Earlier this week, Morrissey posted to True to You, the official fan site that Moz uses to directly speak to his fans. In that post, he made clear that he was not a part of Chicago’s Riot Fest, even though he was among the artists listed as part of the official lineup. More specifically, Moz said that he wasn’t a part of Riot Fest at the time of his writing — “as of May 23.” That should have been enough of a hint that he’d probably change position, but you never know with Morrissey! (Though we kind of do, don’t we?) Anyway, it’s now official: as of today, the Moz will be playing Riot Fest.
He announced the news — again! — on True to You, in a very simple fashion, that makes no mention of all that he had backed out in the first place. Actually, on closer inspection, Morrissey’s initial denial of involvement might have had something to do with the fact that he wasn’t the “headline” act. That’s the difficulty of playing a festival, Moz: you’re not gonna be the only superstar there! Specifically, he’ll be competing with the Deftones, Sleater-Kinney, and Ween. That’s a very “Morrissey” scene! Especially Ween, right?
Maybe all of this had to do with the fact that Moz turned 57 on May 22, and he didn’t want to be saddled with a festival date when he was busy loathing old age. That’s a distinct possibility, though it’s also one I’m sure he wouldn’t be quick to admit to. Every day might be like Sunday, but not every day is like a birthday.
Chicago’s Riot Fest 2016 takes place September 16 – 18.