Ged Duffy (Stockholm Monsters) on meeting Morrissey in 1980

I've just started reading this book and came across this little snippet inside.

Ged Duffy (no relation to Billy Duffy) was the bass player in the Factory Records band Stockholm Monsters and prior to that, he was working in venues around Manchester setting up / taking down gigs from the late 1970's onwards. He has written his memoir titled ''Factory Fairy Tales - Joy Division, New Order, Factory Records, The Hacienda & Me'' (Empire Publications)

Amongst the remarkably detailed gigs he either attended at the time as a fan or working behind the scenes on the night, Duffy recalls one day in 1980, when he encountered Morrissey in an awkward moment.

'Sometime during this year, Tony (France) and I were round Mark the Ted's place in Didsbury enjoying a spliff or two when this guy turns up to give Mark a copy of a book he'd just written. I'd seen the guy there a couple of times before, but this was the first time that Tony had been there when he was there as well. The guy looked like a student, wore an Afghan coat and was totally nondescript. He spent the whole time staring at Tony and when he went to the toilet, Tony asked Mark ''What the f***s wrong with him? He's creeping me out staring''. Mark said ''I've noticed that as well, I don't know what's up with him.''

His name was Steven Patrick Morrissey and the next time we saw him he was dressed in the same style as Tony and had his hair cut. He even ended up going in all of the same second hand shops as Tony and was buying all the clothes before Tony could get there!

One other thought, I'm sure Stockholm Monsters were putting 1950's movie stars on their record sleeves before The Smiths were even formed. And people say he influenced a generation with his fashion sense. I say Tony France had more style in his little finger!'

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Today, but back in the day? Could be that he just described the look of the coat but it was fake or that M simply couldn't be that picky about what would keep him warm. If you go back you most certainly will find things, that he wouldn't wear today, like leather belts or leather shoes, because there weren't that much alternatives around at the time. Doesn't mean that the story is false, doesn't mean that it's true.
@Geoffrey Ingram with maybe one or two exceptions that I know of, I'm pretty sure he’s usually worn leather shoes, belts I’m not as sure of, but wouldn’t be surprised if they were leather too. I do know that in 92 he wore these non-leather braided belts …

 
It feels like every Factory also-ran has this kind of attitude towards Moz. Bitter that an awkward, introverted 'nobody' formed the Smiths and eclipsed them 🎸
Perhaps some Factory-centric attitude.....puzzling and part self-explanatory - Factory had a chance to sign the Smiths first, before Rough Trade. ....smells like a case of their 'friends' becoming successful....
 
Perhaps some Factory-centric attitude.....puzzling and part self-explanatory - Factory had a chance to sign the Smiths first, before Rough Trade. ....smells like a case of their 'friends' becoming successful....
Did they? I thought it was well known that Morrissey and Marr set out not to be on Factory?
 
Did they? I thought it was well known that Morrissey and Marr set out not to be on Factory?
Ok...Marr contests this... Mr Wilson asserts....information is out there though....



Moz's version? perhaps someone here knows - i dont

... a Factory-made myth....?
 

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