8 November 2002
Gagarin 205, Athens, Greece

I Want The One I Can't Have
Suedehead
Little Man, What Now?
Hairdresser On Fire
Speedway
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
First Of The Gang To Die
Jack The Ripper
Everyday Is Like Sunday
I Like You
Alsatian Cousin
Sister I'm A Poet
Meat Is Murder
November Spawned A Monster
Hand In Glove
Irish Blood, English Heart
/There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
This first of two rescheduled gigs (they originally were scheduled right before the Australian stretch of the tour) in Athens went very well. Morrissey was in top form, chatty and in apparent great spirits despite minor sound problems. Over the length of the show, three of his shirts were thrown into the audience to be fought over. The fans were rather quiet at first, but they became more and more enthusiastic as the concert progressed. Despite a low barrier and little security, only one of them tried and successfully made it on stage. There was no change in the setlist.

As he came on stage Morrissey greeted his Greek fans with "geia sou" ("hello" in Greek). Further down the set he asked his guitarist Alain if he knew any words in Greek but received no answer. He said that the only Greek Boz knew was "geia mas" ("cheers" in Greek) while mimicking someone drinking. He chatted with some fans in the front rows who he recognised. He told fanzine editor Julia Riley how he couldn't believe she had made it to Athens. He also joked about playing the same setlist and using the same introductions as on earlier dates.

When a fan shouted "Oscar" and "James Dean" Morrissey said he preferred Oscar Wilde. When another fan shouted "Johnny Thunders" he replied "We all love Johnny Thunders." The crowd favourite "Jack The Ripper" was introduced as being about "the most famous Londoner ever... not the queen." Before "Everyday Is Like Sunday", Morrissey said "I'm nobody..." Before "Meat Is Murder" he jokingly said that all the Greek fans were vegetarians. When the audience laughed, Alain exclaimed "they're lying!" One fan asked Morrissey if he had been given the head of Elton John (a joke request from the previous show in London). To this the man replied "I thought you were going to bring it!"

At some point Morrissey commented about the microphone or p.a. system being the cheapest in the world. When he introduced his musicians he said that he found them working in a pub. "Hand In Glove" was introduced by saying that many of the fans in the audience were too young to know it. They proved him wrong by singing every word, and by dancing and pushing around energetically. Near the end of the concert Morrissey announced a new song and some fan shouted "Irish Blood, English Heart!" so Morrissey retorted "How did you know? You must have been reading the internet!"

 


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