By Dickie Felton | 17 March 2024
We set off early enough from our university digs – but Ian’s Talbot spluttered and died somewhere on the East Lancs Road.
We abandoned the old banger and just started walking. Nothing would stop us meeting Morrissey.
Thirty-years-ago today (17 March 1994) me and pals shunned our lectures at Edge Hill University for a day that would go down in folklore.
It was the Thursday our hero Morrissey would be in touching – and speaking – distance.
He had just released his Vauxhall and I album and invited fans to meet him at two signing sessions in Manchester and London.
More than 2000 fans were headed to Manchester’s HMV including the five of us.
Our transport woes got us off to a bad start. But we got a cab to Rainhill station and made our way by train.
The queue was already massive by the time we got to Market Street.
I was just 20-years-old and this recently emerged image of the queue that day shows Ian, me, Ed and George looking like a Suede tribute act.
Our obsession with Brett Anderson was strong then but we soon chopped off our locks and got quiffs after meeting Morrissey.
I don’t think I can ever really convey the giddy excitement of being in that queue. Morrissey seemed so near – yet so far. And no-one was really guaranteed of an audience with the king…
We seemed to be waiting for ever and a day. Slow shuffling towards St Steven.
HMV kept playing Vauxhall and I on loop the entire time.
Creeping closer, it was almost 4pm by the time we got close enough to see Moz.
We feared the session might be stopped soon…
Fans were hugging him, some were in tears.
Security hovered and kept the queue moving.
I was shaking with nerves clutching my £8.99 vinyl…
A journalist from BBC Radio Five was interviewing me and Ian as were led to Morrissey. Oh how I’d love to hear this recording again one day!
Soon it was time.
And after waiting for an entire day I was so terrified in the presence of Morrissey that I could barely get any words out. Instead of telling him I loved him I opted for inane small talk.
Me: “Morrissey – how is it going?”
Morrissey: “Oh it’s not too bad.”
My friend Ed did little better: “Morrissey I don’t know what to say…” Morrissey: “You are very eloquent.”
Morrissey had a complete aura around him. A power in a sense.
He was happy to chat to fans for a while – each giving them time to compose themselves.
It was all a bit too much for 20-year-old me.
And I’ve faired little better meeting him in subsequent years.
I often wonder how on earth Morrissey signed 2000 autographs in eight hours. Did his hand hurt after all that?
I treasure my £8.99 Vauxhall and I album signed that day by the main man.
I also adore the images Ian took of me and Morrissey that day – one of which became the cover of my 2009 book The Day I Met Morrissey.
It’s odd that Moz hasn’t done a signing session in the UK since those epic days in Manchester and London. Thirty years is a long time…
If he ever releases that new album it would be fabulous if he would agree to meet his people again.
It would be wonderful to recreate that wonderful drizzly day in Manchester of 1994…
The Day I Met Morrissey documents the Manchester signing session and other fan meetings with Moz everywhere from airport lounges to Woolworths. It is still available here.