Notice that we specifically said “2016 U.S. Tour” in the headline, because we didn’t want our readers to think that they were reading an article from 2013, 2014 or 2015, all years when Morrissey cancelled shows in the U.S.
Yes, once again, Morrissey has called off a series of shows in the U.S. On Saturday he announced that the last six dates of his current run were cancelled but, instead of illness which was the normal situation in the past, this time it is due to mismanagement of tour funds.
According to a post on the Morrissey site True to You, the singer said that all was well with the tour until they had to cancel a show when keyboardist Gustavo Manzur fell ill and was hospitalized and the remaining shows were postponed while he recovered.
At that point, Morrissey alleges that the company managing the tour, 360 Management, said that there were no further funds available, not even to transport the band to the next city on the tour. He added “360 Management faded out as quickly as they had faded in.”
Moz also took a few shots at the industry as a whole including a number unscrupulous promoters that he has worked with along the way.
Out are dates in Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
The full statement:
The band, the crew and I are heartbroken to hear that the final six shows of our triumphant tour will be ‘pulled down’.
The shock and sadness that we all feel – for ourselves, and for our devoted friends in Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, has left us in unrecoverable despair.
The 28 shows played on this tour have been outstanding triumphs as yet another year strengthens and solidifies our positions around the world.
Since our Bergen date at the start of August, the finances for this tour have exclusively been controlled by 360 Management of Willoughby Avenue in West Hollywood. Each date booked would make enough money to pay its way.
When Gustavo collapsed at the Boulder show, 360 Management responded with the announcement that all funds had suddenly evaporated. There was apparently not even enough money to transport the touring party to the next scheduled city, and 360 Management faded out as quickly as they had faded in.
Incontestably, the Morrissey Band is the best in the world. We have been repeatedly done over in recent years by slippery industry incompetents, yet we have always recovered our stride and bounced back like the sea – saving ourselves from those who wish us off the map. We are a disciplined ship and we succeed without any help from the music industry. We continue to live with the optical device of an industry where only scale and enormity of cash is seen as evidence of talent; where the public is thought ready to swallow anything as long as it is done with the punch of five million dollars. The results appear to be continually elaborate comic-strip dumbshows that do not even matter to those directly involved. The true artists must look after themselves whilst the artificially aroused are aided and assisted to the highest ranks without a shred of effort, and the result is … a nest of horrors. And on it goes.
This year, the mobilized strength of our ragingly loyal audiences were most appreciated, by me, at:
Philadelphia, USA.
Brooklyn, USA.
Hong Kong, CHINA.
Adelaide, AUSTRALIA.
Melbourne, AUSTRALIA.
Santa Barbara, USA.
Helsinki, FINLAND.
Manchester, ENGLAND.
Goteborg, SWEDEN.
Chicago, USA.
Newcastle, AUSTRALIA.
Berlin, GERMANY.
Salt Lake City, USA.
Tokyo, JAPAN (first night).
Tel-Aviv, ISRAEL.… for which no words could ever express the volcanic love and joy found and shared.
We felt much sadness for our audiences at both Jakarta and Singapore City who struggled with appalling venues – venues which, in fact, were not really venues at all … just roped-off bits of waterlogged fields. In dismal circumstances our friends in both cities gave us their best, and we shall never forget them. We expect no further chances in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Dallas or San Antonio … nights destroyed by the ephemeral damagers … who do their worst … and slip away.
I can only stress my sincere thanks once again to YOU for giving the band, the crew and I a phenomenal year – scarred at the end, but drenched in beauty until then.
I will see you in extremely far-off places.
MORRISSEY
3 December 2016.
