Morrissey cancellations by the numbers

Chickpea

pithy yet degenerate
Using Passions Just Like Mine as a reference, I put together a tally of all of the shows Morrissey has announced versus played since 1988. Results are skewed against successful completion of a date, since I counted shows which were rescheduled as cancellations. Concerts which were rescheduled and then canceled count as two unplayed shows. This is neither meant to be a criticism nor an exoneration of Morrissey, just a look at the numbers.

(I had planned to make a line graph to celebrate the current rising trend, but I'm afraid I'm out of ambition. I'm also assuming Istanbul will happen tomorrow.)

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

1988 debut Morrissey concert
Wolverhampton Civic Hall [22 Dec. 1988] 1/1 (100%)
OVERALL: 1/1 (100%)

1991 Kill Uncle tour
European dates [27 April - 15 May] 10/11 (91%)
First North American leg [30 May - 13 July] 24/27 (89%)
First British leg [20 July - 28 July] 7/7 (100%)
Japan/Australia/New Zealand [27 August - 11 Sept.] 8/8 (100%)
Second UK leg [29 Sept. - 8 Oct.] 7/7 (100%)
Second North American leg [28 Oct. - 11 Nov.] 10/10 (100%)
OVERALL: 66/70 (94%)

1992 Your Arsenal tour
European festivals [27 June - 9 August] 3/5 (60%)
First North American leg [12 Sept. - 20 Oct.] 25/25 (100%)
Second North American leg [31 Oct. - 28 Nov.] 18/18 (100%)
UK/European leg [11 - 23 Dec.] 10/10 (100%)
OVERALL: 56/58 (97%)

1995 Boxers tour
Boxers tour [3-26 February] 18/18 (100%)
OVERALL: 18/18 (100%)

1995 Promoting "Southpaw Grammar"
David Bowie's Outside Tour [14-27 Nov.] 9/10 (90%)
Japanese dates [13-17 Dec.] 4/4 (100%)
OVERALL: 13/14 (93%)

1997 Maladjusted tour
First North American leg [12 Sept. - 12 Oct.] 21/22 (95%)
Second North American leg [22 Oct. - 26 Nov.] 25/25 (100%)
European leg [29 Nov. - 11 Dec.] 8/8 (100%)
OVERALL: 54/55 (98%)

1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour
American warm-up dates [5-9 Oct. 1999] 3/4 (75%)
European leg [12 Oct. - 6 Nov. 1999] 15/16 (94%)
British/Irish leg [9 Nov. - 6 Dec. 1999] 19/19 (100%)
California/Las Vegas dates [10-20 Dec. 1999] 9/9 (100%)
North American leg [1 Feb. - 5 March 2000] 21/22 (95%)
Latin American leg [24 March - 5 April 2000] 8/8 (100%)
OVERALL: 75/78 (96%)

2002 tour
American leg + Japan [9 August - 15 Sept.] 23/28 (82%)
Europe + Australia [17 Sept. - 9 Nov.] 24/24 (100%)
OVERALL: 47/52 (90%)

2004 You Are The Quarry tour
American warm-up dates [17 April - 8 May] 12/12 (100%)
45th birthday concert [22 May] 1/1 (100%)
International festival dates [5 June - 17 July] 12/12 (100%)
British leg [28 August - 10 Sept.] 10/10 (100%)
North and South American leg [29 Sept. - 13 Nov.] 25/25 (100%)
UK, Paris and Dublin [22 Nov. - 20 Dec.] 6/6 (100%)
OVERALL: 66/66 (100%)

2006-2007 Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI
American warm-up dates [13-16 March 2006] 3/4 (75%)
European leg [1-16 April 2006] 10/10 (100%)
British leg [18 April - 28 May 2006] 30/30 (100%)
Summer festivals [2 June - 27 August 2006] 27/30 (90%)
Mexico / Chicago / Europe [14 Nov. - 23 Dec. 2006] 20/20 (100%)
Pasadena, USA [1-3 Feb. 2007] 3/3 (100%)
OVERALL: 93/97 (96%)

2007-2008 Greatest Hits tour
1st American leg [27 April - 10 June 2007] 30/30 (100%)
2nd American leg [26 June - 21 July 2007] 14/20 (70%)
3rd American leg [20 Sept. - 8 Nov. 2007] 30/33 (91%)
UK and France [16 Jan. - 4 Feb. 2008] 11/13 (85%)
Summer festivals [26 June - 29 July 2008] 6/6 (100%)
OVERALL: 91/102 (89%)

2009 Tour Of Refusal
BBC Radio Theatre concert 1/1 (100%)
American leg [28 Feb. - 18 April 2009] 26/33 (79%)
Ireland and the UK [28 April - 30 May 2009] 15/22 (68%)
Continental Europe + London [2 June - 22 July 2009] 26/30 (87%)
OVERALL: 78/86 (91%)

2009 Swords Tour
UK+ continental Europe [23 Oct. - 23 Nov. 2009] 18/19 (95%)
American West Coast [29 Nov. - 11 Dec. 2009] 8/9 (89%)
OVERALL: 26/28 (93%)

2011 Tour
UK/Europe Summer Tour [15 June - 9 August 2011] 29/30 (97%)
USA / Mexico [14 Nov. - 18 Dec. 2011] 19/20 (95%)
OVERALL: 48/50 (96%)

2012 Tour
South America [24 Feb. - 17 March 2012] 11/11 (100%)
Asia/Western USA [19 April - 26 May 2012] 19/19 (100%)
Europe [5-30 July 2012] 11/12 (92%)
USA East Coast [5 Oct. - 8 Dec. 2012] 9/35 (26%)
Australia/New Zealand [14-22 December 2012] 6/6 (100%)
OVERALL: 56/83 (67%)

2013 Tour
USA / Mexico City [9 Jan. - 1 May 2013] 15/61 (25%)
South America [9 July - 4 Aug. 2013] 0/14 (0%)
OVERALL: 15/75 (20%)

2014 Tour
USA [7 May - 21 June 2014] 17/27 (63%)
Europe [6 Oct. - 17 Dec. 2014] 32/40 (80%)
OVERALL: 49/67 (73%)

GRAND TOTAL: 852/1000 (85%)
 
Last edited:
This looks mostly right, but some cancellations might not be listed in the actual listing. Below are the ones I noticed:

1991 - 2nd North American leg of Kill Uncle, 11 concerts cancelled according to PJLM:

Dates scheduled in Worcester, Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Williamsburg, Chapel Hill, Birmingham, New Orleans, Lakeland and Miami at the tail end of the tour were cancelled. After over 6 months of touring everywhere and doing television, radio and magazine interviews almost constantly, exhaustion must have had the better of Morrissey. It was time to kill "Kill Uncle" and move on to the next album.

1995 - the Bowie "Outside" tour, more were cancelled not listed according to PJLM:

After two weeks Morrissey withdrew from the tour. Planned dates in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester and Newcastle, as well as more in Europe were cancelled and Bowie had to find a replacement.

Also in 2002, I have 5 that were cancelled:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/tour/2002/

In 2004 21 cancelled if including the Lollapalooza cancellation:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/tour/2004/

In 2006 4 cancellations:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/tour/2006/

Using Passions Just Like Mine as a reference, I put together a tally of all of the shows Morrissey has announced versus played since 1988. Results are skewed against successful completion of a date, since I counted shows which were rescheduled as cancellations. Concerts which were rescheduled and then canceled count as two unplayed shows. This is neither meant to be a criticism nor an exoneration of Morrissey, just a look at the numbers.

(I had planned to make a line graph to celebrate the current rising trend, but I'm afraid I'm out of ambition. I'm also assuming Istanbul will happen tomorrow.)

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

1988 debut Morrissey concert
Wolverhampton Civic Hall [22 Dec. 1988] 1/1 (100%)
OVERALL: 1/1 (100%)

1991 Kill Uncle tour
European dates [27 April - 15 May] 10/11 (91%)
First North American leg [30 May - 13 July] 24/27 (89%)
First British leg [20 July - 28 July] 7/7 (100%)
Japan/Australia/New Zealand [27 August - 11 Sept.] 8/8 (100%)
Second UK leg [29 Sept. - 8 Oct.] 7/7 (100%)
Second North American leg [28 Oct. - 11 Nov.] 10/10 (100%)
OVERALL: 66/70 (94%)

1992 Your Arsenal tour
European festivals [27 June - 9 August] 3/5 (60%)
First North American leg [12 Sept. - 20 Oct.] 25/25 (100%)
Second North American leg [31 Oct. - 28 Nov.] 18/18 (100%)
UK/European leg [11 - 23 Dec.] 10/10 (100%)
OVERALL: 56/58 (97%)

1995 Boxers tour
Boxers tour [3-26 February] 18/18 (100%)
OVERALL: 18/18 (100%)

1995 Promoting "Southpaw Grammar"
David Bowie's Outside Tour [14-27 Nov.] 9/10 (90%)
Japanese dates [13-17 Dec.] 4/4 (100%)
OVERALL: 13/14 (93%)

1997 Maladjusted tour
First North American leg [12 Sept. - 12 Oct.] 21/22 (95%)
Second North American leg [22 Oct. - 26 Nov.] 25/25 (100%)
European leg [29 Nov. - 11 Dec.] 8/8 (100%)
OVERALL: 54/55 (98%)

1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour
American warm-up dates [5-9 Oct. 1999] 3/4 (75%)
European leg [12 Oct. - 6 Nov. 1999] 15/16 (94%)
British/Irish leg [9 Nov. - 6 Dec. 1999] 19/19 (100%)
California/Las Vegas dates [10-20 Dec. 1999] 9/9 (100%)
North American leg [1 Feb. - 5 March 2000] 21/22 (95%)
Latin American leg [24 March - 5 April 2000] 8/8 (100%)
OVERALL: 75/78 (96%)

2002 tour
American leg + Japan [9 August - 15 Sept.] 23/23 (100%)
Europe + Australia [17 Sept. - 9 Nov.] 24/24 (100%)
OVERALL: 47/47 (100%)

2004 You Are The Quarry tour
American warm-up dates [17 April - 8 May] 12/12 (100%)
45th birthday concert [22 May] 1/1 (100%)
International festival dates [5 June - 17 July] 12/12 (100%)
British leg [28 August - 10 Sept.] 10/10 (100%)
North and South American leg [29 Sept. - 13 Nov.] 25/25 (100%)
UK, Paris and Dublin [22 Nov. - 20 Dec.] 6/6 (100%)
OVERALL: 66/66 (100%)

2006-2007 Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI
American warm-up dates [13-16 March 2006] 3/3 (100%)
European leg [1-16 April 2006] 10/10 (100%)
British leg [18 April - 28 May 2006] 30/30 (100%)
Summer festivals [2 June - 27 August 2006] 27/27 (100%)
Mexico / Chicago / Europe [14 Nov. - 23 Dec. 2006] 20/20 (100%)
Pasadena, USA [1-3 Feb. 2007] 3/3 (100%)
OVERALL: 93/93 (100%)

2007-2008 Greatest Hits tour
1st American leg [27 April - 10 June 2007] 30/30 (100%)
2nd American leg [26 June - 21 July 2007] 14/20 (70%)
3rd American leg [20 Sept. - 8 Nov. 2007] 30/33 (91%)
UK and France [16 Jan. - 4 Feb. 2008] 11/13 (85%)
Summer festivals [26 June - 29 July 2008] 6/6 (100%)
OVERALL: 91/102 (89%)

2009 Tour Of Refusal
BBC Radio Theatre concert 1/1 (100%)
American leg [28 Feb. - 18 April 2009] 26/33 (79%)
Ireland and the UK [28 April - 30 May 2009] 15/22 (68%)
Continental Europe + London [2 June - 22 July 2009] 26/30 (87%)
OVERALL: 78/86 (91%)

2009 Swords Tour
UK+ continental Europe [23 Oct. - 23 Nov. 2009] 18/19 (95%)
American West Coast [29 Nov. - 11 Dec. 2009] 8/9 (89%)
OVERALL: 26/28 (93%)

2011 Tour
UK/Europe Summer Tour [15 June - 9 August 2011] 29/30 (97%)
USA / Mexico [14 Nov. - 18 Dec. 2011] 19/20 (95%)
OVERALL: 48/50 (96%)

2012 Tour
South America [24 Feb. - 17 March 2012] 11/11 (100%)
Asia/Western USA [19 April - 26 May 2012] 19/19 (100%)
Europe [5-30 July 2012] 11/12 (92%)
USA East Coast [5 Oct. - 8 Dec. 2012] 9/35 (26%)
Australia/New Zealand [14-22 December 2012] 6/6 (100%)
OVERALL: 56/83 (67%)

2013 Tour
USA / Mexico City [9 Jan. - 1 May 2013] 15/61 (25%)
South America [9 July - 4 Aug. 2013] 0/14 (0%)
OVERALL: 15/75 (20%)

2014 Tour
USA [7 May - 21 June 2014] 17/27 (63%)
Europe [6 Oct. - 17 Dec. 2014] 32/40 (80%)
OVERALL: 49/67 (73%)

GRAND TOTAL: 852/991 (86%)
 
Last edited:
This looks mostly right, but some cancellations might not be listed in the actual listing. Below are the ones I noticed:

1991 - 2nd North American leg of Kill Uncle, 11 concerts cancelled according to PJLM:

Dates scheduled in Worcester, Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Williamsburg, Chapel Hill, Birmingham, New Orleans, Lakeland and Miami at the tail end of the tour were cancelled. After over 6 months of touring everywhere and doing television, radio and magazine interviews almost constantly, exhaustion must have had the better of Morrissey. It was time to kill "Kill Uncle" and move on to the next album.

Well, like I said, just going by the straight listings at PJLM. I don't know anything about these dates that were supposedly scheduled in 1991, since that predates my awareness of that sort of thing. I don't remember a New York show being canceled that year, but it's very possible that I never knew about it in the first place.

I will update my post to reflect the other cancellations of specific dates, though. If you know which dates were canceled in 1991 and 1995 (maybe I need to cross-reference with a Bowie site), I'll add them as well.

I don't personally think Lollapalooza (canceled in its entirety; nothing to do with Morrissey) should be included in the tally.
 
Damn you Chickpea, you beat me too it :)

I too tallied up the dates. I used Passions Just Like Mine for all dates from 1988-2000, and Morrissey-Solo for all dates from 2002 through (literally) today.

A few caveats: I counted scheduled and canceled dates only, meaning that if a date was postponed and then later played, it counted twice as a scheduled date and once as a canceled date. I also excluded all TV and radio appearances, even if they were listed on Morrissey-Solo as a tour date.

What's interesting is that even though people have complained about Morrissey canceling for years, prior to 2012 he had a pretty good run:

1988-2011:
Total shows scheduled: 791
Total canceled: 89
Cancellation rate: 11.25%

Of these cancellations, 11 came from canceling the 1991 2nd leg of the US Kill Uncle tour, and 21 or so from YATQ. Outside of those major events, cancellations tended to be sporadic (or due to illness as in the beginning of the 2009 American tour, which was hit or miss for the first 10 dates or so).

There's no question that 2012 (his mother's illness) and 2013 (his own) were bad years, significantly bringing up his average number of cancellations.

2012- 2014:l
Total shows scheduled: 226
Total canceled: 106
Cancellation rate: 46.90%

So, throughout his career, Morrissey has a cancellation rate of 19.17%.

Total shows scheduled: 1017
Total canceled: 195
Cancellation rate: 19.17%

This number would be lower if one were to work out how many of the dates counted as "cancelled" in my tally were in face "postponed." For example, 4 shows in London in May of 2009 were rescheduled and played in July of that year. If one were to not count all the dates as "played", you would end up with 4 less scheduled shows (1013) and 4 less canceled shows (191) for a cancellation rate of 18.85%. I welcome anyone to go through the pages below and figure that out, but now I really have to get back to work :)

More details below for those who want to check numbers:

1988 Wolverhampton 1 of 1(played/scheduled)
Total shows scheduled 1988: 1
Total canceled: 0
cancellation rate: 0%

1991 Kill Uncle (played/scheduled)
European 10 of 11
First North American Leg 24 of 27
First British Leg 7 of 7
Japan/Aus/NZ 8 og 11
2nd British Leg 7 of 7
2nd North American Leg: 10 of 21
Total shows scheduled Kill Uncle Tour: 84
Total canceled: 18
cancellation rate: 21.42%

1992 Your Arsenal Tour (played/scheduled)
European Festivals: 3 of 5
First NA leg: 25 of 25
2nd NA leg: 18 of 18
UK European leg: 10 of 10
Total shows scheduled YA tour: 58
Total canceled: 2
cancellation rate: 3.4%

1995 Boxers Tour (played/scheduled)
UK: 18 of 18
Total shows scheduled Boxers Tour: 18
Total canceled: 0
cancellation rate: 0%

1997 Maladjusted Tour (played/scheduled)
1st NA Leg: 21 of 22
2nd NA leg: 25 of 25
European leg: 8 of 8
Total shows Maladjusted Tour: 55
Total canceled: 1
cancellation rate: 1.8%

1999-2000 Oye Esteban Tour (played/scheduled)
American warm-up dates: 3 of 4
European leg: 15 of 16
British/Irish leg: 19 of 19
CA/NV dates: 9 of 9
NA leg: 21 of 22
Latin American Leg: 8 of 8
Total shows schedule Oye Esteban Tour: 78
Total canceled: 3
cancellation rate: 3.8%

Below and onwards from Morrissey-solo (radio and TV appearances excluded):

2002 Tour (played/scheduled)
Full tour: 47 of 52
Total shows 2002 tour: 52
Total canceled: 5
cancellation rate: 9.6%

2004 You are the Quarry Tour (played/scheduled)
Full tour: 66 of 87
Total shows YATQ tour: 87
Total canceled: 21
cancellation rate: 24.13%

2006 Tour of the Tormentors (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 90 of 94
Total Shows 2006: 94
Total Canceled: 4
cancellation rate: 4.4%

2007 Greatest Hits Tour (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 72 of 81
Total shows 2007: 81
Total Canceled: 9
cancellation rate: 11.1%

2008 Tour (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 17 of 19
Total shows 2008: 19
Total canceled: 2
cancellation rate: 10.5%

2009 Tour of Refusal (played/scheduled)
Full tour: 95 of 115
Total shows 2009: 115
Total canceled: 20
cancellation rate: 17.39%


2011 Tour (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 45 of 49
Total shows 2011: 49
Total canceled: 4
cancellation rate: 8.16%

2012 Tour (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 56 of 83
Total shows 2012: 83
Total canceled: 27
cancellation rate: 32.5%
From Passions Just like Mine: Two weeks into the [fall US leg of the] tour, Morrissey had to return to England where his mother had been hospitalized. The remaining dates were postponed to early in the new year. Most of these rescheduled concerts would end up being postponed again or cancelled as it would be Morrissey's turn to get ill.

2013 Tour (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 16 of 73
Total shows 2013: 73
Total canceled: 60
cancellation rate: 82.2%
From Passions just like mine: “Morrissey fell ill two weeks into the tour and needed to be hospitalized at the Royal Oak's William Beaumont Hospital in Detroit. It was first suspected that he had a bladder infection, but it turned out to be a bleeding ulcer and Barrett's esophagus. The tour was first set to resume in Las Vegas, then Denver, but in the end Morrissey only returned to the stage in San Diego. This barely lasted more than one more week as he fell ill again after the Portland concert, this time from double pneunomia. Under doctors order, the remaining planned dates were cancelled.”

2014 Tour (played/scheduled)
Full Tour: 51 of 70
Total shows 2014: 70
Total canceled: 19
cancellation rate: 27%
Most dates from the latter half of the US spring/summer tour had to be cancelled because Morrissey fell ill.


1988-2011:
Total shows scheduled: 791
Total canceled: 89
cancellation rate: 11.25%
(11 from 1991 2nd leg of US kill uncle tour; 21 or so from YATQ)

2012- 2014:
Total shows scheduled: 226
Total canceled: 106
cancellation rate: 46.90%

Total career:
Total shows scheduled: 1017
Total canceled: 195
cancellation rate: 19.17%
 
Last edited:
its relative. hes been going a lot longer than many many acts and people remember the cancellations and forget the rest completed which might account for slightly skewed memories. i think after this tour hell play the u.s again very soon as has already been suggested
 
Morrissey can cancel the rest of the tour now, but I hope not

Word in the LA real estate scene is that Morrissey and Nancy were going to buy this mansion in Beverly Hills, but it looks like Ozzy beat him to it. This was the obvious reason for the non stop touring. I bet he regrets going back to Europe and England now for that second leg and going all the way to Australia. Dream on South America.

http://www.examiner.com/article/ozzy-osbourne-buys-10-million-90210-home-after-years-of-renting
 
Re: Morrissey can cancel the rest of the tour now, but I hope not.

So, you have the ear of the L.A Real Estate scene.

:crazy:
 
Re: Morrissey can cancel the rest of the tour now, but I hope not

Word in the LA real estate scene is that Morrissey and Nancy were going to buy this mansion in Beverly Hills, but it looks like Ozzy beat him to it. This was the obvious reason for the non stop touring. I bet he regrets going back to Europe and England now for that second leg and going all the way to Australia. Dream on South America.

http://www.examiner.com/article/ozzy-osbourne-buys-10-million-90210-home-after-years-of-renting

Wow you are insane. I'm glad he's in Europe right now away from the likes of you.
 
Lucky when Morrissey shows up

In spite of his cancellations when he does show his shows are special
 
Back
Top Bottom