Johnny Marr responds to Morrissey's open letter via Twitter (January 26, 2022)

Dear @officialmoz. An ‘open letter’ hasn’t really been a thing since 1953, It’s all ‘social media’ now. Even Donald J Trump had that one down. Also, this fake news business…a bit 2021 yeah ? #makingindiegreatagain

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Related item:

• "OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR." (January 25, 2022)

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Media item:

• Radio X: Johnny Marr hits back after Morrissey asks him to stop mentioning him in interviews - January 26, 2022

 

[Darius Meo]

Doubt the Courteeners would have him as a support

The Courteeners were an opening act for Morrissey in 2009. Notice something there? They opened for Morrissey. Agree or disagree with Morrissey, he has a high level of artistic self-respect and has achieved innumerable professional heights throughout the past 35 years. Of course, this is vastly different from Johnny. As far as his solo music career, the best Johnny can apparently achieve is to capitulate to be a perpetual opening act.

 

[Anominous]

You are even less clever and erudite than the Marrs

The cleverness is all Morrissey's. I merely reported his words. Anals of history.

 

[MoneyChangesEverything]

Marr is now a support act

Morrissey would rather die than support anyone.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

So it only matters when Marr isn't playing stadiums, and doesn't when Moz isn't playing stadiums? Got it.

What? I don’t understand your comment in relation to my post
that you’re replying to.

Facts are Morrissey has lost fans in droves

and droves still attend and buy his records. Morrissey will be fine.

since he started shooting his mouth off with terrible takes on such fun subjects as rape, murder, and fascism.

‘shooting his mouth off’? Well, we all do the best with the information that we have. Or are you saying he gets too emotional about certain subjects and therefore talks before really thinking it through, and how others may interpret it?

Why would you call those subjects ‘fun’?
And is an artist not allowed to
discuss such subjects?

Significantly fewer people are seeing Morrissey these days,

That’s their choice.

and there's no way to avoid it.

no way to avoid what?

I guarantee you, that for a person as obsessed with money and prestige as Morrissey always has been, that it matters to him.

He’s a big boy now, don’t you worry about him.

 

[MoneyChangesEverything]

What? I don’t understand your comment in relation to my post
that you’re replying to.

I can explain it to you, I can't understand it for you. You have do the thinking on your own here, sunshine. It appears you're so dense light bends around you.

Lots of people here seem to be in denial than Morrissey's star is getting smaller and his appeal is becoming 'more selective'.

 

[Anonymous]

An open letter to Morrisey:

1) You probably would be dead or waiting tables if it were not for Johnny Marr.
2) If you are that angry with Marr why don't you just stop playing Smiths songs at your shows?
Answer: You can't because your audiences would shrink further. You've done some good things post-Smiths, but it all pales in comparison to your work with Marr. Lets see how you do without him, even now!!!

 

[SuedeMoz]

If both of them had retired from music in 2013, I would agree with this - but they didn't.

Since then, Morrissey has driven his career and reputation into a brick wall at 100mph & become a hate figure in a way that has been devastating to witness. And Johnny - who had unquestionably lost the race until that point - found some drive, stopped sessioning and soared. It's a f***ing tragic state of affairs, really, but M only has himself to blame.

Nail on the head. There's seems to be a lot of denial about Morrissey's status right now. At this moment in time, Johnny's stock is much higher. He's on the label that dropped Morrissey, releasing music. He's playing shows from Apr-Oct this year.

Meanwhile, for over a year already, Morrissey has no record contract ... apparently has music ready to go but can't release it. Can only seem to get press by penning an open letter asking Johnny to stop mentioning him. I hope things improve and he gets a new contract and we can hear Bonfire etc. At the moment though it seems like a pretty bleak state of affairs.

 

[Anominous]

To be honest, if it was important to me whether it was Marr or Morrissey playing bigger gigs or making more money, I'd be an Ed Sheeran fan anyway.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I can explain it to you, I can't understand it for you.

I didn’t ask you to understand it for me. I said ... I don’t understand your comment in relation to my post
that you’re replying to. Which means, if you care to rewrite or explain what you said, then I will comment on it. But it seems you’d rather resort to name calling.

Lots of people here seem to be in denial than Morrissey's star is getting smaller and his appeal is becoming 'more selective'.

If that’s how you see it, then what’s it to you ? why do you care?

 

[Johnny who?]

Marr's.

No, that would not be a possessive, it would be a plural

 

[Surface]

Marr is now a support act

An alternative view would be that his record company have a strategy to expose him to a potential new audience. The UK/US shows sold over 400k tickets and even if there’s only 25% watching, Johnny, that’s 100k people who may not have seen him before.

Seems like a good approach for someone who is looking to build a following.

 

[Vegan. Cro. Spirit .777]

new strategy =opening sets
old strategy = opening sets
future strategy=opening sets
opening sets are to LePepe what beer is to Fredo, always and all the time

 

[MoneyChangesEverything]

I didn’t ask you to understand it for me. I said ... I don’t understand your comment in relation to my post
that you’re replying to. Which means, if you care to rewrite or explain what you said, then I will comment on it. But it seems you’d rather resort to name calling.



If that’s how you see it, then what’s it to you ? why do you care?

Everyone's kicking Marr and calling him names and stating he's some kind of failure because he's a artistically, financially and reputationally successful musician - who doesn't need a day job - tours to healthy crowds, and sells good numbers, and has done for 40 years. And the fact he's supporting other bigger artists is apparently something to be lambasted for, and thus he's a failure.

Yet Morrissey who's also had very similar success on a slightly larger scale and is financially secure, but hasn't supported anyone for a while, whilst his sales are plummeting, isn't a failure? By the metric of how many T shirts he sold in Vegas, or something.

It's hypocritical. If Marr's tours had shrunk from 9 arena shows to 2 half-sold arena shows in 2 years, the usual suspects would be calling him names and laughing at him. But when the immaculate Morrissey does it, our Moz is still untouchably perfect in every way. It's nonsense.

 

[Surface]

Everyone's kicking Marr and calling him names and stating he's some kind of failure because he's a artistically, financially and reputationally successful musician - who doesn't need a day job - tours to healthy crowds, and sells good numbers, and has done for 40 years. And the fact he's supporting other bigger artists is apparently something to be lambasted for, and thus he's a failure.

Yet Morrissey who's also had very similar success on a slightly larger scale and is financially secure, but hasn't supported anyone for a while, whilst his sales are plummeting, isn't a failure? By the metric of how many T shirts he sold in Vegas, or something.

It's hypocritical. If Marr's tours had shrunk from 9 arena shows to 2 half-sold arena shows in 2 years, the usual suspects would be calling him names and laughing at him. But when the immaculate Morrissey does it, our Moz is still untouchably perfect in every way. It's nonsense.

It's really odd how some people think. I've said many times that I like both but for different reasons. I prefer Morrissey's album content to Marr's but I prefer Marr's live performances to Morrissey's.

Morrissey went solo virtually straight after The Smiths so the continuity from a fan perspective followed. Johnny (apart from Boomslang) spent 28 years working with other bands and only went truly solo 28 years after The Smiths split and therefore had to start from scratch. Personally I think its going really well for him, 3 top 10 albums, another album on the way, all 3 singles from the new album getting on the major radio station playlists, first 2 topping he vinyl charts (3rd one not out yet) big tours supporting other artists where over 400k tickets have been sold is great from an exposure perspective and clearly part of BMG's strategy for him.

As you say it seems strange that some folks on here think he's a failure, outside of this site he's certainly not seen as a failure.

 

[CrazyFaceGenes]

It's really odd how some people think. I've said many times that I like both but for different reasons. I prefer Morrissey's album content to Marr's but I prefer Marr's live performances to Morrissey's.

Morrissey went solo virtually straight after The Smiths so the continuity from a fan perspective followed. Johnny (apart from Boomslang) spent 28 years working with other bands and only went truly solo 28 years after The Smiths split and therefore had to start from scratch. Personally I think its going really well for him, 3 top 10 albums, another album on the way, all 3 singles from the new album getting on the major radio station playlists, first 2 topping he vinyl charts (3rd one not out yet) big tours supporting other artists where over 400k tickets have been sold is great from an exposure perspective and clearly part of BMG's strategy for him.

As you say it seems strange that some folks on here think he's a failure, outside of this site he's certainly not seen as a failure.

Yeah, Marr was happy working away in the background of other groups, even he was a bit surprised to see his popularity start to rise around 2004 onwards. He still gets to do a wide variety of projects, has a decent solo career that he didn't start til really late, he's living the good life, i'm not sure why he's supposed to sell out stadiums given the kind of music he makes and the simple nature of his shows.

He isn't going to ever touch the highs of Morrissey's solo career, but he didn't go down that route until much later, and he still isn't a real frontman as such.

 

[Janice]

Morrissey would rather die than support anyone.

Supporting Bowie almost killed him.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Everyone's kicking Marr and calling him names and stating he's some kind of failure because he's a artistically, financially and reputationally successful musician -

Well, ‘artistically successful’ is subjective. I don’t agree with all those that are ‘kicking’ or defending Marr.

who doesn't need a day job - tours to healthy crowds, and sells good numbers, and has done for 40 years.

‘good numbers’ for 40 years. Solo? collaborations? We would need to define what ‘good numbers’ are.
But then again, don’t bother. Because for me, an artist’s worth is not measured in sales = commercial success.

And the fact he's supporting other bigger artists is apparently something to be lambasted for, and thus he's a failure.

I think some can see it as riding on the coattails of bigger acts. So, to them, yes, a ‘failure’. Though that’s a bit harsh.

Yet Morrissey who's also had very similar success

I don’t feel that what they have achieved individually can really be comparable. Of course, I feel and say this from the point of view of one that Morrissey has played an important role in one’s life.

on a slightly larger scale and is financially secure, but hasn't supported anyone for a while, whilst his sales are plummeting, isn't a failure? By the metric of how many T shirts he sold in Vegas, or something.

Again, for me an artist’s success is not measured by money or fame.

It's hypocritical. If Marr's tours had shrunk from 9 arena shows to 2 half-sold arena shows in 2 years, the usual suspects would be calling him names and laughing at him.

‘hypocritical’ or just all tit for tat here? It means little.

But when the immaculate Morrissey does it, our Moz is still untouchably perfect in every way. It's nonsense.

Besides this being a Morrissey fan site, where such behavior should be expected .....

Maybe, they don’t see Morrissey as
a ‘failure’ in the same way you do.


I can’t speak for them.
But for me, Morrissey has always been a ‘failure’ a unique individual that has made his mark in spite of obstacles, a troublemaker that keeps marching
on, a true artistic success on stage and off, maybe one of the last.



.

 

[Vegan Cro Spirit .444]

record companies dont make opening sets FFS who ever has heard
of such a thing?


that Jr who probably set the opening sets

maybe LePepe can talk about the opening sets in the podcasts/blogcasts instead of Moz Moz Moz

 

[MoneyChangesEverything]

Well, ‘artistically successful’ is subjective. I don’t agree with all those that are ‘kicking’ or defending Marr.


‘good numbers’ for 40 years. Solo? collaborations? We would need to define what ‘good numbers’ are.
But then again, don’t bother. Because for me, an artist’s worth is not measured in sales = commercial success.


I think some can see it as riding on the coattails of bigger acts. So, to them, yes, a ‘failure’. Though that’s a bit harsh.


I don’t feel that what they have achieved individually can really be comparable. Of course, I feel and say this from the point of view of one that Morrissey has played an important role in one’s life.


Again, for me an artist’s success is not measured by money or fame.


‘hypocritical’ or just all tit for tat here? It means little.



Besides this being a Morrissey fan site, where such behavior should be expected .....

Maybe, they don’t see Morrissey as
a ‘failure’ in the same way you do.


I can’t speak for them.
But for me, Morrissey has always been a ‘failure’ a unique individual that has made his mark in spite of obstacles, a troublemaker that keeps marching
on, a true artistic success on stage and off, maybe one of the last.



.

It really depends what you regard as success. Marr has followed his muse and made the music he has wanted to make, whatever that is, until relatively recently in a band environment either as a member or as a guest (Electronic, The The, Modest Mouse, The Cribs, etc.). And he's been able to make a good living out of it. That's success by any standard.

Morrissey's been able to do mostly the same, though his commercial viability is shot to pieces : he can't get a record deal, is playing smaller venues than he has done in 20 years, and is uninsurable from a tour perspective. That's not really success in my opinion.

Heck, you could call some of his shows 'record breaking' for having the largest number of unsold tickets for the venue without cancelling, if you want to put it that way.

 

[MoneyChangesEverything]

Supporting Bowie almost killed him.

Why? It was hardly a long, demanding tour, and frankly an hour on stage isn't that difficult to do.