Moz Fest ’98 on May 22nd at the Highland Tap -British Pub on Lundy’s Lane Niagara Falls Canada. Admission free, wear Moz/Smiths t’s, music and videos for ambience! Check Wide To Receive for more info or contact me at [email protected]

"Everybodys Staring" - new fanzine

From Jessica McMillan:

Issue number one of Everybodys Staring is finally finished! Included in this issue is loads of Morrissey related writing, photos, and stories. It is promised to be an interesting experience, especially since this is the first issue. From now on I will be publishing every two months. I am taking contributions for issue number two due in the beginning of July.

To get a copy of issue 1, please send three dollars or two pounds to:

Everybodys Staring
c/o J. McMillan
1100 Queen Anne Ave N. #408
Seattle Wa. 98109

checks (made out to J. McMillan), Money orders, and well hidden cash. All postage is included. Any questions can or contributions can be mailed via email or send a S.A.S.E. and I will reply!

thankyou very much.

How Soon, Not Now!

More on the Inner Sanctum cover reported a few weeks ago, from JJ McIntyre:

Just a note to inform you of one of the greatest crimes against music to be commited for many a year. This week a band called "Inner Sanctum" have released a single entitled "How Soon Is Now". Despite the lack of a question mark at the end this is indeed the well known song accredited to S. Morrissey and J. Marr in the sleeve. The song is a dance version of the classic which in some mixes samples the famous Marr guitar work (especially THAT piece) but in others does not. While the lyrics are not changed Moz’s voice is replaced by that of a whiney male and the speed and intonation is changed somewhat.

Buy it and weep, then go and listen to the original. No one really needs six versions of this musical diatribe.

"The Leather Boys" on UK TV, May 22

Coincidentally or not. from Naomi:

"The Leather Boys" - as featured in the "Girlfriend In A Coma" video - is being shown on UK TV on Friday night (or possibly very early on Saturday morning). As it’s on Channel 5 only about 3 people will have the opportunity to see it, but it might be worth mentioning nevertheless.

* The site has been down a few days due to server problems (if you want to blame someone, blame spammers), hopefully it will become reliable again soon.

Still not a whole lot going on at the moment. One item worth noting is the imminent buyout of PolyGram, the parent company of Mercury Records. From what I understand, artists considered less important to the labels are usually cut when buyouts like these happen. Normally I wouldn't be too worried, but considering that to this day Morrissey is not included in the list of artists on either Mercury's or Polygram's websites, one has to wonder. This is all highly speculative on my part - I have no idea how the contracts are worked out, etc.

May 21st from 9pm - 2am !

The festivities will take place at Delilah’s (upstairs - downstairs they have their regular soul night, so be sure to go upstairs), located at 2771 N. Lincoln Ave, at Diversey and Racine. Cover is $3 and (so sorry) it’s 21 and over. They don’t have a video screen, but hey, with so many Moz impressions, we won’t need one. If you need it, their phone number is (773) 472-2771.

Friday the 22nd, Boston Morrissey fans will be coming together to celebrate his birthday! Come and join us at the mod/britpop/60’s night THE PILL at the Upstairs Lounge above the "Penalty Box" bar across from the Fleet Center at the North Station T-stop. This is located in Boston at the corner of Causeway and Lancaster st. Dj’s Ken and Jennifer start spinning @ 9 and then Ken and I will begin spinning solid Smiths/Moz songs starting at @ 11 PM. This will go on until 2 AM... Drinks are cheap and it’s always a good crowd. See you there!

P.S. 5 bucks at the door, 3 bucks if you wear a Smiths/Moz T-shirt. There is also the possibility of a few giveaways, etc... we’re still working on this.

Manchester (UK) birthday celebration

From Joubin:

The Star And Garter Pub/Late Bar/Club (incidentally the oldest Punk venue in the UK) is holding it’s quarterly Moz disco again in MANCHESTER. Tickets around £2:50 normally. Starts at 10pm, ends at 2am/3am.

Brilliant and seamless Moz/Smiths playlist with many requests and amazing rarities played. Many Moz/Boz lookalikes too. Good attendance too normally, about 150-200 devout fans. We’re trying to sort out excellent tribute band These Charming Men to play as well. Last time I went it was fantastic. There is a desk with a table next to the DJ where one can write a message, or a request for any song they want to be played. Also, of note, there is a projector at one end of the venue which has many slides which are worth watching. Many old Moz pics, James Dean/Elvis stuff, old single covers, etc. Nice touch.

Friday 22nd May. The day of Morrissey’s birthday. Address: Star and Garter, Fairfield Street, Manchester Town Centre. It’s very near the town centre, so if you don’t know you’re way around Manchester, I’d advise getting a taxi from the centre as it’ll be very cheap, only about 2pounds. See you there.

San Diego birthday tribute (?)

I don't know about this one... From Cicely Voigtlander:

I found this flier for a "tribute to Morrissey and the 80’s decade" being held May 22, 1998. There are a few pager numbers, I called and asked about it, but the guy didn’t know the details yet. He said to call back a few days before the event, but they hope to make it 18 and up and about 6 dollars for entry.

At the bottom it says "Fashionable Attire Requested"? Here are the numbers listed:

(619) 999-8138
(619) 685-4449
(760) 480-7822
(760) 736-5046

(The 619 #’s have a scary rave-ish sound in the background that makes me wonder what this will be like.. the other two have Morrissey playing so loudly in the background you can’t understand what the message is!)

* completely unrelated - tomorrow, May 14th, the 180th and final episode of "Seinfeld" will be broadcast. I have been a fan since the show began in 1989 and although somewhat saddened, I'm glad to see it is going out with such style and class. I doubt if it will ever be topped.

The party will be at

MONEY PLAYS
4755 W. Flamingo Rd
Las Vegas Nevada

from 9pm till ?
May 22nd - Friday night

The manager said yes today to allow four Morrissey or Smiths cds, of our choice, to be in his already cool juke box. Also I will play boot concerts and promo vids on their 10 tvs.

I have several local established fans who are assisting with me with this.

For the love of Morrissey

...and a big party in Athens (Greece)

From George:

On Friday, the 22nd of May, the Greek Smiths\Morrissey fan club "Still ill" will organize a big party, celebrating Morrissey’s birthday. The party will be held at the club planB, the most historic "indie" club of Athens.

Harvey Danger influence

Thanks Liz Rodriguez for the following:

I was listening to Loveline on KROQ radio in Los Angeles, and they had the band Harvey Danger on, and when they asked them who their influences were, they instantly said the Smiths, which of course endeared them to me :) So, nothing earth-shattering, but you know...

...and Oasis, again

From EAP:

In Paolo Hewitt’s book about Oasis, "Getting High", there is a Smiths reference:

"Noel kept writing lyrics, putting together chords. He even replied to an advert in the Manchester Evening News. It read ‘musician wanted for co-songwriting, must be into The Smiths’. That’s me, Noel thought, and he got on the phone and, without telling a soul, went to meet this guy who was about the same age."

"Robert, It Was Really Something"

Thanks to Hewstun for this reference:

Armond White, in his review of the current James Toback film Two Girls and a Guy (New York Press, 5/6):

"...’Two Girls’ makes the slyest, most compacted math of ambisexual motives since the Smiths’ ‘William, It Was Really Nothing’—and Toback’s conclusion is just as much of a cliffhanger. Toback’s not part of a scene but, like Morrissey, he has lusted and that candor makes Two Girls and a Guy more recognizable than the superficially relevant dysfunctional playtimes purveyed by Love Jones or As Good As It Gets.

* Thanks to Stefan Sahlander for a minor correction to the tentative release date of My Early Burglary Years noticed on the Reprise site - Aug. 14 to Aug. 11.

* Not a whole lot going on... Server problems are causing error messages around the site, I'll look into it.

Some imaginary novels

Thanks to Gunnar Haereid for the following:

...The List, the Glasgow and Edinburgh event guide, had an article about Douglas Coupland’s Girlfriend In A Coma in last week’s issue.

Under the Headline ‘Reader Meet Author’, the magazine also described some more (imaginary) novels named after Smiths songs:

‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’ by Salman Rushdie
A self-referential work describing a brilliant but controversial author who publishes a novel in which Buddha is shown shagging a witch, keeping a harem of prostitutes and chatting with Satan. Shy, bald, Buddhists reflect and plan to murder Rushdie. D’oh!

‘Shoplifters Of The World Unite’ by Irvine Welsh
Two radges with gladioli hanging out the back of their shellsuits tear up and down Princes Street nicking Oscar Wilde plays to the manic sounds of Sandie Shaw’s ‘Puppet On A String’. The novel climaxes with an armed robbery on Burger King, where they liberate the Woppers.

‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’ by Helen Fielding
A thirtysomething career woman makes desperate attempts to slim down, cut the booze ‘n’ tabs and have a proper relationship by obsessively recording her weight in a diary. She finally adopts a live and let live philosophy with the epiphany that love handles are relative.

‘Frankly Mr Shankly’ by Nick Hornby
A trendy teacher is inspired by Liverpool legend Bill Shankly to quit his job and spend a lot of time down the pub watching footie. His girfriend chucks him, but comes to realise the error of her ways and surprises him by turning up in the dole office wearing the Liverpool away strip.

This one's real

From Lawrence Renee:

Tony Parsons (estranged ex-husband of Julie Burchill) put in an appearance on Channel 5’s Jack Docherty Show on Thursday night. He said that he’ll be calling his forthcoming book ‘Bigmouth Strikes Again’.

Smiths included on upcoming CD compilations

We will probably begin seeing more of these now. From Stefan Sahlander:

I found these when I searched Amazon.com:

Vol. 1-18 New Wave Classics
Smiths, Inxs, Berlin, Abc, Erasure
Audio CD
Label: Jci Records
Released: January 1, 1999

Vol. 2-18 New Wave Classics
Frank Zappa, The Smiths, Inxs, Devo, Brian Ferry
Audio CD
Label: Jci Records
Released: January 1, 1999

Cult Rockers-Rebels
Reed, Talking Heads, Smiths
Audio CD
Label: Beloved Recordings
Released: May 19, 1998