…and the Philippine Flag
THE show was scheduled to start at 8 p.m.; but at 5:30 in the afternoon, a line had already formed outside the doors of the World Trade Center. Steven Patrick Morrissey— lyricist, vocalist and all-around hell raiser of seminal ‘ 80s band The Smiths—was performing in Manila for the very first time, and fans were understandably in a frenzy.
Out of the 20 or so people who were first in line, about eight were wearing shirts emblazoned with some version of the artist’s name or that of his former band. And as the queue got longer, more and more concertgoers proudly showed off how much of a fan they were.
Morrissey is that rare breed of artist. His name may be familiar to the most casual music listener, but there is a small, but very devoted group of fans who swear unending fidelity.
It’s probably difficult for people under the age of 35 to get this sort of rabid devotion to someone who arguably achieved his peak before some of them were even born. But such is the appeal of Moz: his words and his music may be from another time, but his appeal is certainly timeless. I even spotted not a few young ‘uns out in the audience.
Doors opened a few minutes before 7 p.m. The wait seemed interminable, with a mishmash of classical music alternating with a few obscure rock tunes, including one by British rock group T. Rex (which Morrissey professed to like in his earlier days). When the lights went down, old-school music videos were projected onto a gigantic white screen onstage. It was nostalgic, yes, but also more than a little boring at times.
When the white screen suddenly gave way to reveal the band over the opening strains of “How Soon Is Now,” pandemonium ensued. And when Morrissey himself materialized onstage, there was no describing how much the decibel level went up inside the WTC. The 52-year-old was wearing a pink shirt and jeans, and the Philippine flag was wrapped around his waist. Fans waited decades for this moment and it was clear everyone was just taking the moment in.
Midway through the song, a fellow concert- goer remarked, “He sounds exactly the same!” And it was true. Moz’s clear baritone carried well and was none the worse for wear.
“It’s not rock music,” he remarked. “It’s not alternative. It’s not pop. It’s…opera.”
The crowd cheered. At this point, whatever came out of his mouth, audiences were sure to just lap it all up.
Moz launched into a medley of his own material as a solo artist. His band broke up in 1987, just five years after forming, and the singer-songwriter has released nine albums on his own since. He did “Alma Matters,” “You Have Killed Me,” I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris,” “First Of The Gang To Die,” Speedway,” Black Cloud,” “You’re The One For Me, Fatty,” “I Will See You in Far-off Places,” and “When Last Time I Spoke To Carol.”
“I have so much to say,” he said at some point during the show. “It’s hard to know where to begin. So therefore, I won’t.”
Fans, of course, know of his lifelong animal rights advocacy (Moz has been a vegetarian since he was 14). During the song “Meat Is Murder,” he flashed videos of animal cruelty on the screen. I don’t think I’ll be giving up my being carnivore anytime soon, but I have to commend the man for his persistence in fighting for our beastly friends for all these years.
Before he launched into “Shoplifters,” he took off his shirt and threw it to somebody in the audience, and for a man in his early 50s, the Moz still has a rocking torso. “I have an honest feeling that you’re beginning to loosen up. And you should. Because if you don’t, everyone else will. And where will you be? Gone.”
His encore was a stirring rendition of “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” probably my favorite moment in the whole show.
In between songs, a gigantic portrait of Oscar Wilde posed the question, “Who Is Morrissey?” People may have their own ideas of who Morrissey is in their lives. Hero. Idol. Musical genius. Hellraiser. He was all that and more to those who watched the concert. His performance was a dream come true— a few decades overdue, but well worth the wait.
The return of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in ‘ MIB 3’ EVERYTHING is set for the return performance of Lady Gaga on May 21 and 22 at the new indoor Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The two-night gig, which is part of the brand-new tour of the five-time Grammy Award winner, is expected to attract a record attendance by music enthusiasts of all classes and ages who have been captivated by one of the today’s hottest female artists for her unique and spectacular singing and theatrical acts.
Produced internationally by Live Nation, and locally mounted by Ovation Productions, the fifth leg of the Asian segment of the 13-city, 34-date tour reunites Lady Gaga with her Filipino fans after her successful debut performance here on August 11, 2009.
To faithfully depict the concept of the show, a stage built along the design of a large Gothic castle will be built for the two- and- a- halfhour pop extravaganza.
“[It’s] the Haus of Gaga and I have worked for months conceiving a spectacular stage,” said the artist. “The Born This Way Ball is an electrometal pop-opera, the tale of the beginning, the genesis of the Kingdom of Fame. How we were birthed and how we will die celebrating.”
She is expected to do 110 shows this year in support of the Born This Way album, which has sold nearly six million copies throughout the world since its release in May 2011.
Tickets are available at all SM Tickets outlets nationwide and online via www.smtickets.com. For details, call 4702222 or visit www.mallofasia-arena.com.