Morrissey

The first time I saw The Smiths, it was at the Brixton Academy where a young, Tim Booth and his band James provided the evening’s support. Decades later, the landscape of live music has shifted. Tonight at The O2, the tradition of a live opening act has been replaced by a thirty-minute video montage of Morrissey’s personal influences. One might argue that in an industry where new talent struggles for exposure, a prime support slot on a sold-out arena tour would be invaluable. Instead, we are presented with a curated record collection on screen: the Italian crooner Little Tony performing “Cuore Matto,” a welcome surprise addition alongside Gene Pitney, The Ramones, and The New York Dolls.

The crowd—a generational mix of original devotees and their offspring—remains largely impassive during this visual preamble. When the man himself finally arrives, he does so with a playful nod to the mainstream, crooning a line from Foreigner’s “I Want to Know What Love Is” before launching into the set.

The performance is anchored by an exceptionally tight five-piece international band, including Colombian bassist Juan Galeano and British/Italian guitarist Carmen Vandenberg. Clad in an open pink shirt with a spray of flowers tucked into his waistband, Morrissey remains a singular visual presence. His voice, remarkably preserved, floats with precision above the driving arrangements. "Suedehead" is delivered early, nearly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the audience’s accompaniment, followed by the muscular basslines of "Notre-Dame."

Between songs, the rhetoric is familiar. "The jealous bitches tried to get rid of me, but I’m still here," he quips, surveying a packed arena that suggests he is right. There are brief, cryptic references to the industry—a comment about being "pregnant for six and a half years" serves as an update on his long-delayed fourteenth studio album, Make-Up Is a Lie, finally slated for release on March 6.

The setlist strikes a balance between the nostalgic and the contemporary. The Smiths’ "I Know It's Over" provides a moment of delight, while "Irish Blood, English Heart" is preceded by a characteristic jab at cultural identity. After a brief piano interval, he returns in a fresh white shirt for "Everyday Is Like Sunday," a song that has lost none of its communal power.

The evening concludes with a bilingual farewell from the band members, each saying goodbye in their native tongue before the inevitable, soaring finale of "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." Then Morrissey takes off his t-shirt, wipes his face, and throws it into the crowd, a man clearly at ease with himself. While the music industry at large may have spent years attempting to categorise or cancel him, tonight proves that Morrissey continues to operate within his own realm—one where the devotion of his public remains entirely unvarnished.

Setlist
Billy Budd
I Just Want to See the Boy Happy
Suedehead
Notre-Dame
Make-Up Is a Lie
Amazona (Roxy Music cover)
A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours
Now My Heart Is Full
The Monsters of Pig Alley
I Know It's Over
Irish Blood, English Heart
World Peace Is None of Your Business
Everyday Is Like Sunday
How Soon Is Now?
Best Friend on the Payroll
Jack the Ripper
I Will See You in Far-Off Places

Encore:
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out