First Of The Gang To Die
Hairdresser On Fire
Irish Blood, English Heart
The Headmaster Ritual
Subway Train/Everyday Is Like Sunday
I Have Forgiven Jesus
I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Rubber Ring
Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference
Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Let Me Kiss You
No One Can Hold A Candle To You
Jack The Ripper
A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours
I'm Not Sorry
Shoplifters Of The World Unite
/There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Because this concert took place on the week when "You Are The Quarry" was released, more fans were familiar with the new material than on the recent American warm-up dates. Also, bootleg recordings of the latter concerts had meanwhile leaked onto the internet and this also helped many fans get acquainted with the new material. The audience was treated to 19 songs instead of the usual 17, including five from the Smiths days which were rapturously received. So from the recent warm-up dates setlists all songs were played bar "All The Lazy Dykes", "I Like You" and "Hand In Glove".

So it was Morrissey's birthday, but he was the one giving gifts. Many sets of 5 badges were left on seats at various places in the venue. Some had photos of Morrissey on them while others had text, such as 'He stole all hearts away 22.5.04' (view). As if this wasn't enough Morrissey also threw the three shirts he wore throughout the evening into the audience to be fought over.

Morrissey entered stage at the end of the "Imperfect List" walk-on piece as he had done on the recent warm-up shows. As on the previous date he sang accapella four lines from Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as an intro to set opener "First Of The Gang To Die". However he didn't go for the same lines, instead he sang "Regrets, I've had a few, but then again, too many to mention". After the first song he greeted various areas of Manchester and acknowledged his prolonged absence: "Hello Shudehill, hello Harpurhey, hello Rusholme... after all these years..."

As an intro to "Irish Blood, English Heart" Morrissey announced "Which of course at the end of the day, makes me ten parts Crumlin and ten parts... Old Trafford..." Those were references to the area of Dublin (Crumlin) which his parents left to emigrate to Manchester (in Old Trafford). During that song he picked up an Irish flag that had been thrown on stage, waved it around, then tossed it back into the audience. The song has just made the British charts, crashing in at #3 which was a record for a Morrissey or Smiths single. This prompted Morrissey to follow the song with the sarcastic comment "And how very nice and natural it feels to be back in the British top ten... among such outstanding talent as Frankee and Eamon... I'm really privileged..."

There were minor guitar problems during "The Headmaster Ritual". After the song Morrissey told his favourite fan "Because Julia the past never dies, the past never dies... man will!" After "Everyday Is Like Sunday" he jokingly announced "Amazingly we finally have a new album and apparently the most recent word is that if we sell seven more copies we'll come in at number one tomorrow (crowd cheers)... However the thing is, we might not sell seven copies... believe me..." (Morrissey was right, it was announced just a few hours after the show that it made #2). He then introduced "I Have Forgiven Jesus" with "This is from our new album and please God, somebody likes it..."

After the latter number the crowd broke into a chant of Morrissey's name and the object of the chant said "It's a beautiful song... no that's a beautiful song... louder!" He then threw into the audience the plant he had had hanging from his crotch zipper since the beginning of the show. Following "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" he joked "I feel very good... I can't believe I'm 29... Where did the years go? Why did the years go? (someone in the audience answers: 'because they must!') Oh yes very well put... Yes Boz!" As an introduction to "Rubber Ring" he repeated "As I was saying to Julia, the past never really dies... not really... the past is myself and..." The latter line may or may not have been a reference to Christabel Bielenberg's book titled "The Past Is Myself".

"Rubber Ring" was extremely well received and Morrissey thanked the crowd with "how kind you are, thank you..." He then asked a shouting fan "Is that your natural speaking voice? Really?" After the line "most people keep their brains between their legs" in "Such A Little Thing Makes Such A Big Difference" he added "some don't!" Similarly after that same line at the very end of the song he said "And that's a fact! And I should know!... Yes absolutely..." Future b-side "Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice" was then introduced with "This is an even newer song that 'You Are The Quarry' and it's called 'Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice'."

After the latter song a fan shouted "I love you!" and Morrissey replied "Are you sure? Don't you think you should give it some more thought?" He then introduced "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" with "I mean, it's fantastic people out there like Britney Spears who are just so incredibly popular and very gifted and... which leads us, by no accident, to 'The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores'..." After the song he answered to some other fan's shouts: "What? Just get it off your chest now... you never know what happens, we may never see each other again... If George W has anything to do with it we may not..."

After "Let Me Kiss You" Morrissey proceeded with the customary introduction of the band: "I met them all at Salford Lads Club a few years ago... Could I please introduce to you... born and braised in Burnt Oak, Boz Boorer... born and braised in Kneesdon, Gary Day... born and braised in Rochdale, Deano... born, we think, Alain Whyte... (Alain: actually I'm from Camden) Did you hear that? Did you hear that? Alain they didn't hear that... (Alain: shall I say it again, I'm from Camden) He's from... he's trying to tell you that he's born and braised in Camden Town... and last and absolutely never never least, born for some reason in Cleveland, Mikey Farrell... and there's absolutely no evidence I was actually born..."

The cover of Raymonde's "No One Can Hold A Candle To You" was introduced with "If you would now please indulge me with a cover version, Julia knows... from the 1980s and (someone shouts: The New York Dolls!) No, the New York Dolls were not in the 1980s (Morrissey giggles)... but nice try, and why don't you name that tune!" After the song Morrissey returned with the question "So could you name the tune? Ah! Who? Spandau Ballet? No..." The crowd favourite "Jack The Ripper" was then introduced with "There's something about Whitechapel... not much... but something..." After that one Morrissey told the cheering audience "You are kindness in itself..." Then the crowd started chanting his name again and Morrissey, feigning surprise, said "Me? Me? Me?... Oh stop it!..."

In live performances of "A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours" on this tour Morrissey usually changed a line to "my youth may be gone but I'm still a young man", but on this day he actually sang "my youth may be gone but I'm still good, man". There were a few more sound difficulties in that number so after it Morrissey asked "That really was just a bit wobbly wasn't it? Did I sing in tune? No? Do I ever sing in tune? Was I ever singing?" He then had a few words with someone in front of him, and that lead to the introduction of "I'm Not Sorry": "Sorry, sorry Bob? What? I'm not sorry..." During the song someone who's not part of the band came on stage to play the flute outro.

Before going into main set closer "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" Morrissey said "And yes it really is my birthday today and... well... who cares of course but... nobody really but... it's been the nicest birthday I've ever had... so far!" The end of the show was getting near so during that song there were many attempts by fans to get on stage. Morrissey kept a close eye on the situation, shook many hands, and halfway into the song said "You'll never make it on this stage... nevah!"

When he returned for the encore, before the band launched into "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", Morrissey said "Oh Manchester, nothing to answer for, you've made a happy man very old... Whatever happens please don't forget me..." Halway into the song there were more very serious attempts by fans to make it stage. To one in particular Morrissey said "I know... stretch man, stretch!" At the end of his vocal part Morrissey threw his shirt into the audience and walked off. Then one at a time Alain, Boz, Gary and Deano put their instruments down and followed, leaving Mikey by himself to play the orchestral melody of the song. His turn came, he stopped the song and joined his bandmates backstage.

The full concert minus five songs ("I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday", "Rubber Ring", "Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice", "No One Can Hold A Candle To You" and "Jack The Ripper") was broadcast on television in late 2004 and early 2005.

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

Damien Dempsey and Franz Ferdinand

-Black t-shirt with the "You Are The Quarry" album artwork on front and name on back; £22. view
-T-shirt with "Morrissey" written in Old English font on front, small tommy gun logo and "You Are The Quarry" in white on the back. Some have been seen with the tommy gun logo under the name on the front; £22. Sold in dark blue, olive green and black/pink text.
-Tank top version of above with album title on back. Sold in black or white.
-Poster with album artwork. Photo needed.
-Set of 5 buttons with the words 'Hector', I Like You', 'Irish Blood, English Heart', 'Morrissey' and 'Crashing Bore' on them. Photo needed.
-Bumper sticker "I only brake for Morrissey", white text over black. view.
-Light blue t-shirt with Morrissey in winged heart as on earlier date, but with 'Oh Manchester So Much To Answer For' on back and '22.5.04" ons sleeve; £22. view.

Raymonde - No One Can Hold A Candle To You
Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot - Initials BB
Brigitte Bardot - Bubble Gum
Brigitte Bardot - Harley Davidson
Ludus - Let Me Go Where My Pictures Go
Sack - Colorado Springs
Pony Club - Single
Brigitte Bardot - Contact
Brigitte Bardot - Ce n'est pas vrai
Petula Clark - I Who Have Nothing
Matt Monro - Charade
After this selection the room fell silent and "The Imperfect List" by Liverpool act Big Hard Excellent Fish was played. The song is a list of hated people and things over a minimal soundtrack. Morrissey entered stage at the end of that.
One of Jobriath's albums was played before the opening act.
Frank Sinatra's "My Way" was played while the fans exited the venue.

For this special occasion Morrissey introduced a new backdrop which he would use over the rest of this tour. However, instead of a hanging backdrop or one that is projected, this new one was made of nine very tall letters spelling out Morrissey's name, disposed in an arc at the back of the stage. The letters had light bulbs on them. The visual result was very impressive and reminiscent of Elvis' Comeback Special. (view)

The complete concert (minus some of the more controversial banter) was released on DVD in March/April 2005 as "Who Put The M In Manchester?". Footage from this recording had earlier been used for the video to the "First Of The Gang To Die" single. Then "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" was included on the DVD format of the "Redondo Beach"/"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" single released to promote both the "Live At Earls Court" live album and the "Who Put The M In Manchester?" DVD.

The television footage mentioned above is circulated on bootleg DVDs despite the fact that, as mentioned above, the full concert was released on DVD as "Who Put The M In Manchester?". Bootleg copies of the latter official DVD are unfortunately also circulated. As if that wasn't enough, two different audience recordings of the complete concert are also out there for completists (recorders: Loz, and G.O'G.). Both were filmed from quite high in the venue, at a certain distance, and one of them is rather shaky.

Three different fanmade audio recordings of the concert are also out there for collectors. Their appeal for non-completists who own "Who Put The M In Manchester?" is the Morrissey banter that was removed from the latter official release. All feature the full concert, but they differ in quality. One sounds good, another one is about average, while the third one is very muffled and overall of very little interest. Some of these might be audio rips from the audience video recordings mentioned above.

One of the audience recordings above, or perhaps the audio from "Who Put The M In Manchester?", was released under the title "Oh Manchester So Much To Answer For", without "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday".