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

 

[Mozzer1980]

Still it was a good lay ...

 

[Anonymous]

View attachment 89871

What a fantastic photo this is!!! You can almost feel the pure joy in the room & the love for Moz.
I can imagine that as a poster, or inside a gatefold.

Thing is, back in his pomp, all Morrissey shows were like this, regardless of setlist or venue. It was what made his gigs so thrilling. What went wrong so that what used to be the norm is now so extraordinary?

 

[megatronman]

When they opened the doors the one I went through was very disorganised. I set off the detector (still had my keys in my pocket) but nobody seemed to care or even notice so I just carried on to the stalls. The middle of the stage was 2 or 3 rows deep but there was an empty spot on the right side of the barrier so I made a beeline for it. A security guy shouted "stop running, you're not a child!"
Highlight for me was Half a Person, the reverb added to his vox at the end was sublime. Helped a woman over the barrier during SATH, alas not quick enough.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Probably because at the other venues a handshake would be within barriers reach, whereas with the distance at this one, you’d have to climb them until almost falling over, or jump over - at which point they felt like they had to get it under control

Ahh, okay. I couldn't see that distance from where I was seated. Man, that's such a shame for people wanting to feel closer to him. That's part of the M experience for many folks. We feel an affinity with him and some are often "desperate" to get closer.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Reading that , it’s a shame Morrissey didn’t give her that hug she asked for in Antwerp!

As I said on that thread , I salute all those US / further afield fans who tour Europe / U.K. (& do all the US shows as well)

It’s Top level commitment / investment, I’m just not sure that singling out one individual from that number of US travellers (or indeed from the other 5000 present) is good form by Morrissey (nor did I, when he did it with Julia back in the day either.

I agree with this.

I think when it comes to his obsessions he can likely be a highly jealous person, so I cannot help but imagine how someone with jealousy issues deals with seeing someone being given special treatment?

Say, if he had been at a NY Dolls gig and they had someone up on stage. I don't think he would have taken kindly to it, and he knows many of his fanbase are obsessed with him, so I can't understand why he does it knowing how it may feel to some audience members. Lack of empathy? Or just not caring? It also will have certainly miffed people who have travelled possibly from further afield to attend last night, but who just kept their trap shut and attended rather than plaster it on various sites or get in touch with his crew to tell them how far they're travelling, etc. A total lack of awareness really.

I know this is probably an unpopular opinion, lol.

 

[Anonymous]

There is always a hierarchy and has been since Morrissey time began and he has encouraged it over the years. The fact that there is a list of fans who never pay or queue is an example. That list was put together from the people in the queue for Australia a long time ago and has stayed. They don’t pay, they don’t queue and they get let in early and often name dropped from the stage. He has always named people on stage and it has always wound people up but I think he likes that.

Actually, a lot of the people that got put on the permanent no pay/no queue list were put on it in Japan in 2012; people like Stephen, Chris, Paul, etc. Not sure where it happened to the others, like Trinity, Julian, or that dead Curtis kid, etc., maybe Australia? The whole thing is just so weird anyways, why he picks who he picks.

There are also a couple people who were on that list of people and were taken off without notice, in a very hush-hush way - I know at least one of them personally. There's plenty of other fans who put in way more time and money over the last 30 or so years, so who knows (some of them have stopped obviously)? I don't know many other bands or artists that have a list of like, 12 people that can go to any show, anywhere, without paying and get let in before anyone else.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Thing is, back in his pomp, all Morrissey shows were like this, regardless of setlist or venue. It was what made his gigs so thrilling. What went wrong so that what used to be the norm is now so extraordinary?

He's older - that is the answer - as someone else mentioned earlier in the thread. You can't expect him to frolic around the stage like he used to a decade or more ago; it just isn't realistic no matter how much you want those days back.

We have to be thankful that this living legend is still touring internationally often and still creating music after all this time and despite ill health and the impending doom of ageing. Because once he drops the mic permanently people will probably realise just how transcendent his shows were; even these ones.

Yes, I would love those days back to see him at his most animated, but, unfortunately that isn't going to happen. All we can do is show him unconditional love and support and enjoy him while we still have time. I know when that day does come and he turns in I, for one, will be devastated.

 

[gashonthenail]

View attachment 89871

What a fantastic photo this is!!! You can almost feel the pure joy in the room & the love for Moz.
I can imagine that as a poster, or inside a gatefold.

Stunning photograph. This should be the album cover for WMTWD. It we ever get to hear it.

 

[Mozzer1980]

Best video version of SaTH from Hammersmith

 

[theprivilegeismine]

When they opened the doors the one I went through was very disorganised. I set off the detector (still had my keys in my pocket) but nobody seemed to care or even notice so I just carried on to the stalls. The middle of the stage was 2 or 3 rows deep but there was an empty spot on the right side of the barrier so I made a beeline for it. A security guy shouted "stop running, you're not a child!"
Highlight for me was Half a Person, the reverb added to his vox at the end was sublime. Helped a woman over the barrier during SATH, alas not quick enough.

Yeh, it was a shambles. Anyone could've taken anything in with them. I had a low light camera in my pocket with a metal body and was expecting the detector to go off and to lose it, but nothing happened.

Everyone here understands why you were running. They just don't get it. Rather amusing anecdote, though!

 

[gashonthenail]

Best video version of SaTH from Hammersmith

Does look like the security was a tad over-zealous. There are several moments where Moz has his arm quite forcefully shoved back by security, even though Moz is the one reaching his hand out to members of the audience.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Does look like the security was a tad over-zealous. There are several moments where Moz has his arm quite forcefully shoved back by security, even though Moz is the one reaching his hand out to members of the audience.

I said that exact thing earlier in the thread. Yes, they were actually tearing people's hands away from his even though, as you say, he was reaching out to touch them. They were overbearing at the very least.

 

[Anonymous]

Ahh, okay. I couldn't see that distance from where I was seated. Man, that's such a shame for people wanting to feel closer to him. That's part of the M experience for many folks. We feel an affinity with him and some are often "desperate" to get closer.

And that is why he has security.

A therapist would make a lot of money from this audience.

 

[malvachat]

Well it finally happened.I persuaded my wife of 30 years to come see Morrissey.
I've tried numerous times to get her to listen and take notice of both the Smiths and Morrissey.
Although even the die hard fans can admit it's not what it was and why should it be?
But my wife was blown away with it all.She loved it.She said I didn't realize just how good his voice is and how very entertaining he was.She's made me promise to put a CD for the car together for her.I've told her that's a massive job and I'll really wouldn't know where to start.
Some the songs last night were to me nothing really special,yet she thought they were so good.
My wife's taste in music is not at all in tune with mine.So attempting to pick for her would be impossible.That being said I will make a bit of an effort.

 

[Deleted member 29227]

Well it finally happened.I persuaded my wife of 30 years to come see Morrissey.
I've tried numerous times to get her to listen and take notice of both the Smiths and Morrissey.
Although even the die hard fans can admit it's not what it was and why should it be?
But my wife was blown away with it all.She loved it.She said I didn't realize just how good his voice is and how very entertaining he was.She's made me promise to put a CD for the car together for her.I've told her that's a massive job and I'll really wouldn't know where to start.
Some the songs last night were to me nothing really special,yet she thought they were so good.
My wife's taste in music is not at all in tune with mine.So attempting to pick for her would be impossible.That being said I will make a bit of an effort.

Really heart warming to hear your wife is a new Moz convert!!
Maybe you could start a separate thread 'Moz tunes for the wife' (or something along those lines) and get some help from here? I'm sure guys on here would love to help.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

And that is why he has security.

A therapist would make a lot of money from this audience.

Oh, believe me, I understand why they're there, but they were just too militant last night compared to on the continent in the past weeks.

These days, I reckon that would be true of a lot of people regardless of who they're paying to see. Although I did read an article once on research carried out by Cambridge University, and they claimed that his fans were the most neurotic out of the participants they included. It's possibly true even though I don't think the relatively meagre sample size was particularly helpful, so I don't know if generalisations can legitimately be made.

Anyway, M is loveably neurotic too, so why does it matter.

 

[Anonymous]

He's older - that is the answer - as someone else mentioned earlier in the thread. You can't expect him to frolic around the stage like he used to a decade or more ago; it just isn't realistic no matter how much you want those days back.

We have to be thankful that this living legend is still touring internationally often and still creating music after all this time and despite ill health and the impending doom of ageing. Because once he drops the mic permanently people will probably realise just how transcendent his shows were; even these ones.

Yes, I would love those days back to see him at his most animated, but, unfortunately that isn't going to happen. All we can do is show him unconditional love and support and enjoy him while we still have time. I know when that day does come I, for one, will be devastated.

I think you misunderstood the poster. They weren’t talking about morrissey on stage but the atmosphere and the audience off stage. A lot of the recent gigs have been staid in the audience so it is now rare to get that kind of audience energy that used to be every single gig.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh, believe me, I understand why they're there, but they were just too militant last night compared to on the continent in the past weeks.

These days, I reckon that would be true of a lot of people regardless of who they're paying to see. Although I did read an article once on research carried out by Cambridge University, and they claimed that his fans were the most neurotic out of the participants they included. It's possibly true even though I don't think the relatively meagre sample size was particularly helpful, so I don't know if generalisations can legitimately be made.

Anyway, M is loveably neurotic too, so why does it matter.

It’s about security. Who knows what Morrissey’s security team have told the venue security.

There are people in this audience who are neurotic and calling someone you claim to love as neurotic is odd.

Over the years there have been many incidents including people trying to break into his hotel room. His security have a job to do and pretty sure they are left to decide what’s best for his health and safety.

 

[malvachat]

Really heart warming to hear your wife is a new Moz convert!!
Maybe you could start a separate thread 'Moz tunes for the wife' (or something along those lines) and get some help from here? I'm sure guys on here would love to help.

Now there's a thought.But with such a big catalogue,it would just turn into a thread of your favorite songs.Which as we all know changes year on year.I revist albums and get something new each time.I also read into the meanings differently.I put it down to my ageing thought pattens.

 

[Like_Elvis_In_The_Movies]

Actually, a lot of the people that got put on the permanent no pay/no queue list were put on it in Japan in 2012; people like Stephen, Chris, Paul, etc. Not sure where it happened to the others, like Trinity, Julian, or that dead Curtis kid, etc., maybe Australia? The whole thing is just so weird anyways, why he picks who he picks.

There are also a couple people who were on that list of people and were taken off without notice, in a very hush-hush way - I know at least one of them personally. There's plenty of other fans who put in way more time and money over the last 30 or so years, so who knows (some of them have stopped obviously)? I don't know many other bands or artists that have a list of like, 12 people that can go to any show, anywhere, without paying and get let in before anyone else.

Trinity was the name of the other American girl I was thinking of, come to think of it, didn’t see her at any of these shows or the shows at end of last year
The others are names I kinda recognise , but couldn’t put to the correct face , probably know them to see them.

It’s all very , names / being a face, reminds me of going to the football and people on nodding terms / recognising others as they always attend, seem to get a ticket from somewhere, no matter the location / size of the venue

Kinda thin line between a social community and a closed shop