Forum, London, UK
You're Gonna Need Someone On Your SideThe first of four consecutive nights at the London Forum was another great concert, for both Morrissey and his fans. The man was in great form and in excellent mood. He kept talking and laughing with the audience. The fans were very receptive and energetic, they chanted Morrissey's name between most songs. Quite a few of them made it on stage, often with some help from Morrissey himself. There was no change in the setlist.
The Boy Racer
Billy Budd
Speedway
Is It Really So Strange?
Hairdresser On Fire
Lost
Tomorrow
Break Up The Family
Now My Heart Is Full
November Spawned A Monster
Reader Meet Author
Alma Matters
Sunny
Trouble Loves Me
Meat Is Murder
/Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Coming on stage Morrissey greeted his fans with "Good evening... we've just flown in from West Ham to be with you... take us as you find us..." In set opener "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side" he changed one line to the previously unheard "Someone kindly told me that you wasted... every good thing in your life". After "The Boy Racer" came the second part of his greeting: "Hello and welcome to our fourth night in the Forum, and... tomorrow is the first night and... surely you understand that..." After "Speedway" he simply said "Thank you, you're always very kind..."
After the extremely well received "Hairdresser Of Fire" Morrissey commented "It's nice to see that everybody isn't a librarian... not that librarians don't know their place, but... well maybe they don't completely..." He then answered something shouted to him with "I am! I am! That's why I'm standing here! Incredible, it's a miracle!" As the first notes of "Lost" were heard and some fans loudly cheered, Morrissey slipped "don't pretend!" After the song the crowd broke into a chant of "Morrissey! Morrissey! Morrissey!" and the object of the chant replied "Don't forget me!" Then after one more song and another chant, this time he jokingly warned "The press won't like you!"
The crowd not only chanted the name of their idol, but also their favourite lines. The best example happened at the beginning of "Now My Heart Is Full" when they sang so loud that Morrissey interrupted himself a few times and just let the audience sing along. After the song he said "I've just heard the first ever request for 'Ouija Board, Ouija Board, Ouija Board' (crowd cheers)... and it will be completely ignored..." After "November Spawned The Monster" he joked in his own self-deprecatory way "I'm not sure why, but for some reason that wasn't included on 'Now That's What I Call Music volume 30' but... I've managed to survive, I think... yes, just about!"
In "Reader Meet Author" Morrissey sang "he says no one ever sees me when I cry... yes I do!". Further down into the song he exclaimed "Oh! So smelly...", perhaps because he had just removed his t-shirt and was about to throw it into the audience. It must be said that this was done twice throughout the show. Then near the end of the song he shouted "Yes I know, I can hear you!" After the song, when someone shouted "Stop the fucking security!", he answered "You wouldn't say that to Keith Richards!".
In "Alma Matters" Morrissey changed a line to "This is my life to destroy my own way". After "Sunny" he commented on the fans attempting to climb on stage and their struggle with security "So as soon as somebody starts crawling over it's obviously up to me to save them all the time which... the responsability is... easy!" In "Trouble Loves Me" he sang the slightly alternate "go to Soho, yes".
Morrissey served a very powerful and disturging introduction to "Meat Is Murder": "I was very surprised to hear that some of you actually think that the fox hunting ban will take place, but I think you're being a little naive because if Prince William wants the right to kill, he must have the right to kill (crowd cheers/boos)... sadly... the slave trade, the holocaust, the meat industry... the slave trade, the holocaust, the meat industry... the slave trade, the holocaust, the meat industry..." Before going into encore "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" he simply thanked the audience "...for being so bloody nice!"
An audience recording of the complete concert is circulated on bootleg compact discs and in digital format on the internet, occasionally under the title "November Spawned A Mozzer", "London Forum" or "Now My Heart Is Full". The sound quality is excellent and because the recorder (Soundsville International's Steve) was positioned in the first row he also captured very well the energy of the audience without too much interference.
A video audience recording of the complete concert is also out there, but not circulated much at this point in time (recorder: Chris A). The footage was shot from the center at the back of the venue, it is generally steady and clear from obstruction.
A second audio recording is rumoured for this date, but this could be the audio lifted from the video recording.
Do you have information about this concert? Or do you own an uncirculated recording of it? If yes please contribute and get credited.