Morrissey wows fans at Ally Pally

Neil O'Sullivan swaps Guy Fawkes an "evening of idolatry"with the ex-Smiths lead-man's most devoted fans

Morrissey - Alexandra Palace (05/11/09)

4/5

As Morrissey walks onto the stage he aptly proclaims, "On this very special night I think we can all agree that Guy Fawkes was a genius". And as the rest of the nation gathered together for some good old-fashioned ritualistic effigy-burning, a few thousand Morrissey fans gear up for an evening of idolatry.

Few singers have developed such a strong personality cult as Morrissey and this has clearly not waned over the years. Fans strain to reach out and touch their hero, who towers over the crowd on a ludicrously high stage.

It is hard not to get carried along with this veneration and it means that the atmosphere in front of the stage is electric. With the crowd so firmly on his side Morrissey contents himself to stroll nonchalantly across the stage.

For most of the set his band remains firmly in the background, perhaps to avoid Morrissey's dramatic swings of his microphone cable.

The set is filled mostly with the rockier numbers from Morrissey's last few albums, interspersed with classic Smiths songs, such as '"Ask" and "Cemetery Gates", Morrissey's band produced a powerful sound which kept the crowd moving.

The intricacy of Johnny Marr's playing is sorely missed on songs like "This Charming Man", but Morrissey's charisma just about makes up for the chunky and unsubtle guitar. "How Soon is Now?" is brought to a thunderous gong-filled finish, as Morrissey crouches in the centre of the stage under a single spotlight, lapping up the adulation of the crowd.

Along with The Smiths songs, the singles from 2004's You Are the Quarry get the biggest reaction from the crowd. Morrissey's early 90s output is mostly overlooked, which is a shame because it contains some of his finest work. A few more older songs would have bulked up the set, which lasts barely 90 minutes.

2009 has been one of Morrissey's more difficult years. Buying a ticket to a Morrissey gig is becoming increasingly like buying a very expensive raffle ticket - there's no guarantee you are going to get anything at all.

He has cancelled gigs throughout the year, he recently collapsed in Swindon after two songs, and this weekend in Liverpool he again abandoned the gig after two songs after being hit on the head by a plastic cup (he always said he was delicate).

This sort of behaviour has led to speculation that his touring days are numbered. Tonight, he did look strained at times, and sometimes it was hard to pick out his voice from the voices of the crowd, who were happy enough bellowing out the lyrics for him.

But even if he seems to be struggling at times, the singer is in good humour. He wore a violet poppy on his lapel, "for all the animals who died unwillingly in war", and made plenty of bizarre quips, including a request to David Cameron to stop killing stags. As the show comes to a close Morrissey casts his shirt off into the crowd, where it is literally torn to shreds.

Gangs of fans are still fighting over the pieces long after the lights have come up. Some people might think that this rabid desire to claim a small piece of a 50-year old man's sweat-drenched shirt is a little odd. These people are missing out.

The cult of devotion which surrounds Morrissey is part of his appeal. It forms an integral part of his performance, with the crowd playing their part and Morrissey playing his. Fans gradually regain their sanity as they head out into the autumn night, refreshed by an evening of unadulterated hero-worshipping.