Chicago, IL - Riot Fest - Thursday Preview Party (Sep. 16, 2021) post-show

Post your info and reviews related to this concert in the comments section below. Other links (photos, external reviews, etc.) related to this concert will also be compiled in this section as they are sent in.

Setlist:

How Soon Is Now? / Irish Blood, English Heart / Alma Matters / Everyday Is Like Sunday / The Loop / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris / Never Had No One Ever / First Of The Gang To Die / Ouija Board, Ouija Board / Lady Willpower / Knockabout World / You Have Killed Me / Back On The Chain Gang / Satan Rejected My Soul / Half A Person / Jack The Ripper

Setlist courtesy of Samuel Valdez, FWD & setlist.fm

(2 lines from "My Way" prior to How Soon Is Now?).

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• Riot Fest 2021: A ‘grateful’ Patti Smith returns, Morrissey wins over the crowd; plus Day 1 photo highlights - Chicago Sun Times. Link posted by ListeningLoud.
  
• NME: "Morrissey at Riot Fest review: pop’s problematic uncle wisely shuts up and plays the hits" 4/5*s - September 17, 2021
• Consequence.net: "The Agony and Ecstasy of Morrissey at Riot Fest 2021: Concert Review" - September 17, 2021
• From Alain Whyte / Facebook. Link posted by Famous when dead:
  
• From @mandophotos / Twitter. Link posted by Nerak:
  
  
  

 

[Famous when dead]

Absolutely relevant.

The boys from Manchester feeling. I like it.

Or am I wrong, FWD?

He was at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival - just thought it odd there'd be Morrissey on the glasses on the night Morrissey played Riot Fest elsewhere - oh God, I'm seeing "signs" now.
FWD.

 

[Moz Fan]

He was at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival - just thought it odd there'd be Morrissey on the glasses on the night Morrissey played Riot Fest elsewhere - oh God, I'm seeing "signs" now.
FWD.

Welcome to the signs seeing creatures club.

 

[Mayfly]

A pretty positive write-up of last night's show from Bob Chiarito, for the NME.

(Worth clicking through to see the photo of the ass-hat protester with the "Shut Up Morrissey" t-shirt...)

This sentence sums it up for me
Tonight, Morrissey shows that he can still sing, and when he sticks to his business, he’s still among our best performers‘,

 

[ListeningLoud]

Review from NME, seems they’re now ANTI free speech and expect artists to shut up and conform. Viva Punk!

Morrissey at Riot Fest review: pop's problematic uncle wisely shuts up and plays the hits

The disgraced icon croons his way through an enviable setlist of Smiths classics, and thankfully avoids controversy

www.nme.com

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

View attachment 76377

He was at the Manchester Food & Drink Festival - just thought it odd there'd be Morrissey on the glasses on the night Morrissey played Riot Fest elsewhere - oh God, I'm seeing "signs" now.
FWD.

‘2 quid deposit’

always thinking about the money.

 

[T. H. Auden]

Last time I saw Morrissey at a festival was in 2018, he played something of a greatest hits set with perhaps the worst rendition of "Playboys" that I'd ever seen. A gruesome evening, had to get a drink or three at the Hooters down the street just to cleanse my palate afterwards.

I wanted to please know what festival this was.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

This sentence sums it up for me
Tonight, Morrissey shows that he can still sing,

and when he sticks to his business, he’s still among our best performers‘,

and world politics is none of his business


I suppose.

 

[Light Housework]

and world politics is none of his business


I suppose.

Always looking at the bright side aren't ya?

 

[Mayfly]

and world politics is none of his business


I suppose.

Yeah, it was another way of saying that you like his music and.voice, but that world politics is better left to others. Division of labour.

 

[ListeningLoud]

Another strange review that seems overly preoccupied by an expectation of an encore. Sometimes it feels these “journalists” are determined to find a reason to be disappointed or are unable to write an article about Morrissey without inventing a cliched, negative narrative. On the plus side there has been more press articles for one festival appearance than the whole Vegas residency, even if it is facile dross.

The Agony and Ecstasy of Morrissey at Riot Fest 2021: Concert Review

Morrissey's headlining performance at Riot Fest 2021 offered plenty of fodder for his detractors while also reminding why he's so beloved.

consequence.net

 

[Joshu's Mu]

Ten random notes from last night's show by one standing left of center, six or so lines of people back:

1. Right, no pre-show music/video. Just went right into projection of James Baldwin. Then, out they came.

2. HSIN a very good way to start. And I agree with a poster here who said the first 30 min or so felt very special. There was indeed a fine, warming vibe. Yes, it was a festival, so chasm between the fence up front and the stage itself. Someone posted there was a stage invasion attempt by someone; I didn't see it. It would have been fruitless to try.

3. To put to rest some debate: Alain was on lead guitar just as much as Jesse. They definitely passed duties back and forth. No eye contact between them that I saw, but of course great interaction between Alain and Solomon. SO good to see Alain, but I truly missed Boz. Drummer Brendan surely competent but not particularly entertaining.

4. Moz has traded his former onstage physicality (cord whipping, etc. -- although he still does, occasionally) for more subtle hand gestures: miming, head tilting, hands up and down mimicking various motions/acts, in relation to the lyrics. Not a lot of feet on monitor.

5. Mention of flying United out to Chicago and, unbelievably, surviving. Some comments of his very hard to discern. Through, during "Irish" he pointed to an unfurled UK flag right in front of me at the line "to be standing by the flag..."

6. Moz may have been a bit chilled up there: some lapel-wrapping and warming up arms with hands, as well as keeping the jacket on for 95% of the night. This could have led to the nasal spray (which he was looking for earlier in his jacket pockets and couldn't seem to find, leading him to go upstage and check the monitor where he has his water) and no encore. See #10.

7. Can't speak enough about how special "The Loop" was. For those of us in the crowd who knew it. I think it threw more than a few youngsters for the proverbial loop. Oh, yes, he said something to the effect of "The Loop" as being titled for the Chicago Loop. Hadn't heard him do the song in concert for 29 years!

8. As I posted earlier, I felt his energy level definitely dipped after about 3o+ minutes. "Paris," for example: workman-like performance. Was really hoping he was going to ditch it: I would have liked almost anything else. "Ouija," "Lady," and "Knockabout: about the same level of performance commitment. Livened up considerably with "Killed Me." (Great for me since ROTT is one of my fav albums.) "Person" was a return to OK-ness.

9. "Ripper" = excellent fog and light-show. Striking.

10. There was no obvious 'end' to the show. Projection kept going, we kept wondering, a few techies came out and dithered. Maybe there was debate/discussion back stage. But then, when it seemed fairly clear there was to be no encore, it wasn't signaled to the crowd by an obvious brightening of the stage. It still felt ambiguous. Unnecessary, I think. Just let us know!

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Yeah, it was another way of saying that you like his music and.voice, but that world politics is better left to others. Division of labour.

Yes, and the ‘others’ are doing such a good job of it.

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit 444]

I wanted to please know what festival this was.

Imaginary one.
tix gifted by imaginary 'Rus' non existing
record label in....ready?... Hollywood
with the imaginary Hooters chicks.

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit 444]

aka, Moz has to make a 2 quid deposit.

 

[Light Housework]

Yes, and the ‘others’ are doing such a good job of it.

So what should he do, chew on his tail?

 

[Famous when dead]

From the Chicago Sun Times' review of Patti Smith's set, earlier in the day:

Smith dedicated the reggae-pop pulse of her song “Redondo Beach” to Morrissey, the evening’s headliner and former vocalist of The Smiths, who has covered it.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

He’s really made this song his own.

Interesting gesturing, slapping his arm, looking for a vein? a drug reference?



oh Patti

 

[Joshu's Mu]

Interesting gesturing, slapping his arm, looking for a vein? a drug reference?

He was mimicking chains on the arm and wrist throughout the song.

 

[Anonymous]

Is that where he left out all the high notes on Playboys? I suspect he relies too much on his natural talent and does not train his voice. Or he could hire some backup singers at least.

No. That's when he was very ill.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

He was mimicking chains on the arm and wrist throughout the song.

Interesting, I don’t see that in the video though. He’s going out of his way to pull up his sleeve and slap the inside of his arm.