I read that article last night and the parallels to Morrissey's story are indeed bewildering, right down to the use of the terms "beer monsters" and "delicate bloom", both direct quotes.
Quite ironic considering that Morrissey's own accounts of the grimness and bleakness and violence of his childhood and youth have sometimes been contested and ridiculed.
It is a really good article, but I agree those nights spent getting shitfaced and being beaten up don't sound like something Morrissey would have enjoyed being a part of at the time. And he said as much in that Cleveland interview (and of course Owen couldn't help himself from making a snide remark about it):
"'I never liked The Ranch. I have a very early memory of it and it was very, very heavy. I never liked Dale Street. There was something about that area of Manchester that was too dangerous.'
You big jessy, you big girl's blouse, Morrissey. But he's right. It was dangerous and, with the increased media visibility of punk, the violence got worse. You see, punks were not only f*****s, they were uppity f*****s as well. They made music, they wrote poetry, and, of course, they dressed up."
For a deeper insight into Manchester's musical history I warmly recommend John Robb's The North Will Rise Again, which compiles reams of recollections by contemporary witnesses including a certain "delicate bloom".
Funny sidenote (well, not that funny): I'm always checking the football scores before going certain places (or I was back when football audiences and going places were still a thing). Is that not something everyone does?
