Morrisey recently had a concert in Newark. The former lead singer of the Smiths, took the stage of the city’s New Jersey Performing Arts Center on November 13th.
“Tonight, tonight I will go out and I will discover the fleshpots of Newark,” said Morrissey after an inspiring rendition of “Shoplifters of the World Unite.”
“The question being, will I find any? Yes?”
On a lighter note he said: “He fell, he jumped, he’s dead,” said Morrissey later in the show. “We’re all feeble and we all die.”
Morrissey still got it. There is power and texture to his vocal swoons, yelps and intonations. A five-member band delivered the Morrissey songs — which included several Smiths classics but no “November Spawned a Monster” — deftly with powerful intent.
The classic “How Soon is Now, “ introduced by Morrissey as being 40 years old, took on a metal hue at the NJPAC.
“I’m still the son, I’m still the son and the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar,” sang Morrisey, slightly changing the lyrics to reflect the passing of time.
Morrissey presents a complex challenge for his fans. He embodies the perpetual victim of adolescent angst while also serving as a vocal commentator on current events. His support for the For Britain party in the UK, along with controversial remarks—such as stating that Sadiq Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor, “cannot talk properly”—has led some to accuse him of racism. Morrissey contends that his views are a matter of free speech.
“As you know, nobody will release my music anymore,” said Morrisey from the NJPAC stage. “As you know because I’m a chief exponent of free speech. In England at least, it’s now criminalized. You cannot speak freely in England. If you don’t believe me, go there. Express an opinion, you’ll be sent to prison. It’s very, very difficult.”
