He’s being a bit of a… Tim Booth calls out Morrissey amid far-right support claims - Echo

He’s being a bit of a… Booth calls out Morrissey amid far-right support claims - Echo
Press Association 2018

Tim Booth has labelled Morrissey a “dick” amid claims the revered singer supports the far-right.

The former Smiths frontman has just postponed his UK and European tour dates with his management saying “logistical problems” were to blame.

Booth and Morrissey were contemporaries in the Manchester music scene of the 1980s, as members of James and The Smiths respectively, with Booth saying the pair were once friends.

The 58-year-old, who is preparing to release a new album with James titled Living In Extraordinary Times, told the Press Association: “I knew Morrissey as a friend when he was sweet, very shy, very frightened. Wanting success, wanting what happened with The Smiths and also terrified of it simultaneously.

“I saw about their seventh gig in Manchester and they were fully formed. They were ready, they were lock and loaded. And we weren’t.

“They were so kind to us. Morrissey called us the best band in the world, they took us on tour, they tried to take us to America but we actually turned them down. And they were so sweet, all of them, for years.

“But I know he’s become a bit of a dick.”

Booth also said Morrissey’s former bandmate, Johnny Marr, “kept that band together” and was “one of the sweetest human beings you will ever meet”.

Morrissey, 59, recently sparked fury when he expressed sympathy for the jailed EDL founder Tommy Robinson.

Protesters labelling themselves former fans of the singer planned to hold an anti-racism party to coincide with his gig at the Castlefield Bowl in Manchester before it was postponed.

Booth added: “As I say, he did some very kind things for us so therefore it’s hard for me to say he’s a dick but he’s being a dick at the moment.”

Tim Booth performing with James (Karin Albinsson/PA)

 

[reelfountain]

Quality parody. 10/10.

It's actually the realisation that it isn't a parody that scares you.

 

[Cornflakes]

It's actually the realisation that it isn't a parody that scares you.

I think we can all agree that it isn't meant to be a parody.

 

[reelfountain]

I think we can all agree that it isn't meant to be a parody.

Do I detect some middle class snobbery in my midst?

 

[Anonymous]

Anne Marie is more left wing than ANYBODY on here!!

From the For Britain manifesto:

Re-introduce grammar schools
Remove all Marxist based indoctrination from the classroom
End working time directive
Cut regulation and business taxes
Increase defence spending
Abolish foreign aid
Reduce the size of government
Cut welfare to reduce the deficit
Cease to recognise the European Court of Human Rights
End green taxes
End support of Paris agreement and the climate change religion
Child benefit to be paid only for a maximum of 2 children

That's almost everything in there that's an actual policy and not to do with immigrants or Brexit. Might be music to some people's ears, but it's not really classic socialism.

 

[Cornflakes]

Do I detect some middle class snobbery in my midst?

Who gives a f*** what you detect?

 

[reelfountain]

Who gives a f*** what you detect?

How witty of you.

 

[Anonymous]

Just for completeness:

Abolish inheritance tax

 

[scatterkeir]

Do I detect some middle class snobbery in my midst?

Yes, in the mirror, because that only makes sense if you're associating severe inarticulacy with being working class.

 

[reelfountain]

Yes, in the mirror, because that only makes sense if you're associating severe inarticulacy with being working class.

I'm not, maybe you're not, but I suspect StalinsPipe may have been.

 

[Girl Racer]

I love James! They are phenomenal live....and they turn up.

Tim Booth...he’s right, let’s face it. But he does have a tendency to tell fans off at gigs though, which is grating on me a bit. I was pretty pissed off when he told a load of fans to stop talking at the last gig I went to last month. They’ve paid their money, if they want to talk let them talk! But anyways, I digresss. He’s right about Moz!

 

[Cornflakes]

I'm not, maybe you're not, but I suspect StalinsPipe may have been.

Yeah, but also who gives a f*** what you suspect?

First rule of the internet is you don't know anything about anyone they haven't told you (and, even then...). Coming across as an imbecile bell-end isn't a determiner of social class. Neither is using the word "determiner" and putting it in quotes where appropriate.

 

[Anonymous]

I love James! They are phenomenal live....and they turn up.

Tim Booth...he’s right, let’s face it. But he does have a tendency to tell fans off at gigs though, which is grating on me a bit. I was pretty pissed off when he told a load of fans to stop talking at the last gig I went to last month. They’ve paid their money, if they want to talk let them talk! But anyways, I digresss. He’s right about Moz!

Never a dull moment at their gigs
None of this shirt tossing nonsense and tacky merch at sky high prices.

Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[Cornflakes]

I love James! They are phenomenal live....and they turn up.

Tim Booth...he’s right, let’s face it. But he does have a tendency to tell fans off at gigs though, which is grating on me a bit. I was pretty pissed off when he told a load of fans to stop talking at the last gig I went to last month. They’ve paid their money, if they want to talk let them talk! But anyways, I digresss. He’s right about Moz!

Sounds better than stopping the gig until the crowd forces some poor fan who thought they'd shout out a joke to leave.

 

[Truth]

America is not the world but Tim Booth is one of those people who is not famous in America and therefore not famous. He and Katie Price and Robby Williams all have to wait as long as I do to get a good table in a nice restaurant. Morrissey doesn't. And that's what this is probably really all about. #FamousInBritain

 

[Anonymous]

This new James song could be the link to why Tim thinks Steve is a DICK.
Just a thought.



Benny-the-British-Butcher

 

[vegan.cro spirit# 453]

Not one bit surprised that peeps go to James gigs to talk. Its like a Snowflake thing where you have to go or loose you social justice cred but pretty much everyone knows the band and the music sucks.

 

[URBANUS]

This new James song could be the link to why Tim thinks Steve is a DICK.
Just a thought.



Benny-the-British-Butcher

How much do you think a band or artist will get paid to voice an opinion others want him to promote?

Or is it just that the famous people are clever thinking being all for everything and this and that will help them make more cash?

I sincerely doubt that Tim walks around in England feeling at home anymore and he doesn't live there anymore does he?

In every country the elite people made up of the rich and famous can buy homes away from the riots and unrest and smell the flowers and feel all good about themselves for being such kind and loving people but the rest of us live in another reality that is slowly making life in general much harder.

 

[URBANUS]

James are shite I think, nonsense songs, same as New Order, no lyrical strength, but I do like Joy Division, maybe I am racist

That is how I feel about black music and it is all about the vibe innit innit. Ganja helps as well.

 

[vegan.cro spirit# 453]

This new James song could be the link to why Tim thinks Steve is a DICK.
Just a thought.



Benny-the-British-Butcher

GeZZus what a sucky song sounds like a La la la Mary Poppins song no wonder peeps talk thru the show.

 

[SteveTheNutter]

Why not, if that’s his opinion he’s entitled to to it. He will no doubt get loads of shit off people on here today. People who have actually never met Morrissey. Tim has and speaks very nicely of him when he was younger and like others, doesn’t appear to like what he has become?

But it's not fair because people like Tim Booth, Mike Joyce, and Dave Haslam haven't known Morrissey for years and years. They can only comment on how he was then, but they don't really know how he is now or if he's really changed. I don't care about their opinions of Morrissey now. The people who remain friends with him or know him currently (other than James Maker) aren't saying anything. I wish they would. That would be far less tedious.