In early interviews, Morrissey referred to The Smiths formation as a 'religious miracle' in that they had all even met. Either this was true, in which case the other members were entirely justified in thinking their 'miraculous appearance' warranted appropriate recompense. Or he was just spinning a bullshit yarn, trying to make out they were the latest 'last gang in town' like The Dolls, The Specials, Madness or The Clash. At least he's never gone over the cliff edge and attempted to intimate they were in any way equivalent to the genuine miracle of The Beatles.

As for Johnny Marr, he has always been slippery and evasive regarding his school friends. I lost a lot of respect for him for refusing to make a frank admission, pay up promptly, and move on to try and fail to besmirch the perfection of Kraftwerk's legacy. As for paying off a sick drug-addict bassist with a paltry pay-off....... neither of them have any right to fulminate about other people's business ethics.

Morrissey and Marr presented 'band unity' to the 'lawnmower parts' when it was expedient to do so. They were too mean or short-sighted to get legal and accountancy advice, thus failing to realise they had, indeed, established a 'contract' with the 'miraculously' found band members/spare parts.

I haven't read the court transcripts. Life's too short. I'd rather read the phone book. The Judge involved has not been removed for criminality or senility, so it's rational to conclude he made a perfectly logical decision. Only a deluded cult member would even give a damn about Morrissey's bilious ventilations on the topic ever since. Although, it can be a fun way to entertain oneself on a dark winter evening, reading of him falling flat on his face. Again!

He provides consumer products which I enjoy alongside many others. He 'appears live on stage' to entertain me for a pre-arranged amount, whether by professionally running through his back-catalogue or having a hilarious diva hissy fit. Either way it's a good night out. And it's really no different that putting down my money for a good stripper at the local pub. It's a job, Morrissey. Just like everyone else has a job. Like the local stripper. And the stripper you pretended to ogle on that silly programme about your 'mysterious exile in L.A'. Strippers get sacked if they don't dish up the goodies for the punters. So do pop stars. That's why your career is 'somewhat erratic'. It's not your top-flight Voice or minor-poet lyrics. It's your attitude. I have a sulking teenager upstairs right now. I wouldn't put up with having another one the same age as me as a friend or business associate.

Sorry to puncture that whole 'outsider artist' balloon you been continuously attempting to re-inflate since the InterWeb punctured it good and proper. You're special, so special.....but so are lots of other people. Felt rang rings around The Smiths. Constantly. Morrissey dropped his forenames. Lawrence his surname. History will award the prize to the right band. The fact they didn't 'make it' or become 'famous' is as relevant as the fact that Howie withdrew to the dignity of a labour of love bookbinding.

I realise this may make some visitors to this site vomit in their beds, but I'm not sorry for th