28 August 1986
Irvine Meadows, Laguna Hills, CA
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
Still Ill
I Want The One I Can't Have
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
How Soon Is Now?
Frankly, Mr. Shankly
Panic
Stretch Out And Wait
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Is It Really So Strange?
Cemetry Gates
Never Had No One Ever
What She Said (with Rubber Ring intro and outro)
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
Meat Is Murder
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
The Queen Is Dead
/Money Changes Everything
/I Know It's Over
//Bigmouth Strikes Again
This concert was one of the wildest of this tour. Security had the hardest time restraining fans who desperately wanted to make it on stage. The setlist remained almost unchanged but "Reel Around The Fountain" and "Hand In Glove" were dropped. Actually it is not impossible that "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was dropped as well although it is listed here. It seems like the Smiths might not have returned to do a second encore, given what happened in the first one (read further for details).

Morrissey wasn't very talkative throughout the evening. Besides introducing the lesser known "Panic, "Stretch Out And Wait" and "Is It Really So Strange?", he said "Thank you, you're very kind..." after "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out". Before "Never Had No One Ever" he asked for "Any requests?". Titles were shouted and to one or some of these he answered with a loud "No!". More requests were shouted before "The Queen Is Dead" and to one of these Morrissey answered "We don't do that song anymore".

Following "Meat Is Murder", as the violence was increasing, Morrissey said "I hope that the security don't ruin your night too much, but I'm sure that they'll do their best... never mind, they're outnumbered..." He teased the struggling security by changing a line in "The Queen Is Dead" to "Life is very long, when you're a bouncer". When he returned to the stage for the first encore following the band-only instrumental "Money Changes Everything", seeing how the security manhandled some fans, Morrissey exclaimed "Oh, God!" while Johnny added "Neanderthals, fucking idiots, these guys!". Then one third into following song "I Know It's Over", Morrissey stopped singing to shout to a bouncer: "Jesus Christ! Don't be so stupid! Leave him alone, you stupid idiot! Leave him!" He then resumed the song as if nothing had happened. A completely stunning moment.

 


A very good recording of this concert, probably taken from the soundboard, is being circulated on the official bootleg "Thank Your Lucky Stars", erroneously credited as being from the previous night in Los Angeles. It is among the very best Smiths bootlegs out there, for content and sound quality. It features the whole concert except for "Meat Is Murder" and, if it was actually performed, the final song "Bigmouth Strikes Again".

Fanmade copies of "Thank Your Lucky Stars" have also been seen with different artwork, under the erroneous title "Live In Los Angeles". The cover for one of these alternatives shows the four band members standing, same photo shoot as the one that provided the cover for the bootleg "The Cradle Snatchers". The cover to another one subtitled "Live In Los Angeles '86" uses an early photo of the band with Morrissey holding a bouquet of flowers.

In 2005 the tracks from "Thank Your Lucky Stars" were split over one bootleg LP and two bootleg 7"s. The clear vinyl LP, titled "Brighter Sides To Life", featured the songs "Still Ill", "I Want The One I Can"t Have", "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", "How Soon Is Now?", "Frankly, Mr. Shankly", "Panic", "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", "The Queen Is Dead", "Money Changes Everything" and "I Know It"s Over". The 7" bootleg titled "Good Times" featured "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want", "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", "Stretch Out And Wait" and "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" and the other bootleg 7", "Break My Spine", featured the remaining 4 songs, "Is It Really So Strange?", "Never Had No One Ever", "Cemetary Gates" and "What She Said/Rubber Ring".

In 2009 "Thank Your Lucky Stars" was reissued with new title and artwork as the manufactured cd "Life Is Very Long When You're Lonely".

The manufactured cd in digipak "Wilde About The Smiths" and the vinyl bootleg "Hang The DJ (Thrice!)" both feature "I Know It's Over" from this concert with many other live tracks, rarities and radio or tv sessions.

 

Do you have information about this concert? Or do you own an uncirculated recording of it? If yes please contribute and get credited.