So when did you discover Morrissey ?

As a kind of follow on from my introduction I am 59 this year but only got into Morrissey / The Smiths a couple of years ago ,
How about you ? I don’t know if there if an average age of members here but are you still following from the 80s or did you find him later on ? Or are you younger and shunned the current music your mates are into and listening to Morrissey ?
Paul

 

I think no one is answering because we've all told this before but I'm sad your thread has no response.
I read Morrissey's interviews before I heard his music. For a long time I had an issue of Creem magazine that came out when The Smiths released "The Queen Is Dead." They were not played on the radio here and my music budget was limited to about one or two tapes or records per week. I didn't risk it for a while. I liked his interviews though and so I was a fan of Morrissey before I was a fan of The Smiths. Finally when "Strangeways" came out I bought that cassette, then I bought "The Smiths" the next week. And right after that Morrissey's solo record came out so I bought that and then "Rank!" I just bought all the ones you could easily get in the US at the time until I had them all and then "Bona Drag" came out.
I saw him in concert in 1991 for the "Kill Uncle" tour. It was great hearing the songs from Viva Hate played a different way. I saw it all as Morrissey's music because I wasn't listening to The Smiths very long before they broke up. To me The Smiths is the first version of "Morrissey" and if it wasn't for his funny interviews it would have been a few more years before I heard him. When "Kill Uncle" came out there was an alternative station here that didn't last long but they played Morrissey, The Smiths, New Order, and The Cure. Then that folded and it was back to AC/DC and Led Zeppelin 24 hours a day.

 

Thanks for the reply , i was starting to get a complex !
When your new its hard to get a feel for how things are ,also because i got into it pretty late im discovering so much on a daily basis im pretty excited about it all .
There is just so much material , not only the music but all the interviews and documentaries , history etc etc that you guys have already seen that is all new to me .
But hey everybody starts there journey with a first step .
Thanks again for sharing some of yours , its easy to forget how big the world is what goes outside of your own .
Cheers Paul.

 

Whose Morrissey?

 

I didn’t have enough time earlier and was feeling silly but I’ll give you my best answer. I don’t specifically remembered my first conscious Morrissey thought. I picked up Hatful of Hollow not too long after it came out so it would have to be associated with listening to it. But I will share my earliest memory that really stands out for me.

I was living in a dormitory for school and was walking over to another wing on the same floor to visit a friend. As I walked through the fire door separating our two wings, I was enveloped in Panic being played at full volume. It was coming from a room on the right and their door was wide open. As I approached I could hear the women screaming “Hang the DJ” at the top of their lungs. I peered into their room to discover Stacey and Jill jumping on one of their beds to the music. Their hands were joined and they jumped up and down in unison belting out the lyrics with pure joy. Our mutual friend Marianne found me there and leaned in and told me that they had just been to see The Smiths at The Fox (in Detroit. I’ve looked that up as I was curious and that would have been the Queen Is Dead tour on August 14, 1986.)

The moment made quite an impression on me and I can still see it very clearly in my mind.

 

Thank you for sharing it , it’s quite something that it created such a strong memory for you .
I can’t believe it took so long for me to find his music .
Oh by the way silly is fine with me !
Paul.

 

Hi Paul

I'm 50 and currently live in Toronto, Canada.
I was raised in the countryside, a couple hours north of the city (Toronto), and exposure to any alternative music wasn't easy.
There were a few of us "freaks" in high school that were getting turned on by the new British Invasion of the mid-eighties.
My first cassette was The Smiths (1984) and on June 9th, 1985 I went to Canada's Wonderland with two friends from school to see The Smiths in concert.
Tickets were $5 CAD with park admission.
Canada's Wonderland is our version of Six Flags, or Disneyland, etc.

My musical appreciation expanded when I reached the college years, and I was more into following The Grateful Dead and the jamband sound.

I finally went to see Morrissey this time (first time) in Australia, October 2016.
I went to both the Melbourne & Adelaide shows, and was up front centre at the Festival Hall show.

https://www.morrissey-solo.com/thre...a-festival-hall-oct-22-2016-post-show.138394/

Next was Morrissey in Portland, Oregon on Halloween 2017
https://www.morrissey-solo.com/thre...er-concert-hall-oct-31-2017-post-show.141060/

I'm pretty pumped that Morrissey has decided to come back to Canada this month.
I have tix for both Toronto shows.

Having gone to two shows in a row in Australia, I doubt he will mix up the setlist (but for a song or two).
But I'm good with two nights of the same songs.

I love everything he puts out there.
A lot of people on here are critical of his recent albums.
But, I for one love the last two.
I have (and listen) to every album he has released, and have pre-ordered California Son.
Morning Starship & It's Over are brilliant, and I really hope he sings them both in Toronto.

Scott

Vaughan, Ontario, Canada 1985-06-09 (The Smiths concert)


Ticket Stub
The Smiths Live Concert
Tour Meat_Is_Murder_Tour
Date 9 June, 1985
Venue Kingswood Music Theatre
Location Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
Opening Act


Set List [1]

1. William, It Was Really Nothing
2. Nowhere Fast
3. I Want The One I Can't Have
4. What She Said
5. Handsome Devil
6. How Soon Is Now?
7. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
8. Stretch Out And Wait
9. Shakespeare's Sister
10. Rusholme Ruffians
11. The Headmaster Ritual
12. Hand In Glove
13. Still Ill
14. Meat Is Murder
    Encore 1
15. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
16. This Charming Man
    Encore 2
17. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
18. Miserable Lie

 

Hi Scott
Wow that’s quite a resume ! I have a long journey ahead I think lol !
Hopefully I can make it to a gig over here next time he does a uk tour .
The Hollywood bowl that’s on YouTube has a fantastic playlist with a lot of favourites on it so that’s as close as I have come so far .
Thanks for taking the time to reply , never made it to Ontario I’m afraid but spent some time in B.C. and loved it .
Cheers Paul.

 

Mine.

 

I'm a bit younger- born the same day Moz released Quarry if you'll believe it! May 17, 2004. Almost fate. I discovered him much later, of course. Almost four years ago now, I happened upon a park bench that read "Frankly Mr. Shankly #thequeenisdead". Out of sheer curiosity, I took a photo of it and did research when I got home. When I heard Frankly, I immediately fell in love and played nothing but for the next month. Then, the thought occurred to me for the first time that they likely had more than one song, and I left no stone unturned. Next came the solo career and the interviews. Everything about him seemed to be exactly what I'd been looking for.

As much as I want to hop into a time machine and see him in 1983, I'm glad I'm here and he's here now. I've seen him twice and both times he was absolutely class.

Take care,
Rita

 

Hi Rita
If that’s not fate I don’t know what is !
What a great story , it’s funny that once the music hits you nothing is ever going to be as good .
All the best Paul.

 

Doh! I meant “Who’s Morrissey?”

 

Wasn’t he the dude in the Smithereens?

 

Oh, yeah. I kinda liked this song.

Is he the one in the vest?

 

These guys are pretty Morrissey

 

Well, if we’re going that route, this guy is pretty Morris-sey, too.

 

How on earth did you come up with that ? !!

 

Did they not have Morris 9 Lives commercials in Canada?

 

Mmmm probably need to ask a Canadian, apparently it was shown in Britain but I don’t remember it

 

Oh, sorry. Thought you had identified as Canuck.