Ged Duffy (Stockholm Monsters) on meeting Morrissey in 1980

I've just started reading this book and came across this little snippet inside.

Ged Duffy (no relation to Billy Duffy) was the bass player in the Factory Records band Stockholm Monsters and prior to that, he was working in venues around Manchester setting up / taking down gigs from the late 1970's onwards. He has written his memoir titled ''Factory Fairy Tales - Joy Division, New Order, Factory Records, The Hacienda & Me'' (Empire Publications)

Amongst the remarkably detailed gigs he either attended at the time as a fan or working behind the scenes on the night, Duffy recalls one day in 1980, when he encountered Morrissey in an awkward moment.

'Sometime during this year, Tony (France) and I were round Mark the Ted's place in Didsbury enjoying a spliff or two when this guy turns up to give Mark a copy of a book he'd just written. I'd seen the guy there a couple of times before, but this was the first time that Tony had been there when he was there as well. The guy looked like a student, wore an Afghan coat and was totally nondescript. He spent the whole time staring at Tony and when he went to the toilet, Tony asked Mark ''What the f***s wrong with him? He's creeping me out staring''. Mark said ''I've noticed that as well, I don't know what's up with him.''

His name was Steven Patrick Morrissey and the next time we saw him he was dressed in the same style as Tony and had his hair cut. He even ended up going in all of the same second hand shops as Tony and was buying all the clothes before Tony could get there!

One other thought, I'm sure Stockholm Monsters were putting 1950's movie stars on their record sleeves before The Smiths were even formed. And people say he influenced a generation with his fashion sense. I say Tony France had more style in his little finger!'

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Who does this old timer think he's foolin'?
Stockholm Monsters were cool, but they ain't
comin' close to what Moz did and is doin'.
This old timer's got a case of the pickled brain.

I thought the letter 'g' wasn't working on your keyboard (foolin', comin', doin'), but then it works in 'got'. You should maybe take it to a leadin' computer repair shop.
 
I thought the letter 'g' wasn't working on your keyboard (foolin', comin', doin'), but then it works in 'got'. You should maybe take it to a leadin' computer repair shop.
Is this some insult the kids are using these days that I don't understand

Boy, your g key ain't working
 
Is this some insult the kids are using these days that I don't understand

Boy, your g key ain't working

I wasn't aware of it being used as an insult - I'm waaaay too old to be a kid - but I like the "ring" it has.
"Boy, your g key ain't working" :)
 
Sounds bitter to me. And childish telling spiteful tales just to get a mention by name dropping Morrissey. He must be desperate for sales.
Re agreed. Besides, who cares about that guy's opinion? Also, Moz always had his own style, clothes are the least of it, what Moz does on stage is different from everyone else. This man wants to get attention by telling this...!! !!! What nonsense
 
Random douche who failed at music saw Morrissey around Manchester over 40 years ago. How totally amazing.
 
One other thought, I'm sure Stockholm Monsters were putting 1950's movie stars on their record sleeves before The Smiths were even formed. And people say he influenced a generation with his fashion sense.
Stockholm Monsters had ONE sleeve with an old image of a 1950s actor on it(the single 'Happy Ever After'), and admittedly it does have a similar vibe to the Jean Marais image on the sleeve of TCM, but to even suggest any plagiarism is folly. The Smiths sleeves were art works in their own right, the rest of the Stockholm Monsters sleeves were the usual Peter Saville/regulation-Factory-Records-type affairs. Art in themselves for sure, but a million miles from what The Smiths were doing.
 
Further to previous, this is the source I used to double check Wiki support band information (and please believe some bands are near impossible to track down now):

LTM Recordings: Stockholm Monsters bio.
Regards,
FWD.
 

THE SMITHS have added another date to their brief outing next month, at Salford University on Sunday, 20 July - tickets are £4, but the support act has yet to be set. However, it's now confirmed that The Stockholm Monsters will support the band at Glasgow Barrowlands (16) and Newcastle Mayfair (17). As reported, they also play the Manchester G-Mex Festival on 19 July...Peter Murphy, announced last week for a London concert at the Piccadilly Theatre on 6 July, will also play regional shows at Liverpool Royal Court (5) and Northampton
Derngate Centre (8). Tickets are £4.50 and £5 respectively.
 
I've just started reading this book and came across this little snippet inside.

Ged Duffy (no relation to Billy Duffy) was the bass player in the Factory Records band Stockholm Monsters and prior to that, he was working in venues around Manchester setting up / taking down gigs from the late 1970's onwards. He has written his memoir titled ''Factory Fairy Tales - Joy Division, New Order, Factory Records, The Hacienda & Me'' (Empire Publications)

Amongst the remarkably detailed gigs he either attended at the time as a fan or working behind the scenes on the night, Duffy recalls one day in 1980, when he encountered Morrissey in an awkward moment.

'Sometime during this year, Tony (France) and I were round Mark the Ted's place in Didsbury enjoying a spliff or two when this guy turns up to give Mark a copy of a book he'd just written. I'd seen the guy there a couple of times before, but this was the first time that Tony had been there when he was there as well. The guy looked like a student, wore an Afghan coat and was totally nondescript. He spent the whole time staring at Tony and when he went to the toilet, Tony asked Mark ''What the f***s wrong with him? He's creeping me out staring''. Mark said ''I've noticed that as well, I don't know what's up with him.''

His name was Steven Patrick Morrissey and the next time we saw him he was dressed in the same style as Tony and had his hair cut. He even ended up going in all of the same second hand shops as Tony and was buying all the clothes before Tony could get there!

One other thought, I'm sure Stockholm Monsters were putting 1950's movie stars on their record sleeves before The Smiths were even formed. And people say he influenced a generation with his fashion sense. I say Tony France had more style in his little finger!'

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Who? Never heard of Ged or Tony.
 
Re agreed. Besides, who cares about that guy's opinion? Also, Moz always had his own style, clothes are the least of it, what Moz does on stage is different from everyone else. This man wants to get attention by telling this...!! !!! What nonsense
It's not an opinion though, is it.
 
It's not an opinion though, is it.
Thanks for sharing. As a teenager I had but one Stockholm Monsters song—it featured on a Factory related box set I owned called Palatine. I meant, at the time, to follow them up—but ‘old’ music was much harder to track down in ‘91.

I’ve been enjoying listening to them a lot a since yesterday; interesting that Hook and Mani also contributed to the book.
 
Thanks for sharing. As a teenager I had but one Stockholm Monsters song—it featured on a Factory related box set I owned called Palatine. I meant, at the time, to follow them up—but ‘old’ music was much harder to track down in ‘91.

I’ve been enjoying listening to them a lot a since yesterday; interesting that Hook and Mani also contributed to the book.
Thanks
Ged became.friends with Rob Gretton through Alan Wise as Wise had taken on Ged to look after the bands at Rafters and the Russell / Factory Club as in house roadies.
Gretton had Ged roadie for Joy Division and then New Order as well as Gretton putting on Stockholm Monstors as support for New Order.
The Monstors didn't like being produced by Martin Hannett so instead asked Hooky to produce their songs. (Hooky would do it in one day where as Hannett took 3 days and the band weren't happy with the end product)
If you are interested in the Factory stuff you will enjoy the book - it's not a Factory book but it's Ged's story which revolved around the Factory scene and the Manchester scene as a whole. Im half way through it.
 
Hard to imagine Morrissey wearing an Afghan coat...

yeah. After that comment it may be difficult to believe all that he says in his book. Though, it still may be a fun read if you were to read it as a fiction. In the same way I watched that England Is Mine film.
 
Hard to imagine Morrissey wearing an Afghan coat...
Today, but back in the day? Could be that he just described the look of the coat but it was fake or that M simply couldn't be that picky about what would keep him warm. If you go back you most certainly will find things, that he wouldn't wear today, like leather belts or leather shoes, because there weren't that much alternatives around at the time. Doesn't mean that the story is false, doesn't mean that it's true.
 
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I can think of dozens of awkward social encounters with the hip young things where I lived. Big deal.

though surely none as hip as the unhip Morrissey.
 

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