Why Morrissey Is Dead To Me, By Gene's Martin Rossiter - The Quietus

Quietus article.

Why Morrissey Is Dead To Me, By Gene's Martin Rossiter - The Quietus

Morrissey was an inspiration to Martin Rossiter, whose band Gene share many fans with the former Smith. But after years of right wing blethering from Moz, Martin has had enough

"I feel ashamed and embarrassed that I quietly remained a Morrissey apologist for many years."

 

[countthree]

Has anyone asked what the various other tribute acts to Morrissey and The Smiths think of his latest faux-pas?

In other news Rick Witter from Shed Seven has also denounced Morrissey as a has-been.

Some people think gratitude is overrated.

 

[ACTON]

" I take his words very seriously and am now wondering myself if I have unconsciously been an apologist for Morrissey. "

No Acton, that's bullshit.
I know you are a great music lover and have Moz and The Smiths in high regards but you named a !of of great other music too and have been critical of Moz but always with argumentation, and still with interest in whatever music he made. And witty and funny.
That is not like an apologist for Moz!

I sense you ARE a bit disappointed, maybe because of Moz or Martin Rossiter but you make your own mind up and do not get disappointed by what they supposedly said.
It is all secondary to the music.
Cheers!

You are 100% right. Disappointed is the right word. Disappointed that one of my music heroes has given up on Moz. Not sure if i should care what Moz says or thinks and should focus on the music instead. Disappointed that i even have to think about this crap. But here's the thing: I was listening to 'Swords' CD today in the car and some of the sub standard whining bsides started to annoy me. Instead I put in 'Revelations' CD by Gene and it was so much better. Then I read that Rossiter has given up on Moz. Too many coincidences. I think I need to give my Moz CDs a break for a while.

 

[Quando quando quando]

I'm so glad Morrissey has called out Islam for what it is rather than the usual "It's a religion of peace" bullshit.

I'm not a Morrissey apologist. I agree with him.

But marred, in his statement he has not called out Islam for what it is. He referred to things many people say in private but not in public. In fact he is doing the same.
In my view there are 2 possibilities:

1) Even Moz is afraid about the shitstorm that will arise when he speaks up frankly and openly, which could have repurcussions to his bussines as a musician who wants to earn money with realising and releasing new product (freedom of speech comes second and self censure first when money is involved).

2) He always expressed the wish to do life shows in countries in the Middle East with pre dominantly Arabic culture and if he really says anything derogative about Islam he can forget that. His tours in Turkey (not Arabic, I know) were very successful.

3) He is afraid for his own life by saying anything negative about Islam, or even about terrorists who hijacked a belief cause as you know as well as I know and Moz too, these guys are completely of this rails and kill you for nothing.

I don't blame him.

 

[Calamine Lotion]

I just keep thinking of that concert recording, I don't know which show it is, but Morrissey does "This World Is Full Of Crashing Bores," I think, and then he asks the audience if they can name any. They name a couple of predictable ones and then someone shouts "Gene!" Morrissey says "Gene? No, Gene are nice." laughter and chatter, then "Gene are nice."
You should have listened Morrissey! Someone in the crowd warned you about Gene years ago.

 

[Quando quando quando]

You are 100% right. Disappointed is the right word. Disappointed that one of my music heroes has given up on Moz. Not sure if i should care what Moz says or thinks and should focus on the music instead. Disappointed that i even have to think about this crap. But here's the thing: I was listening to 'Swords' CD today in the car and some of the sub standard whining bsides started to annoy me. Instead I put in 'Revelations' CD by Gene and it was so much better. Then I read that Rossiter has given up on Moz. Too many coincidences. I think I need to give my Moz CDs a break for a while.

But that is completely understandable!
I have had a same sort of experience.
When you are so into the music and play that music a lot you need a bit of variation after some time.
There is more to life then Moz and The Smiths, but you wouldn't know if you didn't listen to other music too.
I would be worried about your wellbeing if that was not the case!

 

[Anonymous]

This site is rubbish, its just a mouth piece for the usual boring crew, skinny, quando, benny...., around 50% of my posts are moderated, and not for any particular reason, maybe truthful words about skinny, might as well shut the thing down, ok for these dickheads to say their piece, but any brutal response is moderated, who the hell are these people to argue with Morrissey?, they are nobody's who have nothing better to do, this was a Morrissey fan site, now its just the usual crew wanking themselves off, boring toss pots

 

[Herpes Harmonica]

Gene were like a band of kids that never had any drugs or strong drinks who called their mothers every day and in the spare time had a shelter for homeless cats. The theme music for those that to this very day never got laid.

 

[Quando quando quando]

I just keep thinking of that concert recording, I don't know which show it is, but Morrissey does "This World Is Full Of Crashing Bores," I think, and then he asks the audience if they can name any. They name a couple of predictable ones and then someone shouts "Gene!" Morrissey says "Gene? No, Gene are nice." laughter and chatter, then "Gene are nice."
You should have listened Morrissey! Someone in the crowd warned you about Gene years ago.

But then again, genes are NOT nice,
They are selfish and use you only to survive you and hop on to the next idiot. You can do nothing about it or get a vasectomy in your very early teens.

 

[Cornflakes]

I'm aware of that and I'm not stupid enough to waste too much time on it, but I certainly feel there's evidence he can turn it around since so many do care enough to continue logging in to this ancient gathering place to shake their damn head at his behavior. You and Peter and maybe even Davidt and Martin Rossiter ffs all must love him to a degree to keep trying to point out to him that he's "doing it wrong" so I don't feel alone in this sentiment.

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm certainly not expecting him to be reading anything I type here. I've been aware that Morrissey held some dodgy political views for as long as I've been a fan. It's plain from the songs he's written and the interviews he's given over the years. But I used to give him the benefit of the doubt (i.e. maybe he was a Daily Mail reader but not an actual fascist), and you don't need to agree with someone all the time to enjoy their music, right? But, looking back, there's doublethink involved too. I knew straight away what Speedway was all about ("well, they weren't lies..."), but I suppose I parked it.

I think it's time to get real, though. This is what he is, he's not going to change and he's not going to say sorry. Any more than Rolf Harris is (apologies if you don't get the reference). Good songs are still good songs, but maybe it's time to give Martin Rossiter's last album a try and not worry too much about what Moz does next.

 

[countthree]

But marred, in his statement he has not called out Islam for what it is. He referred to things many people say in private but not in public. In fact he is doing the same.
In my view there are 2 possibilities:

1) Even Moz is afraid about the shitstorm that will arise when he speaks up frankly and openly, which could have repurcussions to his bussines as a musician who wants to earn money with realising and releasing new product (freedom of speech comes second and self censure first when money is involved).

2) He always expressed the wish to do life shows in countries in the Middle East with pre dominantly Arabic culture and if he really says anything derogative about Islam he can forget that. His tours in Turkey (not Arabic, I know) were very successful.

3) He is afraid for his own life by saying anything negative about Islam, or even about terrorists who hijacked a belief cause as you know as well as I know and Moz too, these guys are completely of this rails and kill you for nothing.

I don't blame him.

That is the aim of terrorism, not only take the life of 22 girls and parents. They want to make people shut their mouths for fear. I'm sure millions of people now would like to say a lot of things about these and other unfair murders and crimes, but they shut their mouths because they think they are an easy target. Maybe just because they don't know who their neighbours are.

 

[Anonymous]

I feel pretty confident that the idea of many isis terrorists, and by this I mean those actually connected to the terrorist group and not those inspired who all have varying reasons for there actions, is to get people talking, to get people to think they're a fearsome group and grow they're reputation and to sow tension between muslims who follow a peaceful Islamic life trying to live abroad.

I agree cornflakes. I've always wanted to give morrissey the benefit of the doubt but it's been hard these past few years. Especially since he's been talking about politics

 

[bhops]

But marred, in his statement he has not called out Islam for what it is. He referred to things many people say in private but not in public. In fact he is doing the same.
In my view there are 2 possibilities:

1) Even Moz is afraid about the shitstorm that will arise when he speaks up frankly and openly, which could have repurcussions to his bussines as a musician who wants to earn money with realising and releasing new product (freedom of speech comes second and self censure first when money is involved).

2) He always expressed the wish to do life shows in countries in the Middle East with pre dominantly Arabic culture and if he really says anything derogative about Islam he can forget that. His tours in Turkey (not Arabic, I know) were very successful.

3) He is afraid for his own life by saying anything negative about Islam, or even about terrorists who hijacked a belief cause as you know as well as I know and Moz too, these guys are completely of this rails and kill you for nothing.

I don't blame him.

I think all/any of these are reasonable assumptions especially the last one. Does any remember how literally two sentences from Salman Rushie's novel 'The satanic Verses' meant he had to live with a fatawa on him for over a decade? This is why celebrities are happy to take a shit publicly all over the supposed 'dictator' Trump, they know nothing will happen to them, but when it comes to calling out Radical Islam? Not a f***en peep. Although I'm sure Morrissey is right, in private they are probably a lot more vocal.

 

[bhops]

Settle down there, Liberace.

Not quite sure how Liberace fits into the narrative, but I'm happy to stay 'unsettled' thanks buddy.

 

[nicky wire's legs]

But marred, in his statement he has not called out Islam for what it is. He referred to things many people say in private but not in public. In fact he is doing the same.
In my view there are 2 possibilities:

1) Even Moz is afraid about the shitstorm that will arise when he speaks up frankly and openly, which could have repurcussions to his bussines as a musician who wants to earn money with realising and releasing new product (freedom of speech comes second and self censure first when money is involved).

2) He always expressed the wish to do life shows in countries in the Middle East with pre dominantly Arabic culture and if he really says anything derogative about Islam he can forget that. His tours in Turkey (not Arabic, I know) were very successful.

3) He is afraid for his own life by saying anything negative about Islam, or even about terrorists who hijacked a belief cause as you know as well as I know and Moz too, these guys are completely of this rails and kill you for nothing.

I don't blame him.

i took his neglecting to name islam in his statement as 'its not his f***ing job to call out islam for what it is'. it's the politicians jobs, the law makers. they should be the ones doing it. it's not about changing the minds of individual people, like his 'meat is murder' statement was, otherwise im sure he would be more bold in his wording. instead he turns his attention to the people who do have the power to make changes, and why should he say for them what they wont say themselves?

my poor sweetums, everyone gives him such a hard time

 

[manicboy]

I don't know which is more disturbing about some Moz "fans" - that they come out with Alt-Right xenophobic views or that they don't know who Gene are.

 

[Cornflakes]

I don't know which is more disturbing about some Moz "fans" - that they come out with Alt-Right xenophobic views or that they don't know who Gene are.

Yes you do.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

It amazes me that people are still entertaining the idea that Morrissey didn't write the statement. That said, if you want the boring copy-paste liberal response to a tragedy go listen to Bono and U2. Get used to the attacks folks! It's just part of living in the big city. If you kill your enemies they win. Coexist.

Yeah good point.

 

[Herpes Harmonica]

The whole point of being a great artist is to grow a big ego and act all eccentric or else you could just settle for stacking shelves at the local grocery store.

 

[Herpes Harmonica]

I know some that would still make love to Moz, pulse or no pulse.

 

[Peanut]

... This is why celebrities are happy to take a shit publicly all over the supposed 'dictator' Trump, they know nothing will happen to them, but when it comes to calling out Radical Islam? Not a f***en peep. Although I'm sure Morrissey is right, in private they are probably a lot more vocal.

If Moz did call out radical Islam, or radical Islamists - so much the better - instead he wrote a lazy diatribe insinuating guilt by association against a group of 1.5 billion people, some of whom are no doubt fans of his.