Morrissey 25:Live - can it relight my fire? Alex Needham - The Guardian

Morrissey 25: Live – can it relight my fire? - The Guardian
A new US concert film celebrates Morrissey's 25 years solo, but can it mend fences and bring back alienated fans – like me?

Alex Needham
theguardian.com, Tuesday 30 July 2013 11.38 EDT

Excerpt:

Filmed in March, at a gig at Hollywood high school by director James Russell, Morrissey 25: Live opens with backstage shots of Morrissey in moody black and white, and breathless testimonials from fans. For those of us who deplore his Little Englander tendencies, it's great to be reminded of Morrissey's massive Latino fan base, and that his constituency is still essentially indie kids, with bushy beards and pierced septums even as they approach middle age. But the fans also provide the most excruciating moments. I've been to dozens of Morrissey gigs, but never seen the mic passed around the front row so the fans can declare their devotion to the room at large. One even said "thank you for living," a sentence which elicited groans from the hacks watching the film. Surely even Morrissey doesn't need such an extreme form of ego massage.

But what of the object of the fans' obsession? His voice is on top form, and the performance has a showbiz veteran's confidence and craft. Lit well and filmed in a hectic style replete with unusual angles and flashy jump-cuts, Moz lashes the floor with the microphone cable like a disgruntled lion-tamer, wearing a shirt which appears to be covered in a giant Rorschach test. The band are considerably less stellar. Sadistically forced into tight t-shirts by their master (Boz Boorer looks particularly uncomfortable), they get their revenge by putting the aural equivalent of hobnailed boots on some of the Smiths' most quicksilver songs: plodding would be too kind a term for The Boy with the Thorn in His Side.

 

[realitybites]

Did the author really go into the screening thinking it could relight his fire? I don't think so.

 

[dantweedy]

I'll admit it, I need my "fire relit" when it comes to Morrissey. I have been a fan since I heard my first Smiths song in the '80's. I loved his solo career in the '90's and the 3 albums and tours we had in more recent memory. I saw him in Omaha and Chicago and loved every moment of it.

But then came me having tix for 3 separate shows that were cancelled. I don't blame him for health issues and all could have been forgiven. But, he has backed out of the spotlight except to have completely offensive and inappropriate comments on politics and the death of Thatcher. That completely alienated me as a huge fan of his music, style and persona as a performer. Suck it up, go through your old rolodex to find Johnny Marr's number, write a new album with him, tour. I don't know if another live release will rekindle my passion. Mind you, I will buy it and watch it often.

 

[HandThatRocksTheCradle]

I highly doubt that going to a film of a band's concert will do the same as actually going to a live concert. I've watched "Hulmerist" several times. It's a great video, but you don't get the feel of a concert sitting in your living room. It'd be like watching fireworks screensaver on your computer.

 

[Anonymous]

Where's Johnny Barleycorn, Skylarker et al? Surely this is a magnificent opportunity to go even further than the journalist did? Band = crap, new songs = crap, old songs = played /sung badly, career = over, fans = deserting. Come on, guys, what are you waiting for?

 

[Anonymous]

I can't wait to watch Morrissey pick ANOTHER blue rose out of the audience, then wear it AGAIN, just like MW blog said he'd do all those months ago, and others said he would never do!

 

[Anonymous]

In the film during Alma Matters, he goes to great lengths once again to pick out the single blue rose in the audience and then he wears it, just as MW blog promised. And he knew it was being recorded.

Fans some months ago when he started picking out white and red roses said, "yeah but it's not blue and he will never wear it" - well he has. And now it's on film.

SO any thoughts?

 

[Anonymous]

Where's Johnny Barleycorn, Skylarker et al? Surely this is a magnificent opportunity to go even further than the journalist did? Band = crap, new songs = crap, old songs = played /sung badly, career = over, fans = deserting. Come on, guys, what are you waiting for?

I'm here (Benny-the-Butcher)
Crap film/DVD, crap band, crap set list, crap tight t-shirts, crap intro by Russell Braindamage, crap support band KY, crap Smiths covers etc etc !!! All in all CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP !!!
Will that do ?
I'm sure Johnny and others will have their own views when they have the time to post.
It's been a pleasure no need to thank me.


Benny-the-Butcher

 

[Anonymous]

Moz's band's renditions of The Smiths songs and early Morrissey is a musical Atrocity. It's sinful how they play the old stuff.

Throw in the fact that everything after Quarry sucks ass.

Moz desperately needs a new band.

 

[Johnny Barleycorn]

Where's Johnny Barleycorn, Skylarker et al? Surely this is a magnificent opportunity to go even further than the journalist did? Band = crap, new songs = crap, old songs = played /sung badly, career = over, fans = deserting. Come on, guys, what are you waiting for?

I've been pointing out the blindingly obvious about Morrissey's career trajectory for a good couple of years. By the time The Guardian finally gets around to noticing it too it is old news to me.

If Morrissey didn't surround himself with yes men he might not find himself needing to wander into shops to see if they needed Saturday staff.

 

[Anonymous]

I have been a die hard Smiths/Moz fan since the 80s. I know he is eccentric, misunderstood, curmudgeonly, etc etc ad infinitum, but it gets old. i had tix to a show I had to travel 6 hours to, and it was cancelled. I had seen him a few years prior and he walked off the stage in the middle of the show and did not come back out. In stark contrast, we now have Johnny Marr touring solo. What an absolute delight. He is a great front man, witty, engaging, humble and an unparalleled talent; without the diva attitude. Moz would be smart to reconsider a Smiths reunion or even a reunion wih Johnny Marr. However at this stage, I would rather see Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner tour together and draw a setlist from their collective catalogues: Joy Division, The Smiths, New Order and Electronic. I think Moz good will well has run dry, I am just tired of him and his antics.

 

[chrisarclark]

the "Chinese are a sub-species", while a little harsh and/or hyperbolic and certainly untactfully put, is not racist. He's not talking about the Chinese race, he's talking about China and their deplorable record on animal cruelty. agree of disagree with his hardline stance, it's not racist.

 

[Anonymous]

the "Chinese are a sub-species", while a little harsh and/or hyperbolic and certainly untactfully put, is not racist. He's not talking about the Chinese race, he's talking about China and their deplorable record on animal cruelty. agree of disagree with his hardline stance, it's not racist.

There is no such thing as "the Chinese race" anyway, and you rarely see the entire quote. He did not say "The Chinese are a subspecies." He said that on a certain issue you "could not help but feel" which could be seen as a cop-out, but he's saying "I know that it is wrong to feel this way but" "while watching a documentary about animal abuse in China" (paraphrase) "I could not help but feel that the Chinese are a subspecies."

It's still lumping all Chinese people in with the ones that abuse animals but if you look at what is acceptable there in the open market, f*** them, because this is allowed by the entire population. It is not allowed in my country and I think the fact that it is allowed there says something. not about species, but about culture. I don't know exactly why it can be acceptable there. When you see it you do feel "How can these people allow this?" and you do see them as "these people." Of course that is wrong. Not all Chinese do that or would do that and you can't judge people by the country they were born in, but again, they need to change their image instead of getting their feelings hurt, and I doubt that "the Chinese" know who Morrissey is anyway.

 

[celibate]

'little Englander'

The Guardian seems still having a problem with Morrissey, and no one mails or sends the trash newspaper
to ask to lighten up words like I mentioned, are they from the same publishergroup or owner of magaznes as the eNeMEy?

'and they say he's mentall'

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

well, given that I have been living in China for 3 months now
I suppose I am one of the few residents experts on it now here at the site
so here goes:

1. 99.999% of the people here have never heard of Morrissey
2. I have met many more people here that either eat no meat at all or very little*
I myself am quickly becoming one of them
3. to be honest, I think that perhaps the very "in your face" practices of the "animal butchery" as practiced here help lead to my 2nd point, perhaps



*=not including the many people at Moz shows who I never spoke to, right now I am just speaking of people I have met
a large section of the population eats almost no animal flesh for one reason or another, in particular women and the elderly
the commonly help belief here is that the eating of a lot of meat is to be found in 3 main ways:
1. children
2. men do so when drinking
3. as a show of "wealth"

 

[Anonymous]

I'm here (Benny-the-Butcher)
Crap film/DVD, crap band, crap set list, crap tight t-shirts, crap intro by Russell Braindamage, crap support band KY, crap Smiths covers etc etc !!! All in all CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP !!!
Will that do ?
I'm sure Johnny and others will have their own views when they have the time to post.
It's been a pleasure no need to thank me.


Benny-the-Butcher

time to post! good one, like you no mark losers do anything other than surf this site eager to spurt your irreverence.
you cant all be part time guardian journalists.

 

[MILKISMURDER]

I disagree with all the lazy clichés of this article. Alma Matters, Fatty etc are great and having heard Johnny Marr's new album and attended his live concert "sparkling" isn't the word I'd use. Morrissey in the studio and onstage is much more enjoyable.

 

[HandThatRocksTheCradle]

well, given that I have been living in China for 3 months now
I suppose I am one of the few residents experts on it now here at the site
so here goes:

1. 99.999% of the people here have never heard of Morrissey
2. I have met many more people here that either eat no meat at all or very little*
I myself am quickly becoming one of them
3. to be honest, I think that perhaps the very "in your face" practices of the "animal butchery" as practiced here help lead to my 2nd point, perhaps



*=not including the many people at Moz shows who I never spoke to, right now I am just speaking of people I have met
a large section of the population eats almost no animal flesh for one reason or another, in particular women and the elderly
the commonly help belief here is that the eating of a lot of meat is to be found in 3 main ways:
1. children
2. men do so when drinking
3. as a show of "wealth"

Thanks for that insightful post...it's always interesting to me when someone goes to live in a country not of their origin and hear their experiences

 

[Girlmostlikely]

This "review" is just plain stupid. It barely touches on the actual film. The Gaurdian is once again enjoying kicking Moz when he falls down. Its so transparent. I do hope the movie does a little something in the theaters. I really am curious how crowded the showings will be.

 

[Irish blood Irish heart]

This so called journalist hasn't even bothered to do his research properly, if he had he would know that [ to give is the reason I live] is not unreleased it is a cover, this clown should spend less time attacking morrissey and concentrate on improving his journalism