30 April 2010

Statement from Morrissey

My trusted ally Janice Long has passed news on to me of the sudden death of Melinda Hsu. I did not know Melinda personally, but I felt as if I did because she had been a front row fixture for many years. In fact, from her many letters and gifts I understood her name to be Mel Torment, or even, when she felt at her most pernickety, Smel - which I'm certain was not her given name. Mel was a smiling face who lent strength to every single concert, even when events were going somewhat pear-shaped. I felt as if I knew Mel because she was always there - regardless of wherever 'there' happened to be; no snowbound landscape too far, no off-the-beaten track too untrekkable. I often handed her the microphone mid-concert and she would always make an effort to say something different each time. What is more, she always seemed so happy to be there on the front row, even though she had heard these live renditions enough times to emaciate the brain of the most inherently decent devotee. However, she was booed by the audience once - in Killarney, when she asked (via microphone) with a tone of disbelief "why Killarney?" but I don't think she meant the contorted snootiness assessed by the rest of the audience because she was not that type.
Those who travel from concert to concert as Mel did possibly don't realize the contribution they make. They are as much a part of the night as I am, but I sometimes feel embarrassed because I think they are asking for more than there is, and, mustily, I can't give it. The goat-like vocals and the tipsy monologues are all that I am.
Mel had passed a note to me at Pomona saying that it would be her final concert of the tour. Yet, hours later, in another venue, there she was again. Even after all she had done, even after all the money she had spent and the millions of miles she had hiked she still could not keep away from the squeeze and bend of yet another version of "First of the gang to die" - never imagining, I'm sure, that it is she who would be the first. As ever delighted and content at Ventura (where we gave our final bow), I cannot imagine whatever it was that Mel believed she saw or felt as she fixed upon the stage night after night, year after year.
Her contribution was a declaration of love for which she seemed to save all of her strength, and for which I could only ever repay with half-witted mumbles of thanks.

The only way to deal with Mel's death is to accept it. There is no other way. We all have a certain unbreakable appointment and we are all helpless targets in that regard. Life's only promise is its final deadline. When Mel, and others who are dear to us, depart, we should at least realize as we shuffle along living our small and persecuted lives, how absolutely ridiculous it is to be afraid of anything or anyone on this unhappy planet. Most people are standardized and unoriginal, which is useful, because it makes the Mels of the world stand out even more. Rich in ideas, her self-made calendars and t-shirts were always very funny. You will catch up with her in the afterlife, where I'm sure she will be as creative and busy and as Mel Torment as ever.

Thank you to Julia at True-to-you for printing this.

MORRISSEY
France, april 2010.

8 April 2010

photograph of Morrissey surrounded by his friends from his favorite television program SHAMELESS. left to right are Ben Batt, Rebecca Atkinson, Alice Barry. photographer is Shirlaine Forrest.

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15 March 2010

An essay by Morrissey, titled "The Bleak Moor Lies," was published in the Tate St Ives book The Dark Monarch: Magic And Modernity In British Art in 2009. The book notes that the essay is taken from Morrissey's forthcoming autobiography.

15 March 2010

Morrissey has interviewed Linder Sterling for Interview magazine. The issue is available this month.

6 January 2010

Statement from Morrissey:

Following consultation with my lawyers, I wish it to be known that I have terminated with immediate effect my association with Front Line Management (Irving Azoff, Andy Gould and Lil Gary), who no longer have any rights to issue any statements on my behalf. I would also like to stress that I have no association with accountants appointed by Front Line, namely London & Co.

1 January 2010

Morrissey's recent single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" is at #4 in the BBC 6 Music list of the 40 best tracks of 2009. Listeners voted for the Top 40 from a shortlist of 100. The full Top 40 list is available at www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/top40/.

16 December 2009

Statement from Morrissey to True-to-you

On these last days of the old year, I thank everyone who attended the 2009 concerts.
My personal favorites were:

1 Dublin
2 Dusseldorf
3 Munich
4 Pomona
5 Warsaw

The three Brixton concerts were dramatic and perfect for me, and there was a great air of adventure in both Estonia and Latvia. The Russian concerts were a big thrill, but in the absence of even a speckle of publicity .. it's difficult. You begin to feel as if you're playing to a private club - and, in fact, you are. We pondered on the massive poster-campaigns for others and we wondered how such things become possible. The audiences in Russia were loud and greatly inspiring.
Hope denied in Liverpool, and the physical limits were tipped in Swindon – these were life's unfortunate lows.
I spent the night at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon where the staff restored my faith in humanity. I had no idea such kindness existed.
There were more stop-start-trap-doors and cancellations this year than ever before, and it's difficult to keep your mental balance and to remain unclouded at such times. Since every living person appeared to have some strain of flu, there seemed no reason why I should escape it, and I could not listen to medical advice that cautioned me to stand back from the audience and not to shake anyone's hand. Life has come to this? By tours' end I had no face worth rearranging.

The landscape of familiar faces who have replaced the Irregular Regulars, and who attend as many of the concerts as possible, continue to astound me. I don't know how – or even why – they attend so many. It is remarkable, and the financial costs must wipe them out for good. I am repeatedly honored and speechless by their dedication.
There are no 2010 plans to fire me out of a cannon. Hopes of concerts in New Zealand and Australia collapsed under a mound of doubts. That's life.
Even though you see the death of culture all around you, you also want to raise whatever it is you do to a higher plane, yet there is no one, it seems, who can inch the Morrissey thing forwards. As we all now know, the world of music is purely market-driven – not even youth-driven anymore. Talent or merit or songs do not enter the equation for a split second; the campaign is the thing, the campaign is what is discussed amongst the public, the campaign is what impresses the press, and the songs are never a factor. The labels will only push the "artists" that they themselves have discovered, and have no interest in the self-made, blah, blah. But my parting with Universal is not a negative. I am sorry that "Swords" was such a meek disaster. It was proposed and accepted as a budget-priced CD, yet emerged everywhere as the most expensive CD in the racks. It was poorly distributed and didn't stand a chance, and ranks as the lowest chart position I've ever encountered. I remain steadfastly proud of "Years of refusal", which along with "You are the quarry" and "Ringleader of the tormentors" are my life's peaks. These three will allow me to die in peace. I am no longer in the thrall of anything that preceded them; the past is not me.
I was delighted at the radio airplay in England for "I'm throwing my arms around Paris", which seemed to match both "Suedehead" and "That's how people grow up" singles for rotation.
However, "I'm throwing my arms around Paris" did not chart in France! ... but everything has its time and place...

What does the future hold? What does the next minute hold? It all rests as ever on determination – that which springs from somewhere deeper than the body. Record label interest is zero, but the sun will creep back into the room one way or another. It always does.

Small and bowed, I offer you my eternal thanks, and my hopes for a steady 2010, full of good grace and no darkness.

MORRISSEY
London, December 2009.

9 December 2009

Morrissey will be the musical guest on Lopez Tonight on Wednesday, December 9th.

28 November 2009

Morrissey's recent single "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" is on the BBC 6 Music shortlist of the 100 best tracks of 2009.

Voting is now open for the Top 40, which Steve Lamacq will play on New Year's Eve.

Please visit www.bbc.co.uk/6music/events/top40/ for details of how to vote for "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris."

Please note that voting will close at midday (GMT) on Friday 11th December.

25 November 2009

Morrissey will be the featured guest on the episode of Desert Island Discs that will broadcast this Sunday (29th November) at 11:15 AM on BBC Radio Four, with host Kirsty Young.

Update: This is one of the first 10 episodes of Desert Island Discs to be made available online through the BBC iPlayer, and it is the first episode of the show to be made available as a podcast.

For more information, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p068y