12th Mar, 2025 13:00
The Smiths: A typed letter, hand-signed by Morrissey in blue crayon, written to Mike Hinc of All Trade Booking, dated September 19th [1984], regarding plans for forthcoming live show bookings, reading 'Dear Mike, Thank you for sending the rider. You understand that I no longer have any physical need for gladioli or small greenary [sic] (passe, man), but instead, an insatiable biological need for a small tree. Please include this paltry request on Irish rider (indeed all future riders). The tree itself should be imminently swingable, at least four feet in length, minus thorns or anything likely to maime [sic] a delicate artistic hand.
Please send me a detailed list of the finalised Irish dates. It had always been group policy never to return to any given venue, so this is why we frown at the Ulster Hall. I wish something could be done. Is it too late? We have no real passion to visit Londonderry. Can you let me know the finalised ticket prices for all Irish dates?
Provenance:
From the personal collection of the late Mike Hinc, former booking agent at Rough Trade for Morrissey, The Smiths and others. The lot forms part of an extensive archive of related items on this sale, consigned by the family of Mike Hinc.
We feel that the February-March tour should be mammoth. The crew need details of venues as soon as possible. We plan to accommodate a huge screen onstage (this was roughly planned for the three upcoming gigs, but stage area was deemed too small). So although we'd like all venues (practically) to be stand up's, there must be stage space for a vast screen. Sergeant Featherstone can explain further.
The main purpose of the Feb-March tour will be to promote the 2nd LP ['Meat is Murder']. If LP is not released by mid-February, we are in deep trouble. I want to avoid antics of Feb-March tour '84 where LP was released mid-tour.
Instead of playing two (or more!) nights at a London venue, can we not play a London date early in the tour and London date at latter half, playing two separate venues? Also, for Manchester, can we wheedle in a concert hall date and a club date?
Please think about these two points.
RT [Rough Trade] release a compilation LP mid-November of radio sessions, but otherwise a record release before the end of this year is unlikely.
As a matter of total trivia, although waves splash abound, The Smiths as a unit have never been so unified and determined. Plus, we still get heaps of fan mail (especially me). Love (I expect), Morrissey.'
A second typed letter, (facsimile text and signature), dated May 21st 1985, reads: 'Dear Mike, The final Spanish date was the worst 24 hours of our career. As a direct result, please discard any notions of the Smith ever doing any European hikes. Enough is enough.
We will never work with Stuart James again. Please produce a choice of three tour managers for America. We can quite easily conduct swift interviews in Manchester and finally brand the luckless candidate.
We will never take a flight on a gig day; our ears are precious. We rely on them. Please apply this to the US jaunt.
It was good to see you in Madrid, but clearly Scott left the country without altering his notions of US Tour Presidency. I rely on you fully to clean this issue up and get it out of the way.
To re-tell the San Sebastian incident is to re-live it. Naturally, our Spanish promoters turned into our worst enemies. We were inches away from imprisonment. Everybody in the entourage deserted the group.
We do not want a caterer for the US tour. If the promoters don't provide ample basic food, we're going home to our Mothers.
I think that demanding there be no barriers and very modest 'heavies' at US gigs is a wholly reasonable request. The absolute purpose of this tour is to incite stage invasions.
Please let me know the situation with James. Has a second 'major' group been added to Dublin? Please confirm with Scott that Jim Connelly is available for America. After all, we need at least one person to be on our side.
Finally, our strongest thanks to Hilary for all her brainpower throughout the Spanish hotel siege. Too sincerely, Morrissey.'
Sold for £2,000
The Smiths: A typed letter, hand-signed by Morrissey in blue crayon, written to Mike Hinc of All Trade Booking, dated September 19th [1984], regarding plans for forthcoming live show bookings, reading 'Dear Mike, Thank you for sending the rider. You understand that I no longer have any physical need for gladioli or small greenary [sic] (passe, man), but instead, an insatiable biological need for a small tree. Please include this paltry request on Irish rider (indeed all future riders). The tree itself should be imminently swingable, at least four feet in length, minus thorns or anything likely to maime [sic] a delicate artistic hand.
Please send me a detailed list of the finalised Irish dates. It had always been group policy never to return to any given venue, so this is why we frown at the Ulster Hall. I wish something could be done. Is it too late? We have no real passion to visit Londonderry. Can you let me know the finalised ticket prices for all Irish dates?
Provenance:
From the personal collection of the late Mike Hinc, former booking agent at Rough Trade for Morrissey, The Smiths and others. The lot forms part of an extensive archive of related items on this sale, consigned by the family of Mike Hinc.
We feel that the February-March tour should be mammoth. The crew need details of venues as soon as possible. We plan to accommodate a huge screen onstage (this was roughly planned for the three upcoming gigs, but stage area was deemed too small). So although we'd like all venues (practically) to be stand up's, there must be stage space for a vast screen. Sergeant Featherstone can explain further.
The main purpose of the Feb-March tour will be to promote the 2nd LP ['Meat is Murder']. If LP is not released by mid-February, we are in deep trouble. I want to avoid antics of Feb-March tour '84 where LP was released mid-tour.
Instead of playing two (or more!) nights at a London venue, can we not play a London date early in the tour and London date at latter half, playing two separate venues? Also, for Manchester, can we wheedle in a concert hall date and a club date?
Please think about these two points.
RT [Rough Trade] release a compilation LP mid-November of radio sessions, but otherwise a record release before the end of this year is unlikely.
As a matter of total trivia, although waves splash abound, The Smiths as a unit have never been so unified and determined. Plus, we still get heaps of fan mail (especially me). Love (I expect), Morrissey.'
A second typed letter, (facsimile text and signature), dated May 21st 1985, reads: 'Dear Mike, The final Spanish date was the worst 24 hours of our career. As a direct result, please discard any notions of the Smith ever doing any European hikes. Enough is enough.
We will never work with Stuart James again. Please produce a choice of three tour managers for America. We can quite easily conduct swift interviews in Manchester and finally brand the luckless candidate.
We will never take a flight on a gig day; our ears are precious. We rely on them. Please apply this to the US jaunt.
It was good to see you in Madrid, but clearly Scott left the country without altering his notions of US Tour Presidency. I rely on you fully to clean this issue up and get it out of the way.
To re-tell the San Sebastian incident is to re-live it. Naturally, our Spanish promoters turned into our worst enemies. We were inches away from imprisonment. Everybody in the entourage deserted the group.
We do not want a caterer for the US tour. If the promoters don't provide ample basic food, we're going home to our Mothers.
I think that demanding there be no barriers and very modest 'heavies' at US gigs is a wholly reasonable request. The absolute purpose of this tour is to incite stage invasions.
Please let me know the situation with James. Has a second 'major' group been added to Dublin? Please confirm with Scott that Jim Connelly is available for America. After all, we need at least one person to be on our side.
Finally, our strongest thanks to Hilary for all her brainpower throughout the Spanish hotel siege. Too sincerely, Morrissey.'
