Update: Staples Center Not Going Entirely Meat-Free for Morrissey
Assuming that Morrissey is able to resume touring by then, he will hold court in a meat-free Staples Center on March 1st, Billboard reports. McDonald’s outlets will be closed, and the remaining food vendors in the Los Angeles arena will offer 100 percent vegetarian fare at the singer’s headline performance, with a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales going to PETA. Paul McCartney had been previously denied the same meatless request.
“I don’t look upon it as a victory for me, but a victory for the animals,” Morrissey said in a statement.
Morrissey Rep: ‘The Smiths Are Never Going to Reunite’
Now he just has to make it to L.A. The singer has recently canceled a string of tour dates while he deals with a bleeding ulcer and Barrett’s esophagus, a chronic inflammation of the throat that occurs from acid reflux. The singer, who last weekend nixed shows this week in Denver, Salt Lake City and San Francisco, now hopes to resume performing February 26th with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Morrissey’s next scheduled concert is February 27th in San Diego.
The former Smiths singer is famously vegetarian: The Smiths titled their 1985 album Meat Is Murder, and Morrissey said last year that Coachella had offered a meat-free festival if the group would reunite to headline.
Update: The Staples Center won’t be going entirely meat-free for Morrissey. The arena released a statement saying “at the request of Morrissey,” they will add “a variety of vegetarian food items” to their already existing dining options. The Staples Center will also meet with nearby restaurants to “suggest adding special vegetarian options to their menus” and has reached out to PETA about hosting an information booth at the show.