Morrissey asks Aquino to free Philippine elephant - Agence France-Presse / Inquirer.net

MANILA, Philippines—Rock icon Morrissey called on Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday, ahead of a Manila concert, to send what the star described as Manila Zoo’s long-suffering elephant into retirement.

The British ex-singer of alternative rock group The Smiths said Mali, 37, deserved a reprieve from a lifetime of confinement.

“I ask that you send Mali to a sanctuary, where she would have room to roam and be able to be among other members of her own species,” Morrissey wrote ahead of his May 13 Manila show.

Aquino’s office received the letter Thursday and is evaluating it, his spokeswoman Abigail Valte told reporters.

Echoing allegations ...

Morrissey's been lobbing loud words again, this time about bad conditions in a zoo in Java

Singer Morrissey urges closure of Indonesian zoo - AFP / Google

JAKARTA — British singer Morrissey called on the Indonesian government Tuesday to immediately shut down a notorious zoo in eastern Java where hundreds of animals have died or disappeared.

The former frontman of seminal indie band The Smiths, whose 1985 album is entitled "Meat is Murder", made the request in a letter to Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan before a solo performance in Jakarta on Thursday.

"Your ministry called for a change at the Surabaya Zoo, but no improvements have been made," the vegetarian and animal rights activist wrote in the letter, made available ...

Noel Murray from The A.V. Club has spoken at length to Johnny Marr. The interview is online -

Johnny Marr has no negative thoughts about The Smiths, seriously - The A.V. Club

Excerpt:

AVC: There’s a documentary about The Clash, made when Joe Strummer was alive, in which he talks about all the little things that led to the breakup of The Clash, and how he wishes he could go back to that person he was in his 20s and say, “None of this matters. The addictions don’t matter. The personality conflicts don’t matter. You are in one of the greatest bands of all time. Don’t fuck it up.” Do have a similar feeling about the end of The Smiths? What’s your take on how and why everything fell apart?

JM: Well, I don’t think anything was fucked up. I don’t ...

Who keeps the lights from not going out, on stage with Morrissey?:

AC-ET impresses Naked Eye with Green Hippo - L & Si

UK - A.C. Entertainment Technologies' video division has supplied lighting and visual designer, Max Conwell of Naked Eye Lighting with a Green Hippo HippoCritter and a TV One down-convertor - to help service his busy schedule of TV shows, events and world tours including Paul Weller and Morrissey...

...He has been using media servers for some time, and was an early adopter of the innovative technologies and mindsets fuelling the 'convergence' between video and lighting. On the most recent Morrissey tour, he used the HippoCritter to playback video content for the pre-show movie, which ran for 25 minutes. The HippoCritter was also ...

Morrissey has had an eye for purring sex kittens in the past - Brigette Bardot, Marianne Faithful, Nancy Sinatra, Lady Gaga... and now is reportedly sniffing out another up-and-coming babe! - Actually/Ashley Huizenga is her name (turns out the implication is unfounded; it's only her for-sale house he's interested in! See Giselle's comment below) -

Actually (No 1,246) - The Guardian

A song clip's linked to the article that has a distinctive dramatic sound.

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UPDATE 5:10PM PT:

Giselle posted a link in the comments (original post) to the LA Weekly article which is the likely source for the Morrissey reference in the Guardian article:

Sex on Camera - LA Weekly
Ashley Huizenga is an academic-minded singer ...

Istanbul date - true-to-you.net
4 April 2012

Morrissey will play Istanbul (Turkey) on July 19th at Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theater. ...

True-to-You has posters for the concert dates in Hawaii:

Hawaii - true-to-you.net

May 18 - Maui, Maui Arts and Cultural Center's Castle Theater
May 19 - Honolulu, Kaka'ako Waterfront Park

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Related item:

• Morrissey Hawaii - Feb. 29, 2012

...

Announcement - true-to-you.net
4 March 2012

Music industry trade websites have recently listed Morrissey as being presently managed by either Irving Azoff or Ron Laffitte. This information is untrue. Morrissey does not have management, and does not have a recording deal. Any enquiries on both of these matters may be addressed to Donnie at marfagiant@gmail.com. No other source at this time represents Morrissey.

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UPDATE Mar. 6, 7:50AM PT:

alabamy posted some additional info on "Donnie". ...