IT'S not often you get searched on your way into the Villa Marina but it was all part of the Morrissey circus last night.
The rumour going round - though I don't know if this was true or not - was that this was to stop people taking meat inside the venue (Morrissey is a staunch vegetarian).
And there was extra security inside the venue too - he even had security men on the side of the stage, again a rare sight at the Villa.
However, he did let one woman get up on stage at one point to hug him and he seemed very friendly with the audience.
Unlike most acts who have a security presence he is probably protected for two reasons. There are those over excited fans who love him but there are also those who can't stand him.
Many people would have been highly offended by the comments he made recently comparing the Norway mass murders with animals killed for the fast food industry.
But you don't have to agree with someone's personal politics to enjoy their music. And Morrissey has a pretty incredible back catalogue.
The night was kicked off with support act Kristeen Young, an eccentric performer, and she was followed by a series of videos projected onto a screen which included footage of the New York Dolls (Morrissey is the former president of their UK fan club) and Lou Reed from 1974.
Morrissey covered Lou's classic Satellite of Love later in the show.
The gig was a combination of songs from Morrissey's highly successful solo career as well as tunes from his days as frontman of The Smiths.
I was particularly delighted he performed You're The One For Me Fatty (a great song title if ever there was one) and Everyday Is Like Sunday, which I have always loved.
I can only hope he didn't have Douglas in mind when he sang the lyrics: "In the seaside town, that they forgot to bomb, come, come nuclear bomb."
The Queen is Dead - perhaps my favourite Smiths' album - was represented with There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and I Know Its Over.
Morrissey also performed a song called Scandinavia, which contains the lyric 'let the people burn. Let their children cry and die in blind asylum.'
He had been performing this on tour prior to the Norway atrocities.
Morrissey drummed home his views on meat-eating with an intense (and very, very loud) version of Meat Is Murder.
There was just one encore - The First of The Gang to Die - and then he was gone. I wasn't clockwatching but I don't believe he even made it to the one hour 20 mark.
Musically I really enjoyed the gig. I thought his voice was good and he knows how to put on a show. And while he is a bit like Marmite - people tend to love him or hate him - I do believe he is a genuine music icon.
But while I love the songs, I am not so keen on the circus.
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