SHED SEVEN SINGER INJURED IN STAGE SCUFFLE

SHED SEVEN's vocalist Rick Witter suffered extensive facial cuts and bruising after fending off a stage invader at the band's recent Dublin Red Box show (April 21).

The young male fan leapt onstage as the band were finishing the last song of their main set, put his arm around Witter, yelled into his ear and danced around the stage. But when the fan pulled Witter's hat off, the singer pushed him away and the pair grappled before toppling into a stack of guitar amps at the back of the stage. Witter sustained a deep gash to his forehead.

Security bundled the fan offstage and out of the venue. Witter, who was shaken by the incident, was treated by St John's Ambulance staff at the venue. The following day he said:

"It all happened really quickly. I could see this lad getting onstage. Usually these people just get up and say hello, put their arm around you and jump off. But he was trying to say something in me ear. I couldn't hear him but apparently he was saying, 'Morrissey's here and he says hello.'

"I'm thinking, 'What the f**k's he on about?' Then he nicked my hat and I lost me temper. He put it in his coat so I jumped at him. It was half my fault for brawling because I wanted my hat back. I fell into him and we both started falling around on the floor. I've got a f**king huge lump on my head. But if he's invading my space and nicking my stuff he's gonna get one."

Witter added: "It's actually a bit annoying Morrissey being there at such a bad gig 'cos I've been a real fan of his since the '80s."

Boz Boorer to play with Sonny George in Dublin (today)

From Paula:

Boz Boorer is playing alive set with Sonny George at the Virgin Megastore in Dublin today ( Thursday 30th of April ) The gig is due to start at 2pm and will finish at 3pm. Support band to this event are ‘The Kaisers’. Both these bands are playing later on in the city at the Temple Bar’s , Irish Music Centre. This is due to kick of at 8.30pm. Attend and you won’t be disappointed.

These Charming Men - further develop

From Daniel Sikar:

These Charming Men, a Smiths/Morrissey tribute band, will be playing the New Cross Venue in London on May the 1st. Here’s the setlist: Hand In Glove, Still Ill, William, It Was Really Nothing, Ask, Sheila Take A Bow, Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out Cemetry Gates, How Soon Is Now? Shoplifters Of The World Unite, Panic, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others, Girlfriend In A Coma, Back To The Old House, This Charming Man, What Difference Does It Make? Bigmouth Strikes Again, Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, Alma Matters, Everyday Is Like Sunday, Suedehead and Satan Rejected My Soul.

Our singer has studied the Smiths’ "Rockpalast" gig and promises a performance to match. For anyone out there interested in hearing our renditions some will soon be available in .ra format (Realaudio) on a Web page presently under construction.

Who ping-flooded the BBC website?

From Fraser Stewart:

It’s not actually terribly good news but remember when the UK TV programme ‘Goodnight Sweetheart’ had that time traveller who did a Morrissey impression in front of Noel Coward? Well some Morrissey fans who saw that (not me) didn’t take to kindly to it so they pinged down the TV channel’s web servers intermittently for about 6 hours... They didn’t just ping them, they flood pinged them to oblivion.The servers were crashing constantly and were unusable.  I heard it on a newsgroup (not a Morrissey one but a UK one)...

For the record - it wasn't me either.

"The Judas Kiss", the play, opens in New York

More Oscar Wilde, from Robert Gavula:

If anyone is interested, I was able to see a preview performance of ‘The Judas Kiss’, starring Liam Neeson this weekend... As you may know, the subject of the play is the aftermath of the trial of Oscar Wilde... The play, in two acts, was quite good... very brooding... and Liam Neeson was superb to watch, as always... more so in person...

The UK mag, Record Collector, in its May issue, lists the Top 500 collectable artists of this year: Both Moz & Smiths move up:

	This Year:	Last Year:
Moz	98	120
Smiths	38	53

The Smiths were even given a "bullet", meaning a great rise from last year!

My Early Burglary Years release date

...has been moved slightly ahead to July 14 (from July 23) according to the Reprise site, but it's still marked tentative. Thanks Michael Fellows for the info.

And apparently the sleeve was on display at this past Sunday's "Morrissey Convention" in Hollywood. From Adam Lupercio:

...some type of plane was on the back cover (Moz pic on front cover). Next to those 2 posterboards was a sign saying COMING in JULY!!

"Wilde" U.S. openings

Thanks to Kimberly for this list of theaters and opening dates (May - June) across the US for the film "Wilde".

In the latest issue of the Swedish music magazine "Pop" there is an interview with Bernard Butler, where he talks a great deal about The Smiths. Mr. Butler explains how he grew up with bootleg recordings of The Smiths, Joy Division and New Order. When his friends listened to the actual records, he learned to love music that made him feel like a fly on the wall. For example a tape recording from "The Queen Is Dead" tour in Manchester.

Then he moves on talking about his friendship with Johnny Marr. Bernard says that when Marr called him the first time he was choked and thought that it was some kind of a joke. He says they became very good friends and that it took six months before they even talked about The Smiths. But after knowing Marr for over three years now Butler constantly asks Johnny about little details regarding The Smiths. He states that there are obvious similarities between The Smiths and Suede simply because of the fact that Butler was so influenced by Marr. But the important difference between Suede and The Smiths were that The Smiths albums sounded just like Marr wanted them to sound and he completed their history while Butler never finished the work he started with Suede.

Later in the interview he gets this question:

Do you read much?
- No, I don´t read books at all. I´ve never read books, I just can´t concentrate for that long. What other people experience through books I experience through records. Morrissey´s lyrics are my poetry. I know it´s almost embarrassing to say something like that, but it´s true.

Selzerswho

Thanks to Ian Cartwright for 'yet another band influenced':

I heard this band on the radio (106.3 WHTG New Jersey Shore) called the Selzerswho couldn’t stop talking about Moz. The guitar player was sure to mention that he saw 3 shows last fall, and that he loves to "borrow" lyrics and music from bits of Mozzer’s solo songs to help write his own. The DJ who was interviewing them said she was crazy about Morrissey as well. While this may sound insignificant, it’s just good to hear Moz getting due respect from more and more young bands out there, and it’s interesting to note that the new trend in influence seems to be Morrissey’s solo work rather than the typical Smiths influence. A Moz revolution is starting!

Link of the day

Thanks to Stefan Sahlander for the link to the song "Johnny Marr" by PermaFrost. You can listen to the song on the linked page if you have Shockwave installed on your system.

Johnny Marr Give me black jeans that fit my calves/ So tight that I just might split them in half/ I turned the knob I held the trigger/ Now my room is getting bigger/ Shut your mouth How can you say that’s anyway to play guitar/ I love your fingers Johnny Marr/ I’d rule the world if I were he/ I’d shine my boots I’d make my peace/ I’d write a letter/ I would pull myself together/ Take the filling from my tooth/ Do you wear suede? Then take my shoes/ Don’t run away 'cause angel I know where you are/ Between Slade and Sonic Youth/ Johnny Marr, the Tsar of everything that rocks/ Don’t turn away amigo/ I know who you are/ Between Pandora and the box/ JOHNNY MARR!

This past month on WERS Boston Emerson college radio, Boston hardcore band (on GMM records out of Atlanta), "The Trouble," got to play whatever songs they wished before playing live for a half an hour on the Boston Unseen radio show.

The DJ sounded rather surprised when the band, instead of playing the expected punk or hardcore selection, played (among others) Joy Division, New Order, and The Smiths "Well I Wonder", which the band frontman cited as his "favorite song ever".

After the song ended, the DJ asked him about his passion for The Smiths, and following a short discussion mentioned to the listeners:

"You can’t see him now like I can, but he’s wearing a Smiths shirt", to which he replied: "I always wear my Smiths shirt!!"

Last I saw the band the lead singer was wearing a Hatful Of Hollow t-shirt, which was extremely unexpected considering they are one of the "toughest" bands out there now... for those interested they are playing with The Business in Boston at the Middle East downstairs in Cambridge this next Sunday 26^th... (Oddly enough, the Business often cover "Panic" live, and their version was featured on The World Still Won't Listen).

"Smiths in the house!"

Thanks to DJ Morrissey for the following:

Just wanted to let you know that "How Soon Is Now?" once again has moved into the club scene. (Remember Soho´s "Hippy Chick" and the remixes of Sinead O´Connor‘s "I Am Stretched On Your Grave"?) This time it´s the group Inner Sanctum who has made a clubby cover of the song; with lots of remixes; and it´s released on Malarky.

No Summer Festival in Greece

From Nick:

There was a rumor that Moz would come to Athens this year. Well he’s not.

Most of the names that will participate in the Summer Festival were announced (including Pulp, Cave, Sonic Youth) BUT Moz’s name wasn't there.

Maybe next year.

Sybil (Italy) covers "Asleep"

From Fabio D'Antonio:

Sybil, one of the bands that will be enclosed on my Speedway tribute CD has released their own CD with "Asleep". The CD is called In A Small Town Green Records (Italy) and isn’t easily available. To obtain a copy you can e-mail [email protected], the e-mail on the CD...

"Wilde" arrives in New York - May 22

From Kara Krupnick:

We (The Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, Long Island, New York) are playing the film "Wilde" from May 22nd through June 4th. I was hoping your public in the New York area might be interested in seeing it! ...If you need any more information, don’t hesitate to ask.

Cinema Arts Centre
423 Park Ave.
Huntington, NY 11743

Thanks to Svenja for more amazing live photos (9 total) - Series 2 from the Philadelphia concert on Sept. 19, 1997.

And more thanks to Svenja for photos from her experience Backstage, Central Park (Sept. 17, 1997)

"The O-Zone" - a report

Thanks to Naomi, first to let me know that not much was missed in missing the "O-zone" coverage of the Irish Hot Press Awards show:

...Morrissey was cornered on the way in to the ceremony (which looked rather a "one man & his dog" -scale affair):

-How do you feel to be here, Morrissey?

-I feel very excited...

-Like you're coming home?

-Uh no, not really. I'm just very excited.

There was a clip of the presentation for "Best Group", although much shorter than that from the U2 site. Funnily enough, Morrissey was also nowhere to be seen at the after-show party.

17th highest earner in British Music last year

Thanks to Stuart Harvey for the following:

Thought you might be interested to know that there was an article in yesterday’s News Of The World (British tabloid newspaper) about the highest earners in British Music last year.It was the usual suspects who were top, (i.e. The Spice Girls followed by the Rolling Stones). However, coming in at joint 17th on the list (and much to my surprise!) was our Moz!! He earned in the region of five million pounds AFTER manager’s fees etc!!! Spare some change, guv?

Jim Kerr's favorite cities

Thanks again to Svenja for the following:

...VOX (April 98 issue) interviewed Jim Kerr of the Simple Minds to pick 10 records that remind him of his favorite cities. Among records such as "Romeo had Juliette" by Lou Reed, which reminds him of New York or "Autobahn" by Kraftwerk which reminds him of driving in Germany, was "The Queen is Dead" by The Smiths, which of course, reminds him of Manchester. About the record he said:

"Morrissey is one of a kind, isn’t he? Oscar Wilde meets Frankie Howerd. People talk about him being camp, but I always thought he looked like a streetfighter, like he could really look after himself, like he’d take a blade to you, grill you. When he was doing stuff with Johnny Marr he was so good. His targets would be cut to pieces by his wit and the melodies were always somehow unexpected. Definitely Manchester."

"Best of Ann Arbor" includes Morrissey

Thanks to Brian Cohen, music editor of the Michigan Daily for the news:

...Morrissey won best live encore in our year-end issue of "Best of Ann Arbor" for "Shoplifters" and "Paint a Vulgar Picture". Here is the link.

Best Live Encore:

Morrissey: "Paint A Vulgar Picture"/"Shoplifters of the World Unite"

Returning live to the United States for the first time in more than six years, Morrissey delivered nothing short of a hysteria-drenched religious experience at Hill Auditorium this past September. The unexpected inclusion of both of these Smiths songs as encores was as thrilling as it was sublime, partially because Moz sang both songs in, of all things, a Michigan swimming T-shirt. Legendary.

10,000 Maniacs remember their cover (sort of)

From Fife:

This is really insignificant, but I’d like to tell you anyhoo... The 10,000 Maniacs came to my college (Plymouth State College in Plymouth, NH) with their "new" singer. When they came out to do the encore I yelled out "Everyday Is Like Sunday!!!" She sang part of the first verse, but then she forgot it. Then, the keyboardist played the chord progression for the chorus and she sang that. That’s it.

Underage

Underage, yet another band that covers Smiths and Morrissey songs, is playing the "Know Where" coffee house in Old Town Monrovia (So. California) on May 2, 7:30pm. Check this link if you're interested or e-mail Adam Lupercio for more info.

...on channel 4 last night [4/15] Jo Whiley had Bernard Butler on her show and he said that the song which made him break all the rules was ‘How Soon Is Now?’ by the Smiths. His views are other music is somewhat disturbing though - liking All Saints???

"Morrissey Night" in San Francisco - May 21

From Michelle:

...I’ve been asked by Marilyn (organizer of the event) to make the formal announcement about Morrissey Night at the Blarney Stone in San Francisco.

It will be on Thursday, May 21, 1998 (it will be Morrissey’s birthday at midnight!!) it will start at nine-ish (I’ll have to check on that one) and will go on til the small hours of the night. there is no admission fee (donations accepted to cover costs!). This is a bar that is very lax in checking IDs. Last time there was a Morrissey night, half the people in the bar were under 21... the bar is in the Richmond district of San Francisco, on the corner of Geary and 20th.

More details later.

* Not much going on... as you can tell from the lastest addition to the e-mailbag. A calendar of upcoming events has also been added to the site.