Nick Kent talks Morrissey and The Smiths in DN interview - Fredrik Strage / Morrissey 61 Facebook group

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Excerpt:

Post by Fredrik Strage:

Jag intervjuade just rockjournalisten Nick Kent för DN. Han är aktuell med sin första roman "The Unstable Boys". Jag frågade också om hans relation till Morrissey och han gav mig väldigt utförliga svar. Eftersom jag bara fick med ett par korta citat i den färdiga texten tänkte jag bjussa er Moz-fans på resten. (Det här är inte korrat eller redigerat, bara utskriven intervju.)

Another big "what if" in rock history is what would have happened if you had agreed to publish the stuff that Morrissey sent you when you were a section editor at the NME? Maybe he would have become a rock journalist instead?
I never turned him down. I just didn't get back to him. He wasn't very good. But the main thing is that Morrissey was 14 years old. He was obsessed with the New York Dolls and I had spent enough time around the New York Dolls to know first hand that people who hang around the New York Dolls don't live very long. There's only one guy in the band still alive. Five are dead. Probably more than any other rock group of their era. So I just thought he'd better grow out of it. Also he was 14, what was I going to say? Leave school? Go to New York? I think he always resented me for that. Haha. We had a strange relationship. I remember interviewing him as a member of The Smiths, I couldn't remember him as Steven Morrissey, this kid that used to write to me. He wrote to a lot of people. But very quickly he wanted to know about the New York Dolls. And I knew about them. Johnny Thunders was the same age as me. We dressed the same and we had connections shall we say. So I knew the real story which he didn't. He just knew the story that he had read in the music papers. So I told him the real story of the New York Dolls and I remember him looking at me as if I was Saint Peter talking about Jesus Christ. This kind of worshipful look on his face. He wanted to touch the hem of my garment or something. I said to him "listen, man, the New York Dolls were a fine group, far be it from me to knock them but The Smiths are way better, you Morrissey are way more talented than anyone in the New York Dolls, that's just my opinion". And that impressed him. Haha.

I love The Smiths. I've been listening to them again. It's strange because their music came along at a really bad time in my life. Getting towards the end of my bad drug period. I was suffering from a really bad chemical depression. I was jaded and lacking stamina and everything was shit. Too many synthesizers. The whole music scene was all synthesizers at that point and I didn't like it. Then The Smiths came along and it was just wonderful. It was like hearing The Byrds again for the first time. I fell in love with music again. And meeting them was very nice. Johnny Marr gave me an amplifier, I was still a musician at that time, very nice of him. And a huge talent. I've played guitar with Keith Richards, I know how good a musician he is, like one-to-one, I know how good he is on stage but I also know how good he is when playing in a room and he's very good. He's much better in a room than he is on stage. And also Jimmy Page. Another guitar great. I've been in the same room and watched him play. He's great. But Johnny Marr was the best. When he was in The Smiths it was like... God, the beauty.... I'd purposedly go to soundchecks, before a gig, and Morrissey wouldn't sing it was just Joyce, Rourke and Marr getting the sound right. And they were rehearsing the songs for "The Queen Is Dead" which they were yet to record. They had just written them. And the music coming off that stage... everything that Marr played was just beautiful. It was like something out of a Greek myth. This golden music was coming out of his amplifier. Everything that he played was just... and they worked every day. The Smiths worked hard. The Smiths were the opposite of The Sex Pistols and The New York Dolls. They developed. They rehearsed. They wanted to be great. Every f***ing day, man. Morrissey and Marr would get together and say: "OK, today we're gonna write our version of '8 Miles High'. We're not gonna copy it but we're gonna do something as monumental as that." And they wrote "How Soon Is Now". Then Marr said: "OK, today we're gonna do our 'Gimme Shelter'." And they wrote "Bigmouth Strikes Again". They'd pick a song that was a classic. "OK, we're gonna do our 'You've Lost That Loving Feeling'." And they wrote "I Know It's Over". You understand? That's the level they were working on. Everyone else were thinking like: "OK, we want to sound a bit like Leonard Cohen, a bit like U2, and a bit like Depeche Mode, and the singer wants to sound a bit like Jeff Buckley. We'll put these ingredients together and we'll write our own songs." And that's pretty much what Coldplay does. And hundreds of thousands of people like that approach. That's a mainstream approach to rock music and has been for the last 30 years. But I don't like that because when I hear groups like that I just hear their influences. There's no personality. It's like the difference between Prince, who takes loads of influences but brought his own personality, versus Lenny Kravitz who takes Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, a little bit of John Lennon, and a lot of other influences but doesn't really add anything of his own to it.

The Smiths were like The Velvet Underground. They had their own sound. And those are the rare groups. Those are the important groups that are going to last.

Is it true that Morrissey wrote the song "Reader Meet Author" about you?
I haven't heard the song so I don't really want to comment. There was a time when things were nasty between us. Now we just ignore eachother. I prefer it that way. I don't like his politics. I don't know too much about him. I haven't even listened to his last album. But I listened to "California Son" and I really enjoyed that. I thought he made some really good choices. Joni Mitchell. Laura Nyro. But as for the stuff that he writes now... no. I don't want to say anything negative about the guy but I'm not gonna say anything positive either. Loved him in The Smiths.



The original DN article:


full
 
There are a few anecdotes that defy belief in Autobiography. The idea that Joe Moss wanted to replace Morrissey in 1984 also seems hard to believe. With regards to that Nick Kent story in the book the extracts of the letter Nick Kent supposedly sent do sound real.
Yeah, that sounded extremely paranoid to me.
 
Thats a lot of rambling Ketamine but you have your view of Morrissey based on his musical output and what he says in the odd interview he gives, people like Nick Kent have their view based on actually interacting with Morrissey as did Tony Wilson.


I once worked with Tony Wilson and he had people walking around on eggshells he was so demanding. He did seem like a nice person though. A gentle contradiction.
 
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didnt you read the letter from that knobhead Nick Kent wanting to take Le:frogface: position?:mad:
thats why the twat is bitter at the world, he wanted to get on stage with Moz and parade himself in some silly balloon pantaloons.:lbf:
No can do, Nick Kent twat.:lbf:
 
Ok. Karen, I am going to put my cards on the table.

I attack you because you dismiss any comment or account from anyone which doesn't align with your idea of who Morrissey is. I attack you because you patronise fans here; present opinions as facts, try to 'explain' away his actions or behaviour in depth when you can't possibly know those things. I attack you because I think you wrongly lean on certain things - M's Irish heritage or LGBTQ identity or mental health - to explain away poor behaviour in a way that I find distasteful.

Those are my personal reasons for why I have been harsh towards you. I accept that I have been too harsh at times and my temper got the better of me, and I do apologise for insulting you or for making something seem like an 'onslaught'.

As for Tony Wilson ... in fact, I don't put a great deal of faith in his account because he has hated 'Steven' from day one and bears a grudge against him. But there have been many other accounts like his, and I don't think they are all lying.

I see, so you can explain away Tony when it turns out Marr also got the towels based on your opinion... & 'accounts'.

But me finding & posting quotes relevant to the things said about Morrissey is somehow patronising & not facts?

His poor behaviour is mainly not being able to do things & it's not a secret that the reason for that is depression & anxiety.

He's also not the only one who is a nightmare to invoice, if people still want to work with him then it's not that bad. It's also cost him more money because he's not savvy with contracts.

His sexuality has been obsessed over by journalists & they've erased his many references to not feeling he belonged in England because of his Irish Catholic background. I quote those things where it matters.
 
There are a few anecdotes that defy belief in Autobiography. The idea that Joe Moss wanted to replace Morrissey in 1984 also seems hard to believe. With regards to that Nick Kent story in the book the extracts of the letter Nick Kent supposedly sent do sound real.
Joe Moss was really good friends with Johnny Marr and he was there to support Johnny Marr. I could of seen Joe Moss cooking up some sort of scheme maybe with the help of his good friend Johnny Marr.

Sorry but I didn't trust Joe Moss. I don't think Joe Moss could of cared less about Morrissey. Joe Moss' loyalty was with only Johnny Marr. I know Joe Moss has passed away now. I met Joe Moss in the past.
 
I see, so you can explain away Tony when it turns out Marr also got the towels based on your opinion... & 'accounts'.

But me finding & posting quotes relevant to the things said about Morrissey is somehow patronising & not facts?

His poor behaviour is mainly not being able to do things & it's not a secret that the reason for that is depression & anxiety.

He's also not the only one who is a nightmare to invoice, if people still want to work with him then it's not that bad. It's also cost him more money because he's not savvy with contracts.

His sexuality has been obsessed over by journalists & they've erased his many references to not feeling he belonged in England because of his Irish Catholic background. I quote those things where it matters.

Everthing you say though is based on your interpretation of what Morrissey said or your interpretation of his behaviour. There are lots of people who have met him personally around this area and a lot of them make comment on him not being a particularly nice person. When he passes and people are asked about him, I’m sure there will be a lot of positivity about his music but there will be a lot of noise about he behaviour as well.
 
Everthing you say though is based on your interpretation of what Morrissey said or your interpretation of his behaviour. There are lots of people who have met him personally around this area and a lot of them make comment on him not being a particularly nice person. When he passes and people are asked about him, I’m sure there will be a lot of positivity about his music but there will be a lot of noise about he behaviour as well.

I don't think you'll get anything more than he was very shy & he didn't socialise so very few people felt they knew him - which is what you get now.
 
Clearly, this one has no clue who Tony Wilson was. ...and he’s strangely obsessed with emojis and his own, deeply rooted connection to “cuck” culture.

Vegan hasn’t a clue about anyone, his life revolves around trolling this site with the sole intention of trying to wind people up. Clearly he’s wasting his time as virtually no one responds. As you know, Tony is very well know and his character has appeared in 2 major films, he now has an area of Manchester named after him, which is just down the road from the Hacienda.

 
I don't think you'll get anything more than he was very shy & he didn't socialise so very few people felt they knew him - which is what you get now.

Not sure where you get the, he didn’t socialise idea from, when he lived in Hale, he was out and about, he went to the pub, gigs and other places, there are people who know him well in that area. An example below from a local blogger.

A long time ago I used to work with a woman who was a friend of Morrissey and was in fact the star of the "Everyday is like a Sunday" video. She never mentioned it to anyone until a girl who went to school with her started work at the theatre and spilled the beans on her. She came from Hale Barns and was a neighbour of Morrissey.
 
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I see, so you can explain away Tony when it turns out Marr also got the towels based on your opinion... & 'accounts'. But me finding & posting quotes relevant to the things said about Morrissey is somehow patronising & not facts?

His poor behaviour is mainly not being able to do things & it's not a secret that the reason for that is depression & anxiety.

He's also not the only one who is a nightmare to invoice, if people still want to work with him then it's not that bad. It's also cost him more money because he's not savvy with contracts.

His sexuality has been obsessed over by journalists & they've erased his many references to not feeling he belonged in England because of his Irish Catholic background. I quote those things where it matters.
I was explaining that Tony Wilson dislikes Morrissey in particular and always has. Again, nothing to do with Johnny. 'Marr also got the towels', I mean... ridiculous. Ridiculous. Everything you've said in this post just amplifies my issues - dismissive, patronising, 'explaining' Morrissey, everything. I'm done.
 
Not sure where you get the, he didn’t socialise idea from, when he lived in Hale, he was out and about, he went to the pub, gigs and other places, there are people who know him well in that area.

Going out to gigs & pubs isn't hanging out with a wide circle regularly & seeing someone out & about isn't knowing him well.

The thing most people say is that he didn't say much.
 
I was explaining that Tony Wilson dislikes Morrissey in particular and always has. Again, nothing to do with Johnny. 'Marr also got the towels', I mean... ridiculous. Ridiculous. Everything you've said in this post just amplifies my issues - dismissive, patronising, 'explaining' Morrissey, everything. I'm done.

Why can you explain that & dismiss a towel story presented in evidence that Morrissey is so entitled it causes revulsion?

What is this magic non-explaining ability to explain that you have?
 
If Tony Wilson’s allegations in this video are true, it’s appalling behaviour from Morrissey.

Tony is an interesting character. His 'allegation' is that Moz may not be a good human being. How many of us are? Was Tony? The same allegation could be made against many creative artists throughout history. Creative artists are often really awful people - and 'success' - quite a rare thing in the creative arts - often only accentuates their awfulness. I think we all know that when Judge Weeks called Morrissey 'devious, truculent and unreliable' there was probably more than a dash of truth in that statement. Morrissey and life appear a poor fit - he's against the grain - but it's often in that lack of fit where creativity starts...
 
Going out to gigs & pubs isn't hanging out with a wide circle regularly & seeing someone out & about isn't knowing him well.

The thing most people say is that he didn't say much.

Again, that's your theory. He did/does have friends in Hale Barns/Bowden/Altrincham and Alderley Edge.
 
Again, that's your theory. He did/does have friends in Hale Barns/Bowden/Altrincham and Alderley Edge.

It's not a theory. It's what people who have met/worked with him have said. Him saying not much & not mingling is a constant theme.

What do his friends in Hale say?
 
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there is only one conclusion: Moz is the only one who is sane, the rest of the participants are totally insane or trolls.:lbf:
they travel in insvisible jet planes, have tiny hair tufts, want to play guitar with Moz, think they are the Pope, claim to be almost punk rock superstars in Poland and Russia, and the lowest, worship Le:frogface:. All claim to be mental health experts while being total nutters.:lbf:
 
Not sure where you get the, he didn’t socialise idea from, when he lived in Hale, he was out and about, he went to the pub, gigs and other places, there are people who know him well in that area. An example below from a local blogger.


A long time ago I used to work with a woman who was a friend of Morrissey and was in fact the star of the "Everyday is like a Sunday" video. She never mentioned it to anyone until a girl who went to school with her started work at the theatre and spilled the beans on her. She came from Hale Barns and was a neighbour of Morrissey.

Well what happened? Sorry, I don’t understand what the local blogger is saying there.
 
Everthing you say though is based on your interpretation of what Morrissey said or your interpretation of his behaviour.


And everything you say is based on your interpretation of what Tony W said or your interpretation of Morrissey’s ‘behaviour’, or gossip and hearsay you’ve heard or read from those that
either briefly interacted with him or supposedly knew him.




There are lots of people who have met him personally around this area and a lot of them make comment on him not being a particularly nice person.

‘And if they're northern, that makes it even worse
And
if we can destroy them
You bet your life we will destroy them

If we can hurt them
Well, we may as well, it's really laughable’


When he passes and people are asked about him, I’m sure there will be a lot of positivity about his music but there will be a lot of noise about he behaviour as well.


Only great artists ruffle feathers


 
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Well what happened? Sorry, I don’t understand what the local blogger is saying there.
It is very confusing. Who is the nameless Cheshire Blogger? There is no link to their Blog or website. Maybe it is a private Blog or maybe it doesn't exist. Maybe they don't actually exist. Who knows? Anyone can say anything on the internet it doesn't meant it is true.
 

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