35th anniversary of Wolverhampton gig (December 22, 2023)

Dec 22 / 1988 / 35 years!
Crazy

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

I remember at the time the word was it was a short gig being filmed for the video of his next single - Playboys. I think the footage was deemed unusable for that though.

I went btw. Didn't get in. We were among the first section turned away. The queue had been completely abandoned when Morrissey turned up in the bus and everyone rushed to see him.

Of course, we lost our place near the front and were now much further back. Oh, we were distraught not to get in! But I can smile about it now, etc. Well, just about.

Guess it depends how far you travelled as to how depressed you were. I didn't even know where Wolverhampton was at the time and there was no chance getting there from Essex at Christmas.

 

[DaveC]

Yes, that's how I found out about it.

Same here, I remember telling the boss I would be having a couple of days off.
Then getting told I couldn't have the days off.
Then telling the boss I wasn't asking.

 

[Johnny]

Craig Gannon is a brilliant guitarist but he always looks as if playing guitar on stage is the worst possible job you could ever have.

 

[Anonymous]

Was never intended to be a full gig, hence the free entry.

The band is obviously woefully under-rehearsed for the short set they played, nevermind a full gig.

Exactly. This was more of a glorified promo video shoot than an actual concert. They had all the footage they'd ever need in the space of a few brief songs.

 

[The Wild Turkey]

I remember at the time the word was it was a short gig being filmed for the video of his next single - Playboys. I think the footage was deemed unusable for that though.

I went btw. Didn't get in. We were among the first section turned away. The queue had been completely abandoned when Morrissey turned up in the bus and everyone rushed to see him.

Of course, we lost our place near the front and were now much further back. Oh, we were distraught not to get in! But I can smile about it now, etc. Well, just about.

Remember seein' that on the old Hulmerist tape.
Moz pulled up in this antique bus and then all these
people gathered around the bus.

 

[yesnowinlose]

The people who were lucky enough to attend this enchanting concert are the real lucky ones!

The footage of happy fans reaching the stage and not missing their chance to hug Morrissey is pure madness, but I love it. He's in great shape and good-looking here, he's matured; and I like this shiny black pullover better than his "gold" shirt at Madstock in 1992.

 

[Erik]

his singing was off key and flat, the band sounded out of sync, but what an iconic show

 

[MozIsGod]

I wonder when they got word from Moz that a gig was going ahead.

I mean The Smiths broke up in August ‘87 and this gig didn’t take place until 16 months later.

The Morrissey solo songs played had been released in early ‘88 so it’s not like Gannon, Rourke and Joyce didn’t have any time to learn them.

Street revealed in The Jewel in the Crown documentary DVD that the recording sessions for Playboys/Interesting Drug basically turned into rehearsals for the Wolverhampton gig.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Wolverhampton...Morrissey's BEST hair moment in a long career of great hair moments. I mean, his hair is glorious, best haircut in rock history?

 

[Johnnie Ray]

This may very well be my favorite song by Morrissey and YET he seems not to like it. I've always wondered why.

 

[Jamie]

The gig was announced at very short notice, a couple of weeks. The plan was to use it for footage for the Interesting Drug video, but because of the stage invasions they had to use soundcheck footage instead.

It's strange that I've watched the "Interesting Drug" video dozens of times over the last 25 or so years and never realized that the performance portions were filmed on the Wolverhampton stage.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

@chrisdugs6187 4 years ago (edited)
I was acting in this video. (I'm the lad writing on the toilet wall). We didn't know at the time how big and relevant it would become. Great day filming at Vauxhall, London with Morrissey, cast and crew.


@nathancrowther536 3 years ago
Chris Dags . And what were you doing in high heels???!!!


@chrisdugs6187 2 years ago
Haha, they surprised us with the footwear on the day of filming. It took us a few hours practicing walking, you can see me stumble walking out of the school scene x

 

[celibate]

T-shirt mate
Great performance of Sister I'm a Poet, still have the VHS from Hulmerist, great event.

 

[Anonymous of Manchester]

Why was the gig so short??? Any ideas?

Wasn’t really a gig.The intention was for Tim Broad (Director) to capture live solo material for use in a promotional video for a future single. However, events took over, there was a queue the day before, and it became what it now is on Hulmerist.

There was a call to arms in the NME a week earlier.Essential reading back then, every Wednesday. I’d read the ink off it.

 

[DagenhamDan]

T-shirt mate
Great performance of Sister I'm a Poet, still have the VHS from Hulmerist, great event.

I wore my video of Hulmerist out near enough, used to watch it all the bloody time, at the time Morrissey's only official video you could buy.

 

[DagenhamDan]

This may very well be my favorite song by Morrissey and YET he seems not to like it. I've always wondered why.

Often thought myself why its so unloved, great tune which ive always thought was maybe about Johnny

 

[Dissipated Harry]

Grew up in Wolverhampton, was 17 when this happened and found about in the local paper a week before. Thought it was a hoax and didn't really believe it until he came on stage - I mean, why would Morrissey come to my dumpy old backwater for his first solo gig?

Bradford supported and the whole thing was a blur. Got a bit of his shirt in the scrum at the end of Death at One's Elbow.

An astonishing night made all the more so by the fact I didn't realise that all gigs wouldn't be like this. Caught the bus home with my best mate - saw him last weekend (he's still in Wolvo) and we talked about our hazy memories of this and how it seems both like yesterday and as if it happened to somebody else.

 

[Famous when dead]

I can remember a sizeable chunk of what happened before, during and after that day.
That said, I couldn't tell you one thing about Bradford whatsoever that night.
Odd how memory works.
FWD.

(yes, was sober).

 

[Johnnie Ray]

I wore my video of Hulmerist out near enough, used to watch it all the bloody time, at the time Morrissey's only official video you could buy.

Same here. Back in the days pre social media where Morrissey's every thought wasn't posted on the internet. He was a true enigma and as I always say, Morrissey's career from 1988 to 1995 was damn near perfect.

 

[DagenhamDan]

Same here. Back in the days pre social media where Morrissey's every thought wasn't posted on the internet. He was a true enigma and as I always say, Morrissey's career from 1988 to 1995 was damn near perfect.

You are absolutely spot on Johnnie, i couldn't add anything more to that