Morrissey has claimed his sold-out O2 Arena show received no press coverage amid a “media blackout”.
The former frontman of The Smiths took to the stage on Saturday (February 28) for his only UK show of the year. After the show, Morrissey released a brief statement on the triumphant night, claiming in “Soviet England” the show had received no coverage from the press, the radio, or the television. His statement also compared the alleged blackout to an “iron curtain”. He wrote: “No press, no radio, no television – the usual iron curtain blackout, yet still the people fill the London O2. Could you imagine how big this would be if Morrissey’s music was allowed to be heard in Soviet England?”
Morrissey, who opted to play just one show in England this year, received coverage from The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, Uncut Magazine, and this outlet. SJM Concerts organised a press pass for Cult Following’s coverage of the Morrissey show.
While press coverage for the event was mixed, fans took to the r/Morrissey subreddit and shared their thoughts on what will likely be the How Soon is Now? songwriter’s only show in the UK this year.
One fan wrote: “Morrissey was on top form but the venue and acoustics were a bit shit, and the new songs… well better I say less.” Another agreed, adding: “Pretty good setlist, agreed on the acoustics. I thought the songs got better and better towards the end. Slightly disappointed that he didn’t play Life is a Pigsty or Hairdresser on Fire, but can’t complain too much, great show overall.”
A third wrote: “His voice is great, his band is great, his energy is markedly lower than I saw a couple years ago but all in all – still so good to see him.” Other attendees believed the energy was in a bit of a lull compared to previous outings from the veteran frontman.
One fan noted: “I also thought that his energy was down on when I’ve seen him the last couple of years (although I know he was ill last week— what with, do we know?— so it could just be that). I saw him in Dublin last year, and he was much zippier then.” A full setlist of Morrissey’s O2 Arena show can be found below.
- Billy Budd
- I Just Want to See the Boy Happy
- Suedehead
- Notre-Dame
- Make-Up is a Lie
- Amazona (Roxy Music cover)
- A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours
- Now My Heart Is Full
- The Monsters of Pig Alley
- I Know It’s Over
- Irish Blood, English Heart
- World Peace is None of Your Business
- Everyday is Like Sunday
- How Soon Is Now?
- Best Friend on the Payroll
- Jack the Ripper
- I Will See You in Far-Off Places
- There is a Light That Never Goes Out
SJM Concerts has been contacted for comment.
