The Times: "Morrissey is back — but here’s why we’ll never see a Smiths reunion" (February 16, 2025)

By Will Hodgkinson.

The controversial singer is touring in June and so is Johnny Marr — but not together. Will Hodgkinson talk to insiders and listens to the best tracks he’s written in years.
(Times typo not ours).

Excerpt:

Is Morrissey really “gagged”, as he has claimed? I contacted dozens of musicians — including the 65-year-old Philip Larkin of rock himself — and industry figures for comment and got either silence, a straight no, or a request to stay off the record: people are scared of Morrissey, scared to be seen to support him, or both. In Seventies Britain it was, “Don’t mention the war.” In 2020s Britain it is, “Don’t mention the Moz.”
“Honestly, I think the way he has been treated is unfair,” says his former manager Pete Galli, who survived nine months of representing one of the most difficult men in pop. “People want artists to be their own people and then react angrily when they are. This is the guy who wrote The Queen Is Dead and Margaret on the Guillotine. True artists have always been controversial. Why is it different today?”

Morrissey is back — but here’s why we’ll never see a Smiths reunion

The singer-songwriter has announced UK dates in June, as has his ex-band mate Johnny Marr. Former Morrissey managers and lifelong fans tell Will Hodgkinson what to expect

www.thetimes.com

 

[gashonthenail]

My post was highlighting when all the noise about Morrissey views started. I was brought up to only focus on the things you can control, hence I won’t bother getting into a discussion on all this shit. By all means waste your energy on what pisses you off, however you won’t change anything.

The number one thing we can control, Surface, is whom and what we choose to believe. Question everything. Especially the narrative.

 

[Surface]

The number one thing we can control, Surface, is whom and what we choose to believe. Question everything. Especially the narrative.

Like many others on the site I heard the comments come out of Morrissey's mouth and as the reports say, they were greeted by complete silence.

 

[gashonthenail]

Like many others on the site I heard the comments come out of Morrissey's mouth and as the reports say, they were greeted by complete silence.

I wasn't suggesting that we should question whether Moz said what he said. Of course he did. I was suggesting that we should question whether what he said makes him 'far right'.
But all water under the bridge. There is a definite vibe that Moz wants to move on from this and come in from the cold. I think we all welcome that.

 

[Surface]

I wasn't suggesting that we should question whether Moz said what he said. Of course he did. I was suggesting that we should question whether what he said makes him 'far right'.
But all water under the bridge. There is a definite vibe that Moz wants to move on from this and come in from the cold. I think we all welcome that.

My thoughts on that whole episode was that he doesn’t live here anymore and that only heard what he did from afar so he was maybe not fully aware, I’ve no idea if he’s far right or not, I’ve never thought he was racist though.

 

[gashonthenail]

My thoughts on that whole episode was that he doesn’t live here anymore and that only heard what he did from afar so he was maybe not fully aware, I’ve no idea if he’s far right or not, I’ve never thought he was racist though.

I should have said - it's all Waters under the bridge. I do think it's interesting though that he has never chucked her under the proverbial bus. A lesser man would have declared publicly his regret for voicing support for her. He has never done that. And it's clear he never will. People can go to Youtube and make their own mind up as to whether her views were or are 'far right' or 'extreme'. I live in the UK and I don't think Moz is out of touch. He seems very clued up on things in the UK. But I suppose that's all in the eyes of the beholder.

 

[pewtavert]

His music and controversial lyrics are why we love The Moz!!!

 

[Mike Rourke]

I wasn't suggesting that we should question whether Moz said what he said. Of course he did. I was suggesting that we should question whether what he said makes him 'far right'.
But all water under the bridge. There is a definite vibe that Moz wants to move on from this and come in from the cold. I think we all welcome that.

For Britain clearly placed themselves to the right of the UK Conservative party according to the manifesto that they had launched when Morrissey announced his support back in 2018 (and confirmed it again the following year). Whether this technically made them 'far right' or not is almost beside the point.
Nigel Farage dismissed them as extremists and David Cameron (the former UK prime minister) expressed his utter astonishment that Morrissey had gone to the right of him.
If a former Conservative prime minister expressed his surprise as Morrissey's lurch to the right, it's pretty easy to understand how such a huge percentage of his fans (most of whom were probably against right-wing politics to some extent) thought likewise and decided to jump ship.
Morrissey does appear now to be aware of the vast damage it's done him both to his commercial prospects and his reputation, so will probably not mention politics ever again either in an interview or at a concert unless in the vaguest of terms.

 

[gashonthenail]

For Britain clearly placed themselves to the right of the UK Conservative party according to the manifesto that they had launched when Morrissey announced his support back in 2018 (and confirmed it again the following year). Whether this technically made them 'far right' or not is almost beside the point.
Nigel Farage dismissed them as extremists and David Cameron (the former UK prime minister) expressed his utter astonishment that Morrissey had gone to the right of him.
If a former Conservative prime minister expressed his surprise as Morrissey's lurch to the right, it's pretty easy to understand how such a huge percentage of his fans (most of whom were probably against right-wing politics to some extent) thought likewise and decided to jump ship.
Morrissey does appear now to be aware of the vast damage it's done him both to his commercial prospects and his reputation, so will probably not mention politics ever again either in an interview or at a concert unless in the vaguest of terms.

I suppose it depends how you define 'right' and 'left'. I'm not sure if controlling immigration, for example, is a topic that meaningfully relates to 'right' and 'left', as high immigration clearly benefits big corporations. The truth, is that the UK has basically had the same government since 1997. And the results of government by the uniparty are clear for all to see - disastrous national decline. Waters tried to offer something different. She failed. But as I mentioned in another thread, current polls suggest a political earthquake is coming. Moz may yet get to see the end of the Labour and Tories uniparty that he dreamed of.

 

[Bluebirds]

For Britain clearly placed themselves to the right of the UK Conservative party according to the manifesto that they had launched when Morrissey announced his support back in 2018 (and confirmed it again the following year). Whether this technically made them 'far right' or not is almost beside the point.
Nigel Farage dismissed them as extremists and David Cameron (the former UK prime minister) expressed his utter astonishment that Morrissey had gone to the right of him.
If a former Conservative prime minister expressed his surprise as Morrissey's lurch to the right, it's pretty easy to understand how such a huge percentage of his fans (most of whom were probably against right-wing politics to some extent) thought likewise and decided to jump ship.
Morrissey does appear now to be aware of the vast damage it's done him both to his commercial prospects and his reputation, so will probably not mention politics ever again either in an interview or at a concert unless in the vaguest of terms.

When did that pigf***er who's left the UK in a bit of a swill (the irony) say that about Morrissey?
Last I saw Cameron was trying to save Ukraine as the UK's most ineffectual Foreign Secretary until the latest one.
Unlike other Tory grandees (eg John Major) he has been conspicuous in his absence in not criticising Trump's approach to the Ukraine situation. Also see Boris, Liz Lettuce, the Labour Govt etc etc....

 

[Roman Holiday]

Accept trannys or we'll burn your kids to death

That's the basic message of Satanyahoo and his lackeys in 2025
Now that is f***in gold

This post aged well. Donald Trump just posted an AI video of his plan for "Trump Gaza" that features bearded bellydancers (0:15). Prescient!