Morrissey was interviewed by his nephew Sam Esty Rayner in April. The interview was finally published today and is a fascinating read. The pair covered a lot of ground in the extensive interview including Mozzer's new album California Son, his convoluted traffic incident/altercation with police in Rome, show cancellations, being maligned by the press, and a clarification of his political views.
One of the more intriguing portions of the interview was when Mozzer apologized to Robert Smith -- the topic of Smith came up when Morrissey was asked if he had any small regrets:
"Oh, I never make my regrets small … if I can help it. Oh. Umm. Robert Smith. I said some terrible things about him 35 years ago … but I didn’t mean them … I was just being very Grange Hill. It’s great when you can blame everything on Tourette’s syndrome. [laughs]
Oddly, I was in a pub near Buckingham Palace perhaps ten years ago … and there he was … staring over confrontationally. I take no moral responsibility for whatever I said in 1983 … after all … who does?"
Other nuggets from the interview with Morrissey:
On show cancellations:
"...as far as I can see, many bands cancel and nothing is ever said about it. The song and dance made about my cancellations is usually from people who wouldn’t go to the concert in the first place."
On being a Buzzcocks fan:
"I believe I was the first person ever to write about them. I saw their first ever gig and the next day I was at the post office with a 3p stamp."
On Lou Reed:
"He was a lovely person. He had a great smile which he almost never used. We had a great afternoon in Rome once, and he seemed very happy."
The Seventies band he would like to see reform:
"I suppose the only band that would please millions of people would be The Jam, and although I’m not certain, I gather they don’t much care for each other … so we can be excused for giving up hope on that one!"
Read the full interview with Morrissey here.
Morrissey -- North American tour
Sep 05 -- Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sep 07 -- Queens, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium
Sep 09 -- Camden, NJ @ BB & T Pavilion
Sep 11 -- Kettering, OH @ Fraze Pavilion
Sep 13 -- Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sep 14 -- Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia Festival
Sep 18 -- Grand Prairie, TX @ Verizon Theatre
Sep 20 -- Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
Sep 21 -- Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall - Outside
Sep 26 -- Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
Sep 28 -- Salt Lake City, UT @ Saltair
Sep 30 -- Portland, OR @ Theatre Of The Clouds
Oct 01 -- Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theatre
Oct 03 -- San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Oct 05 -- Irvine, CA @ Five Point Amphitheatre
Oct 06 -- San Diego, CA @ Pechanga Arena
Oct 10 -- Edmonton, AB @ Northern Alberta
Oct 11 -- Calgary, AB @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
Oct 14 -- Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
Oct 15 -- Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
Oct 21 -- Winnipeg, MB @ Centennial Concert Hall
Published June 24th, 2019