I've always thought that Morrissey's comments on the Brighton bomb were totally over-the-top, and far more controversial than the recent Reagan/Bush quote. I seriously disliked the Thatcher government and, politically-speaking, would have been delighted to see it obliterated. But these people were human-beings, doing their jobs, and certainly didn't deserve to be killed in such a violent and horrific way. It's amazingly fortunate that so few people died that night.

As much as I love Morrissey's music and agree with almost everything he says - I believe his comments about Brighton were wholly inappropriate. Watching that documentary reminded me about the whole event, and further emphasised the ridiculousness of what Morrissey said about it.

But, then again, political correctness isn't always Moz's way is it? As I recall, even his dad was amazed by the Brighton comments. I suppose Morrissey's outspoken manner is part of what interests us, even if we don't always agree with what he says.

What do you call a man with a hotel on his head?

Norman Tebbit

Oscillate Wildly a title which itself was a pun on the name of Dublin born Oscar Wilde whose mother was an Irish nationalist poet is a wholly appropriate soundtrack to the Brighton bombings. As Johny Logan readers will attest Morrissey is of second-generation Irish stock and whilst the IRA were rejected by the majority of Irish people their attempts to kill Margaret Thatcher produced an ambivalent reaction in many people. This, sparse, eerie track has a feel of the 80s to it a period that was a lot darker than Duran Duran revivals would have you believe. The politics of the epoch polarised people and at times led them to support extreme causes that in hindsight were morally ambiguous. The Smiths played at a GLC free concert, at that period Ken Livingstone the GLC leader was being vilified by the tabloids for his suggestion that the government of the day should negotiate with Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA. This issue isn't as black and white as it may first appear. Enjoy the Dublin gig concert-goers!