More so than Southpaw, was the switch to the new label, receiving no PR push whatsoever, then being dropped from Mercury as an under performing artist! Disaster!

I think Glastonbury was worse as that one was a confirmed date. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt over the IoW - like people have said, there's no other dates scheduled and you wouldn't do all that prep for just one show. I expect that the IoW festival isn't high profile in LA and so the Mozster may have been oblivious until a week or so ago.

Oh, and I had/have tickets for both Glasto 92 and IoW this weekend - doh! :-)

BTW, any of our friends North of the Border remember the date on the Kill Uncle tour in Glasgow that was cancelled/postponed at the last minute? That was a choker too.

My final twopenn'orth - let's give the big man a break. He more than makes up for it when he shows up; and we'll continue to love him, faults and all.

did not help his PR much.....

Miscomprehension and a general disregard for propiety in expressing his opinion has meant controversy since day one (hand in Glove, Suffer Little Children)for Morrissey

Let's not keep fuelling the current ire though and realise that through thick and thin, Morrissey has persevered in attaining his own personal goals.

Can't imagine life was very easy for him after the glow that was the late 80s with the sudden rockiness that transpired post Bona Drag; a charmed life that suddenly became unpredicatble*.

The highs of Arsenal and Vauxhall clashing with Finsbury Park, lable wilderness, extremes of regard and vitriol- he's kept the quiff upright through it all and has told us we can still expect him to carry on.

I've laminated my IOW flight ticket etc and made them into a lovely set of coasters so it's not all bad news.

* I'm sure being a millionaire cushioned the blow but a lesser artist might have lost their tenacity in such troubling times

The fact of the matter is, that Moz had the frailty of Michael Jackson on this tour and cancelled a bunch of shows, some of which were promised to be made up but weren't (San Francisco).

He's pissing off far too many fans than he can afford to.

...just to remember us that this IOW story, with Sanctuary being kicked off, a new album to come, etc. throw in trash all those theories that YATQ was the last album and that 2004 tour was the last one. Moz sure has more to give... and to cancell as well...

All standing in line with excitement and we are told, "the show for tonight has been cancelled". Heart falls down to concrete.

It has to be the Isle of Wight fiasco. Madstock was whipped up by the NME who had obviously decided it was time to kill off Moz. Whichever story is true (Moz wanted to play IOW but changed his mind or Moz never wanted to play IOW and decided to teach Sanctuary a lesson by saying nothing until 2 weeks to go) leaves thousands of fans feeling jilted. Let's face it, Moz fans always knew the whole 'Moz is a racist' thing was nonsense. I do think though this is exactly how Moz would like to leave the ridiculous world of pop - with a final act of contempt and betrayal. To paraphrase the last line of Camus' Outsider, 'I want to be greeted with cries of hatred'.

I quite like Southpaw Grammar. I think with a bit of judicious editing (i.e cutting Southpaw in half and chopping a couple of minutes off The Teachers.. and The Operation) it would have been a fine album.

Just happened to come at a point when everything Moz was unfashionable.

Dropping out of concerts is what Moz does best. Can anything less be expected of him? I actually find it quite endearing....

It's almost as if 2004 was a complete waste of time.

No matter how loyal I've felt in the past, I now feel like Morrissey has completely pissed away the best position he's ever been in.

Once again, we have no idea what the fuck is going on and who knows when we will ever see the new album. The statements being made by Sanctuary and Moz are vague and woolly as usual. Quite frankly Morrissey seems to be retiring himself off through his own self destructiveness.

Sorrow of Stamford Bridge

Fans, record companies, the music press, promoters and festival organisers may get irked from time to time, but if the music holds up all these groups forgive Moz.

Hence Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted are the biggest Moz PR disasters.

Why is this even a choice?

Listen to it again. All in ONE sitting.

Then think about how it is the BAND's album.

Then, hear it again.

Both Maladjusted and Southpaw Grammar where released with about the same amount of advertising. Very little.

With Vaux being one of his best solo albums, he couldnt follow up due to personal issues. And although you have to put yourself first he should have maintained and pushed through instead of following it up with the Boxers tour.

But these are my personal thoughts on the matter.

Hate to say it, but this type of behavior is very consistant with drug abusers. Unreliability, not caring about anyone else, no fear of consequence. I know Morrissey has always been seen as "anti-drug" but his behavior points to the other side

As much as I've heard over the years people complain about Morrissey "pissing off his fans," they still go to his concerts and put their money down whenever possible. Moz rakes in the money. Therefore he does quite well.

How about the Court Case?

Morrissey fighting over money with Mike Joyce, and being labelled devious and unreliable.

Very Oscar Wilde of Morrissey, losing in court that is.

Julia as a stalker

Does it really matter though, every PR cockup made by him/on his behalf is just extra publicity, which means more people hear about him and maybe then get curious, listen to his music, possibly buy some records...

Mind you the IOW doesn't seem to have reached the Times of the Telegraph yet (both stating he IS playing) so maybe this was his least successful...

They all added to the mystique, theyre probably the things that we remember the most about him and I doubt he regrets any of them.

All Morrissey fans are PR disasters, if it we weren't we would be listening to that gimp Robbie Williams or that tosser in Coldplay who sings like he's got a hot chip (french fry to you Americans) in his mouth.

P.S.Why wasn't sacking Spike Smith an option?

The seven years without an album.

Althought the whole comeback theme really worked well for him.

The artwork for Maladjusted was a disaster in every sense of the word. The photo on the front made me, a devoted fan, almost not want to buy it. It also made him look washed up, had it, and totally without style in that market jumper and clumpy trainers. The Island Records vomit that is all over the CD itself was just beyond embarressing. The whole thing (without even listening to the musical offering which proved to be an acquired taste) gave the impression to the world of an artist in decline and it took a decade to shake that off... complete and utter PR/image disaster.

How about when he cancelled the Vauxhall and I show back in 1994? He was going to play at The Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles? I was so upset because I woke up @ 3:00 am to wait in line to get tickets. I had to bribe my best friend and brother to go with me that morning. I got floor tickets but only to find out that he was not aware of this show. ARGH!!!

We're talking about Public Relations, I assume? Not Personal Relationships?

Just wanted to mention last summer's Lollapalooza. I think Morrissey not being a big enough draw led to the cancellation.

...but I feel that Southpaw is his best album to date. Since the day I heard it, it has resonated with me on multiple levels. I miss those songs live though. I'd love to hear Reader Meet Author again or Teachers. The Lp is so dry and raw that it just reminds me of a terrible time in life with which this album had got me through.

He pulled out just weeks before the concerts for pretty much the same reason he pulled out of the IOW gig. According to him, it was booked without his knowledge.

Imagine how we'd feel if we were Guns'n'Roses fans! THEY've been waiting 14 years for an album of original material & a new one gets promised to them each year. Also they cancel almost every other show. Not just festivals where at least there is plenty else to do if one group disappoints. Just a thought.

Silly AXL - Gigs are for kids

In Southpaw Grammer. Of course it doesn't reach the heights of Viva Hate or Vauxhall and I, but I think it is definately comparable to certain other classic "transition" albums. It makes me so mad when "Diamond Dogs" by David Bowie or "The Top" by the Cure are trashed simply because within the scope of the supreme albums that surround them, they fall short. After having fully consumed the glorious moments of both Bowie and the Cure, itis easy for a listener to find appreciation in these two darker moments, "Diamond Dogs" and "The Top." Both seem to be albums that were produced while nearly spinning out of control on drugs (obviously, the same isn't ture of "Southpaw") so they offer not the most pristine or precise vision, but a moment in which the troubled artist is exhuming their demons. I think the melodies that Bowie crafts on "Diamond Dogs" and the obtuse lyrics that he created are some of the most challenging and excuisite. He seems so far ahead of his peers, I don't know how the album was panned. (Yes, the production isn't the best and it's not Hunky Dory). The Top is an even more extreme example because it seems as though the Acid-laced adventures of Robert Smith are definately not commercial/critical fodder. If you just give the album a chance though, I think the listener can really connect with the anguish/chaos that he was feeling at the time. It's not the height of the Cure but it's a vivid portrait opf where Robert Smith was in the wake of "Faith"/"Pornography." Where does "Southpaw" fit in with that? I think it was an important moment in Morrissey's life and career. It seems like he was falling out of love, learning to appreciate certain aspects of masculinity which had previously only been touched on, and beginning to think of himself as an elder stateman of alternative rock. He seems to be teetering on the edge of adolescence/middle age; where there is no in between. Celebrating his ideal mate and yet condeming him as a "Bestfriend on the Payroll." Alot of the songs ("The Teachers" "Reader Meets Author" "Southpaw")seem to be the juxtaposition that he must have felt between being an indie rocker singing teenage hymns and that of a respected rock icon who essentially was influencing every one under the sun. The prog rock leanings in the music was I think his way of telling us that the story is set in the late 70's (just as "Viva Hate seems to be set in '72 and Arsenal in '73) -- reliving his youth and yet stradeling the sterling achievement of his 30's. Morrissey is brilliant and "Southpaw" was yet another moment showing this. I just think that maybe he addressed this album to those willing to look below the surface a little bit more. (The same can almost be said of Kill Uncle, but that's another debate). Still, Southpaw is not a PR Mishap. It's an intriguing moment in an artist's canon. I love you Moz!!!!!!!!!

Morrissey should have answered questions about his racial views years before he did. In fact, he should have answered them right away back in 1991 and 1992. Most fans knew that he was not racist but there was a time when any mention of Morrissey in the news had some talk of his "racist views" in the story. This all turned out to be not true but he lost a lot of fans. The 'Our Frank' video didn't help. Other PR problems was no tour after his two best albums- 'Viva Hate' and 'V & I'. Also, he should have said years ago if he is gay or not. I really don't care either way but it's just another issue he has never FULLY cleared up. Also, he always picks the wrong singles to issue and the wrong order to issue them. Over all, who cares. Morrissey is Morrissey. He does a lot of dumb things but as long as he keeps on putting out quality stuff, I'll buy his cds.
TexasBloke

I hate it when I see negative things about Morrissey on this site. i`m almost giving up on it. Come on bunch of fakers, Morrissey has been and is by far the best performer in a whole two decades. Stop all this nonsense. Hello...the rest of the phonographic industry is a zillion years behind him... I want you to shut your mealy mouths up and simply enjoy the busload of excellent songs he's already given birth to.

Ok, he's let you down a few times by cancelling shows? Go listen to a Britney Spears cd then.

Ok, he's been accused of racism ... you are simply stupid to believe that. And what if? What if he were racist? Anyone has the right to think whatever they want about different people.I couldn`t care less... I don`t like religious people of any race for instance and I do think this would be a better work\ld if all this religion crap were abolished. I don`t like jews, catholics , muslims, budhists, whatever .

Ok, his past records didn`t have any PR. But didn`t you manage to buy them? Wasn't it you who mattered really finding the album?

Come on , bunch of retards, Maladjusted and Southpaw Grammar are excellent albums. Don`t like them? Go listen to Travis or any other pseudo-band!!!!!

I am not ever gonna access this site because it`s full of shit and you know it.

By the way, why don`t you rename it morrissey-ew-solo?

Ok,I`ll listen to my Morrissey albums now . I am tired of writing this.

FUCK OFF POSERS!!!!!!!!!!!

And we all know who's doing that was. Enough said!

Not that I disagree, but the whole Bush comment thing made more news than his new album did. And then Alain left right after it was said, most likely it was the last straw for him. I imagine he said to Moz after the concert, "Just because you want to kill your career, don't kill mine." And don't forget where to send the checks, right Alain? Also, cancelling a week on national American tv was a career killer. You may not like Craig Kilborn, but it would have been freakin sweet. Hmmm, for a moment there I thought that 'Craig Kilborn' was an anagram for 'career killer'. Damn these eyes.

Charles

Let's face it, PR is for people who actually care what others think about them. Moz does not give a flying fuck. That's why we love him. Moz cancelling shows at the last minute to almost universal cries of infamy just makes me want to give him a great big hug. He is an artist and, like all great artists, he is undoubtedly unreliable, untrustworhty, devious, and difficult. I feel sorry for those who forked out money to go the Isle of Wight, but the Festival goes on...go there, get pissed, have a laugh. Moz owes you nothing.

His biggest error ever is releasing the press statement that Johnny Marr had left The Smiths.

He only wanted a break and he sure got one.

Oh you mardy boy.

is this entire poll/post just to encourage more whining about the stupid IOW festival that morrissey doesn't cares about? morrissey does care about his fans but never more than himself (which is why we love him). it was a matter of principal not to take the stage he was unwillingly being pushed on to by 'the man'
    'stars' who are just in it for the fans, who are out to make the fans happy, don't really deserve to be stars in the first place. they are ass kissers, kissing their record labels ass and their fans asses and they deserve to be dragged out of their dressing rooms and shot, because they're not stars at all.
  morrissey is a true star because his fans worship him, not the other way around.he owes us nothing. you people should really be thanking him for cancelling, because it was his own sick way of remaining true to himself and us, the fans.

(ps: the 'bad' PR has helped morrissey's career equally if not more than the 'good', if there is really a difference between the two)

So, I'm excited that I got the day off to go see Morrissey in Vegas. My friends and I rent a car and we're ecstatic because we're gonna see Morrissey! We're waiting in line and the security guys say that we need to leave because the show was cancelled due to an illness. The whole time, I was thinking, "Man, I'm jinxed! This is the second time this has happened to me. WHY?"

What about people who waited in line overnight night for a ticket to Carnagie Hall to later find out days before that the show was booked by his management and not him. The same reason for IOW. That should have made the list as well.

I'd say his decision not to tour in 1994 was his first huge pr-disaster. Moz had a big profile back then. He had just released the most-acclaimed album of his career, he had his biggest US hit to date (and a Bristish top 10 single too) and it was the year that Britpop begun. All the biggest Britpop-bands were huge Smiths-fans (Oasis, Blur, Pulp), so had he toured, he could have been the Mozfather even then.
Instead he disappeared for a year and made mistake after mistake when he returned. First releasing the unfashionable Southpaw, then deciding to be an opening act (really, really) for David Bowie and the whole court disaster.

Mozzers whole career has been one whole PR disastrer. The record companies he's ended up on, Releasing uncommercial singles and the Artwork theese days is rubbish. Does anyone else want something different and new?

In the end this doesn't matter because of the Lyrics and the music is so good you can forgive everthing

www.alanstewart.co.uk

musically and lyrically it is morrissey's "fuck you if you don't like it" album. he may have felt that he was becoming too popular after 'arsenal' and 'vauxhall' so he purposefully made a very anti pop album. the songs rock harder than anything he has ever done and the song structures are more experimental and more instrumental. the lyrics are less serious and more playful in order to match the music. go and listen to it all the way through and you'll realize how underrated it is.

as he often does by cancelling shows, writing "America Is Not The World", planting dinosaur bones around the earth and hating Asians

In the early 90s I won a contest on KROQ to meet him at a secret instore. I waited in line with the other winners for 2 hours and he bailed before I got to meet him. Apparently he had only paid security for a limited time and time was up.
KROQ tried to make up for it with lousy tix to his Hollywood Bowl show, which of course I already had lousy tix to the show.
Truly disappointed.

had tickets to see him in st.petersburg, florida a few years back. don't know if anyone else remembers that one. October of 2000 i think...found out it was cancelled the day i got my ticket in the mail...and i was 2nd row center. this was after my car broke down in spetember of 1997 when i had a ticket to the maladjusted tour.
had to wait until october of last year when i finally saw him in miami.

Drove to Pittsburgh (AJ Palumbo Center) from central Virginia. Walked up to the venue where the marquis said, "Morrissey Cancelled." Killed me. Wish he would have come back here this tour. I think he was legitimately sick, though.

Lack of public exposure. playing things like coachella and lalapalooza and indio etc. If you are going to be the king of indiependant music.
Nobody else seems to have this problem. It sorta seems like theres always a p.r. person to blame....but, nobody else has this problem?
Alls, I know is...he went on Craig Kilborn, made some sort of "friendship" and then was sheduled for a whole Craig week...but cancelled? the whole week? I mean what the fuck? I don't understand. Wether or not he appears on these things or not, I guess, its more than public appearances for some of us hear. "we were the first"
But for the most part. If your still indie and yet pop... you do it yourself. Don't make empty promises, and don't say you'll be somewhere and then pull out. He knows that at indland invasion !III that he was the headliner. He was the closing show...and many many .... people from all over California came to see him. And, the night of the show, find out...he's not even there.
Do you know how much money that must have costed them? They had to give out free shows to everybody who came for him!
For everyone, who somedays, intends to be famous. Do yourself a favor.
DO
NOT EVER
BURN
A BRIDGE

yes, you will be very much diliked and untrusted.

saenz

If you just caught up to this mans career because of "you are the quarry" shut the f*%$ up. You havent been around long enough to voice your opinion about anything.
For the 5 years without an album, that didn't stop moz from playing for nearly 5 f*4#@ing years straight! Regardless of wether Tori Anus or Robert Smith like him or not, the fact is, sometimes he sells out shows, sometimes he hasn't...over 5 years with no support but the admiration of fans like myself. I was 14 when i found him, and 18, 20, 21 and now 26. Not a die hard 90something smiths fan like every god damn news print implies. fuck i hate those people. I've seen ONE devoted smiths fan at a show, and you know what, GOOD for him. Good for The Smiths, Good for Morrissey. To have that kind of impact on somebodies life. And 5 years with OUT any assistance from anybody but his the songs that saved your life and the fans who for those years, said the same phrase to anybody they could, "It's Morrissey?"
There is no reason to pretend that something bad is going to happen. Are you still not a fan? Do you still not love the man?
I just got done watching "Oye Esteban" November Spawned a Monster, Seasick Yet Still Docked, Tomorrow. First of the gang to die, You know I couldnt last, etc.
And you know what...I fell in love with him all over again.
F*%# the world who believes doing as your told by some D#mn label that he turned into a bona fied label, is how it should be. What kind of Morrissey would he be if suddenly, a LABEL told him who and when he's going to be or play.
OH ..and as far as new albums are concerned. Not a tear drop>>>>>>>you must please remember>>>>
This whole problem: Attack.
There reason for being (morrissey) is Morrissey.
They he knows it. But more importantly. They know it. Its a control issue. He leads the way for them and now they want him to get into place, do as he's told and Fall into line and be just like every other "artist" they have. But, Moz has been down this street before. And i'm sure he didn't hold out for a specific kind of contract, just to be F*CKed around with again.

saenz

I have to say that I was very upset when he cancelled the 2 Carnagie Hall Shows in NYC some years back! But hey, Elvis had to cancell shows now and then also! He is only human...I held on to the tickets because someone mentioned that the shows were going to be re-scheduled. Its been about 8 or 9 years now and I am still waiting. {smile}

I am SO sick of the negativity. There is NO SUCH THING as a PR disaster if you REALLY love him!!! How dare you fair-weather fans mock him! Only we share his love and vision, we having been there from the get go! For the unlearned masses to appreciate his musings, well, they better start reading! Nothing he has EVER done has been wrong!

He's always pulls out before he comes!

and turn it into a great victory is to rise above it.

I would suggest he begins by sorting out a free gig in a nice medium sized venue somewhere near the isle of wight for the night of the isle of wight festival, or shortly afterwards. Anyone with a ticket for the festival could have free entrance, as long as they're wearing a Morrissye or Smiths t-shirt.

Think about it - it will be like Wolverhampton all over again. A special one-off gig to mark his comeback, just as Wolverhampton marked his 88 return.

The fans would be thankful for his generous gesture and would be happy to take part in a special free celebratory show - hopefully with some new material - and the record company would be made to look even worse than they do right now. Morrissey would be thanking his fans and making a generous gesture - and making it clear he would have fulfilled his obligations had he had any part in the IOW fiasco.

On a basic level, I also think it would be very cool, and would more than make amends for all the fans who've bought tickets and hotels and so forth. If he could book the venue for the night of the festival, the fans would be watching him instead of Travis, which would also be like a two-fingered salute at the festival organisers who have slagged Morrissey off - and it would ensure a small-ish crowd, because only the Morrissey fans would go and watch him play rather than see the festival.

I just think it would be perfect.

broken

As usual,Morrissey is thinking of himself instead of his fans.Big english jerk!

Morrissey's biggest mistake was breaking up The SMiths, as far as I'm concerned....

having freeyourself as a fan. That fat old pervert creates the rather seedy, pathetic image that the media always paint of Morrissey fans.

Freeyourself also stinks whenever I bump into him at live gigs.

He's a fat man aged 59 who smells of faeces.

Yes I'm sure Andy and Mike would have vastly improved Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I no end.

That was an awful long time ago. If that was enough for you why are you still hanging around?

I'll drink to that. I do like the "new" guys but, Alain and Boz got nothing on them.