

The Smiths' final bow: a concert so legendary it killed the band.
Live at the Brixton Academy in London, England on the 12th of December, 1986. Setlist: 1) Ask 2) Bigmouth Strikes Again [with "Panic" drum tease intro] 3) London 4) Miserable Lie 5) Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others 6) The Boy With The Thorn In His Side 7) Shoplifters Of The World Unite 8) There Is A Light That Never Goes Out 9) Is It Really So Strange 10) Cemetry Gates 11) This Night Has Opened My Eyes 12) Still Ill 13) Panic 14) The Queen Is Dead 15) William It Was Really Nothing 16) Hand In Glove *This concert, put together as a benefit for the Artists Against Apartheid, was originally due to be held at the Royal Albert Hall on the 14th of November but it had to be rescheduled following Johnny’s car accident. It turned out to be the last time the Smiths were on stage together, bar a few TV appearances. This was the only time “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others”, “Shoplifters Of The World Unite” and the “London”/”Miserable Lie” medley were ever performed by them.
Acting
Morrissey's theatrical melodrama at peak performance.
Direction
Raw bootleg aesthetic captures pure live electricity.
Sound
Marr's jangle-pop perfection, one last time.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This benefit for Artists Against Apartheid marked the only live performances of 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others' and 'Shoplifters of the World Unite'—songs that would never breathe on stage again.
The rescheduling from Royal Albert Hall to Brixton Academy (due to Marr's car crash) democratized the farewell—intimate, sweaty, working-class instead of pristine and posh. Fitting for a band that always belonged to the misfits.
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