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Smiths, The 1983-07-06 Hacienda, Manchester [DVD0065]

The Smiths
6 July 1983
Hacienda, Manchester

You've Got Everything Now
Handsome Devil
Reel Around The Fountain
What Difference Does It Make?
Wonderful Woman
These Things Take Time
I Don't Owe You Anything
Hand In Glove
Miserable Lie
/Accept Yourself

This was the first hometown gig where the Smiths were headliners.

As the band came on stage Morrissey greeted the fans "Hello you little
charmers... we're the Smiths, how d'you do?" then launched into "You've Got
Everything Now". Throughout the show, in one song out of two (faster numbers),
Morrissey - who still looked ill at ease on stage at the time - had something
to shake in his right hand while the left one held the microphone. In this
first song the bouquet of flowers he had carried on stage was shaken to the
beat until there was nothing left, all the flowers and broken stems littering
the stage. After this Morrissey simply said "So there!" and introduced the
next song, "Handsome Devil!". Through this one, the flowers in Morrissey's
free hand were replaced by a tambourine.

The following song was introduced as "This is your new anthem if you but knew
it, 'Reel Around The Fountain'... grab it!". The song was already becoming a
favourite of the four that were broadcast on John Peel's programme, hence the
comment. For "What Difference Does It Make?", Morrissey picked up the
tambourine again. "Wonderful Woman" was gradually getting formed into the
version that would eventually be released, but at this point in time Morrissey
still sang "Ah answer me, what to be done with her?" instead of "I ask myself,
what to be said of her?". During "These Things Take Time", which started with
a drum roll as it did in those early days, Morrissey used a maracas to occupy
his free right hand.

The next track was dedicated to the Buzzcocks' ex-manager and head of the
Manchester New Hormones label: "If nobody objects, a slight request... to
everybody's favourite neighbour, Richard Boon... happy 312 Richard... 'I Don't
Owe You Anything'." Then "Hand In Glove" (for which Morrissey used two
maracas!) was incorrectly introduced as "Miserable Lie". After the song the
mistake was corrected and Morrissey used the opportunity to throw a little
sales pitch: "That wasn't 'Miserable Lie', it was 'Hand In Glove'... and if
you bought 'Hand In Glove', why not buy it again?... This is 'Miserable Lie'."

The encore was introduced with the line "Accept yourself... if you can...". At
some point into the song, while Johnny had his back turned, Morrissey
pretended to hit him on the back of the head with the two maracas he was
shaking... At this early stage, Morrissey still yelped twice after the line
"And time is against me now", something that would disappear by the time the
song would be recorded and released a few months later. After the song,
Morrissey simply shouted "Goodbye!", as he had done just before the pre-encore
break, and the band left the stage.

Thanks to passion just like mine for info

BONUS FOOTAGE ALSO INCLUDES THE SMITHS FROM START TO FINISH SOUTH BANK SHOW DOCUMENTARY 18th OCTOBER 1987

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