In 1986 Moz effectively dedicated 'Panic' with it's 'Hang the DJ' refrain to Steve Wright who was Radio 1's main afternoon DJ (I think). I think Wright's photo was used on posters advertising the single.

Now here we are in 2004 and hardly anyone is playing the new Morrissey single on daytime radio except ... you guessed it ... Steve Wright! (now on Radio 2). He's played it every day this week.

Is it time for Moz to say soz?!
John

Oh dear. Poor Moz. Still, you could see from the footage that many in the crowd were decidedly underwhelmed. I fear he's going to fall flat on his face at Leeds and Reading, I really do. Change the band, they are too MOR. He shouldn't do festivals I don't think.

Why IBEH was 'Single Of The Week' but FOTGTD isn't I'm not sure - First Of The Gang is the much better song!

YATQ up from 21 to 12 in its seven week here in Norway.

Although Moz was voted 3rd most disappointing he only recieved 12% of the votes, but he was also in the other bands enjoyed over the weekend list, and did not get a mention in the absolute pits list, I live very close to the site and a lot of locals go for the day on Sunday, I have only heard positive comments on his performance, and there was even a nice review in our local paper.

he was rated third most disappointing at Glastonbury.

It wasn't that he was crap- he just seemed a bit tired, and the setlist was predictable as well as being far too obscure for a festival appearance.

There's no real point in Morrissey doing festivals - he obviously doesn't enjoy them and people wouldn't be instantly impressed anyway. By and large he's an acquired taste - these things take time. I mean, I can't imagine anyone rushing out and buying Viva Hate on the strength of his Glastonbury performance. Morrissey live is about the fans, really... I just wish the radio would play him more - imagine hearing 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' for the first time on the radio! Yes, I'll keep dreaming.

I agree with the above poster - Moz should avoid festivals. Moz live is best when it is for the fans - the energy of his performance comes from their appreciation. You have to ask yourself - why is Morrissey performing at festivals? There are really only two possible answers:

1. To win over new fans/a new audience OR
2. Because Sanctuary are insisting that he do them to fulfil some aspect of his contract.

Assuming, as is most likely, option 1 is closer to the truth, you then have to ask yourself, why go to a festival but not give it your all/not make any real attempt to win over the audience? Take Glastonbury - if the intention was to increase his audience he seems to have failed as Quarry has dropped down the album charts considerably SINCE Glastonbury. Therefore why bother going? If he's not into it, why not just arrange another concert for his fans, who would most certainly appreciate it?

Moreover, the argument that Moz at Glastonbury was confronting the crowd, saying "take me as I am or not at all" and refusing to compromise only sticks to a point. In principle, it's a sound idea - don't compromise your music or your principles. But if the idea was to stir up the 'corporate middle class' crowd by doing this, then he failed miserably - instead, they just thought he was boring and will forget about him within a week - not everyone is as attentive or analytical of his actions as we are. Now the thing that WOULD have stirred them up and really have kicked their conservative asses is if Moz had put on a storming performance, rocked out with the passion and anger to which we are accustomed. Then, even those who didn't like him would have been given one in the eye and his appearance would have been much more effective in every sense. WHAT he plays is less important than HOW he plays it - let's be honest kids, his Glasto performance was boring. He could play 'Speedway', 'Little Man, What Now', anything obscure if he so desired so long as the vitriol and passion were intact. Then he would have been provoking the crowd in a much more effective way. As it is, they were just bored by him. So again, this leads to the question - why go to festivals? If you don't intend to give a scorching performance, don't bother cos you won't end up provoking anyone or even, it seems, entertaining them. The appearance did nothing at all for his sales or credibility and so was entirely pointless. That is the incontrovertible fact. The few Moz fans who were there could have been treated to another performance elsewhere at a standard Morrissey gig in place of Glasto, so no-one needed to lose out.

These festival appearances are proving to be a mistake!