"I Paddle My Own Canoe"

This has been an eventful week for me. I’ve managed to score tickets for the US shows I’ve had my sights set on, including Reno, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. Many thanks to my wonderful followers, who helped me out and made the pre-sales far less stressful, especially as one website was giving me issues as an international customer. San Antonio seemed to sell out almost immediately - what panic as the site kept freezing. I also acquired tickets for Irvine, which I’m thrilled about as I decided to add that date at the last minute. While checking the pre-sale site for a friend to see if it was crashing or not, I landed 3 tickets – well, could I resist them once they were nestled in my cart? Of course I couldn’t!

A second date has already been added for Irvine - which I wasn't able to add to my plans at the moment - but it looks like some more dates may appear. I wouldn't be surprised to see another date added to San Antonio, considering how quickly it sold out. It was difficult for many to get tickets to that show; the venue looks quite spectacular:

 

Now I look on towards Berlin and Manchester, which are coming up very soon! I’ve already started refining my packing lists, which, as always, are rather extensive. How will I get everything into my suitcase? But for now, all eyes will of course be on the shows in Norway. As Mando hinted, there may be new songs... and it’s always exciting to see what other gems will find their way onto the setlists.  What will be said between songs?  Will there be new backdrops or pre-show videos? Oooh! Palpable, delicious anticipation. Earlier in the week, Morrissey was photographed walking around Bergen (the coats in August seem to be telling me Norway must be chilly!) As always, I wonder what it must be like to be photographed everywhere - does one get used to it? At times my moony excitement over new photos makes me feel guilty, and as such produces mixed emotions: does Moz mind being photographed out in public like that? I suppose I can't really ever know, and I can't help but think it might be a strange feeling, however used to it one might become.

Moz and Damon in Bergen via demoniosenzacuore on IG

Meanwhile some new interviews have appeared, including an Australian one in anticipation of his five upcoming dates there.  Some unfortunate mindless gossips parading as ‘journalists’ have, of course, hacked this interview apart already, including an article in the Guardian which insinuated Moz is racist for being critical of Halal slaughter. Clearly speaking up against the cruel murder of innocent animals doesn’t make one racist! However, this trash-pseudo-news story claims just that, as it rips Morrissey's quotes out of context. I was incensed by such a despicable piece, which is best described as a 300 word non-effort ramble of sensationalism and mind-numbing cliches (thank goodness it wasn’t any longer, really). Predictably, it ended with the “Heaven knows we’re miserable...” line. Oh, to be so creative! Do people really get paid to write this nonsense?

To me, it’s very unfortunate that when Morrissey stands up for the rights of animals, he is attacked. This is, of course, usually due to the person’s own implicit guilt surrounding their own speciesist views, OR merely that they are attempting to gain attention towards their own dreary selves by criticizing him, because they seem incapable of attracting any legitimate attention based on their own talent, or merits. It’s highly doubtful to me that these people care about human rights either; they are just thirstily seeking for ways to pick a fight.  I also think many in this world are terrified of someone with a mind – someone who does not follow the herd – someone who isn't marketed to tacitly nod in agreement – someone who expresses themselves – I could go on. Individuality intimidates – so attack mode sets in. But enough about the world's crashing bores: let’s move on.

“There’s so much destruction, all over the world, and all you can do is complain about me.”

Some highlight quotes from the original Australian article included (with respect to the source):

"I don't know anyone who likes the Boil Family...There is no such thing as a royal person...Harry killed 34 people in Afghanistan and the UK press called him a hero. If he ate 34 poor people in Haiti the UK press would still call him a hero. It is insufferable."

"I find that if you are a genuine artist in 2016 you must look after yourself... I paddle my own canoe."

"I don't celebrate my birthday, or much else come to think of it"

The interview also includes some insightful quotes about politics, the meat industry, and the news that Morrissey was not consulted on the new biopic Steven that is being filmed. One of my personal favourite quotes was the last one:

"I've never been involved in the literary world. Or even the literal world."

"Reality is not real to me"

I genuinely hope Moz actually is working on a new novel, or some kind of literary work. I adore his way with words, and I hope the narrow-minded critics and their personal attacks didn’t put him off. He writes something different. He says something different. Amongst all the beiges of the world, that's a tremendous something. As most of you know, I am a great admirer of List of the Lost.

One very important question asked by the interviewer was if converting people to Vegetarianism and Veganism would be one of Morrissey's proudest legacies. He said yes. I know he helped me take the steps to become Vegetarian, make more Vegan choices, and say no to any products that test on animals.  This is also the case for many people I know. The footage he shows at concerts during Meat is Murder speaks for itself - you can't love animals and eat them - there is no humane way to do such a thing, despite what the farming industries and shouting big-money advertisers want you to believe. This is footage deemed too violent and disturbing for television, yet on these same television screens we are shown images of ribs and burgers repeatedly, forcefully. 

In light of this, I decided last night to make a poll seeing if my followers became Vegan through the help of Morrissey's influence.  As always with Twitter polls, it was a little difficult to formulate, because of character and option limitations (the third option, for instance, meant that someone was a Vegan or Vegetarian before discovering Morrissey - oh - how to fit that in under 20 characters...)  I also mentioned in response to my tweet that people who had at least reduced their meat-eating habits or had started to think about this could reply if they'd like, as that is the first step in change (I would have liked this as a 5th poll option if it had been possible). After I tweeted the poll, I initially felt apprehensive, did I really want to see the numbers? I know this is something so important to Morrissey, so I was a little afraid that the results wouldn't be as much of a landslide victory for the Veggie and Vegan crowd as I had hoped. 

As the numbers started rolling in, I was glowing - at one point, we had 90% of people say their eating habits had changed towards reducing animal products. Amazing! Slowly, it evened out towards about 60% of people saying they have become Vegan or Vegetarian thanks to Morrissey raising awareness about the meat industry (7 % already were).  That's huge.  The truth is, each person who moves away from a carnivorous diet is making a huge difference. According to Peta, not eating animals saves around 100 animal lives a year.  Think of the lives saved.

Photo via Peta.org

Poll results as of approx 11 a.m. PST:

Sadly, and by no fault of my well-meaning followers, the poll seemed to end up re-tweeted into the hands of some rather aggressively carnivorous tweeters (some of which I have my doubts as to whether they were even Morrissey fans) so the veggie numbers did slide slightly. Yes, yes, I know - I do realize not everyone is vegetarian, but the odd person grew rather confrontational, even rude. This begs the question why do some meat-eaters resort to abusive language when simply questioned about their eating habits? I'll let you ponder that, considering there was absolutely nothing antagonistic about my initial question. Regardless of this, the important message to extract here is that Moz has made an incredibly significant difference in the lives of many humans and countless, countless animals.

Poll results as of 2:30 pm PST:

Here was one of my absolute favourite replies of the day:

And now, we wait for reviews to come in from Bergen, followed by Stavanger.  I'm off to try to relax after all the ticket buying jitters. Wine is in order tonight, and I have a trip to plan: somehow I have to find a way to cram three cans of hairspray AND a sleeping bag into my suitcase.

The Most Loved

It's strange for me to sit down and type this out, because this is the first Morrissey blog I've written after losing my cat. I feel very lost without my little friend sitting under my desk and contentedly purring at my feet. For me, July of this year has been a month of despair. Thankfully, I have had some beautiful support from my Twitter friends, who I've met through our mutual love of Morrissey. I'm not sure where I'd be without them, or without him. There is a light that never goes out.

July has also had its glimmers of hope. On July 5th we had the announcement for the Manchester date. And - on July 26th Morrissey announced a 23-date World Tour that includes Asia, Australia, and the US.

Despair and hope.
Hope and despair.

Tour dates via TTY

I was certainly hoping for some US dates - which seemed like they may have been in the cards as Riot Fest was announced a few months back. I'd attend all the dates if I could - but as of right now I have my sights set on Reno and the 1st 3 Texas dates! With so many Texas dates there has been speculation that Morrissey may do a show in Mexico, and some of my Mexican friends are definitely hoping for that. We shall see.

I was also wondering if Moz might dust off some glorious country covers for these dates, especially as Waylon Jennings was born in Texas - his cover of Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way? is one of my favourites:

I'll be on the search for information about pre-sales and on sale dates for tickets... The ticket-buying part always gets my nerves on a rampage! I will be shattered and scattered, whereas some others will stretch out and wait til the last minute. Oh - to be so calm.  Good luck to everyone trying to get tickets.

In the meantime, to soothe my ever-raging nerves I should possibly go on the prowl looking for MORE cardigan photos. I'm beginning to believe they really are magical. On July 5th, directly after I posted a cardigan photo, the Manchester date was announced, and then this tour announcement appeared right after I tweeted 4 more stunning cardigan snapshots I'd come across (which I hadn't seen before).  You cannot imagine the sublimity of my excitement when I discover new cardigan photos... or, perhaps you can, judging by the fact I end up tweeting in all caps:

To be fair I do post a lot of cardigan photos of Moz... but for now I'm just going to believe they're lucky.  And my followers seem to also adore a good-looking man about town in a cardigan.

Speaking of photos, I've just downloaded Prisma and have been editing some photos of Moz with it. Here are two of my favourites so far:

To Me You Are A Work Of Art

Well, enough for now of the many, many distractions that lie temptingly in wait in the technological age.  I should really be working on practicing my German for Berlin; I downloaded a German app as soon as I decided to go.  Languages were my thing in school (numbers were NOT).  I've got a few phrases down so far (I think). That said, I'm sure nobody cares, but my German will likely be atrocious, because I'm very lazy....

For now, I'll leave you with the song I often used to sing to my cat, because he really was - and always will be - "The Most Loved":

Back On The Road

I realize it's been quite a while since I've last written on any of my blogs, which comes down to a myriad of reasons, including busyness, stress (I can never handle it), and the dread writer's block. All I've really written in that time is a poem that doesn't dare show its face anywhere. Funnily enough, one of the only things that seems to alleviate stress for me - writing - I can't do because I am stressed - oh life, you and your silly tricks!  So that leaves the last blog I wrote to be over three weeks ago - a review of Aine's book, I Will See You In Far Off Places.  In that time, Morrissey has announced a tour date in - MANCHESTER!

Photo via TTY

I was absolutely not expecting this. Well - the night before there were some whisperings about possible UK dates but then one never wants to get too hopeful about rumours. So, you can only stretch out and wait, really...The very next morning (evening for nearly everyone else on my timeline) typical glum me decided to have a nap (one of my favourite escapist techniques) but first I wanted to tweet a nice photo of Moz as a bit of a pick-me-up:

Never question the magic of the cardigan.

I wake up an hour or so later realizing it's time to give my cat his lunch. That usual depression veil wraps itself around my mind as consciousness resumes.  But my cat is nudging me with his lovely furry face.  I casually check Twitter and - OH MY GOD - my heart nearly stops.  A UK date? I check True To You immediately.  I crumple my bleak sadness veil up into a ball and toss it into the corner of the room for a moment - A MORRISSEY DATE IN MANCHESTER? My friends are crying with excitement. I type nearly constantly in caps with them. I could care less if it's annoying; I'm excited. I open tab after tab after tab of cheapo-airline-econo-class sites and see if this is possible.  It should be. I just need to get a ticket. My hands are shaking - my pulse is racing and that blah "everything is pointless" numbness sitting on my soul lifts a bit (no, A LOT - I know I have been waiting for this). I have plans to make. I book hotels near the venues: I decide I should try to do Berlin as well.  I just need to get my concert ticket: I know the UK doesn't seem to do print-at-home. Our post is on strike - Oh Canada. My beautiful friend Olivia agrees to try to get one for me. More tabs, maps, places to see - the cemetry, Salford Lads Club, the Iron Bridge.

Then - ticket sale day - I check the website - it seems like there are no general admission right away - spinning wheels, frozen pages. Not available. My arms have that anxiety-veins-full-of-ice-water sensation. My heart stops. Nervous nausea. Did they sell out that fast? Morrissey may not have a record deal as far as we know but he can sell out one of the biggest indoor arenas in Europe in moments.  I wait.  Then the tweet appears - Olivia has gotten the tickets - she's a ticket angel!  In England it's 9:15 a.m.  Where I live it's 1:15 a.m. I want to scream-sing Rubber Ring - dance - everyone will wake up.  It takes me until at least 3 a.m. to find ever-elusive sleep, or for it to find me - but this time I don't mind.

Moz is Greatest Mancunian, with seemingly-obligatory "Heaven know's he's miserable now" reference

I'm still buzzing as I write this. I've got most of my trip booked and have started my pre-trip errands. Lots of people want to see me (why? I wonder) - and I want to see them (how uncharacteristically not-so-misanthropic of me).  I'm going to do Berlin too.  I've never been to continental Europe before - I know how to say red wine in German now: Rotwein - which is something. The Tempodrom looks like an amazing venue.

The Tempodrom in Berlin

I've decided to get some notebooks to carry around on my trip. I often type notes into my phone when I want to write things down, but in light of my recent writer's block, and just because I do adore the sensation of holding a book, I thought I'd pick some up yesterday.

Tour notebooks

According to Mando's Instagram - there will be some new songs!

In the meantime, I can't stop thinking of how it feels when Morrissey walks on stage.  It's been almost a year now since the first time I saw him. It was in Seattle. A ferry ride or two away from where I live. I stood on the painted-black car deck watching the ship cut through the deep blue ocean - making white foam shoot up - the faint mist droplets touching my face. Was this really coming true? I'd had a hard year - some hope and some despair. I remember he walked out with the band - he was bathed in gold light and I couldn't believe it was him - in the flesh. There were thousands of other people in the room - but somehow it felt like just he and I. He saved my life - and I was here - and he was here. The band launched into Suedehead, and Moz leaned into the audience and stuck his tongue out. It feels like forever ago - it feels like moments ago.  And after that I managed 9 more shows in about 5 months.

I can't wait for another journey to begin <3