Morrissey Takes Aim at Damien Hirst Over Dead Animal Art

Morrissey has taken aim at controversial artist DAMIEN HIRST for using dead animals in his exhibitions. Hirst, who is famous for his rotting bull and a dead tiger shark set in formaldehyde, has appalled the staunch vegetarian singer/songwriter with his art for years and now Morrissey is speaking out.

In a new article in Interview magazine, the former The Smiths star suggests Hirst should have his head "kept in a bag" for the way he uses dead animals. He says, "I dislike the 'use' of animals in art, such as in the work of Damien Hirst... Dead butterflies, cows, horses, humans, sheep and sharks - it reads like the inventory of a funerary Noah. How many halved calves suspended in formaldehyde does the world need? To my way of thinking, none."

Faber editor bids to woo Morrissey to 'the House of Eliot'

A Faber editor has written an open letter to Morrissey pleading with the singer to bring his "much-rumoured memoir to the House of Eliot".

Lee Brackstone, editorial director at Faber, wrote that it would be "the fulfilment of my most pressing and persistent publishing dream" if Morrissey were to pick Faber as the publisher of his autobiography. The singer and former frontman of the Smiths revealed in late 2008 that he would be writing his memoirs in order to "[set] the record straight", and in November an essay from his forthcoming autobiography was published in The Dark Monarch: Magic and Modernity in British Art, entitled "The Bleak Moor Lies".

Posting the open letter on Faber's company blog, Brackstone wrote that "forlorn as this hope may be, I can only fantasise that at least you might read my letter through and consider the pleasures and prestige of being an author at Faber, the last great family-owned independent publishing house in the western hemisphere".

"We love the perverse and the contrary at Faber," he continued. "And we also like to think we are the custodians of 20th-century Modernist poetry. In fact we are. Our shelves groan and bulge and spill over under the weight of Ezra, Larkin, Hughes and Heaney. And that's just the surface; deep as it may seem. We feel very strongly that you belong in this company."
Brackstone said this morning that he corresponded with Morrissey via fax around five years ago, "and he was definitely interested". "A year ago a few publishers here offered big money [for the singer's memoirs], there's been correspondence all over the place, and I'm pretty sure he's well away with it," Brackstone said. The letter, he added, was "a bit of fun, but at the same time we'd be desperately happy if it happened … It's worth a crack."

Some Morrissey fans responded positively to the post – "What a way to woo the talent, Lee, baby! You go, boy," wrote one; others described it as "a load of bum-snogging grovelling". Brackstone said he had intentionally written in "inflated, pretentious" language in an attempt to appeal to Morrissey's "more playful nature", but admitted that "there's a risk that it may just irritate him - that is if he even sees it".

After two songs Morrissey quits

Just two song MORRISSEY stormed off stage into his set last night after being struck by a plastic beaker of beer.
The final date the singer was playing of his UK tour in Liverpool when a fan threw the missile at him.
He was kneeling down at the front of the stage shaking hands with audience members when he was hit.
After standing up and wiping his face, Morrissey said "Goodbye" and quickly walked offstage, followed by his band.
The audience at the city's Echo Arena, who will be offered a full refund, were told 15 minutes later that the singer would not be finishing the show.
Last month the former SMITHS frontman pulled out of two shows after collapsing during a gig in Swindon.
He's due in Holland on Monday to begin the European leg of his tour.

Morrissey's gig in Brentwood for us

Morrissey Iconic British singer plays the Brentwood centre tonight and if you're going to see him we want to hear what you think of the gig.
The former Smiths frontman plays the Essex venue before dates in London and LIverpool and then heading off to Europe.
Morrissey collapsed at a gig in Swindon last month and had to cancel another date at Bournemouth the following night but looks set to resume his tour as planned this evening.
Tickets are still available on the door to see Morrissey who has just released a B sides collection, Swords, following up his Years of Refusal album earlier this year.
Send your thoughts on Morrissey's gig in Brentwood to go@essexchronicle.co.uk

Morrissey Back on His Feet and Cracking Jokes After Fainting Spell

After breathing problems forced to cancel two show Morrissey, the former Smiths frontman resumed his U.K. tour Tuesday night at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
Morrissey, 50, fell to his knees Saturday after finishing the first song of his set in the city of Swindon and had to be carried offstage by two of his band members.
The Maladjusted crooner was hospitalized overnight for observation. On the advice of his doctors, he scrapped a gig Monday in Bournemouth so he could get some rest.
But back on his feet last night, Morrissey made light of his ailment, pretending to faint at one point before jumping back up and shouting, "Thank you, Swindon!" per the BBC.
"The doctor said I shouldn't smile. I told him, 'I don't,'" cracked the usually somber hitmaker.

Morrissey Resumes Tour : After On-Stage Collapse

Morrissey Forner Smiths singer is back on his feet again after being released from the hospital yesterday, The Associated Press reports. The singer collapsed at 50 year old on stage on Saturday, after performing 24th the opening song, "This Charming Man," at the Oasis Leisure Centre in the UK. The singer slumped to the ground at the end of the song and was carried off stage by two of his band mates. No word yet on what caused the collapse, but the singer was in stable condition and was reportedly "much improved" before his discharge. Morrissey gig tonight in Bournemouth his postponed, but that he will play tomorrow night at London's Royal Albert Hall its confirmed. His Swords tour is scheduled to continue throughout the UK and Ireland until the end of November.

Morrissey Tickets concert dates

Moz is touring (not Canada — he still hates our seal-beating asses) in support of Years Of Refusal and you can see him here:

Oct. 23 Birmingham, England @ Birmingham Symphony Hall

Oct. 24 Swindon, England @ Oasis Leisure Centre

Oct. 26 Bournemouth, England @ Opera House

Oct. 27 London, England @ Royal Albert Hall

Oct. 29 Leeds, England @ O2 Academy Leeds

Oct. 30 Sheffield, England @ City HallNov. 2 Salisbury, England @ Salisbury City Hall

Nov. 3 Brentwood, England @ Brentwood Leisure Centre

Nov. 5 London, England @ Alexandra Palace

Nov. 7 Liverpool, England @ Echo Arena

Nov. 9 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ De Vereeniging

Nov. 10 Lille, France @ L'Aeronef

Nov. 12 Paris, France @ Zenith De Paris

Nov. 14 Brussels, Belgium @ Forest Club

Nov. 16 Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom

Nov. 17 Hamburg, Germany @ CCH

Nov. 19 Dusseldorf, Germany @ Philipshalle

Nov. 20 Munich, Germany @ Tonhalle

Nov. 23 Dublin, Ireland @ National Stadium

Nov. 29 Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre

Nov. 30 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre

Dec. 2 Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre

Dec. 4 Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel

Dec. 5 Indio, CA @ Fantasy Springs

Dec. 7 Pomona, CA @ Fox Theatre

Dec. 8 San Diego, CA @ Copley Symphony Hall

Dec. 10 Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre

Dec. 11 Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theatre