Ian McCulloch and Arctic Monkeys reference Morrissey / The Smiths in concert

McCulloch from the Echo And The Bunnymen mentions Morrissey before playing Killing Moon in Toronto, Sept. 2022.
00:38 is the exact moment.

Update (Thanks to @Aubrey McFate for the transcription):
"Hey, brilliant, this is great. I think you should all move to England and come to all our concerts. It'd be great, honest. A lovely array of different types of people and styles and all that. So yeah, once again, I was, um, well, not was—I been decreeing some often brilliant-type things. And whatever Morrissey says, I'll say the opposite, 'cos he's a woeful idiot."
---
Arctic Monkeys do a snippet of This Charming Man in Istanbul, August 2022
2:15 is the exact moment.
 
Last edited:
McCulloch has been sitting down during some of these US dates. Back problems is the official excuse I believe.
I remember him saying that the Smiths were for "disaffected ugly people" in the Xmas issue of Melody Maker in 1989.
Echo and the Bunnymen are one of my favourite bands but I think he's a pretty unpleasant character. I wouldn't bet on him seeing out this decade.
 
My friend and I recently drove 5.5 hours to sit through IM's shitshow of a performance. For most of the set, he sat nearly unconscious on a stool – moving only to drink from one of about 10 glasses he had next to him. His voice sounded really bad. Between songs, he mumbled about god knows what (hell, maybe he was slamming Morrissey then, too). He said "cheers!" about a dozen times. It was incredibly depressing and somewhat infuriating, TBH. The crowd was practically comatose, too. Even their merch sucked.

And now reading this, after seeing M in Vegas recently and comparing the experiences, is a bridge too far for me.

IM isn't even 25% of the talent/performer that M is. I enjoy E&TB's music but agree that it's slight when compared to The Smiths or The Cure. Also, if he was sick – that is unfortunate – but he should have canceled to recover. Also, wasn't aware that being drunk and rude are side effects of Covid.
Ouch, that's a long drive. We had tix a few years ago. I decided to check out his most recent performances on youtube to see what to expect and he was horrible and incoherent. We decided it was not even worth the considerably shorter trip than you had to see him, and gave the tix away.
 
It's at 33/34 seconds. A little hard to make out but fairly certain that's what he says, and it makes sense in the context of challenging Morrissey's view.

You're right, it's "I mean, the Queen's f***ing brilliant... and whatever Morrissey says I'll say the opposite because he's a f***ing idiot".

Trust Aubrey to hear words like "decreeing" and "woeful" when they're not even there :laughing:

He's not drunk he's Liverpudlian!
 
Last edited:
He said "the Queen's f***ing brilliant" and that Morrissey is a "f***ing idiot".
His point about saying the opposite of Morrissey is presumably a reference to The Queen is Dead.
I at first heard the Queen bit..... but it wouldn't sit right with his Scouse "we are Scouse not English" mantra and the Scousers back home wouldn't like it either.
On more listens I'm tempted to go with decreeing. Remember when a Scouser says "The" they pronounce it "der" so "Der Queen / decreeing" is very similar.
Know warra mean lar?
 
They seem like envious comments, because he has to mess with Morrissey? Shut your mouth and focus on singing better because the truth does not even reach Moz's heels!!!!!!!
 
Because many have to unload their conflicts, frustrations, anger, resentment and etc on Moz,? They have to make comments about Morrissey because they don't look at their lives and leave Moz alone!!! The more they criticize it, the better I like Morrissey !!!!VIVa MOZ CARAJO!!!!!
 
I've always thought Echo and the Bunnymen were highly overrated. And truth is (allegedly) Ian's problem thru this tour has been booze, he has been drunk off his ass. I post in a group where someone has a friend who is on the crew and it's been a nightmare, according to said friend. He's had to be removed from the stage a few times or helped out to it. Also, his voice has gone to shit, thankfully he is not doing what he was about ten years ago and smoking cigarettes during shows while he attemped to sing.
What a sad role to reach that degree of deterioration luckily our Moz is quite healthy does not make papers in the.scenario, Moz always had control with respect to excesses much must have to do with the education that his mother gave him. despite being depressed he never leaned toward drugs. And the comparison of Moz with that of fact is in sight. Moz is .... it is far superior!!!!
 
My friend and I recently drove 5.5 hours to sit through IM's shitshow of a performance. For most of the set, he sat nearly unconscious on a stool – moving only to drink from one of about 10 glasses he had next to him. His voice sounded really bad. Between songs, he mumbled about god knows what (hell, maybe he was slamming Morrissey then, too). He said "cheers!" about a dozen times. It was incredibly depressing and somewhat infuriating, TBH. The crowd was practically comatose, too. Even their merch sucked.

And now reading this, after seeing M in Vegas recently and comparing the experiences, is a bridge too far for me.

IM isn't even 25% of the talent/performer that M is. I enjoy E&TB's music but agree that it's slight when compared to The Smiths or The Cure. Also, if he was sick – that is unfortunate – but he should have canceled to recover. Also, wasn't aware that being drunk and rude are side effects of Covid.
Shameful!!!! They should return the money to the people who went to the recital, it is a scam and it is denigrating to the fans, it is disrespectful !!!!!
 
fool interview ….

 
My friend and I recently drove 5.5 hours to sit through IM's shitshow of a performance. For most of the set, he sat nearly unconscious on a stool – moving only to drink from one of about 10 glasses he had next to him. His voice sounded really bad. Between songs, he mumbled about god knows what (hell, maybe he was slamming Morrissey then, too). He said "cheers!" about a dozen times. It was incredibly depressing and somewhat infuriating, TBH. The crowd was practically comatose, too. Even their merch sucked.

And now reading this, after seeing M in Vegas recently and comparing the experiences, is a bridge too far for me.

IM isn't even 25% of the talent/performer that M is. I enjoy E&TB's music but agree that it's slight when compared to The Smiths or The Cure. Also, if he was sick – that is unfortunate – but he should have canceled to recover. Also, wasn't aware that being drunk and rude are side effects of Covid.
It unfortunate you had to drive so far for that.

Back in May I was bummed I didn't get to see them at Cruel World Festival which they canceled, & I considered buying tickets to their LA show, but wasn't able to go after all. A few days ago I went on YouTube to check out what I missed. I was horrified. Sooo glad I skipped the show and didn't waste my money. I also checked out You Tube clips of the SF and a few of the other US shows just to see if it was an off night. I read about him getting Covid, but from what I saw he didnt belong on stage. Band plays very well, but IM was a mess and there definitely seemed to be something wrong with him. Drunk and/or on opiods or some sort of meds ( for the ? back problems mentioned?) I also checked out a clip of a UK date to compare and he wasn't as bad then. I wouldn't say his voice was great, but was ok. I don't understand why the US shows weren't canceled if it was just illness...maybe it has to do with "doing the opposite of what Morrissey does"? In this case proves to be a stupid absolute way to go about things. Perhaps E&BM didn't want to give out refunds for canceled shows? I would have wanted one based on the clips I saw.

Moz is criticized for canceled shows and not caring about what fans pay, in this case due to IM performances I saw, seems like E&BM didn't care about fans although the shows went on. I know it was YouTube and I wasn't there, but it just didn't look good to me. I know this post is critical of E&BM, but my reaction is mostly of concern. Hopefully he's ok now.

I didn't watch the clip for this story yet. I really don't care what he has to say about Morrissey. Maybe he needs some attention. Mentioning Morrissey is what most seem to do when they need it.
 
Love The Bunnymen and back in the day they were one of the best bands you could ever see.

Think EATB were always a bit jealous of The Smiths and they never had the same type of acclaim.

Will Sergeant is an incredible musician.

I have to disagree with the 'good friend' of Macs who said he seldom drinks before going on stage.

I have been to several EATB gigs where he has ravaged by alcohol and basically spoiling for a fight.

It was very sad to see.
 
It unfortunate you had to drive so far for that.

Back in May I was bummed I didn't get to see them at Cruel World Festival which they canceled, & I considered buying tickets to their LA show, but wasn't able to go after all. A few days ago I went on YouTube to check out what I missed. I was horrified. Sooo glad I skipped the show and didn't waste my money. I also checked out You Tube clips of the SF and a few of the other US shows just to see if it was an off night. I read about him getting Covid, but from what I saw he didnt belong on stage. Band plays very well, but IM was a mess and there definitely seemed to be something wrong with him. Drunk and/or on opiods or some sort of meds ( for the ? back problems mentioned?) I also checked out a clip of a UK date to compare and he wasn't as bad then. I wouldn't say his voice was great, but was ok. I don't understand why the US shows weren't canceled if it was just illness...maybe it has to do with "doing the opposite of what Morrissey does"? In this case proves to be a stupid absolute way to go about things. Perhaps E&BM didn't want to give out refunds for canceled shows? I would have wanted one based on the clips I saw.

Moz is criticized for canceled shows and not caring about what fans pay, in this case due to IM performances I saw, seems like E&BM didn't care about fans although the shows went on. I know it was YouTube and I wasn't there, but it just didn't look good to me. I know this post is critical of E&BM, but my reaction is mostly of concern. Hopefully he's ok now.

I didn't watch the clip for this story yet. I really don't care what he has to say about Morrissey. Maybe he needs some attention. Mentioning Morrissey is what most seem to do when they need it.

I agree, they should have cancelled the tour, I saw them in Manchester earlier this year and they were superb.

 
I at first heard the Queen bit..... but it wouldn't sit right with his Scouse "we are Scouse not English" mantra and the Scousers back home wouldn't like it either.
On more listens I'm tempted to go with decreeing. Remember when a Scouser says "The" they pronounce it "der" so "Der Queen / decreeing" is very similar.
Know warra mean lar?

The concert was held in 'Queen Elizabeth Theatre' two days after the Queen's death.

 
Last edited:
The concert was held in 'Queen Elizabeth Theatre'.

honey bunny, i dont care about that! lend me your phone for 4 days so that i can go see neil, okay!!
 
I love early Bunnymen and some of the later band/solo stuff but Ian has turned into a knobhead. I saw him about 6 yrs ago at my local arts theater and he was ranting/moaning about that interview they did together in 1985????? Give it a rest, you alco.
 
the drugs really dont work with this one.another bawbag with the usual drivel,do these people not realise that if people dig into their past they will come up with something.the WWW never forgets.
 
I love early Bunnymen and some of the later band/solo stuff but Ian has turned into a knobhead. I saw him about 6 yrs ago at my local arts theater and he was ranting/moaning about that interview they did together in 1985????? Give it a rest, you alco.
I’d rather Ian were an alco than
A racist.
 

Trending Threads

Back
Top Bottom