Morrissey Collaborators Throw Punches Online Over Tour Cancellation
Morrissey guitarist Jesse Tobias has weighed in on tour opener Kristeen Young’s accusations that his boss was lying when he said she got him sick. When Morrissey had announced the cancellation of the tour due to his illness, he wrote that Young had contracted a “horrendous cold” so he asked her to leave the tour. She wrote her own post saying that she was merely suffering the symptoms of allergies. Now Tobias has called her claims, and some written by erstwhile Morrissey and recent Kristeen Young producer Tony Visconti, disheartening and disingenuous.
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“I do feel that someone needs to speak up for Moz in this situation as it is unbearable to watch people you once trusted attack and pick away at your friend,” he wrote. “In my experience anyone associated with the Morrissey camp knows they are solely there because of Morrissey himself. He chooses to tour/work with certain people.
“For Kristeen and Tony Visconti to go on about her being better off now, without considering Morrissey’s nine years of help and promotion [for Young] is very disappointing,” he continued. “Only speaking from my experience, with the crew and Moz falling ill in Miami, for Kristeen to deny she was truly sick seems disingenuous.”
Tobias explains that after learning that Young was “obviously unwell,” Morrissey’s crew kept their distance from her. He also expressed frustration with the fact Young did not “just comply” with Morrissey’s postponement announcement.
“One could only assume it was necessary for her to justify herself and ultimately receive some promotion out of the matter,” he wrote. “This combined with Tony Visconti’s parrot-like affirmation on ‘Facebook’ that ‘she is better off – is Morrissey capable of being handled?’ is repulsive. This is a man who worked closely with us on a record and several sessions that suddenly flips into schoolgirl mode with ‘yeah, you tell ’em’ chatter? Good riddance to false friends.”
Although posts in which Visconti says Young is “better off” without her do not appear to be on his Facebook page, the producer – who has also with David Bowie, T. Rex and Thin Lizzy – did voice his opinion of Tobias’ reaction in the comments of one of his posts. “I was just pointing out what an act of desperation this ‘well-meaning’ statement from this person looks like,” he wrote. “He’s got the facts wrong, he’s quoted me out of context and worst of all he called me his ex-friend. I was never his friend. Since he is not an imbecile, I can safely assume he’s lying. That doesn’t make him or his boss look good at all.” Visconti also questioned Tobias’ choice to refer to him as a “schoolgirl” in a pejorative sense, saying the insult “speaks volumes” about him.
Visconti also testified to Young’s character in the comments, saying, “We have a doctor’s note and the list of medicines prescribed for severe allergic reaction. She is innocent and we can prove it.” The producer said he is prepared to back up Young’s side of things, should he need to.
Young has been the direct support on several Morrissey tours in recent years. In 2007, Morrissey asked her to leave the tour after making a comment about Morrissey’s sexual prowess onstage, as Billboard reported, that he found lewd.