By chance I came across a Henry Rollins page with a mention of Morrissey in it. There was a story posted about this guy's adventure to see Mr. Rollins in a spoken word performance in Manchester a few years ago... What I was wondering is - did this in fact happen?

Excerpt from the story:

...

So I sat my ass down and cooled it for another hour 'til the show went on. It was great. He talked about his first time in Manchester. He talked about a talking show put on in L.A.... the same one that got taped for the video Talking from the Box. This is kind of funny... He talked about preparing for the show since he produced it as well as performed. At one point, somebody came up to him and asked if he could get a backstage pass for Morrissey. Rollins thought he was joking and told him to fuck off... a little while later he looked out into the audience and saw: it really was Morrissey. The Mo-man himself!

Later, during the show, he did this little bit where he talked about the riots in L.A. He talked about how he hit the streets to go check out the carnage. There was a record store (a chain store) that was being protected...rather pathetically, actually...by two unarmed security guards. "All right, you cement. Stay there!" So anyway, the looters started to close in on the record store. The rent-a-cops, in a wild mood of creativity, came over to the group of on-lookers (of which Rollins was a part) and put forth the proposition that they were going to deputize the group in order to 'protect the neighborhood.' Rollins, being "more cynical than your average stadium full of people" came up with the following argument against it:

"Ok...so what you're saying is you want me to take a rock in the face for Paula Abdul. Now, ok, let me get this right. I'm supposed to take a 2"x4" across my chest for Bono..."

Now I might interject this last bit of fun. Earlier on in the show, Rollins had to explain to the British audience the cultural differences of digital insults on either side of the Atlantic. The United States has its all-too-familiar method: clenching the fist with the exception of the single longest digit in the center of the hand - the eternal middle finger. In Britain, this is generally understood, but it's far more characteristic to use both the middle and index fingers (a reversal of the peace sign...ironically, all the hippies and peaceniks were/are just flipping themselves off.)

"...I'm supposed to stand in front of a huge piece of plate glass and try and defend it from five gnarly youths who want to go right over my head...for Morrissey."

It was at this point where Rollins flipped off Morrissey where he sat in the audience, all the while screaming "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!" The audience, froze, turned to look straight at the Mo-Man, laughed, clammed up, and turned quickly back to face the stage. This occurred during the first ten or fifteen minutes of his talk. He had to sit and live with this insult for another hour or so. Ouch..

...

Hi. I didn't even think to write to you about this so the story has been laying around for almost a year now. But, if you'd still like it, here it is.

It was February 21, 1998. For over three years I had wanted to meet Marilyn Manson but each opportunity had been screwed up in one way or another. But on this day, he was signing copies of The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell at Virgin Records in San Francisco. I hadn't bought the book yet (I was going to wait till I was there to do so) and I just threw on my Morrissey shirt which features a photograph of Moz feeding some ducks with the words: "It takes strength to be gentle and kind." I thought he would like seeing that shirt... for some reason, I figured he was a fan of Morrissey's and he would like the phrase. I showed up, messed around for several hours inside and around Virgin records awaiting Morrissey, I mean Marilyn.

Anyway, there was a whole bunch of stuff that happened in between but let us cut to where I'm getting at.

So, it's almost thyme for us to be let in. I'm by the entrance holding my book when someone asks if I know what Mr. Manson says about Morrissey. I don't. He points out a part where Mr. Manson says anal sex doesn't count as coitus (unless you're Morrissey). Something like that. I'd find the exact quote but a friend of mine has the book. So I'm kind of excited and kind of worried in a silly sort of way. And they point out the section on homosexuality which has many, many Morrissey references. And then... we were let in.

Approaching the table I am nervous, excited. Marilyn Manson is a band I've followed for several years and now was my chance to have some sort of contact with them. About ten-fifteen feet away from Mr. Manson I say, "Mr. Manson," and he looks up, "Will you make fun of me for wearing a Morrissey shirt?" He nodded and I covered it up with the book saying "it's not Morrissey, it's, uh, Morrissey Manson." He laughed.

When I was at the table, Marilyn asked me where I'd like him to sign. I pointed out a glowing sphere he was cradling in a picture. As he started to sign the top of the page, I thanked him but not for just the autograph.

I noticed the first letters didn't look like "Marilyn" so I figured he must have a very messy signature. Very messy considering the rest of the words didn't look much like "Marilyn Manson" either. He handed the book back and I looked to see "you're gay....Marilyn Manson." I asked, since I'm gay, if I could have a hug. And the lady who was working there said we have to keep the line moving. Fooey. Mr. Manson said, "Hug the cop. Cops need hugs too." So I approached the big burly man and put my arms out to hug him. He put his arms out to block me saying he doesn't need hugs. He seemed quite nervous. Mr. Manson and the employees laughed. Perhaps that's where the "cops and queers" line derived from. I thanked him one more thyme before leaving.

In November of that year, I ended up spending a day with a fellow in a band by the name of Healthy Morbidity. I told him about my meeting with Marilyn and it turns out that the H.M guy was actually an employee at Virgin and he had heard about me from the other employees... and that's it.

In the latest issue of Melody Maker (06-02-99) they have done an interview with Stephen Street. Here is what was said about The Smiths & Moz:

"...his good fortune then continued when he met up with a band from Manchester who were about to start making more than a few waves in what had become a pretty stagnant music scene.

"Yeah, I worked for a long time with The Smiths," he nods, still very keenly aware of what a stroke of luck that meeting was, a stroke of luck that continued when he was asked to co-write Morrissey´s first solo effort.

"We´d just finished `Strangeways....´ and everybody thought that Morrissey and Marr were just having a tiff, but there was nothing left in the can for any B-sides, so I sent Morrissey some ideas for possible use and got a letter back saying; `Dear Stephen, I love what you sent me, let´s talk´, and it turned out that he wanted to make a solo album and asked if I had any more. Recording started in October, and by Christmas `Viva Hate´ was finished and I couldn´t believe the sudden surge of energy. It was incredible, although the tension ended up giving me stomach ulcers, because you can imagine trying to follow in Johnny Marr´s footsteps..." he says, shaking his head at that memory.

Though the album was a success (which, given the expectations surrounding any post-Smiths material, was something of a minor miracle), Mozzer threw one of his notorious strops and promptly stopped calling. Street went back into the studio..."

The interview was edited by Tony Horkins

"Meat Is Murder" is mentioned in suck.com (not a porno site) for Feb. 9. It's a story about contaminated meat causing people to die. Here it is:

"More recently, an old Smiths song took on new meaning: Meat, for a little while, was murder-suicide. Back in January, hungry folks eating packaged meat products from a listeria-contaminated plant in Michigan started dropping like flies; 12 people died, and at least three women miscarried, after eating hot dogs and deli meat from the problem factory."

You can read it at:

http://www.suck.com/daily/99/02/09/

In Q magazine (the November issue), there is an article (note) called "The Height of Fame" that pictures the various heights of rock stars like Mike Stipe, Jarvis Cocker, Madonna...etc.

There's a bit about Morrissey in a little black box at the bottom of the page titled "Scuse Me While I Kiss The Sky", and Morrissey's name is mentioned along with Mick Fleetwood (6'5''), Scott James (6'5''), Marilyn Manson (6'3''), Bob Geldolf (6'2''), Nick Cave (6'2''), Shane McGowan (6'1''), Boy George (6'1''), Paul Weller (6'0'') and Liam Howlett (6'0'').

Oh yeah, and Morrissey is 6'0''.

Morrissey's height, always a topic of debate. I heard he's 5', 10 1/2".

Comments / Notes (6)

The Nguyens have been together now as a cover band for one year officially this Sunday which makes us either a success or bonafide losers depending on your perspective...

...So meet us back at the same venue where we started and celebrate: The Smiths, the return of The Kirby Grips, pink paper heart cut-outs, Chocolates, Cocktails...

THE TIP TOP INN
3001 MISSION STREET @26th
9PM $4 cover charge
ALSO STARRING: THE KIRBY GRIPS!

The POPscene team are throwing party, dedicated to The Smiths/Morrissey, March 5th. 1999

The address is:

Zentrum Altenberg
Altenberger Str./Hansastr.
Oberhausen

Contact: 02835 / 440104