism overrides that, I'm afraid. Maybe I would be classed as a lapsed idealist now.

Why would that happen?

It's often related to a singers vocal posture - how they move their mouth and the muscles in close proximity while trying to project their voice. It can affect the face, head and neck, in particular, and I imagine it isn't a great thing to have to put up with, but a lot of vocalists suffer from it, and the fact that he has been in the industry so long will likely have contributed to it occuring.

Often, if a singer learns a particular method of voice projection early on in their career it can be challenging to change it. It's basically excessive tension in the face, head and neck areas and can be difficult to eradicate. Singing is a skill based largely on muscle memory, and it is easy for singers to develop consistently bad habits during singing or speech that translate into tensions that culminate in their jaw locking.

 

[dneuer]

I personally think Hooligan is a great closer.

As do I, but I’d really like to see Billy Budd as a closer. “Don’t leave us in the dark…” (bam! Lights go out on stage!). It may be too short of a song, but it does bring some energy as well.

 

[Light Housework]

As do I, but I’d really like to see Billy Budd as a closer. “Don’t leave us in the dark…” (bam! Lights go out on stage!). It may be too short of a song, but it does bring some energy as well.

But Hooligan gets people acting like hooligans, invading the stage, and Moz would miss that.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

But Hooligan gets people acting like hooligans, invading the stage, and Moz would miss that.

I think the biggest hooligans tonight were possibly security. When he was reaching to touch people security was tearing their hands away from him. It seemed overzealous compared to what I've seen recently in France and Belgium.