I have never got the Morrissey fever, I mean this unconditional love of the guy whom some people have. However I love him when he opens his mouth because he is funny, daring, outrageous and I can’t get enough of him slamming one of these useless celebrities: Lady Gaga is ‘nothing new’, Madonna’ ‘McDonna’ and ‘closer to organized prostitution than anything else’, Michael Bublé is ‘famous and meaningless’, Robert Smith is a whingebag’, ‘Bob Geldof is a nauseating character’ and dance music ‘the refuge for the mentally deficient’, I could go on all night…. it’s funny and I partly share with him this misanthropy and absolute love for animals… How many people refuse to go on Jimmy Kimmel Live because the other guests are the scumbags from Duck Dynasty and even start a war with Kimmel by the same token? How many performers have left the stage at Coachella declaring ‘The smell of burning animals is making me sick. I can smell burning flesh . . . and I hope to God it’s human.’ That was precious! He especially kills me when he mentions the ‘dazzling royals’ and accuses them to be ‘arrogant horrible dictators’ or wears a ‘We Hate William and Kate’ shirt onstage. He has that douchebag side, but I can’t help it, I love any of his declarations, the grandiosity and arrogance he puts in them, whereas others only see envy, whining, hypocrisy and even racism,… Remember this quote about Chinese people? Ouch!
Morrissey is a legend, he is unique, inappropriate for his time or any time. Most people love him for his songwriting talent, I prefer him for his acerb humor insulting every single person belonging to the human species. I have encountered a few people with a real obsession with the Moz and a few others with a real hatred for him. This self-loathing, self-deprecating humor combined with this great love of himself has always been a great divide among people. But for those who love the Moz, Hollywood has something for you: ‘Moz Goes to Hollywood: Morrissey/The Smiths’, An Exhibit at Mr. Musichead Gallery on Sunset boulevard, featuring 30 iconic and rare images of Morrissey taken by famous photographer Kevin Cummins for over three decades.
Kevin Cummins was chief photographer for NME for 10 years and his pictures were a major contributing factor in the rise of the ‘Madchester and Cool Britannia scenes’. He is known for his iconic portraits of Joy Division, The Smiths, The Sex Pistols, Courtney Love, David Bowie…, and his work is featured on many books jackets, galleries, museums. His 6th book ‘Assassinated Beauty’, a selection of photographs of the British band Manic Street Preachers, will be released at the end of the year.
I stopped by the gallery on Saturday afternoon to take a look at these intimate portraits of Morrissey, and I saw him closing his eyes with delight, hugging fans after a show, singing with passion, literally trashing the stage, enjoying nature with bandmates or looking at his reflection on water. There is also the picture above with Morrissey posing in front of that daring quote and a few others showing him wandering in a hot neighborhood in Japan, or even old women wearing Morrissey t-shirts. Only a few are in colors and the signed poster of the exhibit was sold for $40…. When I was there someone asked, ‘Is Morrissey still alive?’ And I laughed and got scared at the same time at the idea of Morrissey vanishing from the planet without doing a big splash.
