A few years ago, I became acquainted with a pair of Morrissey fans, Laura and Steve, that I met through the club scene (although, technically, we were first introduced at a midnight screening of The Apple at the Nuart). Laura and Steve would make copies of various Smiths and Morrissey bootlegs complete with nifty cover art that they had designed. The most special of these bootlegs was a recording culled from the Kill Uncle tour. Pacific Amphitheatre. Costa Mesa, California. June 1, 1991. My first concert.
I sat hear today re-listening to that recording as I worked on an essay revolving around some stupid real-life event involving a Smiths song and thought back to that concert. I tried to like Kill Uncle, but it just couldn't compete with Morrissey's prior solo work, let alone his material with the Smiths. I once cried in utter frustration because the production bothered me so deeply. Then I saw him live.
Now I know that nothing really compares to a first concert and that my recollection of the event is probably clouded by the excitement of basking in Morrissey's aura. However, after re-listening to this recording, I think I can objectively say that Morrissey is far better live than on record. The super-slick sheen across Kill Uncle that bothered me so was stripped during the performance along with his sheer black shirt, leaving the songs more impassioned and raw than anything I could have previously imagined.
Last week on Underground's website, I read that Morrissey is planning a huge tour in support of his upcoming album, the details of which can be found on this Morrissey site. I think I might have to go and would humbly suggest that anyone who has never seen Moz live takes the time to attend at least one performance.