Has anyone read "Gig" by Simon Armitage

Dave2006

Well-Known Member
...cos it's littered with Smiths and |Morrissey and he's obviously a huge fan.

I've always had a soft spot for Simon because he went to my school (about 8 years before I did) and I've read most of his poetry and non-poetry books. I'm about 2/3 the way through Gig and thought I'd share some of it.

Although the references are all the way through the book, two chapters are specifically about Moz:
"Morrissey, King George's Hall" includes a description of a Moz gig in May 2006, he describes Morrissey of having "waiter's hips and builder's shoulders".
"I'm staring at his stomach. It isn't the toned and shaped personally trained stomach of a Los Angeles resident. Neither is it the pie and chips pregnancy of the shirtless car-park attendant on an August Bank Holiday, or the space hopper beer belly of the Newcastle United fan, stripped to the waist and standing in his seat on a howling north-easterly at St James’s Park on New Year's Day. So what is it? It's sort of proud, sort of serious. It's very real. Back in the eighties there was barely enough of Morrissey to stop his paisley shirts and floral blouses from completely imploding. Now he looks like a retired shire horse standing on his back legs, or something from mythology, as if those tailored Italian trousers might be hiding a pair of goat's legs...."​

He goes on to tell his dad that the Smiths were "the most influential British Guitar band of modern times".
"Rubbish" says his dad. Sound familiar?

A second chapter is much more brief:
"The Smiths, Huddersfield, 8th January 2007:
Listening to Meat is Murder on itunes in the back bedroom when speedy Sue shouts up the stairs, "How do you want this steak cooking."​

The guy is a genius, destined to be poet laureate one day...

http://www.simonarmitage.com/
 
In October 2007 when Simon Armitage was on BBC London Radio's Robert Elms Show he said he'd like Morrissey to hand him an award one day.

The story of his book was repored on mainpage in April.

http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=08/04/14/0624258

guess i missed that, i hardly ever read the mainpage anymore.

there was a thread on the forums where simon and paul morely discuss this charming man - mike joyce is in the background and says very little...

Kewpie, i am sure you can do the honours and find it...google is letting me down
 
guess i missed that, i hardly ever read the mainpage anymore.

there was a thread on the forums where simon and paul morely discuss this charming man - mike joyce is in the background and says very little...

Kewpie, i am sure you can do the honours and find it...google is letting me down


Hmmm, if I feel like searching the thread I'll post the link later, but it's not a promise. :p

*edit*
sweet and tender hooligan posted Pop on Trial

According to esperanza on 8th January 2008 BBC 4 "Pop on Trial" featured This Charming Man discussion with Simon Armitage and Paul Morley.
Unfortunately there was no specific thread had been posted.
 
Last edited:
Hmmm, if I feel like searching the thread I'll post the link later, but it's not a promise. :p

*edit*

According to esperanza on 8th January 2008 BBC 4 "Pop on Trial" featured This Charming Man discussion with Simon Armitage and Paul Morley.
Unfortunately there was no specific thread had been posted.

My mind is playing tricks on me then - I'm sure there was a conversation about Mike Joyce just standing in the background, nodding. Then at the end, after Armitage & Morley had waxed lyrical, Joyce said something like "I just thought it had a great tune" - the genius.

#the passing of time, and all of it's sickening crimes...#
 
My mind is playing tricks on me then - I'm sure there was a conversation about Mike Joyce just standing in the background, nodding. Then at the end, after Armitage & Morley had waxed lyrical, Joyce said something like "I just thought it had a great tune" - the genius.

#the passing of time, and all of it's sickening crimes...#


Bump

The thread wasn't posted in general discussion, but I found it on mainpage:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/08/02/05/1851238.shtml

;)
 
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