Bigmouth Strikes Again: Listening to Morrissey in Tehran?

Could the Moz himself be planning a show in Iran? That's the report from the Times of London:

The singer, whose songs include Bigmouth Strikes Again and Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, is in talks with the Iranian government and the Foreign Office about staging a performance in Tehran later this year.

Morrissey, 48, who has been outspoken in attacking the allied invasion of Iraq, says he wants to link the visit to other planned concerts on a tour of the Middle East. His management team is in contact with the music office at the Islamic culture and guidance ministry in Tehran.

Rock groups are allowed to perform only with a licence from the ministry and there are strict guidelines about conduct under Iran’s sharia (Islamic law). Violators can receive imprisonment, fines or the lash.

“I would love to sing in Tehran,” said the former Smiths front man, whose most recent album, Ringleader of the Tormentors, opened with the song I Will See You in Far-off Places...

Iran is still suspicious of pop music. Last summer police raided an underground festival in an orchard near the town of Karaj to stop what they called a “provocative, satanic concert”. More than 200 people were arrested.

If the event does go ahead, Morrissey will have to play to an audience segregated by gender. Women would be allowed only if they stayed in roped-off areas and wore modest clothing, including headscarves. All song lyrics would be vetted. Female backing vocalists and mixed dancing in the aisles would be outlawed and beer, of course, would be banned.

So basically it's no longer a rock concert but an event controlled by Tehran's thought-police. Still, Morrissey could get good mileage out of his lyric from the old Smiths' hit "Ask": "If it's not love, then it's the bomb that will bring us together..."

Comments

[alle]

Or maybe they'll request Everyday is Like Sunday: "Come, come, nuclear bomb..."

[dr dre beats headphones]

Or maybe they'll request Everyday is Like Sunday: "Come, come, nuclear bomb..."

[dr dre beats headphones]

Or maybe they'll request Everyday is Like Sunday: "Come, come, nuclear bomb..."