TTY statement: Hammersmith last ever UK gigs?!

Re: TTY STATEMENT HAMMERSMITH!!! Last ever UK gigs????!

Someone is finally retiring

 

[Anonymous]

He has had his day sadly.

The last two gigs I attended in Manchester and Leeds were very average. Contrast that with the energy of the shows from 95-06.

 

[Irish blood Irish heart]

Looking forward to a few more gigs in Dublin, this is not the end!

 

[Anonymous]

In regards to getting a record label, I would say Morrissey now only has 3 realistic options:

1) Gracefully retire from music, and concentrate on the new literary career.
2) Stick with Boz and the boys, and either self-release or sign with an indie.
3) Dump Boz and the rest of the current band. I know you are great friends with them, and Boz has provided great service over the years, but you need to step out of your comfort zone to get some record label interest. Either work with some completely new collaborators, or phone up either Johnny Marr or Stephen Street.

 

[Anonymous]

There's part of me gutted that I may never get chance to see him play live again.
There's also another part thinking it's sour grapes from the man . Lack of a record to promote has not stopped him before , Am sure he was gutted at the low turn out in Plymouth - half full? - and prior to this announcement I don't think the 2 London shows were sold out.
Certainly got him a bit of publicity - not too bad just before his novel comes out!

Personally I think we'll see him back on stage in UK - he just needs to lower his sights on where to play and what to

 

[Famous when dead]

I do think his logic is off on this.
I'm remembering back a few months to him tendering and rendering 'very sincere thanks to you for our triumphant March tour'.
Now to follow up his UK statement, we get a 'very speedy sellout' and another Itallian date.
This odd fixation on seating capacity (as evidenced by many TTY posts), charts and deals etc is slowly killing things. Yesterday he attributed the ability to tour and make music again as reliant on a UK deal - that is just ridiculous. I also don't think he would dare alienate his home country by touring in the future and not playing here as it will be insane to say: ah well, I couldn't get a deal so I will tour, but not in England - as nowhere else is forthcoming with a deal either.
I think it's just a way to feel justified in slowing things down a bit, making himself a bit more exclusive and increasing demand.
Anyway, off to a gig - for the Hull of it.
Regards,
FWD

 

[Ben Budd]

Everyone knows the best gigs are outside of the UK regardless. The Italian gigs in 06 were legendary, and I have never had a better time than at Berlin last autumn.

 

[Anonymous]

Out of interest, does anyone know if he has said before that a UK show is his last (falsely?)?

Though it's no where near the UK, at the Visalia show in CA he made a statement at the encore "this is our 900th show, I'm not sure how much longer we will be able to do this together." Something to that nature.

I'm not sure how it ties or if ties into this most current TTY statement.

I am surprised, the US leg of the tour was solid; obviously something is happening behind the scenes we are not privy to.

I hope this not the end of his touring days, he's looking healthier and sounding great.

We shall see...

 

[Anonymous]

This odd fixation on seating capacity (as evidenced by many TTY posts), charts and deals etc is slowly killing things. Yesterday he attributed the ability to tour and make music again as reliant on a UK deal - that is just ridiculous. I also don't think he would dare alienate his home country by touring in the future and not playing here as it will be insane to say: ah well, I couldn't get a deal so I will tour, but not in England - as nowhere else is forthcoming with a deal either.
I think it's just a way to feel justified in slowing things down a bit, making himself a bit more exclusive and increasing demand.

If people think £75 is expensive, they should wait till next year's 'The Farewell UK Tour - Part 1', when tickets will be £100 a night.

 

[oranjpekoe]

Notice how only the UK is mentioned, and nothing about this being the last European tour. Maybe he is just going to boycott the UK, same as he singles out Canada for a boycott over 'animal rights', whilst happily touring the rest of the world?

I agree.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree.

seconded but well see. i also think he might just be concentrating on his writing and yes those farewell tickets will go for a lot.

 

[Stanley the 2nd]

"therefore the imminent two nights at Hammersmith are likely to be our final ever UK shows"

Interesting how the statement is worded with "likely". To me this isn't final and I would imagine there will be further UK shows.

Didn't some bloke in the 1970's announce his retirement on stage at the Hammersmith Odeon?

P.S I would have attended one of the London shows myself but £75 a ticket is daylight robbery. £40 is bad enough. If it was a 2 hour show then maybe.

 

[Maurice E Maher]

Though it's no where near the UK, at the Visalia show in CA he made a statement at the encore "this is our 900th show, I'm not sure how much longer we will be able to do this together." Something to that nature.
I'm not sure how it ties or if ties into this most current TTY statement. I am surprised, the US leg of the tour was solid; obviously something is happening behind the scenes we are not privy to. I hope this not the end of his touring days, he's looking healthier and sounding great. We shall see...

The only thing that has happened to prompt this is Morrissey has failed to shift 10,000 tickets for live shows in London which has probably never happened before. As I've mentioned above, it is almost entirely due to the ticket price. £70 is bonkers, and hugely off-putting to the casual fan (which 90% of the audience is made up of). At O2 last year, tickets were from 40-something pounds (and these cheaper ones were still available on the night).
Morrissey will be feeling humiliated that Plymouth was way below capacity, and that London hasn't sold out, and so he issues this hyperbolic statement.
It's the sheer greed of trying to get £70 that has caused the drop in demand (although it could be the agent's fault).
Go to the Apollo website - all other shows for the coming weeks are around £20 to £40.

 

[Anonymous]

I don't think that with his statement he means that the UK is the only country he won't play in the future. I think he is in a transition from "livelong touring" to "quit touring" right now. He just wants the songs recorded who are already there (the never played symphonies, so to say). He will tour WPINOYB in Southamerica where it hasn't been played yet and where he somehow has to make up for the cancelled shows in 2013. He certainly owes the fans in Southamerica more right now than the fans in the UK, tbh. He probably will tour WPINOYB in the Middle East where it hasn't been played yet either and where he really wants to play because it is a dream for him. How long should he wait to make that dream real? Another 5 years? Surely not. He will further tour WPINOYB in European countries like Belgium, Switzerland (cancelled last year, too), Slovenia, Hungary, Romania and Macedonia. The fans there haven't heard the last record. As far as we know he would have played Mexico and Iceland. Again countries where ... you get the idea.

 

[Anonymous]

Lack of a record to promote has not stopped him before.

Sure, but I think it gets tiring if you do it year after year after year. And although he is feeling better now healthwise (as far as we can see), I'm sure it doesn't go THAT smoothly anymore to willingly relive the years leading up to WPINOYB.

 

[Anonymous]

literary career? his 'sky is blue' novella hits at no 87. he is selling less books than records.
and the books are not being published in the USA the money market.
he cant get rid of boz et al, since they write the songs and give him half credit. it will be quite difficult to find another group that will do the same.

he knows he cant play the uk anytime soon the market is over saturated. so hell take a break but is laying the blame on the record labels, the fans etc as he regularly does. he ll be back in 18 months doing shows in uk. otherwise its 700 seaters in the rest of the world.

 

[chrisjones1579]

Morrissey uses the same tactics on his fans that emotionally abusive partners use to make their spouses stay. He's getting into Spinal Tap level ridiculousness with statements like this. It's embarrassing.

 

[Anonymous]

has the loon over at the blue rose society issued a statement?

 

[Anonymous]

I'll say it again. His smartest move is Third Man Records. Mellow out and acquire JACK WHITE to produce, simultaneously, a new album of original music and a country covers album. Get that sterling Third Man art direction, from the sleeve to the videos. Get that band on a diet. Ritualistically burn the pants from the Krays movie premiere. Show some respect to the quiff. Go raw vegan for a few months.
Let the book do the talking.

Appear in Nashville for recording and let some traditional production with quirky effects speak for itself. Reboot, retool. A Morrissey/Jack White pairing would be alternative gold and really get people talking. THEN retire. All you have to be is humble...

 

[beewee]

So, to think his last ever show will be in Peru? I surely hope not.

I saw him at the Visalia CA show and he made a comment when he came out for the Encore that it was "there 900th show and he was not sure how much longer we will be able to do this anymore." I'm not sure if The UK announcement has any tie ins to that statement, I hope not, but it could.

I've often wondered how much longer "the show will go on." I mean that in a heartfelt way as I don't want the show to end.

Over this tour (USA) he seems, to me, healthier-happier-superb vocals then recent years. I noticed the touring schedule also seems more manageable as there are not 5 night stints in a row that tend to exhaust him. Basically I've noticed a change this tour it all seems for the better.

I'm hoping it's just an "episode," he's rightfully ticked off with no record deal; I know how difficult he can be, but he is an icon and top artist, his legacy dictates as much as does his legacy for being difficult. Basically I see it as "high performer = high maintenance." But that does not dictate no record deal.

Just my thoughts and looking forward to this "not being the end."

BeeWee

 

[Anonymous]

jack white cant even make decent jack white albums.