Morrissey - Manchester G-Mex - 22.12.06

Even music journalists are allowed a few days off for Christmas which is why when Morrissey announced the final ever dates at G-Mex we decided we shut our mouths, put down our quills (or keyboards) and let the pictures do the talking. Long before Manchester has what was Nynex and became the MEN Arena, GMex was the gig venue of choice for touring acts and prior to starting up Designer Magazine we'd seen James supported by the then relatively up-and-coming Radiohead and Blur who were possibly supported by Pulp.

It was fitting that the person who played the first ever gig, Morrissey in his Smiths days, got to be the final closing act before the venue and conference centre changes to a name that no one will ever use. Playing material from his recent albums "Ringleader Of The Tormentors" and "You Are The Quarry" as well as Smiths classic such as "Girlfriend In A Coma", "Panic" and "William It Was Really Nothing". Curiously Morrissey also played "National Front Disco" to a mixed reaction with one fan next to us standing silent V sign in the air at the song which started NME's campaign to label the Stretford born singer as flirting with racism.

Many have claimed this could well be Morrissey's last  ever tour but only time will tell. For those that were there this tour was certainly a fitting finale

Words: Alex McCann
Photos: Shirlaine Forrest www.shirlainephotos.co.uk


 

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