17 August 2002
Summer Sonic Festival, Osaka, Japan

I Want The One I Can't Have
Suedehead
Hairdresser On Fire
First Of The Gang To Die
Jack The Ripper
Late Night, Maudlin Street
I Like You
Mexico
Sister I'm A Poet
Alsatian Cousin
Little Man, What Now?
Everyday Is Like Sunday
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Meat Is Murder
November Spawned A Monster
Speedway
/There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
This was the first of two appearances by Morrissey at the Summer Sonic Festival in Japan. The concert went down well and Morrissey seemed to be in good form. The audience was extremely lively and receptive, but not aggressive. Security was very tight and there was a large gap in front of the stage so no one made it up there. Morrissey came on stage right after Siouxsie And The Banshees and this prompted rumours that Siouxsie would join Morrissey for a duet of "Interlude", but of course, this didn't happen.

Despite this being a festival appearance, the set was of the same length as Morrissey's regular shows, with an encore of one song. The setlist was actually identical to his last two shows in the USA, except for "Speedway" and "November Spawned A Monster" which were reversed.

As he entered stage and picked up his microphone Morrissey greeted his fans (and festival attendees) "Osaka Wilde!... Hello!... We are Morrissey..." After opening song "I Want The One I Can't Have" he added "Thank you for sticking around... (switches to nasal voice) We love you..." After "Suedehead" he put on his best Japanese accent and said "Thank you Osaka... Yes?... Hai, hai, hai!" During "Hairdresser On Fire" he seemed to resign himself to the idea that there was no hope of anyone getting close to the stage, so he shrugged and sat down with his legs dangling over the edge of the stage. The microphone cord was hiking up his pant leg during the line "psychologically shave me" so he pretended to shave his legs. After the song he did a Japanese style kind of bow with his hands clasped in front of him then introduced the next planned number with "This song is new and it's called 'The First Of The Gang To Die'..."

After the latter song Morrissey first said "Never mind..." then answered shouts of his name with "Morrissey, Boz, Gary, Dean, Alain... (gesturing to the audience with a grand arm flourish) Osaka!" He actually pointed to himself then his musicians one by one while saying the names. After "Jack The Ripper", to someone shouting his name again, he asked in a mock-American accent "Yes my boy? Uh? How am I? How am I?... That's how I am..." After "Late Night, Maudlin Street" he answered someone else "You're from Nagoya? I can tell... I can always tell... Who? Saki-what? (finally understanding) Los Angeles! (in a rough mock-Samourai voice) Nagoya!"

After "I Like You" Morrissey said "We noticed..." then announced "That was a new song called 'I Like You', this is a new song called (in Spanish accent) 'Mexico'." The latter title was mildly received by the polite Japanese audience so Morrissey sarcastically followed it with the comment "Don't overdo it" and giggled like a young girl. In the same vein, after "Sister I'm A Poet" which was usually very loudly received, he whispered twice "It's so quiet". After the "Alsatian Cousin"/"Little Man, What Now?" coupling he told someone "Say it now!... Say it now... (a fan shouts to him to come home with her) okay..."

New composition "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" was introduced with "This is a new song, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!... and it's just a general observation, and it's called (enunciates) 'The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores'..." After the song Morrissey repeated the title. Someone from the audience asked what a crashing bore was and he answered "You don't need to know... you're too young to know!" The vegetarian anthem "Meat Is Murder" was then introduced with "We know that in this country animals don't stand any chance... if it flies kill it!, if it swims eat it!... however we sing our song..."

After "Meat Is Murder" Morrissey teasingly told the audience "We thought you'd left..." After "Speedway" he asked someone "Could you repeat that?" and when they did, he simply said in a nasal voice "Whatever..." The encore of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" was once again dedicated to Elvis Presley: "Thank you for listening, here is yet one more song for... Elvis..."

 


An excellent recording of the complete set is circulated on physical and digital bootlegs. This is usually traded as an audience recording but the sound quality is almost as good as soundboard. The audience is barely heard throughout. The downside for internet concert collectors is that the file for "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" was digitized from a skipping compact disc.

 

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