This Charming Man
Morrissey loves Israel—and Israel loves him back.
By Dana Kesslerk - July, 14, 2023.
Excerpt:
"In the United States, the greatest Morrissey fans are the Chicanos. Extensive research has been done on the subject. Beautiful essays have been written about how Morrissey’s outsider stance appeals to Mexican immigrants and how the themes of estrangement and longing in his melancholic ballads remind them of their own music genres such as rancheras. But do you know who loves the former frontman of the Smiths just as much as Mexican Americans? Israelis do. The reasons why Israelis love Morrissey, however, are much more prosaic. Israelis, as anyone knows, are no frayerim—suckers. They love Morrissey because he loves them.
Jokes aside—most of his Israeli fans are loyal to him and appreciate his support for their country, as do the Israeli media and local politicians. Even the press release sent to me and all other music journalists ahead of his two recent Israeli shows, which took place on July 2 at the Zappa Shuni amphitheater in Binyamina and on July 4 at Expo Tel Aviv, happily stated: “After 7 years, one of Israel’s best loved musicians is back in our arms!.” Yes, Morrissey is back in our arms."
A longer, broader discussion around the recent dates in the Israel - taking it outsides the realms of a tour report / review.
Regards,
FWD.