Clickimin Centre, Lerwick, Shetland Isles
Shakespeare's SisterPeople in Lerwick were not used to having bands travel all the way to play before them, so apparently most of the youth of Lerwick turned up, a complete mixture of people of all shapes and styles. The front row was lined with heavy metal fans in Iron Maiden or other similar band t-shirts, chanting away and throwing insults. The Smiths gave their best, the musical performance was confident and fluid and Morrissey was his witty and defiant self throughout, throwing witty comments at the heavy metal louts. The setlist was the typical one of this part of the tour, minus "William, It Was Really Nothing". It was replaced in the encore by "Meat Is Murder" which used to be the last number in the main set.
I Want The One I Can't Have
What She Said
Nowhere Fast
What's The World
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Stretch Out And Wait
Frankly, Mr Shankly
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Still Ill
(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame/Rusholme Ruffians
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Meat Is Murder
/This Charming Man
/Hand In Glove
/Miserable Lie
When the Smiths came on, the mood was antagonistic. Entering stage, Morrissey greeted the audience "Hello good evening... we are the Smiths" before launching into "Shakespeare's Sister". After the next song, he said, sounding sarcastic "Thank you you're very kind hee hee hee hee ha ha ha ha!" He introduced "Nowhere Fast" with "This song is dedicated to Prince William (retching noise), it's called 'Nowhere Fast'." For some unknown reason, after "What's The World", Morrissey said "Thank you... good man, good boy." The newest single, "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", was introduced with "This is our new single which you can buy in Aberdeen if you fancy a swim... it's called 'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side'."
"Stretch Out And Wait" was dedicated to "... all you really macho heavy metal fans". For the first time, Morrissey sang the alternate first verse almost as it appears on the "The World Won't Listen" compilation: "All the lies that you say, what's at the back of your mind... Ah your face I can see and it's desperately kind, what's at the back of your mind". After "Frankly Mr Shankly" Morrissey announced "That was a new song called 'Frankly Mr Shankly'... this is another... hmmm yes true... this is a new song called 'Bigmouth Strikes Again'."
Before "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", Morrissey said "This is for all the people who really care, and not just the stragglers". After "Meat Is Murder", he asked the heavy metal guys "Do you have anything to say? Would you leave please... because you're very boring and you're very old fashioned". This alternate line in "This Charming Man" might also have been intended for the same people: "This man said you're ugly, and we don't care!" Before "Miserable Lie" Morrissey said "We know somebody out there likes us, so... there's a lot of strange people around..." and then right before the first notes of the song he shouted sarcastically "Barbara Dickson yeaaahhh!"
A rather good quality recording of the whole concert is available on fanmade bootleg cds and on the internet (recorder: Soundsville's Steve). Quite a few inferior transfers via unknown generation tapes have also made it on bootlegs, occasionally under the titles "Clickerman" or "Send Only 5". These are also found on the internet. The best version of this recording is the one mastered by the original bootlegger (Soundsville), but this also happens to be the more scarcely circulated version at this point in time.
"What's The World" alone can be found on a bootleg 7" simply titled "The Smiths". It is paired with other rare recordings "What Do You See In Him?" and "Jeane" from 4 February 1983.
Do you have information about this concert? Or do you own an uncirculated recording of it? If yes please contribute and get credited.