Chicago (IL), Auditorium Theatre
The Queen Is DeadThis concert went down well but for most fans it didn't top Morrissey's previous concert in Chicago from six months before. Morrissey was in an excellent mood and seemed to be enjoying himself. The audience was lively at the front, but quite subdued at the back and in the balconies. One fan tried to get on stage during "Disappointed" or "Panic", then during the final song many were successful. For a short time it looked like things were going to get out of hand. Morrissey hung back and mumbled something, but security finally kept everything under control. It must be said that the Chicago bouncers were particularly brutal. They punched and shoved fans to the floor, and screamed loudly into their faces. They were violent even when people were cooperating or with girls/women half their weight/size.
First Of The Gang To Die
The Youngest Was The Most Loved
You Have Killed Me
Disappointed
Panic
Let Me Kiss You
I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
I Will See You In Far Off Places
The National Front Disco
At Last I Am Born
Irish Blood, English Heart
All You Need Is Me
I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Drive-In Saturday
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Ganglord
Life Is A Pigsty
How Soon Is Now?
/Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
/You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side
The setlist was slightly scrambled and "In The Future When All's Well" was replaced with "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want".
At the beginning of the show Morrissey said something about being on his best behavior. There had been heavy rainfalls earlier that day, he commented at some point that he loved that weather and added "...the heights are wuthering... I can see Catherine Earnshaw walking down Michigan..." He might have not always been happy with his performance or that of certain members of his band, because at various points he said "We aren't going to make any mistakes tonight", "We are nearly a professional band... nearly..." and "thank you for being so understanding..." The crowd was generally very appreciative and he acknowledged it by saying "It's nice to be appreciated..." On the other hand when the David Bowie cover "Drive-In Saturday" got a lukewarm response he sarcastically said "Don't feel obliged to applaud..."
The customary introduction of the band took place after "Let Me Kiss You". Because bassist Solomon Walker and drummer Matt Walker are from Chicago, they were cheered more than the other musicians. At some point Morrissey morphed the title of a classic Smiths song with the state they were visiting and asked "Am I Still Illinois?" He had his traditional chit chat with his favourite fan Julia after "Drive-In Saturday". He asked her how she was and she answered that she was honoured to be there. Morrissey casually replied back "you're lying!". He then asked the fan next to her "Is she telling the truth?", but the fan had not understood his question, said something like "telling what?", and Morrissey, with a beaten look on his face, just shrugged and walked away.
During the "hang the DJ, hang the DJ" chorus at the end of "Panic" Morrissey shouted "any DJ!". In "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" he slightly extended a line to "with a lovely strange wife beside him". He did the whole first verse of "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side" in the first person.
Nothing from this concert is available on bootlegs at this point in time.
Do you have information about this concert? Or do you own an uncirculated recording of it? If yes please contribute and get credited.