1 February 2007
Pasadena (CA), Civic Auditorium

Panic
First Of The Gang To Die
The Youngest Was The Most Loved
You Have Killed Me
Disappointed
Ganglord
I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now
William, It Was Really Nothing
Irish Blood, English Heart
I Will See You In Far Off Places
Girlfriend In A Coma
Everyday Is Like Sunday
In The Future When All's Well
I've Changed My Plea To Guilty
Let Me Kiss You
The National Front Disco
Dear God Please Help Me
How Soon Is Now?
I Just Want To See The Boy Happy
Life Is A Pigsty
/Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
/Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice
The first of three consecutive sold out dates at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena was a success. Morrissey looked rested, he was very energetic and gave an excellent concert. He had a mock black eye painted on with make up. The crowd lapped up every verse, every handshake, every dramatic gesture. Morrissey kept motioning for fans to come up on stage, and there were quite a few attempts, including two successful ones. On the down side security was very hard, almost violent, with the fans trying to get up.

Morrissey must have been happy with the setlists from the recent December dates in Germany and the UK because there was no change in either content or sequence. At a record length of 22 songs and featuring a good balance of new material, early solo material and Smiths songs, this setlist was also overall well appreciated by fans.

Arm elegantly raised up, Morrissey crooned "Don't cry for me, Pasadena" as he made his way center stage before set opener "Panic". Those opening words were also written on the gong instead of the previous year's TORMENTORS. At the end of "Panic" Morrissey removed his jacket and spun it over his head, echoing how he used to spin a noose when doing that song in the Smiths days. "It's an extremely arty night, as you know" he said wryly before delivering rousing versions of "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" and "You Have Killed Me". After "Ganglord", he mentioned how he wrote the song when he was alone on Figueroa. He waited for the audience to cheer then teasingly added "...in Scotland". In "I'll Never Be Anybody's Hero Now" he changed a line to "They who shouldn't love me look right through me".

As he sang "I don't dream about anyone except myself" in "William, It Was Really Nothing" Morrissey suggestively caressed his own chest. This obviously got a reaction out of the audience, so the man added "...it's true!". After the song he said "So with the final remnants of my being I would like to thank you for buying tickets so quickly." Besides the usual live lyric changes in "I Will See You In Far Off Places" he sang "one day I will shut my mouth forever" and "If George W Bush doesn't kill you". He had previously done the latter adaptation in Chicago the year before and would do so on all of the upcoming American dates.

Around this point Morrissey asked the crowd what they would think of "President Hillary Clinton". There was a mixed response of cheers and boos, which prompted him to add "Yes it would be nice to have a female president, however do not ever forget Margaret Thatcher... there will never ever ever ever be a female prime minister again in England because of Margaret Thatcher... and that's it..." The 20-year old "Girlfriend In A Coma" was introduced with the line "I think everybody... every human being is somewhat suffocated... by their own past... and strangely, strangely I'm no exception and here's why." Next up "Everyday Is Like Sunday" was done the same way it was arranged on the previous December dates. However he reintroduced the older live change "I do believe this is the coastal town". He also sang "Everyday is silent and grey... to me anyway..." and "win yourself a cheap tray... if you must..."

After that song Morrissey had a word with his favourite fan. He asked her "Julia, how are you" and handed her the microphone so she could answer. She returned the question and Morrissey answered "Julia, I'm okay, I'm okay... how are you?". He handed her the microphone once more and this time she answered. Meanwhile people around her were shouting names and insults so Morrissey said "Oh stop it, it's not very nice, this is Pasadena, everybody's nice, soft suburbia...". He then moved along the front row and asked someone else "Anything to say?" He leaned over with the microphone, waited for an answer, then said "Nothing?" In "In The Future When All's Well" he made the usual live changes, plus "I will lie down anywhere, and be sat on" and "I thank you with what's left of my heart".

Before going into "Let Me Kiss You" Morrissey asked "Is the sound okay?" Because Michael Farrell was replaced for these three dates, there was no trumpet during the bridge of that song, only piano. For the same reason there was no trombone in "I Just Want To See The Boy Happy", instead Boz played saxophone. "The National Front Disco" was introduced with "29 years ago there was an album called 'Your Arsenal' (crowd cheers)... so what!" That song saw the first stage invader. Before "Dear God Please Help Me" Morrissey answered the crowd's cheers with "So there is even more to be said than 'I love you'... I do..." In that number he changed a line to "Dear God did this kind of thing happen to you, no!".

Near the end of "How Soon Is Now?" there was a failed attempt by a fan to make it on stage. It ended with the man being violently slammed down by security and Morrissey half apologizing with "Thank you for understanding." At some point Morrissey supposedly quoted a line out of "Ammunition" in his banter. At the very end, he shouted "Vaya con Dios!" and tossed his black shirt into the crowd.

 


This concert is not widely circulated on audio or video bootlegs yet. An audio recording of the last 40 minutes of this show is out there, but it is not being shared at this point in time (recorder: Julian). A DVD bootleg is also out there, but not shared much yet.

 

Were you there? Do you have a recording of this concert? If yes please information and be credited.