Photo by: Fernando Pires / The Ultimate Music
British singer returned to the country with a lively and surprising performance.
Three years after his last visit to Brazil, Morrissey returned to the country to perform at Espaço das Américas in São Paulo last Sunday, the 2nd.
There, the former Smiths frontman showcased his full potential as a vocalist and bandleader while performing his entire repertoire – somewhat leaving aside the hits he made alongside Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass), and Mike Joyce (drums) in the 80s.
His performance began even before he stepped onto the stage. 35 minutes before arriving, showing off and wearing a t-shirt with his own face on it, Morrissey selected videos and clips to get the audience excited while they waited for him. David Bowie was one of the last to appear and was very well received by the fans.
At 9:05 pm sharp – an unusual time to start a show, but not as unusual as the artist – Morrissey arrives with “William It Was Really Nothing” and “Alma Matters,” eliciting sing-alongs from the audience.
Without controversies or political speeches, the singer seemed healthy, as if he hadn't gone through a scare in 2015 when he underwent heavy treatment for cancer.
In good shape and full of enthusiasm, Morrissey cracked jokes, signed CDs for fans in the crowd, and even performed a cover: “Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders , which he recorded as a bonus track for his latest album, Low In High School (2017).
The setlist consisted mostly of the singer's solo songs and only three from his former band The Smiths – the aforementioned "William, It Was Really Nothing," "Is It Really So Strange?" and "How Soon Is Now?" – but the audience was there to enjoy his compositions, regardless of the era. The crowd sang along to every word Morrissey sang, inspiring him to leave the stage tirelessly repeating "I love you" to the fans.
Morrissey @ Espaço das Américas – 02/12/2018
1. “William, It Was Really Nothing” (The Smiths)
2. “Alma Matters”
3. “I Wish You Lonely”
4. “Is It Really So Strange?” (The Smiths)
5. “Hairdresser on Fire”
6. “November spawned a monster”
7. “Break Up the Family”
8. “Back on the Chain Gang” (The Pretenders)
9. “Spent the Day in Bed”
10. “Sunny”
11. “If You Don't Like Me, Don't Look at Me”
12. “Munich Air Disaster 1958”
13. “Dial-a-Cliché”
14. “The Bullfighter Dies”
15. “How Soon Is Now?” (The Smiths)
16. “Hold On to Your Friends”
17. “Life Is a Pigsty”
18. “Jack the Ripper”
19. “Jacky's Only Happy When She's Up on the Stage”
BIS
21. “Everyday Is Like Sunday”
22. “First of the Gang to Die”