ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½

At the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on April 26

The self-imposed exile is over.

After 141/2 years of boycotting Canada as a way of protesting our seal hunting industry and practices, British singer, songwriter, vegan and animal activist Morrissey finally blinked during the decade-plus stare-down and performed the first of two shows on domestic soil at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts on Friday night.

At least, that’s how it appeared on the surface, but the former Smiths singer is not one to let things slide: his entire band — guitarists Boz Boorer and Jesse Tobias, bass player Mando Lopez, drummer Matt Walker and keyboardist Gustavo Manzur — all sported identical red t-shirts that sported the printed-in-white slogan: “Be kind to seals or I’ll cull you.�

Initially, the ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ date were supposed to occur closer to the end of an eight-stop cross-country tour, but the initial April 14 Vancouver kick-off and several follow-up concerts were postponed due to “a medical emergency stemming from an accident incurred while traveling in Europe,â€� according to a press release. Those dates have been pushed to October.

So, with the first few notes and words of Viva Hate’s “Suedehead� to open a 100-minute, 21-song set after he sauntered onto the stage known as the Hummingbird Centre when he last played it in 2004, the 59-year-old Maestro of Melancholy presented a dynamic show that was as sturdy in its musicianship as Moz was on vocals.

A personal observation: when I last witnessed a Morrissey performance in the 1990s, I found the whole affair rather tepid and impersonal. The singer seemed bored, pompous and refused to focus on — or even acknowledge — the audience. The experience soured me on him.

These negative and hazy memories of many moons ago were cast side when 2019 Morrissey took to the stage Friday. While still aloof and private, the Moz has obviously stepped up his game as a showman, exhibiting warmth as he sang to individual fanatics that pressed themselves up against the stage, reaching out to touch their hands during “Alma Matters� and emphasizing certain lyrics with gestures that almost bordered on occasion as camp.

He bowed frequently in gratitude at the end of a number and even addressed to crowd in his own cryptic way.

“I’m cosmopolitan. I’m a Christian. I’m very well-travelled. I’ve heard of Faith Goldy,â€� he said to a chorus of boos when the white nationalist and former ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ mayoral candidate’s name was announced. “So have you. And that’s it.â€�

And just before he performed “The Bullfighter Dies:� “Maybe you can’t forget. Maybe you can’t remember — who cares?�

Even though his stage persona may have mellowed through the years, Morrissey’s outspokenness hasn’t. Some of his songs — particularly “World Peace Is None of Your Business� and “Spent The Day In Bed� — respectively call out the business of politics and the manipulation of evening newscasts by pulling no punches.

He’s a bit more open these days to including his earliest material, so Smiths aficionados were treated to “How Soon Is Now,� “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore� and “What She Said,� with “How� being the best of the bunch, building to a magnificent pseudo-tympani crescendo by drummer Walker that added power and a welcome twist to the song without compromising its essence.

Another epic performance was Ringleader of the Tormentors’ “Life Is a Pigsty,� a great blend of Morrissey’s crackerjack backing band matching the magnificence of the singer himself that resulted in one of the evening’s many highlights.

There were even some lighter moments included to promote Moz’s upcoming cover album California Son, due out next months, with energetic reworkings of The Pretenders’ “Back On The Chain Gang� and the Laura Nyro-penned, 5th Dimension hit “Wedding Bell Blues,� replete with a Theremin accompaniment by guitarist Tobias and a picture of the late Canadian character actor Donnelly Rhodes projected on a trio of back screens that often featured stills from the ‘60s and ‘70s to visually enhance the sonics.

But the best moment was saved for the encore of You Are The Quarry’s “First of The Gang To Die.� At the conclusion of the power pop tune that was delivered at a Spanish-tinged tempo, Morrissey unexpectedly fleshed out the song in a daring manner that won’t be spoiled here, but it left the cheering crowd wanting more.

Correction - April 29, 2019: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated guitarist Boz Boorer’s given name. As well, the band members sported identical t-shirts that sported the slogan: “Be kind to seals or I’ll cull you.�

Morrissey definitely gave them a night to remember.

Hopefully it won’t be another 15 years before he returns.