Whatever happened to Alain Whyte?

[shridan whiteside]

***I am just here to post a funny story re: Alain, I dont know what happened to him***...
In Feb 2000, Moz played a gig in Boise, ID. that i attended. Not only did i get to meet Moz, but Gary Day, Boz, & Alain. As show time appoached, i was waiting outside the hotel they were staying in front of the tour bus. Alain was the first to want to board the bus, but the driver was M.I.A so i asked him for an autograph. I asked if he would sign the Manchester United shirt i was wearing. He spun me around, then wrote the following on the back of my shirt in big block letters:
" I HATE MAN UTD.. YOUR ARSENAL!" -(signature).
I was wondering why it was taking him so long to 'sign' my shirt while he was doing it, then i heard the other few fans around laughing. I pulled my shirt off to see what he had written and promptly turned to him and said simply, "you bastard!" His face was filled with laughter and self-delight. It really was a funny moment. I had heard that he could be a bit of a jerk to fans, but we had a right laugh together.
Hope you all enjoyed this.

 

[Jamie]

Anyone else notice how as soon as Alain went, Boz suddenly gets given the grand term of 'musical director'? Unfortunately it also marks the period where the band stop being individuals, and start wearing whatever matching costumes Moz decides to dress them in for the show. Kind of glad Alain didn't hang around to get demeaned in that fashion. Maybe he got given the boot because he wouldn't wear speedos on stage?

Actually, Boz was named musical director for a number of years prior to Alain's departure, possibly back in the Nineties.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: Fyi

Cliff notes:

* Alain's back is injured in Vegas in 1999 by a fan who glomps him.

Good memory, but just slightly off. It was Santa Barbara, CA where his back was injured. The next next in Vegas was cancelled, due to said injury caused by aggressive fan.

 

[Born In 1975]

Re: Fyi

Good memory, but just slightly off. It was Santa Barbara, CA where his back was injured. The next next in Vegas was cancelled, due to said injury caused by aggressive fan.

I was at this SB show and it was one of the best Moz shows I've attended. It was a seated venue but once the lights went off it turned into chaos. After the show it looked like a bulldozer went over the first few rows. More than the usual amount of fans made it up on stage which would explain Alain getting injured. Highlight of the night for me was "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel" which, if I remember correctly, was the 2nd and last time it was played live. Next day drove to Vegas and stood in line only for the show to be cancelled half-hour or so before doors were due to open. Day after that drove to (the very first) Coachella not knowing if he would show or not. That ended up being a great performance as well...unlike his last Coachella apperance, unfortuantely.

 

[Justin Playfair]

Neither Morrissey not Alain has ever made an official statement, but from the bits of info people have managed to prise out it certainly appears that Alain was pushed out of the band by Moz, initially for health reasons, and was very upset when he had to leave. He was in tears on stage at his last gig in Dublin, and despite Morrissey assuring people his absense was temporary and he wasn't being replaced by Jesse, when it came time to record Years of Refusal he was refused entry to the recording studio and effectively given the boot. He'd already been axed away from the live band, now he wasn't wanted in the studio, and since then his songwriting partnership with Morrissey ended. I guess Moz just prefered Jesse and thought it was time to make a clean break, which was one of the most stupid things he's ever done.

Alain could just spend the rest of his life sitting by his guitar, crying, and waiting for Morrissey to change his mind...but instead he's happily getting on and making a succesful music career with other people. Not sure why people are bitching about that. What the hell do they expect him to do?


Pure speculation this bit - but 'I'm OK by myself'. A lot of people thought that might be a lyrical reference to Johnny Marr, but really - it's been so many years I'm sure Moz is well over that particular bust up. I wonder if the song was actually about Alain?

I sure miss Alain and hope he & Morrissey get back together to create more fantastic songs! I think they are one of the greatest songwriting teams of all-time. (As is Morrissey & Marr of course.) Also, a little off topic, but does anyone know if Morrissey is singing about Johnny Marr in "I Like You" off of "You Are The Quarry"? I've always believed that this is true.

 

[Justin Playfair]

Anyone else notice how as soon as Alain went, Boz suddenly gets given the grand term of 'musical director'? Unfortunately it also marks the period where the band stop being individuals, and start wearing whatever matching costumes Moz decides to dress them in for the show. Kind of glad Alain didn't hang around to get demeaned in that fashion. Maybe he got given the boot because he wouldn't wear speedos on stage?

I've always disliked the matching costume routine and wish it would vanish. It's interesting because The Smashing Pumpkins broke up in 2000 because of clothing issues as well. Guitarist James Iha & bassist D'Arcy Wretzky left the band together because Billy Corgan was telling them what clothes to wear for concerts and magazine photo shoots. There were many issues before this that James & D'Arcy had with Billy that caused them to leave the band but as James put it, "It was Billy telling us what to wear that was the straw that broke the camel's back and so we left." Corgan resurrected the Pumpkins in 2007 and asked James & D'Arcy to come back but they both refused. I guess it's possible that Moz instructed the band that they had to start wearing matching costumes and this is what caused the split between Alain & Moz. It could've been one of a hundred things, maybe we'll never know what happened. I just hope someday they get back together and create some more wonderful songs.

 

[Harsh Truth]

Re: Fyi

I was at this SB show and it was one of the best Moz shows I've attended. It was a seated venue but once the lights went off it turned into chaos. After the show it looked like a bulldozer went over the first few rows. More than the usual amount of fans made it up on stage which would explain Alain getting injured. Highlight of the night for me was "The Edges Are No Longer Parallel" which, if I remember correctly, was the 2nd and last time it was played live. Next day drove to Vegas and stood in line only for the show to be cancelled half-hour or so before doors were due to open. Day after that drove to (the very first) Coachella not knowing if he would show or not. That ended up being a great performance as well...unlike his last Coachella apperance, unfortuantely.

I was at the Santa Barbara show too and remember it well. It was my first time ever traveling by plane to see Morrissey, and my first time experiencing the southern California Morrissey scene. I loved it immediately and thought the show was fantastic. A longer and more varied set that the Maladjusted tour two years prior. Read about the gig here: http://www.morrissey-solo.com/tour/1999/santabarbara/index.cgi

The next night in Las Vegas was quite unfortunate. I had been cancelled on previously in the Northeast but to travel all that way was a kick in the gut. But such is life - and good preparation for a disappointment or two in the years to come. I met a nice tattooed girl from Columbus or Cincinnati or some such place and we drank and smoked and slept the night away together as a consolation for the lack of a show. Come to think of it, it wasn't a bad night after all. And I returned to Vegas in December of that year for two fantastic Morrissey concerts.

Anyway - you're probably thinking 'cool story bro' so I will end with this: I have no idea whatever happened to Alain Whyte aside for conjecture on this site over the years.

 

[modrevolve]

HOPE YOU STAGE RUSHING IDIOTS ARE HAPPY - YOU HURT ALAIN, THANKS.
Posted By: Sebastian_Melmoth
Date: Monday, Oct. 11 1999, at 7:08 p.m.


Just wanted to extend a hearty thanks to those of you who feel the need to rush the stage and tackle Moz and the band. From what I've heard from those at the show, Alain's back injury is quite possibly the result of some jackass tackling him at the end of the Santa Barbara show. I was at Vegas and saw it cancelled 30 minutes before the doors opened. Thanks!

And being Mexican myself, I'm going to be so bold as to tell my Latin brothers to cut it out, as you know you're the ones doing the majority of the rushing. It's tired and stupid and you ruin it for the others. You only perpetuate stereotypes about us Mexicans when you act like a bunch of brainless animals.

SM

 

[MozAngeles818]

Morrissey encourages and loves stage invasions.
Some people just don't know how strong they can be when
they rush to moz and the band.



Btw, is there any footage of Alain getting tackled?