Your Interesting Drug

Browsing our event page I noticed that The POP Shoppe! started off 2009 with a Smiths tribute entitled “Oh, We Handsome Devils.” It was then I realize we have come full circle with the recent tribute to Morrissey, our first event for 2010.

What is it about this man that makes him tick? How he charmed his way into the minds and hearts of millions of diverse listeners all over the world. I was once a victim of his charm. His voice that never fails to break my heart. His literate and obscure lyricism wherein one can spend a whole year quoting. His very peculiar charisma to the point where men (straight or not) would gladly throw their arms around him given a chance encounter.

The year was 1994 when I heard my first Morrissey song on the radio with the release of “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get.” The song charted on campus radios, I was young and between my peers in the province I was probably the only one who can deeply appreciate him. Although finding out later that the song received some bad reviews such as “formless ramblings” and “a tarnish to his gleaming reputation,” the single propelled to me to be curious and did further research on his work. Getting my hands on a Best of Morrissey cassette tape was life changing. And I wasn’t prepared for the next blow…. the discovery of The Smiths.

Morrissey and The Smiths became my interesting drug and I am no longer a victim.

I am now an advocate.

A Short Bio

Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer and songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. After the band’s breakup in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, in which he continued the indie pop sound of The Smiths. Morrissey’s solo albums were the source for ten Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom. Widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music, Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as “one of the most influential artists ever,” and The Independent has stated that “most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status that he has reached in his lifetime.” Pitchfork Media has called him “one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last 20 years.”

Morrissey’s sardonic, literate lyrics tend to be “dramatic…bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home.” He is also noted for his unique vocal style. His forthright, often contrarian opinions have led to a number of media controversies, and he has also attracted media attention for his advocacy of vegetarianism and animal rights. source: Wikipedia

The Tribute Gig

January 7 – Saguijo | YOUR INTERESTING DRUG: A Tribute To Morrissey

It was an amazing night. Great vibes, great music! It’s not everyday I hear Morrissey or Smiths songs being covered but that particular night a total of 15 cover songs were dished out by participating artists plus a DJ set in the middle of the gig by Paris based artist/graphic designer – Eva Kokoschka.

Below is a list of songs covered by each artist accompanied by live clips of my choosing. The videos are rather dark so to compensate i rendered everything in color. I figured it is more enjoyable to watch and listen to that effect. Pictures to follow. Happy listening!

The Gentle Isolation
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Work Is A Four-Letter Word
Irish Blood, English Heart

Kate Torralba
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
Girlfriend In A Coma

The Bernadettes
Panic
First Of The Gang To Die

Turbo Goth
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
This Charming Man

Lally Buendia (Domino)
How Soon Is Now?
Last Night I Dreamt Somebody Loved Me

The Camerawalls
Suedehead
Interesting Drug
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get