Live Review

The Smiths Indeed – O2 Academy, Liverpool

• 24th Mar 2010

To some, it seems almost perplexing, the sight of a group of talented musicians choosing to ply their trade as a tribute act. Surely they’d rather have a shot at making their own music for all the potential fame and adoration that comes with it. Whatever your view of the copycat acts, you certainly can’t fault this Liverpool-based tribute for lacking ambition. In Morrissey, lead singer Jurgen Wendelen has taken on the task of mimicking one the most charismatic, enigmatic, not to mention idiosyncratic front men to ever grace these shores. Whilst guitarist Mckelvie has the unenviable task of reproducing the innovative, pioneering sound of alt guitar hero Johnny Marr.

Playing a set-list in honour of the 25th anniversary of much celebrated pro-animal rights album Meat Is Murder, the band opened accordingly with ‘The Headmaster Ritual’. From here they worked their way through the album in its entirety, resisting the temptation to fall back on the more crowd-pleasing indie floor-fillers such as ‘How Soon Is Now?’ or ‘This Charming Man’. Indeed, it was only in the second half of the set, having stayed true to their homage by weaving their way through the album that they cut loose on the singles collection. By this point though, the band had already demonstrated their worth beyond simple notions of nostalgia and novelty. Through staying true to the real thing in both sound and looks the group are able to establish real credibility, essential when mimicking a group held so dear by so many.

Although the performance was by no means flawless and Wendelen did, on occasion, fall short in his bid to replicate the vocal dexterity of the Smiths frontman, the band’s performance was well received by the crowd who had no problem filling the O2 Academy. Moreover, for all the authenticity achieved in reconstructing Meat Is Murder, it was during the epoch-defining ‘Panic’ that the group really shone. It is surely a must for any tribute act to enable the crowd to forget they are not in the presence of the genuine article and just for a moment, it was Morrissey on the stage, rhythmically swinging the noose above his head and crooning anti-pop sentiment. Memories were invoked for those fans who were there with The Smiths during their all-too-brief peak and for those who weren’t, the legend was certainly kept alive.

The Smiths Indeed? On this night, indeed they were.