8 June 2009
Antwerp (Belgium), Koningin Elisabethzaal

This Charming Man
Irish Blood, English Heart
Black Cloud
When Last I Spoke To Carol
How Soon Is Now?
I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris
How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel?
Let Me Kiss You
The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores
Ask
Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself?
Seasick, Yet Still Docked
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
Sorry Doesn't Help
Best Friend On The Payroll
I Keep Mine Hidden
The Loop
Girlfriend In A Coma
I'm OK By Myself
/First Of The Gang To Die
This was a great show. Morrissey was in a great mood and clearly looked like he was enjoying himself. The band was very energetic, also in great form. The venue was a seated one, but everyone apart from the balconies wsa standing. Someone made it on stage during "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself", and a few others during the encore. The only flaw was the sound which was not so good.

The setlist was partly resequenced and in the process "Let Me Kiss You", "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" and "Best Friend On The Payroll" returned for the first time since the tour reached Europe, at the expense of "All You Need Is Me", "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" and "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell".

Despite being in the Flemish part of Belgium, Morrissey greeted the crowd in French with the words "Belgique, hello!" After set opener "This Charming Man" he simply said "la-la-la-la-la! la-la-la-la-la!" Over the opening bars of "Black Cloud" he asked the crowd "Can you feel a burden lifting, lifting?" After the latter number he extended his greeting with the line "Welcome to hell!" Following "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" he said "Thank you Antwerpen, Belgique..." then proceeded with introduction of the band: "Wide to receive... wide to receive is Boz Boorer... on the bass guitar, Solomon Walker... drumming, Matt Walker... 'lectric guitar, Jesse Tobias... piano, Kristopher Pooley... and I am... an accident..."

Following "How Can Anybody Possibly Know How I Feel" Morrissey told the crowd "So, here we all are, squashed in one place..." then answered someone with the line "That was in Rotterdam I think..." He changed the opening line of "Let Me Kiss You" to "There's a place in the sun for anyone who has the nerve to chase me". After "The World Is Full Of Crashing Bores" he repeated the title of the song then scanned the front rows and asked "Would you like to sing now? Would you like to sing? Sing?" He handed the microphone to a few people who said who they were and expressed their love for him. One person refused to talk so Morrissey said "You don't want to speak... Would you like to sing?" Someone requested "Tony The Pony" and Morrissey said "'Tony The Pony'? Funny... (asks a few children) What's your name? Simon? What's your name? Marina? (crowd cheers) Marina and Simon..."

Following "Best Friend On The Payroll" Morrissey asked the crowd "Are you beginning to fall over? Yessss!" Instead of saying "use your loaf" at the very end of "I Keep Mine Hidden" he sang "I'm forever blowing bubbles", the title of the West Ham FC anthem. He then told the crowd "Thank you, you're very graceful, very patient... and probably mad..." before going into next planned number "The Loop" After the final line "Let me whisper my last goodbye I know it's serious" in "Girlfriend In A Coma", he added "Very serious... as I now whisper my last goodbye..."

When Morrissey returned to the stage for the encore his parting words were "Thank you, you have been joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy, joy..." He grunted and made funny noises instead of singing the second half of encore "First Of The Gang To Die". Over the length of the song he received as gifts 7" records from two different fans in the front rows. At the very end of the song, before running backstage, he held them in front of his chest for everyone to see.

 


A good audience recording of the complete concert is circulated on physical and digital bootlegs (recorder: Steven Bladt).

 

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