March 15, 2000
In his first tour of South America

Morrissey's manias

As his producers say, Morrissey will stay just 4 days in Chile, and in this time it will be possible just to see his nose. He won't give press conferences or interviews. He won't meet with local musicians, as it was rumored. "This is part of Morrissey's mystery, don't you think?" they apologize.

Mauricio Jürgensen

"Everything he'll want to know about Chile I'll have to tell him. This is what I have to do". That's the definition John Wynne has about his job. He is Morrissey's tour production manager and he is already in Chile to finish the last details for the March 28 show. And to see "how the atmosphere is here", he says. Together with Charlie Browne and Robert Sinclair, Wynne takes part of the advanced entourage in charge of verifying the ex-Smith's concert organization and to confirm everything: since the place where Morrissey and his entourage will lodge in Santiago until the instruments that the four musicians who accompany Morrissey will play in the Estadio Chile arrive. The advanced entourage will stay in this country until Friday and then they'll go to Argentina.

"Chile is an agreeable place. It seems very much like South Europe", says Wynne who has been working with the English musician for more than nine years. "He is very anxious and curious to know how his first South American tour will be. Morrissey always wanted to go but there never existed a concrete possibility. He knows something about the number of tickets sold and something about the expectations. But someway this is our job too. Telling him how the atmosphere is here and what Chile expects from him".

Even though he can't say much about the places where the English will visit in Chile, he notices that his visit will be as anonymous as Bob Dylan's in 1998. "He is a man that is very careful of his privacy. That's why he won't give interviews or press conferences", says Wynne, confirming what has been a constant attitude in the ex-Smiths career. "He has had a complicated relationship with the press during all his career. Principally because of the criticism he received in the beginning of his solo career as a soloist,. Morrissey doesn't forget, he is like that. That's why his itinerary will be from the hotel to the Stadium and vice-versa", says the producer, adding among laughs: "this is part of Morrissey's mystery, isn't it?"

The idea behind this low profile attitude, as Wynne adds, is to privilege the contact with the public at the concert. "This is one of his priorities. Everything he has to say to his fans in Chile or Latin America he will say at the shows." He discards the speculation of meetings with local musicians as it has been said in the last few days. "We knew this and it seemed a good idea, but this won't happen".

Even though they admit he is "a special character" they deny Morrissey is difficult person. "He is very silent, very reserved, but he is very accessible when you want to talk with him. He is not so complicated, and his only exigencies are about the food: nothing of meat or fish. You know, he is a vegetarian", explains and denies that Morrissey has asked for much more than other musicians usually ask for. "People say a great number of things about musicians and especially about Morrissey. And he knows about this. And the truth is that he doesn't complicate that much", explains.

According to the concert producers (that assure 70% of the tickets were already sold), Morrissey will arrive in Chile Sunday 26 from Mexico and accompanied by a 26 people entourage. Among them 4 musicians and a "personal guard" charged with the musician's security. "This is another theme that preoccupies the British singer. The agglomerations and tumults bother him. We have to take care about his security and his tranquility. The security guard is not a soldier, anyway, but rather an escort. It seems that the musician will stay in the Hotel Carrera and after the concert he will voyage to Buenos Aires. "It doesn't matter if people don't see him very much", says Wynne, "what matters is a good show, don't you think?"