While most Smiths tribute bands are probably happy to play to a packed room in the back of a pub, an evening described as Mexico goes Morrissey managed to sell out the 2,000-capacity Barbican.
The singer’s popularity in Mexico — an intriguing cultural quirk — inspired this ambitious performance, entirely in translation (apparently it’s not easy to sing his wordy lyrics in Spanish).
Although the rotating line-up of vocalists lacked an obvious Mexican Morrissey, or even a quiff, there was an admirable fervency to these covers as well as a sense of fun. Mi Novia Esta en Coma (Girlfriend in a Coma) added some cha-cha-cha to the Mancunian miserabilist, while beats maestro Camilo Lara provided an amusing commentary.
“Do you think it’s too much different than what Morrissey does?” he asked in slightly broken English. There were certainly no complaints — even the traditional son jarocho folk of singer and violinist Alejandro Flores suited these Smiths songs.
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Morrissey’s music was also well served by the Mexican instrumentation: the vihuela (like a ukulele), a giant acoustic bass called a guitarrón and the mariachi trumpet.
Everyday Is Like Sunday was given a mariachi makeover with Ceci Bastida, the group’s only female member, singing a melodramatic vocal on the glummest of tunes.
While an audience singalong was never likely — they came closest with the cheery line “colgar el DJ!” (“hang the DJ!”) — fans were out of their seats and dancing like it was a nostalgic indie disco during exuberant translations of Panic, Ask and Bigmouth Strikes Again.
For all the Latin passion in this reinterpretation, Mexrrissey was still just a covers band. But it was a warm tribute featuring a greatest hits set you wouldn’t get from the man himself.
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