The performances by These Charming Men were clearly the linchpin of the 2002 convention, and Cullen’s attention to detail is remarkable; he’s a good singer and a great actor. The band played for two hours each night, expending more energy than Morrissey himself has offered in years. Fans were expected to rush onstage and hug Cullen while he pretended to ignore them, a simulation of every Morrissey concert since the dawn of time. It’s very postmodern: the audience becomes a “tribute audience,” earnestly simulating hyperkinetic adoration while the band earnestly simulates Meat Is Murder.
