Morrissey …Hovet..June 24th Stockholm

My head is banging today, its my birthday and my head is supposed to hurt the day after but alas I celebrated at the Morrissey gig last night and feeling the effects of it today.

I was very fortunate that Boz Boorer had left some aftershow (backstage) passes for us to pick up and I thought it wouldnt be right to turn up smashed. So I had one refreshing glass of Pear Cider and that was it.

I have been to Hovet twice before. Once to watch Motorhead and the other to watch that team from Solna play Ice Hockey. So both very different events. At Motorhead I was seated but there was no way I would sit for a Morrissey gig. Actually I hate sitting at any gig.

Unfortunately my camera was playing up so not the best pics but better than nothing right?

I have never been given a backstage pass before so it was a nice feeling to pick them up.

OK the gig itself…musically brilliant. The Band are top notch, very tight and multi talented. One minute they play the slow ‘Life is a Pigsty’ then into a Punk rendition of I’m Ok By Myself. A personal favourite.

Morrissey himself whilst giving his all as always, just seemed a little disinterested. Not much banter with the crowd, mind you I felt my age most people at the front were 16-20 and mostly female…a situation I would have really relished if I was the same age but I wasnt, I was enjoying the last moments of being 33….I dont have a midlife crisis..yet! Morrissey has had a lot of problems with his voice on this tour so maybe he wasnt pushing it to the level I have seen him before and who can blame him, its a gruelling tour.

There is something I have noted about the Swedish concert goers..they are boring! yes BORING! When I am at the front I like to pogo and give it some..the Swedes clap gently, its not a fucking bowls match! Funnily enough a good German friend of mine who lives in Stockholm was telling me the same thing on the gigs she has been too.  Different culture I guess. A few of us tried to make a go of it to generate some atmosphere but got disgusting looks from some of the Swedes there. A few people actually fainted, but then why go to the front if you cant hack it? If I am in discomfort at a gig then I move away.

Also it amazed me that a lot of the people, ok the young kids at the front all looked confused when anything from before Morrissey’s last album Years of Refusal was played. Amusing if it wasnt so sad. Dont get me wrong we all gotta start somewhere but beg, borrow but dont illegal download some of his other stuff. And the screaming, fucking ell its Morrissey not Boyzone or Take Shat! You can hear it on some of the video footage I took. Annoying as fuck.

It wasnt all bad though, got to hear ‘You Just Haven’t Earnt It Yet Baby’ for the first time live which was a nice treat. And to be honest it was worth enduring the teenage hoardes just to hear ‘I’m Ok By Myself’.

During the encore though it did get rowdy as people tried to invade the stage, thank fuck for that, the security guys were stopping people left right and centre but someone got badly hurt I think, even Moz looked concerned and it was a genuine concern. He does care about his fans despite what his detractors say.

So did I enjoy it? I always enjoy Morrissey but the atmosphere didnt help. I think the atmosphere at the Cambridge gig was so much better.

We went to the after party and met Boz, he seemed a bit tired, I think we had both drunk a bit much the night before in Stockholms Old Town. He enjoyed the gig and said the sound was better than last time. We didnt meet Morrissey, not sure where he was, but you know what I am kind of pleased not to have met him because I would not have known what to say really. The man is a legend and sometimes its better not to meet legends.

I did tell Boz about my Marathon Morrissey Stockholm lyric posts which amused him, he did wonder sometimes if some of the lyrics were about him which just goes to show..that if Moz’s guitarist doesnt even know what the lyrics are about the rest of us havent got a chance of working them out.

Songlist:

1. This Charming Man
2. Billy Budd
3. Black Cloud
4. How Soon Is Now?
5. When Last I Spoke To Carol
6. Ask
7. I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris
8. How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
9. You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby
10. Irish Blood, English Heart
11. One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell
12. The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
13. I Keep Mine Hidden
14. Let Me Kiss You
15. Girlfriend In A Coma
16. Life Is A Pigsty
17. Sorry Doesn’t Help
18. The Loop
19. I’m OK By Myself
Encore
20. First Of The Gang To Die

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