H.J. Kaiser Auditorium, Oakland, USA
William, It Was Really NothingThere was no opening act scheduled for this date, but an African American drag queen lip-synched to "Proud Mary" before the Smiths came on stage. The setlist might actually have been longer than the one given above, or perhaps the Smiths played a shorter set because of the major feedback problems they were experiencing early in the set, when Morrissey's microphone sent very loud screeches through the arena.
Nowhere Fast
I Want The One I Can't Have
What She Said
How Soon Is Now?
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Stretch Out And Wait
Shakespeare's Sister
Rusholme Ruffians
Jeane
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Miserable Lie
/Barbarism Begins At Home
Morrissey's first banter came after "Nowhere Fast" when he enquired "So did you like (drag queen's name, sounded like Marriott)?" At one point, probably during "How Soon Is Now", he wrapped himself in a brown blanket and rolled slowly around the floor. "Stretch Out And Wait" was unavailable for purchase in the USA otherwise than on import, and Morrissey introduced it with the line "This is a sweet song you haven't heard... "Stretch. Out. And. Wait."
After this, besides the occasional apology for the feedback and the odd song title, Morrissey's only intervention came after "Shakespeare's Sister" when he said "Hope you're not too sweaty..." When the band left the stage, it looked like there would be no encores as the house lights came on. But the band did return for a final number, performed with the lights still on.
Info provided by Troy James.
A rather poor audience recording of this concert is available from certain bootleg traders and on the internet. It features the complete set listed above, but some songs like "Rusholme Ruffians", "Jeane" and "Miserable Lie" were truncated to various degrees. This was possibly recorded by Mendoman aka Troy James.
Do you have information about this concert? Or do you own an uncirculated recording of it? If yes please contribute and get credited.