*yes, that was too easy
This year has been a relatively Moz-free zone: relative to the last year for example where this happened:
*went to the filming of the Album Chart Show at KOKO
*went to Alexandra Palace (where my boyfriend got a hallowed bit of Moz shirt)
*went to the V festival
*went to the filming of the Russell Brand show
*went to 2 Quarry nights
*went to see The Smyths twice (OK, that's clutching at straws!)
*went to see him at Wembley.
This has definitely been the year of Patrick Wolf and Bright Eyes so I was looking forward to getting my foot back in the Moz door and wiping out Mark Ronson from my memory asap.
The Quarry night is fairly simple, it just plays Morrissey and The Smiths. How can you go wrong?
Well...
The venue has changed several times since I went to the first one, which is fine, although the last venue we went to was good as it had a proper dancefloor. This venue was a tapas bar which we were basically in the bottom room of. Which was OK, because only about 30 people turned up.
Normally these things are awash with chrysanthemums (you try spelling that: OK I cheated), posters of Moz everywhere, as well as a video going. This just had a video and a few flowers knocking around. It seemed midly half arsed.
It's weird going to these things, because you recognise people yet don't know them. There's always a few Mozzabees, from the half hearted (a quiff, glasses) to the seriously devoted (seperated at birth). We were super poor: I went with my boyfriend and we were penniless so had smuggled in some vodka. We got very merry and had a dance, so it was all good except:
The music! How can you get it wrong? How about play about 25 Smiths songs in a row initially? There are only two options for the night, try giving us a bit of variety! They also played some odd choices: you don't get more die-hard than me, but I don't think they played ANYTHING off Ringleader. And the only things they played off Quarry were some lame live tracks. Live tracks! They sounded shit! Just play the proper songs! It was very annoying. Live tracks are only good if they sound amazing: and these didn't.
Finally the DJ berated us for not having brought more friends and said it would be closing at 2am instead of 3am. Cool: could we have two quid back then? I guess not.
Needless to say, I could put a Morrissey tracklist together in three seconds that would have made the lesbians all pee their pants for the entire night, not just the last five minutes.
I enjoyed Speedway and Lost, but the girl asleep on the couch for two hours was probably the fairest critic.
Buck it up next time, or only ten people will show up.
It's a shame: these nights are a safe haven and can be truly brilliant.
4 comments:
I've never really been into The Smiths or Morrissey, as Wife knows only too well. I like the odd song now and again, but then I get bored. Never liked that Johnny Marr style of guitar playing either. Soz.
Oops, I forgot that if you've got nothing nice to say you should say nothing at all. Soz again.
It's OK- I know Moz really polarises people.
Any comments get me excited cos I'm too lazy to build up a massive blogging following. Why can't people just find me instead?! ;-)
I don't feel particularly hateful towards Moz. Indeed, he wrote some pretty good lyrics. I guess my biggest problem with The Smiths is Johnny Marr's guitar work. And my biggest problem with Moz's solo work (from the little I know of it) is that it doesn't seem as interestin lyrically as his old Smiths stuff. But then that comes with age and cash, I suppose. Look what sort of shit Nicky Wire wrote after Richey disappeared.
I like Marr but he has proved to be lost without Moz. I think most artists get worse with age, especially lyrically, they lose their edge. Nicky Wire is deliberately obtuse which annoys me. I'm annoyed the MSPs are just writing off all their MOR records and saying they are punk again. Wheres the integrity? They are past it! Love JDB's voice though so they are forgiven. (I have no integrity either!)
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