Sunday 20/07/08 Morrissey, Leonard Cohen, Justice @ Benicassim, Spain

It’s safe to say we all look battered and bruised. Physically we are present, mentally and spiritually we are somewhere else. Rest and rehabilitation is sought but unfound. A steady day of musical morality and virtue is needed.

The National opened with a rousing version of ‘Start A War’, as the FiberFIB.com tent filled slowly but surely to the rafters, before they break into the lyrical splendor of ‘Brainy’; Matt Berninger’s vocal clarity illustrating a lost soul, forlorn and achingly fragile – something we could all relate to. Their orchestration is earnest with a touching perfection as our souls evaded us, frangible to the lucid takes of ‘Fake Empire’, ‘Mistaken For Strangers’ and ‘Mr. November’. “Tired and wired we ruin too easy” Berninger utters in ‘Apartment Song’; surely a mantra and a dressing for a weekend of excessive fun.

Addressing us all as “Friends”, Canadian poet and chivalrous gent, Leonard Cohen, took to the main stage. His haunting baritone and lyrical eloquence rang harmoniously amongst a crowd in a state of paralysis; silence ensued as a mark of respect for the living legend’s articulacy, only to be broken by reverential applause. Delicate arrangements only added to his legacy of spoken word poetry: ‘Dance Me To The End Of Love’, ‘Everybody Knows’ and ‘Susanne’ only amount to the shattering ‘Hallelujah’. I for one perpetually chain smoking in order to dry the tears that welled-up in my eyes that bulged with emotion. I felt like a puzzle of missing parts as I sat on the floor trying piece myself together, a solitary tear trickling slowly down my cheek.

Sheffield’s working class hero Richard Hawley crooned through an impressive set of upbeat rockabilly, forever endearing the crowd with politeness, sincerity and astute performances of ‘Valentine’ and ‘Tonight The Streets Are Ours’ as set highlights.

For those inclined, French electo-dance duo Justice endeavored to animate the crowds of party revelers that spilled far beyond the dance tent; however, many gathered in a great magnitude within the grounds enclosing the main stage to capture a moment of romanticism provided by Morrissey.

Launching into the opener ‘The Last Of The Famous International Playboys’, Morrissey proved that he had not lost what made him infamous. In all, it was a consuming performance, charmingly self-assured and well rehearsed. He still pushes all the right/wrong buttons with impudence: nonchalantly shunning the countless lovers in the crowd with jovial and juvenile banter, propounding and enforcing his political views, sexually ambiguous comments, vegetarian standpoints, and scrutiny of modern music: “Some of you here are listening to techno…very intelligent,” he utters with dismay.

Morrissey struts around the stage omnipotently with charismatic grace. The set rings with perfection, his vocal inflecting only on the odd occasion, as they perform renditions of ‘That’s How People Grow Up’ and ‘First Of The Gang To Die’ amongst a plethora of ever alluring solo hits. But it’s the rejuvenation of Smiths classics ‘Ask’ and ‘How Soon Is Now?’ for the finale that steal the show and the four days of wonderful performances with Morrissey touchingly stretched out on the floor, head in hands as the guitars echo.

Click here to see the highlights of Benicassim 2008 in pictures!