Jim Louvau
Audio By Carbonatix
When Morrissey announced a Phoenix date on his 2026 tour earlier this week, Valley concertgoers didn’t get excited. They got skeptical. And more than a little snarky.
Given his long history of canceled shows and abbreviated performances, that reaction wasn’t surprising.
Within hours of publishing news of Morrissey’s Nov. 10 show at Mullett Arena in Tempe, hundreds of comments rolled in on Phoenix New Times’ social media accounts. Most weren’t about setlists or on-sale dates. They were about whether Moz will actually show up.
That skepticism isn’t coming out of nowhere. The English singer-songwriter and former Smiths frontman has built a reputation for pulling the plug, postponing dates or cutting sets short, sometimes after just a handful of songs.
One online tracker has logged hundreds of canceled, postponed or abbreviated performances over the past decade alone.
That includes a few Arizona dates that didn’t go off as planned. Morrissey canceled shows at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre in 2012 and 2013 and walked offstage after six songs at Fox Tucson Theatre in 2017 due to vocal issues.
Jim Louvau
So when news of his latest Phoenix-area date dropped, readers had plenty of doubt and snark fueling their comments:
Robin, for instance, thinks a cancelation is inevitable:
I’ll take Things That Won’t Happen for $1000.
Kurt took it a step further:
His real first name is Willie, last name Showup.
Steve is taking a wait-and-see approach:
I’ll get tickets day of show if it is still happening.
Scott is also waiting until the absolute last minute:
Don’t buy until he is on stage.
Gerald is ready to take the over-under on if Moz shows up:
Is there an app where we can place bets on whether or not he cancels?
Donald won’t be burned again:
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 238 times, shame on me me me.
John put it bluntly:
He has canceled more shows than COVID.
Mark summed it up in one line:
Morrissey started cancel culture.
Others, like Luke, took aim at the Morrissey’s militant veganism:
Does Morrissey know that the venue is right across the street from a Buffalo Wild Wings? I’m serious.
Neil took a similar shot:
Awesome…I will eat a big ass steak before the concert then scream for him to play ‘Meat Is Murder!
And Levi isn’t planning to attend at all:
I’ll finally have something in common with Morrissey: I won’t be showing up either.
