Smiths Pier 84 NYC

YANKEE DOODLE DANDY

THE SMITHS

Pier 84, New York City

SO elementary in construction, so basic in emotional thrust and yet so thoroughly out of the ordinary — The Smiths embody the noble contradiction of head versus heart, never quite resolving it but never giving up either. At one point during this show, tugging hard at his striped shirt with almost erotic impatience over a trade-mark Johnny Marr guitar jangle, Morrissey wondered aloud "does the body rule the mind/does the mind rule the body/l don't know." Me neither.

For the rowdy mob packed into this open-air venue on NY's smelly Hudson river, the fun tonight was in the asking. As Morrissey melodramatically flailed his spidery arms, the crowd stepped into the moody groove of "How Soon Is Now", singing "I'm beautiful and I need to be loved" like high
school cheer-leaders.

They seemed a bit baffled by "Panic" (as yet unreleased in the States) and it's rallying cry "Hang The DJ", although it's probably as good a solution as any to the baffling lack of Smiths air-play here. But these kids skipped merrily along to 'Frankly Mr Shankly" and heartily cheered "Hand In Glove",
performed at a slower, harder tempo with what seemed like a touch of rhythmic evil.

Morrissey, whose tortured Everyman act must seem oppressively overbearing to some, was nevertheless strangely compelling. He dropped to the floor, executed slopping elastic somersaults and otherwise rolled on the floor and draped his beanpole frame over the monitor speakers in mock anguish. And although edging on oafish pretence he did seem painfully vulnerable - a tribute to either his acting abilities or the poignant spell cast by "The Queen Is Dead" and the sprightly "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side".

At the end, when he came back for an encore following an instrumental gallop led by Marr's rippling guitar, Morrissey turned to his applauding congregation and said "Thanks, we do our best." Tonight, at least for these 7,000 or so Yanks it was more than enough.

DAVID FRICKE