BILLY BRAGG TO MORRISSEY: "You're a bore"

That's a pretty disgusting article I think. Billy Bragg is part of the establishment now.
 
The cynic in me would suggest Morrissey's comments hve ensured some of his long forgotten contemporaries from the 80s have some greatest hits records out.
 
This is just pathetic. All these long forgotten "stars" now feel the urge to comment on Morrissey to get some attention!! well, it says more about them, than about our Moz! They are the real BORES of our world.:mad:
 
Morrissey the 23rd said:
Bigmouth was better - Billy Bragg - The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2225799,00.html
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I completely missed this - my good lady is loafing on the couch with a beer and a bag of nuts, and she says to me "Have you seen this Billy Bragg article on Morrissey?". No point in getting the pedal-powered scanner out, as you kindly posted the link. I do remember reading all the great accounts of Billy and The Smiths during Red Wedge. Sad it's come to this.

Peter
 
I am a huge Bragg fan - I've probably seen him live more times than Moz (even spent time chatting to him after a sound check in Preston years ago) - so seeing him rip into Moz (again) saddens me. Why do we spend so much time devoted to these people ...

I always thought that, if I ever became Prime Minister, I'd make Billy the Witchfinder General and then I'd resign happy that I'd left the country in a better state than when I took over. Until October when he met the Queen....It's interesting to see though that even before the NME debacle Bragg was anxious about upsetting Mozzer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=487796&in_page_id=1770

"My tour manager has even asked if we are going to have the full coat of arms on the side of our tour bus with the words 'By appointment, songwriter to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'. And I'll probably get struck off Morrissey's Christmas card list."
 
Billy has became a bore and whore. Shame. There isn't many I have faith in and that is one less.

Pro-war Oona King and a HRII remain on his Christmas list. Morrissey will have stuck Billy from his. Being a grovelling subject to her royal highness may have topped his evening off but it has tipped him over the edge of relevance to me. I never realised he was an ashamed monarchist. He feels the need to demonstrate respect to her but to Morrissey, he will go out of his way to be nasty. He may feel it doesn't get much better than meeting the Queen. Just wish I had known that before I was deceived into spending money on his records and concert tickets over the years. I wont spend another penny on him and if I see him again, I'll let him know exactly what I think of him now. The only connection I see with Friedrich Schiller to Billy is bourgeois hypocrisy.
 
I seem to have managed to upset Andrew Collins, ex-NME, on that thread in my guise of "mgf2308". Oh dear, how sad, never mind. :)
 
Augustus said:
I seem to have managed to upset Andrew Collins, ex-NME, on that thread in my guise of "mgf2308". Oh dear, how sad, never mind. :)
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Collins was bragging on BBC radio 6 once about how he was partly responsible for chasing Moz out of the UK by being one of the writers of 'Flying the flag.' I immediately sent him an email to say I hadn't forgotten either and I remember what he looks like. The problem for him is he has no idea what I look like when we do meet in the street. Seconds later he said on air that Morrissey had forgiven him and it was about time I did too. The thing is, I doubt Moz has and I know I haven't.
 
Morrissey the 23rd said:
Collins was bragging on BBC radio 6 once about how he was partly responsible for chasing Moz out of the UK by being one of the writers of 'Flying the flag.' I immediately sent him an email to say I hadn't forgotten either and I remember what he looks like. The problem for him is he has no idea what I look like when we do meet in the street. Seconds later he said on air that Morrissey had forgiven him and it was about time I did too. The thing is, I doubt Moz has and I know I haven't.
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I love your dedication. :D
 
Augustus said:
I seem to have managed to upset Andrew Collins, ex-NME, on that thread in my guise of "mgf2308". Oh dear, how sad, never mind. :)
Click to expand...

One of the best things I've read in a long time, particularly "100 Highly Sensitive Freelancers with no sense of humour". Well done.
 
I wonder why no-one else ever thought to write lyrics for Beethoven's work? Anyway, I hope you are all going to be free in March for my production of "Macbeth On Ice" at Bracknell Ice Rink. Book early.

Right, I must be off. I have to go and colour in "Guernica".

:rolleyes:
 
Augustus said:
I seem to have managed to upset Andrew Collins, ex-NME, on that thread in my guise of "mgf2308". Oh dear, how sad, never mind. :)
Click to expand...

You're doing a great job in there. I decided I wanted to join in. I registered and wrote a post but it never appeared. How long after posting should it take to appear?

Below is what I tried to post, except the bold are corrections I've made to the post since posting. I'm sure there are many more but you get the general idea. I'm tired! Also, it has now appeared since originally posting this post onto Moz-solo.



On March 30, 2004 before playing a song on the BBC radio 4, Andrew Collins boasted, 'I was responsible for sending Morrissey out of the country!".

He was referring to the previous time the NME famously tried to stitch Morrissey up as racist with their 'Flying the flag or flirting with disaster?' cover in August of 1992. Along with Danny Kelly and Gavin Martin. Ironic, especially as black artists were never on the NME cover. This was alledgedly because it would result in poor sales. Nothing has changed. I've read tonight how Collins has denied that, so I thought I'd back that up with links where Simon Reynolds revealed in his recent 'Bring the Noise' article that IPC (owners of both the defunct Melody Maker and soon to be NME) ruled that black faces weren't allowed on the cover. For further reading, read Mozgate: NME vs Moz part II from: http://www.mutantpop.net/radioclash/ and BRING THE NOISE - Simon Reynolds http://www.factmagazine.co.uk/da/53579.


Immediately after the song Collins played, he responded to emails that had been sent to him regarding his bragging and said, 'Is he flying the flag or dicing with danger? It was something like that we wrote on the cover, and ran a picture (sounds nervous) and ran err various articles err and err some said that he would never talk to the NME after that cos he was so cross about it, but we did ask him (voice goes higher) to comment on the thing that he did with the flag at Madstock, and he declined to comment, I mean he'd been interviewed by the NME so many times (about to cry), err, so some say that he got so fed up with the whole thing that he moved to LA, and err (smashy and nicey voice) don't blame me for it morrissey fans.'

Years later Morrissey gives the new staff at NME a clean slate and they're at it again. This time Morrissey does not choose to ignore them, which he did previously as the allegations were ridiculous to those with a brain and he knew, just like now, it would only give the NME the publicity it craved. This time Morrissey is going to let pass.

Sadly, Billy Bragg along with other forgotten '80's pop stars feels the need to stick his boot in too. As he is in the mood for comparing with ones his former self: The old Billy was someone who was all for English socialists reclaiming patriotism from the right wing but nowadays, he finds spending his time campaigning for pro-war Oona King and being a grovelling subject to the Queen, much more worth his while. It is clear that Billy now feels the need to demonstrate respect to her majesty and to go out of his way to be nasty regarding Morrissey. Not just once either, and who do I see climbing out the woodwork to support BB in his assault on Morrissey? Andrew Collins. The very man who so proudly bragged (sic) to be partly responsible for sending Morrissey out of the country, when he previously, wrongly labelled Morrissey racist when working for the NME. Do I think BB is foolish to say the things he has been saying this week? Yes, I do and I speak as a Billy Bragg fan. Correction. Ex-fan.

Treatment by fumigation or radiation would result in me behind bars. So, I'll attack this infestation by turning the temperature up and exposing Collins for what he is. One of a group of guys who, when working for the NME decided 'to get', or rather try to Morrissey. Morrissey is still around and according to a Guardian poll yesterday, "Does what Morrissey says matter any more?", clearly it does. Guardian readers voted by over 4 to 1 that what Morrissey says does matter. Try that same poll with boring Bragg and see the result. Collins. Well, who is he? He never was anybody. A keen web user who once appeared on Telly addicts. So busy he spends his time debating with the unemployed on the Guardian blogg regarding the issue he began all those years ago.

I want to quote a Morrissey lyric but it escapes me for the moment. It's from Jack the ripper and it's not, 'You face is as mean as your life has been.'
 
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Mozz the 23rd, I loved your post in the thread that has annoyed Andrew Collins... could I have a link to the thread please?

I find it very tough to tell apart Andrew Collins and Mark Steele- they both seem to be a bit self-satisfied to me, only Mark Steele is occasionally quite funny.

'The day the music died'? 'The day the joke fell flat' more like...
 
That Billy Bragg Daily Mail article made me cringe and feel sick. Fair enough he feels the way he does but the fact that he contributed to the ridiculous agenda of that rag was unnecessary. Kind of the opposite of one of those "restoring your faith in human nature" moments for me.
 
little stripey socks said:
Mozz the 23rd, I loved your post in the thread that has annoyed Andrew Collins... could I have a link to the thread please?

I find it very tough to tell apart Andrew Collins and Mark Steele- they both seem to be a bit self-satisfied to me, only Mark Steele is occasionally quite funny.

'The day the music died'? 'The day the joke fell flat' more like...
Click to expand...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2225799,00.html


After I posted part one of my response last night, I was unable to post part two. I was unable to post it all in one go due to the maximum length of post allowed. It kept on being rejected with the message, 'You are unable to post here.' I repeatedly tried then eventually the ability to post on this thread was removed entirely.

I couldn't respond earlier because I was at a concert on Thursday night and working last night.

Here is part two of my response. I'll need to make sure Collins gets it in some way:

My reason for losing faith in Bragg isn't because he has once again, so venomously unjustly attacked Morrissey but these attacks have helped me reach the conclusion BB isn't the man I thought he was. The final straw if you like. His support of Oona King and other pro-war New Labour MPs was something that ate away at me. His continual digs at Mozzer and his need to mention him in a negative way has annoyed me for some time. Now my loss of faith in him has been confirmed. He has pushed me away. I didn't want that. Sometimes, as you grow older and wiser you realise you have been cheated. What stifles debate is you deciding what I and others think. Don't dare speak on my behalf. You say people should have a mind of their own and then hypocritically tell them what they think.

Do you wish you never decided to put, 'is Morrissey a racist?' on the agenda then continue to carry it on all these year, never to let go of a seriously flawed accusation, or is that a journalistic achievement for you to be proud of?

It doesn't really matter how long you have been a fan, unless you want to score elitist points, which doesn't interest me. You know what? This isn't what you'll want to believe but I don't carte blanche agree with Morrissey. In fact, my views on immigration for example are at the nearly opposite poles. Still, I'm clever enough based on the facts available to know he is not racist and that you, among others, for years have been mischief making by claiming otherwise. I even doubt you believe that yourself. Don't reply that you don't think he is unless you completely withdraw all the open ended questions you've posed to suggest he is over the last 15 years. You should also in that case be standing up for someone you claim to love and defend the claims of racism towards him. If you do think he is racist. Say it. I ask you, do you believe Morrissey is racist?

I'm of Irish immigrant stock on my mother's side and have been brought up in Scotland. As a fan of Celtic football club all my life: I've been educated to disassociate myself from sectarianism and bigotry of any kind, regardless of gender, age, religion, race or ability. My wife was born in Madagascar and is a French national. I have a brother who has lived in Germany for over a decade. He has a Thai girlfriend and German son. I've another brother who lives in America with his Indian wife and American children. I'll travelled all over Europe and been to countries in Africa and South America, mixing with people from all over the world. I'm not parochial in thought or experience. The more diverse the world becomes, the less racism will be an issue and all the better we all will be for it, in my view. I firmly believe in the Woody Guthie line: This land is my land. This land is your land.

I agree that admiring someone a lot does not mean that a person cannot then have a mind of their own. Just because I despise your morally and corrupt, persistent, wrongful attack on Morrissey, does not mean I lose any right to comment and require you to spin my thoughts, or claim I have no mind of my own.

I understand Morrissey's view and fail to see what is racist in what he said. Having dedicated a lot of my life towards him, his music and his spoken word. There is no doubt in my mind he isn't. The case against is overwhelming. I believe you know that too but you wont let facts stand in the way of raising doubt in peoples minds. It doesn't suit your agenda to highlight why Morrissey is void of racism. Just because I don't sympathise with his loss of England does not mean I shouldn't defend his right to say it. Why shouldn't I support him against tyrants like yourself, who do not care what damage they do to the person, or the damage they do to the important issue of racism, by inflammatory and dangerous comments? You clearly have not let go of your agenda to spin Morrissey as racist and I find that sickening.

You write as if you were best mates with him. Could you clarify? Are you saying Morrissey has forgiven you for the part you played in the vile article, 'Flying the flag' and subsequent comments insinuating he is racist?
 
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