Guardian / Zoe Williams: "A Morrissey tribute band separates the art from the artist – but I still end up feeling queasy" (July 30, 2024)

Today sees a fairly pointless "opinion piece" from dear old Zoe Williams, who'll happily write 400 words about ANYTHING. If you can't be arsed to click through, here's the text of it:

A Morrissey tribute band separates the art from the artist – but I still end up feeling queasy​

On Saturday night, I went to the Dublin Castle, a pub and music venue in Camden, north London, the fabled birthplace of Britpop. I definitely wasn’t there when Blur were born; I feel sure I would have remembered. But I was there the night a guy set his hair on fire because he was trying to make a girl smell his shampoo and he accidentally leaned over someone lighting a cigarette. So that’s going back a few years.

Covers band Viva Morrissey speak straight to the hearts of those of us with an unarguable passion for Morrissey the genre, but an inveterate dislike of Morrissey the man. It’s an ambivalence deeper than the standard question “can you love the art while finding the artist ‘problematic’?”.

Picasso, for instance, was of his time. He died before society figured out that locking women in studios was bad, actually. Who knows, if he hadn’t died, he might have apologised. Morrissey, by contrast, lives his life as a constant provocation, peddling tired far-right tropes (Hitler was leftwing, actually) and dumb, crotchety attacks on Sadiq Khan, which is just not-quite-deniable Islamophobia for the basic.

Want to say something racist, but don’t want to be challenged on it? Say something irrelevant and unkind about the mayor of London. It’s so simple even Donald Trump can do it.

I could never pay to see Morrissey; but I’d still always watch a guy who looks and sounds a bit like him, especially if he didn’t get into the choppier waters of ethno-nationalism, which it’s technically possible to avoid. But Viva Morrissey had elected to play You Are the Quarry in full, so Irish Blood, English Heart couldn’t be skirted. It’s nothing like as nasty as Bengali in Platforms, but listening to the lyrics, live – “I’ve been dreaming of a time when / To be English is not to be baneful / To be standing by the flag not feeling shameful / Racist or partial”, followed by a swipe at mainstream politics – it described, quite economically and, OK, also tunefully, the full political programme of the Reform party. All English politics is rubbish because it’s not proud enough to be English. You can imagine Lee Anderson singing it, with Farage and Tice on guitars, at the karaoke from hell.

Released in 2004, it was a massively leading indicator of how ugly politics would become. While it wouldn’t have been possible, then, for anyone to take Morrissey as seriously as he takes himself, we could have got a heads up for the future if we’d listened a fraction more closely.

A Morrissey tribute band separates the art from the artist – but I still end up feeling queasy | Zoe Williams

His 2004 song Irish Blood, English Heart turns out to have been a massively leading indicator of how ugly politics was going to become, writes Guardian columnist Zoe Williams

www.theguardian.com

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

Bruce Springsteen’s two latest albums, Western Stars and Letter to You, are stellar and acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Willie Nelson released what is likely his best album, Spirit, when he was 63. The new and still unreleased material from The Cure is likely their best stuff since Disintegration. Nick Cave has released one masterpiece after another since 2016 (or perhaps 2013). Bowie bowed out with Blackstar. Johnny Cash did the same with the American Recordings. Cohen had a very impressive 2010’s, before passing away in 2016.

It’s lazy and ignorant to claim that artists don’t improve with age just because Morrissey doesn’t.

Bruce meant the world to me when I was a kid. I did a talk about him for an English exam at school, when I all I had were the records and had only seen one interview on The Whistle Test . Also, my first gig at Wembley 4th July 85. I kinda lost touch after the albums Lucky Town and the other one. I wanted to see him in London when he played last but ....out of my price band.

 

[Seymour Glass]

Bruce Springsteen’s two latest albums, Western Stars and Letter to You, are stellar and acclaimed by fans and critics alike. Willie Nelson released what is likely his best album, Spirit, when he was 63. The new and still unreleased material from The Cure is likely their best stuff since Disintegration. Nick Cave has released one masterpiece after another since 2016 (or perhaps 2013). Bowie bowed out with Blackstar. Johnny Cash did the same with the American Recordings. Cohen had a very impressive 2010’s, before passing away in 2016.

It’s lazy and ignorant to claim that artists don’t improve with age just because Morrissey doesn’t.

Those are simply your opinions, here's mine...I thought the Johnny Cash American Recordings were garbage and an embarrassment to his legacy. Cash went downhill after the 60's and the Cure stopped making good albums decades ago. I suppose you like 70's Elvis as well?

 

[Mike Rourke]

Those are simply your opinions, here's mine...I thought the Johnny Cash American Recordings were garbage and an embarrassment to his legacy. Cash went downhill after the 60's and the Cure stopped making good albums decades ago. I suppose you like 70's Elvis as well?

Yeah, The Cure albums have been pretty awful since Wish in the early 90's.
The 'new' songs (being performed live) do sound quite a bit better though.

 

[BrokenFrame]

These woke and militant anti-racists are the new bullies these days.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

What happened in 2015?

2014 to be precise. His music started sucking.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

What singer/band improves with age? None. I highly doubt anyone thinks the new Rolling Stones material is up there with their old classics . I know his best days are behind him, but I'm excited to see him this Friday in Vegas and to sing along to some of the songs that saved my life.

Well, the new Stones album is their best since Some Girls, in my opinion. I love how Mick and Keith, and Ronnie have maintained their enthusiasm and love of music. They don't constantly bitch about stuff that their fans don't care about. I love those guys, I really do. Cool as f***.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

why ya such a homophobe? I imagine much conflict in the choice of artist that you continue to follow.

I say that in reference to the fact that Trump supporters seem to be cuckold losers. As a sociologist, I'd bet more than half of Trump supporters would blow Trump or watch their wives have sex with him if asked. That is weird. That is a cult and the fake Morrissey fans are veering dangerously and grossly towards that. Again, don't shoot the messenger, I'm a trusted professional.

 

[National_Front_Disco]

Christ, these types are all so blimming boring, aren’t they?

How someone can so despise Moz while loving his music both confuses and amuses me. Morrissey’s music IS him. He’s impossible to separate from it.

Moz’s not some mean-spirited cello player, whose voice and lyrics remain absent during a performance. Even in The Smiths, he was the foremost artistic shareholder, to put it clinically.

 

[gordyboy9]

the guardian has printed over 450 negative stories about M,they arent going to change their tune,scum on the run.
as iv stated on here many a time,i wouldnt wipe my arse witht that rag,can you wipe your arse with the digital edition,who knows.

she would be sitting in that pub smugly saying to herself,am i the only one who can seperate the art from the artist.

 

[marred]

This so called artist had his art separated from himself before he wrote this piece.

 

[Mike Rourke]

Christ, these types are all so blimming boring, aren’t they?

How someone can so despise Moz while loving his music both confuses and amuses me. Morrissey’s music IS him. He’s impossible to separate from it.

Moz’s not some mean-spirited cello player, whose voice and lyrics remain absent during a performance. Even in The Smiths, he was the foremost artistic shareholder, to put it clinically.

It's quite simple really. He was pretty much 100% responsible for the image of the Smiths, and they were deeply opposed to right wing politics. They played Red Wedge, were mates with Billy Bragg, Morrissey publicly described himself as a socialist, wrote about 'bad people on the right' and even had a song called Margaret on the Guillotine (about Thatcher).
Most (not all) of the fans felt the same way. This is how he was, publicly, in what you might term the glory years (80s and much of the 90s).
In the last 10 years or so, though, he has been at least partly drawn to right-wing politics which is anathema to a large chunk of the fanbase who hate what he has become, but still love the songs from the days before he made the switch.

 

[new musings]

It’s giving “hey dad I’m a real journalist now since I followed the exhausted trend of writing about Morrissey being racist, yet I clearly don’t know exactly what makes him racist but I do know it gives me snaps and nods from my peers”

 

[Seymour Glass]

Well, the new Stones album is their best since Some Girls, in my opinion. I love how Mick and Keith, and Ronnie have maintained their enthusiasm and love of music. They don't constantly bitch about stuff that their fans don't care about. I love those guys, I really do. Cool as f***.

The Stones are the same band since day one, maybe if Moz had been able to keep the old lineup we'd be getting some better new material. His loyalty to Tobias certainly hasn't helped.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Those are simply your opinions, here's mine...I thought the Johnny Cash American Recordings were garbage and an embarrassment to his legacy. Cash went downhill after the 60's and the Cure stopped making good albums decades ago. I suppose you like 70's Elvis as well?

My opinion, yes, just like saying that no artist has improved with age was yours. But not just my opinion. Like I said, both fans and critics agree with me on the likes of Cave, Cash, Cohen, Willie, Bruce, Bowie.
70’s Elvis was fantastic. I love most of what he did, but the 70’s stuff hits deeper and harder. Even though he didn’t write the songs, he sang his life in the 70’s. “Pieces of My Life”, “Where Did They Go, Lord”, “Loving Arms”, the whole Boulevard album, really. And the voice was better than ever. But sadly, the narrative created by tired music journalists and perpetuated by people who can’t seem to be bothered by listening for themselves will tell you otherwise.

And your opinion on Cash is…singular. Odd, even.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Bruce meant the world to me when I was a kid. I did a talk about him for an English exam at school, when I all I had were the records and had only seen one interview on The Whistle Test . Also, my first gig at Wembley 4th July 85. I kinda lost touch after the albums Lucky Town and the other one. I wanted to see him in London when he played last but ....out of my price band.

He means the world to me now, still. Been a fan since 2002, but it gets deeper and stronger for every year, it seems.
You should try and get back into him. The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995) is a fantastic album that you might have missed.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Great piece! So raw, so vital.

I agree, the Viva Morrissey statement is exactly that. And I’m glad FWD posted it, and that her ammunition backfired in her face ….

 

[tomsidg]

It's quite simple really. He was pretty much 100% responsible for the image of the Smiths, and they were deeply opposed to right wing politics. They played Red Wedge, were mates with Billy Bragg, Morrissey publicly described himself as a socialist, wrote about 'bad people on the right' and even had a song called Margaret on the Guillotine (about Thatcher).
Most (not all) of the fans felt the same way. This is how he was, publicly, in what you might term the glory years (80s and much of the 90s).
In the last 10 years or so, though, he has been at least partly drawn to right-wing politics which is anathema to a large chunk of the fanbase who hate what he has become, but still love the songs from the days before he made the switch.

Well said mate. Completely agree.

His music meant a great deal to me and part of it was how I agreed with him on politics, royal family, animal welfare etc

this hasn’t been the case for the last ten years and fair enough, you don’t have to agree with someone to like their art so I have tried to separate it and still love singing along to most of his songs.

However, his ridicule of the people who tried to fight hate with love after the Manchester bombing and the recent backdrop for Crashing Bores (my best mate died of COVID in April 2020) will make it very hard to listen to him again.

I get that people can continue to separate his views from the art and that some of his fans might agree with what he says now. But surely you have to see he has gone more to the right in recent years and that will frustrate all of us bleeding heart woke lefties

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

It's quite simple really. He was pretty much 100% responsible for the image of the Smiths, and they were deeply opposed to right wing politics. They played Red Wedge, were mates with Billy Bragg, Morrissey publicly described himself as a socialist, wrote about 'bad people on the right' and even had a song called Margaret on the Guillotine (about Thatcher).
Most (not all) of the fans felt the same way. This is how he was, publicly, in what you might term the glory years (80s and much of the 90s).
In the last 10 years or so, though, he has been at least partly drawn to right-wing politics which is anathema to a large chunk of the fanbase who hate what he has become, but still love the songs from the days before he made the switch.

You have to remember.........they were young people who, like most of those indie musicians in the 80's, didn't know their arse from their elbow. And we, as impressionable teenagers, followed the party line and believed what we were told because.........they all made great music. This isn't the 80's and I'm not a gullible, impressionable 18-year-old anymore. The internet, unfortunately, has opened my eyes to a lot of what goes on in the world. There was no internet then. All we had was the radio and tv.

 

[Stephen Hofmann]

Well said mate. Completely agree.

His music meant a great deal to me and part of it was how I agreed with him on politics, royal family, animal welfare etc

this hasn’t been the case for the last ten years and fair enough, you don’t have to agree with someone to like their art so I have tried to separate it and still love singing along to most of his songs.

However, his ridicule of the people who tried to fight hate with love after the Manchester bombing and the recent backdrop for Crashing Bores (my best mate died of COVID in April 2020) will make it very hard to listen to him again.

I get that people can continue to separate his views from the art and that some of his fans might agree with what he says now. But surely you have to see he has gone more to the right in recent years and that will frustrate all of us bleeding heart woke lefties

They deserved ridicule because these kinds of events continue to happen and people are still saying mass immigration is a wonderful thing. It isn't.

Southport stabbing suspect, 17, is named for the first time

Axel Rudakubana is charged with murdering three little girls and harming 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport with a 'curved kitchen knife'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[tomsidg]

They deserved ridicule because these kinds of events continue to happen and people are still saying mass immigration is a wonderful thing. It isn't.

Southport stabbing suspect, 17, is named for the first time

Axel Rudakubana is charged with murdering three little girls and harming 10 others at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport with a 'curved kitchen knife'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Couldn’t disagree more.

The riots in Southport were the complete opposite to the Manchester response.

Those idiots ended up targeting Muslims (when this has nothing to do with them) and causing more upset in a community that was grieving.

You say that these events continue to happen. I say the riots are going to contribute to that more than a bunch of people singing don’t look back in anger (unless you really hate OASIS!).

So, I don’t ridicule them. I admire them for showing love at such a bleak time. It takes guts to be gentle and kind.