BlueGirl writes:

I heard this morning that Morrissey made an appearance at the Gene show at LA's Troubador last night. The show was being taped for a live web broadcast. (It can be viewed now at www.onlineconcerts.com.)

My other friend at the show confirmed his presence as well as Alain and his girlfriend! The new songs sound lovely on the webcast, too...

no name writes:

Joaquin Phoenix of the movies "U-Turn" and currently "The Gladiator" mentions The Smiths in an article in this weeks edition of Entertainment Weekly # 544 June 9, 2000.

He is talking on following brother River in the career of acting and is quoted, "I think you just start to follow in the footsteps of your siblings. I mean, if someone's listening to the Smiths, you start listening to the Smiths. The same went for acting..."

From jOHnnY:

Link to nme.com story: "Oasis Hire Healers!"

...Excerpted dates:

(As support to Oasis):

• Milan Filaforum (May 30)
• Zurich Saalsporthalle (May 31)
• Vienna Weiner Stadhalle (June 2)
• Leipzig Haus Auense (3)
• Warsaw COS Torwar (5)
• Berlin Arena (7)
• Bolton Reebok Stadium (July 15, 16)

(On their own):

• Fuji Rock Festival, Japan (July 29)

Willy Russell is the person in question, after doing a web search. From Indie Lindie:

A friend of mine who was at a student drama festival in Scarborough heard a reading by the guy who wrote the film "Educating Rita". He was reading an excerpt from a new book called something like, "The Wronged Boy" and the whole book is written in the form of letters addressed to Moz. I think it's published sometime later this year. Anyone know any more?

alainsane writes:

Excerpt from a Spin (July 2000 issue) magazine review of Belle & Sebastian's new album. Review by Andy Greenwald.

When Belle and Sebastian dropped from a slate sky in 1996, indie elites consigned the Glaswegian septet into one of two camps. On one side were the Nick Drakians, hooked on the band's pastoral folk-pop and agoraphobia. Opposing were the Smithsies, claiming copyright infringement for Belle's use of the first-person-indulgent, sexual confusion, and ridiculously catchy songs about buses. Drake made three classic albums and said sayonara. Morrissey has dodged history's bitch-slap for years. And since their rainy-day classic, "If You're Feeling Sinister," B&S have demonstrated a Drakian knack for fleeing the spotlight-barely touring, leaving singles off albums, and, this year, releasing a mint box set of old stuff ("Lazy Line Painter Jane") only months before this difficult fourth album. But on "Fold Your Hand Child, You Walk Like a Peasant," singer/guitarist/church janitor Stuart Murdoch sounds like he's in it for the long haul.

Matthew writes:

I was channel surfing when I came across Freshly Squeezed, a program on Muchmusic featuring all the new releases of the week. They mentioned that the Complete Picture DVD was out this week, and played the video for "Stop Me...", a "Smiths classic" as they called it. I assume then that the official Canadian release date is therefore today (Tuesday, 30 May).