SO happy birthday Morrissey - 50 today and celebrating with the first of two sell-out shows at the 'Ardwick Apollo'.

"Fifty gruesome years," is how he gets the party started, wry as ever, before launching straight into This Charming Man.

If anything, it's that song which tells us how much he's changed since forming The Smiths 27 years ago.

It bemoans the fact that he wouldn't be going out because he doesn't "have a stitch to wear" and yet here he is, birthday suited and booted, looking just like the coolest uncle at the family do.

Alongside This Charming Man, the set list includes Ask, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others and Girlfriend In A Coma.

Highlights from his nine albums as a solo artist include Throwing My Arms Around Paris, First Of The Gang To Die and Irish Blood, English Heart.

Proving his enduring relevance, that recent classic includes the line "sick to death of Labour... and Tories."

Hell, it could be Thatcher's Britain all over again.

But I can't help feeling that the night lacks icing on the cake.

Save for a souvenir birthday laminate and an impromptu - not to mention unrehearsed - rendition of happy birthday from his backing band, there's nothing to really mark it out from many other
gig.

Golden moments

That's not to say that he isn't good, with plenty of stuff from The Smiths and some golden moments from his solo career.

And lest we forget, Morrissey's fans are so loyal that he could have come on signing George Formby songs and they'd still lap it up.

At times the Moz Pit resembles an angry sea, with fans desperate to surf on to the stage to touch the flesh of their hero.

Morrissey revels in it - rewarding their endeavours with a touch of his hand.

Some of his disciples get to speak through the microphone - although they don't really have much to say.

There's plenty of material from the latest album, Years Of Refusal, and he sparks feeding frenzies on no fewer than three occasions by throwing his sweat soaked shirts into the crowd.

But there are some flat bits.

Then he hasn't been well of late - cancelling some shows on this tour - and we should happy that he's turned up at all.

There are signs of strain on the voice, but he looks to be in good physical shape and I doubt that many people will have left the building feeling too disappointed.