Morrissey Is Back: Tour, DVDs Coming Soon

July 29, 1999, 12:00 pm PT

After almost two years of maintaining a very low profile, Morrissey is back with a slew of tour dates around the world and two retrospective DVDs (a Morrissey collection, as well as a Smiths disc) coming just in time for the holiday shopping season.

According to a source, Morrissey is about to announce an extensive international tour, which begins in Cologne, Germany on Sept. 22 and runs through December. After the Cologne date, Morrissey and his band will play four other shows in Germany (Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, and Leipzig) and another 10 dates in Poland, Italy, and France before heading to the U.S. for about six shows, including the Coachella Valley Music and Artis Festival 1999 in Coachella, Calif. near Palm Springs on Oct. 9.

The two-day festival (Oct. 9-10) also features the Chemical Brothers, Rage Against the Machine, Pavement, Ben Harper, Perry Farrell, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Gus Gus, DJ Shadow, Bis, Esthero, BT, Black-Eyed Peas, Money Mark, DJ Krush, Modest Mouse, the Angel, Roni Size, Thievery Corp., Cibo Matto, and others.

Next up is a tour of the British Isles, kicking off at Rock City in Nottingham, England on Nov. 15, which includes eight dates in Ireland, one in Swansea, Wales, two in Scotland, and seven in England. Unfortunately for London-area fans, there is no London show planned at this time. Morrissey is expected to debut several new songs, as well as classics like "Sunny" and "Speedway," according to the source.

In addition, he has been hard at work putting together a comprehensive, retrospective DVD, which is expected to span his entire solo career on Sire/Reprise and include several videos that have never been seen. The collection will be released on Reprise in conjunction with a Smiths DVD before this Christmas.

As for the coveted opening slot for the dates, Morrissey is hoping to get El Vez -- the Mexican Elvis Presley -- as the opening act. The bilingual tribute artist is someone Morrissey has seen and enjoyed while he has been living in Los Angeles.

"I've actually been living in Los Angeles for about two years," Morrissey tells the source. "This house was built in 1931 by Clark Gable for Carole Lombard." The house was later the home of such other famous faces, including author F. Scott Fitzgerald, actor/director John Schlesinger, and film producer Robert Stigwood.

Los Angeles is apparently treating the artist well. Our source says that Morrissey -- tanned, relaxed, and optimistic -- seemed in incredibly good spirits in light of his court battles with some of his former bandmates in the Smiths. Our source says that he also seemed "relieved and almost celebratory to be free of his ties to Mercury Records and is eager to start recording the new songs he has written."

"I look back upon the Mercury experience as the worst time of my life," he said nonchalantly. Several publishers, record labels, and Internet companies have approached Morrissey about recording and he is contemplating his opportunities. Morrissey's last album of new material was 1997's Maladjusted, followed by a compilation of rarities and B-sides in 1998 titled My Early Burglary Years.

Meanwhile, he's been taking drives to Death Valley, San Diego, and Mexico and claims he has developed a new-found fondness for pasta.

-- Carrie Borzillo