02 February 2023
Newsdesk
Hundreds of international Morrissey fans will descend on Manchester for the tenth annual instalment of the “Mozarmy” festival - with all proceeds donated to an historic pub that has served punters with Smiths discos for almost 30 years.
Followers from as far afield as Texas, Indonesia and Japan will arrive for the weekender on April 28 to join what has been described as “one of the biggest fan gatherings of its kind in the world”.
This year those who love Morrissey’s honest lyrical takes on loneliness, loss and rejection are celebrating the friendships they have cemented through ten years of the Mozarmy Meet in Manchester - as well as the dates, marriages and even babies that have come about thanks to this unique convention.
Mozarmy founder, author and the weekend’s host Julie Hamill is extremely proud of the friendships she’s seen formed at the meet-ups - with tickets for 2023 on sale from Monday (January 30) - and she is looking forward to welcoming music biz insiders like producer Stephen Street (The Smiths/Morrissey, Blur, The Cranberries) to answer questions about working with the man himself.
She said: “There are people thousands of miles from each other who have become the best of friends. We have mums and dads, and sons, step-kids, grandchildren...every generation.
“Every year there is someone who is anxious about coming to the meet, because they are attending alone. Then they realise, most of us attend alone. That person may have gone through life not feeling any sense of belonging anywhere, or to anyone. When I see them smiling and talking with others, dancing and singing, I know what we started can't finish.”
Three days of events will kick off on Friday, April 28, at the Star and Garter in Fairfield Street. Half of the proceeds will go towards the upkeep of the pub, near Manchester Piccadilly, which has faced many battles to stay open and first started its monthly Morrissey Smiths Disco in 1994, and the other half will be donated to a member of the pub’s staff who has fallen ill.
The Friday will feature a Q&A with producer and songwriter Stephen Street plus BBC writer and former Morrissey drummer Andrew Paresi. On the Saturday (April 29) ex-Morrissey bassist Jonny Bridgwood and Louder Than War editor-in-chief John Robb, who invented the term “Britpop”, will answer questions.
Both the Friday and Saturday nights will feature live performances from the Mexican Morrissey, who has won a seal of approval from the man himself, New York’s own tribute act The Salford Lads, and The Roberts Family Band, featuring Dad on vocals, Mum on drums and teenage daughters Lily and Josie on keyboards and bass. The live entertainment will be followed by a Morrissey Smiths disco until 3am on both evenings, with special guest disc-spinners including legendary Hacienda DJ Billy Idle.
Mexican Morrissey Jose Maldonaldo said: “I’ve been coming every year since 2015 and it’s always a joy to see people from far away places experience Manchester for the first time.
“There’s lots of fun to be had and it’s a great way to see friends that you’ve only met online. The Mozarmy Meet is the perfect event for Morrissey and Smiths fans to meet up - in the city where it all began.”
There will also be a daytime Manchester Music Tours trip on the Saturday to visit the local spots that inspired Morrissey, whose solo career has produced more than 30 Top 40 singles and three No 1 albums, with tickets for the tour sold separately. On the Sunday, hoards of fans armed with vegan cheese sandwiches and Bluetooth speakers will meet up for a Morrissey T-shirt picnic in Mayfield Park.
Weekend passes for the Mozarmy Meet 2023 are available for £35. Individual tickets for Friday and Saturday are priced at £20 each. Tickets for the meet-up, which this year has been dubbed “Viva Mate” in celebration of 35 years of Morrissey’s debut solo album Viva Hate, are available via the 'buy tickets' button at the top of the page.
