I'd be very interested in travelling from the UK to the London Is Dead night in LA. I'm presuming all are welcome?

I think trashing about with LA's Latino population to These Things Take Time would be one of the more memorable experiences of my little life.

Could any LA resident or Latino lady or gent let me know what the mood the place is like and when the next couple of events are?

Indeed. Why, I ask why would anyone be dissappionted to get an autograph from Morrissey only to find out he is human after all? Isnt that what makes him great? The fact that he is one of us, not sepparted from us. Thats what I like . . . he's just one of the guys.

Thanks,
Paco

P.S. Sorry for the typos.

I used to think that Morrissey having such a strong Latino fan base (which has been there since 1991's Kill Uncle Tour) was simply a result of numbers / demographics. I reasoned that If 50% or more of Los Angeles / Southern California is Mexican-American, it would make sense that any British singer/band who had a strong following there (given the general alternative climate of Southern California, its embracing of British Pop, and radio play back in the days when KROQ was truly breaking new musical ground) would also have a fair share of Mexican-American fans. Depeche Mode, The Cure, Siouxsie, etc., all had their share of Latino fans so it seemed to me that the media was blowing this thing out of proportion and not taking into account demographics (i.e. Moz also has a lot of Latino fans in Texas). Eventually, I became increasingly aware that there are lots of Alternative/British singers and bands that are played or were played on Los Angeles' radio stations and that their fan bases remained predominately Caucasian. Accordingly, I realize that this isn't just media distortion & hype - it truly is both fact and phenomenon - but one which remains a mystery and is still inexplicable to many non-Latinos. Moreover, I don't know if it requires analysis & explanation. It shows that Hispanic people in So. Cal. have great musical taste and as one's response to any art (music, film, literature, etc.) is often *emotional* it might defy clinical explanation. Furthermore, if Morrissey really said "I just want you to know that without you folks I would be well and truly screwed" I can't help but think that it was primarily his Chicano fans in Los Angeles coupled with his British fans in the UK that resurrected Morrissey's career and brought us a new album, concerts, tv/radio appearances, magazine covers & interviews, and more. We expected it of the Brits. We didn't expect it from Mexican-Americans living in LA. And so now I think LA really is "The City of Angels."

Me gustaria dar el mas Profundo de mis agradecimientos al los fanatico de Moz,
que estan por Todo El Sur De California

Y como dice el Señor
Gracias de abajo de mis abajos...

"Burgeoning since Morrissey moved to LA, the Latino fan scene is the subject of Is It Really So Strange?"

The latino scene, as someone already mentioned, has been around since the very early 90's, circa kill uncle and bona drag, and has grown tremendously since then. I think that the real phenomenon was during that period. that's when it was really unexpected. now, however, some get into morrissey just because of the appeal of being part of the phenomenon or something that appears to be unique.
i recall having met many people during my high school years who dressed like "greasers" and who said they liked morrissey. After time, however, it became apparent to me that liking morrissey was part of the image of being a greaser and less about the appreciation of the actual music. sort of like the punk of the 70's which was less about musical talent and more about image. Sure, there are many ways and reasons for being a morrissey fan, but i just never understood this reason. If i wanted to like an artist primarily because of their image i would have probably listened to somethin else. Perhaps i feel this way because the first time i listened to and decided that i liked morrissey, it was irrespective of his fanbase or image (i didn't even know how morrissey looked, or that there was a latino fanbase). It was all about the energy of the music. The image of an artist, i must admit, is a valid reason to like an artist, and it is part of the allure of the artist. However, i don't understand how some let it overshadow the music.

A more intersting syniopsis would be one that explores this aspect of being a moz fan.

I went to high school in the late 80s in the city of Los Angeles. The majority of people who liked The Smiths were Caucasian. In my primary Hispanic neighborhood it was unusual and unwelcome for someone to be listening to a white singer. My brothers and neighbors were homeboys from the local gang. You can imagine the criticism I received when I would wear my Smith shirts. In the early 90s as I started hitting the club scene with my friends, there were six of us who hung out together. We all loved Morrissey and we all had our 501s with huge cuffs and pompadours. We were constantly called greasers. This was unusual in most popular club scenes. Techno and R/B was big, so many girls were confused by us and did not approach us. Yes there were many small alternative clubs that did play Kroq music, but the majority of clubs did not. My friends and I never really fit in and it took me a lot of dating to finally find a woman who knew who Morrissey was. As the Your Arsenal album came out I noticed that the majority of Morrissey’s fans here in Los Angeles were Hispanic. It’s interesting to see the cover of short film “Is it Really so Strange.” That picture reminds me of my friends and I 15 years ago.

I am a Mexican American, and have been a Morrissey fan for 15 years, He has always had a strong hispanic fan base ever since the mid-to late 80's this is nothing new, It's just coming to light because there is a strong hispanic fan base in L.A. But he has one here in Chicago as well, and he isn't the only british singer or band that has a huge hispanic following Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure, and Erasure have a large following as well. The bottom line is that thier music is good.

like many have said it is nothing new. i have been listing to morrissey since '89. how a 13 year old boy got hooked, i dont know. but i have listen to a lot of mexican music growing up. in the ranchera genre you can make many parallels to morrissey's themes in music. a great comparison is "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and "Tu Recuerdo Y Yo" by jose alfredo jimenez. heck hello doesnt morrissey sing a song called mexico. even morrissey knew of this so called phenomenon years ago. i remember seeing morrissey at the bren auditorium in '97 and he said, "you i sometimes wish god would have made me Mexican." that one still has me puzzled. Can you answer that one for me Morrissey?