Each week on a Wednesday morning I'll be posting one of eight episode describing the time I moved to Camden Town, North London, to play in Indie bands and squat with friends. Each episode mixes up personal stories with photos and playlists from those days.
I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said, "It's gruesome
That someone so handsome should care"
The Smiths - This Charming Man (84). "Where it all got going. The Smiths’ second single succeeded where ‘Hand In Glove’ had failed, piercing the Top 30 and getting a bunch of gladioli on Top Of The Pops. It introduced us to a chap with NHS specs, a superfluous hearing aid and a way with words not heard in British pop since – ooh – Ray Davies? Alongside Moz, Johnny Marr invents the indie jangle and drops metal knives on his Telecaster." NME.
Photo credit: Halvdan Wettre
In this promo for my blog series, I thought twice before featuring The Smiths because Morrissey has been drawing criticism in that there are questions surrounding Morrissey’s relationship to the British far-right. My choice of the second photo (above) for the promo post deliberately caricatured this debate; I have been told recently by a friend that Asterix is not read to her child because it is too stereotypical in terms of gender. Whilst I respect her decision, I don't agree with cancel culture, but realise we are in a culture war. As an academic, I can see the need for critical debate. Trouble is on the Internet we now get click bait! I wonder if people agree with Nick Cave: " ‘[Musicians’] views and behaviour are separate issues,’ ... ‘Perhaps it is better to simply let Morrissey have his views, challenge them when and wherever possible, but allow his music to live on, bearing in mind we are all conflicted individuals – messy, flawed and prone to lunacies.’ "? Can we divorce the art from the artist? What happens if we do, and what happens if we don’t?