I can’t quite picture the average Morrissey fan based on the comments on this site—who are you people, really?

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

The difference is that, in 2024, there won't be millions of them.

does a single person need anyone else to enable them to fall in love with a past band?

 

[Cornflakes]

does a single person need anyone else to fall in love with a past band?

No. But one person being into a band means something different versus 20 million.

 

[April Snow]

To outsiders, this shit is confusing. No one gets emotionally invested in an artist like this anymore, for better or worse.

I tend to disagree - we saw the fans with the "Free Britney" movement (Britney Spears), Michael Jackson fans are still very protective & active to defend his hame, Prince fans are still really devoted as are Beatles fans .........one only has to go on the Steve Hoffman forums to see this.
Madonna fans are the same, hang on every new thing.
And we have all witnessed the phenomenon of Taylor Swift and her fans, they will take you down and come after you if you dare say a bad word.
She has the most toxic fan base I have ever seen! They have actual power due to their numbers and she knows how to keep them on her side.

 

[gashonthenail]

I got hooked on Morrissey in 1988 with the release of Viva Hate. The Smiths passed me by - but I got into them retrospectively after getting into Morrissey as a solo artist. I was a big fan of all his albums up until Ringleader, including the wilderness years between Maladjusted and Quarry. My interest waned somewhat with Ringleader, not helped by Years of Refusal which I have never liked as an album. My interested started to grow again with World Peace, waned again with Low in High School, and then I absolutely loved both California Son and Dog on a Chain. Bonfire sounds like a truly amazing album from the live shows. It's a scandal that there is no prospect of a release.
He's a poet. Pure and simple. A true artist. And what a voice. Francis Bacon said that the job of the artist is - to deepen the mystery. I love that. And that's Morrissey. Par excellence.
As for his 'controversial' views. They just make me like him even more. Don't get me wrong - if he had the same 'approved of' views as Johnny Marr, or almost every other singer or musician in the arts, I would still be a fan. It wouldn't bother me in the slightest. But the fact that I feel that in my life I have been through a similar arc as Morrissey, or John Lydon, i.e. a leftie in my youth, but completely disillusioned by what passes for the left now, as I've seen what the modern 'left' has become - and I know I am not alone in that feeling, many of the friends I grew up with have a similar sense of disillusionment with the modern left - all that just makes me love him even more.

 

[Mayfly]

I was a teenager when the Smiths were botn and they had a tremendous impact on me. Morrissey was extremely handsome, enigmatic, literate, funny, truly a person who inspired devotion in an unhealthy way. He “understood” his fans because he had been in that same unhealthy relationship with his own heroes. The world of Morrissey was (and still is) very unique.

The obsession carried on during his solo releases until maybe 1995, years that had their ups and downs and where Morrissey was a source of consolation and joy. Since then, it has become more of an on/off affair. But I almost keep coming back to him. His comeback with YATQ filled me with enormous joy. But I was too busy with work and life to become obsessed again.

WPINOYB came out in another low period for me. I went to his concert on that tour, hadn’t even sat down with the album proper. But it was the tour when he played “Yes I am blind” and “asleep” and these songs brought back so many memories and emotions. I decided to use the time that was still left for him and myself to go see him more often. I also wanted to catch up with him, his later pist 1995) years, just like you want to catch up with a close friend that you lost and somehow found again.

I have listened to lots of music over all those years, attended many concerts other than Morrissey. But I also think that the Smiths and Morrissey have been a force that helped me sustain this interest, that without him, my life would have been different for better or worse. I will rate him as my favorite singer / artist, even though I miss his thoughtfull words and heartfelt emotions dearly, these days they only occasionally flare up in songs.

I have decided not to refrain from (excessive) negativity here because there’s enough negativity in daily life. And I also think that if Morrissey were to come to this site and read the negative things I said, it would be so low considering what he has meant to me over all the years. He has a flawed and troubled personality, but it is an integral part of the artist he is. He’s no God (at least not for me at this stage of my life).

 

[April Snow]

@Mayfly " And I also think that if Morrissey were to come to this site and read the negative things I said, it would be so low considering what he has meant to me over all the years"


That is exactly how I feel too - and I am only a newbie.

 

[gordyboy9]

Like I said before, Solo is a very interesting place with interesting people here to discuss an interesting person: Morrissey. Not exclusively, but mostly. I, for sure, don't fit the demographic you describe; I am a happily married and currently pregnant lady in my early 30's who just found out about The Smiths and Morrissey May(ish) 2023 and have been absolutely infatuated with his music and his person ever since. Having been to 2 of his concerts now, I know that his fan base comes in all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders. I assume Solo to be the same. Solo is full of strongly opinionated and emotional people, which of course I'm not surprised by, because Morrissey creates music for intelligent, emotional people, in my honest opinion. I love it! I feel at home here. I mostly spectate, but I do like to chime in once in a while. This place is like a sitcom at times; each character so unique. I sometimes wonder what it'd be like to have everyone from Solo all gathered up in a big room, having drinks, eating food, and listening to our favorite records... yeah, just a fun little daydream I have sometimes.

well said ash,congratulations on having a little one on the way.
for me,a few messages in the morning and a few at night,everything in life should be about fun,unfortunately theres some people on here who dislocated their humorous bone a long time ago.

 

[gordyboy9]

the average morrissey fan,suppose they come in all shapes and sizes,one thing i have noticed is that people who like M have a sense of humour,the ones who dont like him go through life with a face like a well skelped arse.

 

[Surface]

These people are just bullies. They are know-it-alls, and they look down on people like us because we love Morrissey and we support him when they feel, for whatever reason, that he doesn't deserve that kind of loyalty and love from a fan. They're also miserable people, judgmental - and they say they're not, which is the funniest thing. They just get a kick out it and out of you and me, sadly.

Loyalty works both ways though, I pay to go and see him and I assume he will turn up, however if he doesn't I expect an explanation why he didn't.

 

[Surface]

the average morrissey fan,suppose they come in all shapes and sizes,one thing i have noticed is that people who like M have a sense of humour,the ones who dont like him go through life with a face like a well skelped arse.

How do you know that, have you met all the people who don't like him?

 

[hand in glove]

Loyalty works both ways though, I pay to go and see him and I assume he will turn up, however if he doesn't I expect an explanation why he didn't.

I know what you mean, Surface. Fortunately, every time he has had to cancel one of the shows I was going to, it was for a good reason. Usually, the excuse I received was he was sick, or, on one tour his mother was ill, but really that's all we need to know, in my opinion. All I do is wish him the best and promise to see him when he gets back around.

 

[Surface]

I know what you mean, Surface. Fortunately, every time he has had to cancel one of the shows I was going to, it was for a good reason. Usually, the excuse I received was he was sick, or, on one tour his mother was ill, but really that's all we need to know, in my opinion. All I do is wish him the best and promise to see him when he gets back around.

Only happened to me twice in his solo era, first time was plenty of notice (Castlefield) so not too bothered, 2nd time I was fuming as I managed to secure a ticket 3 or 4 days before the gig and couldn't make any other date due to holidays and all I got was a due to unforeseen circumstance mail from Ticketbastard. Worse than that was when I saw The Smiths at Preston Guildhall in 86 (that place always had a bad rep) and some arsehole threw a coin at him during the opener TQID and the gig was over before it really started!

 

[hand in glove]

Only happened to me twice in his solo era, first time was plenty of notice (Castlefield) so not too bothered, 2nd time I was fuming as I managed to secure a ticket 3 or 4 days before the gig and couldn't make any other date due to holidays and all I got was a due to unforeseen circumstance mail from Ticketbastard. Worse than that was when I saw The Smiths at Preston Guildhall in 86 (that place always had a bad rep) and some arsehole threw a coin at him during the opener TQID and the gig was over before it really started!

I can't remember which tour it was, but I remember I had to drive something like 8 hours to Asheville, NC. At the time I was living in GA. It was a fiasco because there was question whether or not he'd be there and a running thread about it as I was getting ready to go. Thankfully Moz called it that night because at the time I really couldn't afford the trip and it was going to be a whirlwind of a trip, too. I had to be back next day to work! I had no idea how I was going to pull that off, but I was not missing Morrissey, damn it! It would have been absolutely worth it no matter what had happened, though.

But, yes - it can be brutal being a Morrissey fan.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

No. But one person being into a band means something different versus 20 million.

But I wasn’t talking about 20 million though. I was talking about a person still becoming a fan regardless if the band or artist still exists or not, or if that person experienced the artist live.


my initial post …

So a 17 year old getting into The Stones, Beatles, etc for the first time in ‘24 can’t still be inspired or be a fanatic, in the same way a 17 year old did in 1968?

Sorry, but great art will go on making new generations feel the same way we did long after both we and the artist are long dead.
The recordings, audio or visual are powerful enough.

The November video was @Maxence portal.
There’s no need to see him live to feel the way any of us did or still do. No personal experience is the same of course, but we shouldn’t assume simply because they weren’t their at the frontlines against the barricade in ‘91, that they can’t also feel extreme emotions just by listening to the music at home right now for the very first time.

 

[gordyboy9]

How do you know that, have you met all the people who don't like him?

i think you knew i was talking about the ones on here,trying to pull a fast one.sure theres a morrissey hater in djibouti or tajikistan,need to ask him if he has a sense of humour.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Personally, I don’t hate Morrissey. I am far from the fan I was when I was younger, but what I feel is far from hatred.

I first got wind of this Morrissey fellow back in late 2001, when I saw a special on Swedish tv about him and the Smiths and their devoted fans. I checked my local record shops for any cds, but to no avail. A year later I heard There Is A Light and my interest picked up again. After that I borrowed whatever they had at the public library and soon became a big fan.

My fandom had different peaks. 2003, 2004-2006, 2009-2012, and then a sort of culmination in connection with the Autobiography book signing in the fall of 2013. After that it slowly started to wane and the quality of his music, in my opinion, as well. His behavior and all the drama throughout the 2010’s and beyond also made it harder. I still thought of myself as a fan, though, up until recently.

I still immensely appreciate what he’s meant to me, and some of the albums he’s made are etched into my heart for life, but I just can’t relate to him anymore, the way I did before. I can definitely relate to the themes he’s singing about, but it’s somehow harder to relate to the way he expresses these themes. The way he presents them and himself in his lyrics. I somehow feel that he’s been writing the same song since 1983. There’s hardly any growth, development or any deepening of the themes, sentiments or his ways of expression. If anything, Moz himself has gotten lazier and more shallow. Have we grown apart? Maybe.

I’ve been a huge nerd when it comes to music ever since I was a small child, so there’s always been a ton of other bands and artists and genres for me to obsess over, even during my peak Moz fan periods, and I always discover something new. My latest discovery, by the way, is Night in Athens, an East London, by way of Greece, cold wave artist. Super cool. And my roster of old dependables, the music that at the end of the day means the most to me, is still strong, despite Moz being put on the bench.

So why do I come here? Still? To this abusive, psychotic, hilarious place dedicated to an artist I don’t listen all that much to anymore? Like someone said, places like these are addictive. And I’m not on Facebook or Twitter, so here’s where I come to shoot the shit. And I don’t think there’s another artist I’ve listened to as much as I have listened to Moz. And he still interests me. And he frustrates me. So much. I’ve dedicated so much time, emotion, money and energy to this man, so completely quitting him is probably not a possibility.

Quitting Moz Solo, however, should be put into consideration.

Any way. This was my (extremely long-winded) contribution. I was simply thinking out loud.

 

[SuedeMoz]

The person who started this thread wants to understand the "average Morrissey fan" and then goes on to describe one type of fan. I think an important question not asked is: What is Morrissey engendering in his fans? We'd all rather discuss new releases and such but there aren't any. Instead, we get half-truths and lies about why his album wasn't released. He still hasn't said anything coherent on the subject - including in his recent "interview." We got the Greek Theatre walk-off and a lot of concert cancelations without any word of explanation. Plus all these recent claims about Johnny Marr appear not to be true - with no later retraction or clarification from Morrissey. There's more but I don't care to rehash everything as it's exhausting. I'm not even speaking personally per se... but don't you think that actions like these can engender some bad blood in the fanbase?

On the positive, I'm happy for the fans who got to see him on this last tour in smaller more intimate venues. I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings out for the LA shows.

 

[gashonthenail]

I just posted The Spectator's 'Best of Douglas Murray' over in the 'It's Not About Politics' Thread. He makes an interesting point that 'the left' have never liked an 'apostate', i.e. someone who used to be on 'the left', but isn't any longer. There is a particular level of hatred and vitriol reserved for such people, he suggests.
Does this explain some of the hatred expressed towards Morrissey, both in the legacy media, and on this website? Because Morrissey used to be seen as 'one of them'. He was critical of Thatcher, he voiced support for Tony Benn, The Smiths played at Red Wedge etc. And now he is viewed as a 'turn coat'. A traitor to the cause.
I certainly think that explains at least some of the vitriol.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I just posted The Spectator's 'Best of Douglas Murray' over in the 'It's Not About Politics' Thread. He makes an interesting point that 'the left' have never liked an 'apostate', i.e. someone who used to be on 'the left', but isn't any longer. There is a particular level of hatred and vitriol reserved for such people, he suggests.
Does this explain some of the hatred expressed towards Morrissey, both in the legacy media, and on this website? Because Morrissey used to be seen as 'one of them'. He was critical of Thatcher, he voiced support for Tony Benn, The Smiths played at Red Wedge etc. And now he is viewed as a 'turn coat'. A traitor to the cause.
I certainly think that explains at least some of the vitriol.

I feel he’s too vague, too all over the place, to really be considered a ‘turncoat’. And he was never Billy Bragg in the first place. Nor is he now, for that matter, the second coming of Enoch Powell. Let’s all go easy on the projecting.

 

[caramel sea salt]

He is too vague and too all over the place for either side to claim him.

He remains the ultimate outsider.