Mozlandia by Melissa Mora Hidalgo

Author:Melissa Mora Hidalgo
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781909394438
Publisher: Headpress

Figure 3. Members of Maladjusted have fun on stage at Sage Lounge in Uptown Whittier, March 2016. Photo by the author.

On how singer Edgar prepares for a gig:

To prepare for his role as singer of a Morrissey Smiths tribute band, Edgar studies Morrissey. The Maladjusted singer watches lots of live performance clips of Morrissey, listens carefully to each song, absorbs the nuances of the vocal deliveries. He does his homework. Says Edgar, ‘I study him, I pay close attention to what Morrissey does during songs, his gestures, actions, certain things he does for certain songs. It takes more than getting a little fade, pompadour, waving dead flowers around on stage. I think of dress, costumes, even if I have to make my own shirt or piece. I gotta sell it. And it’s also an outlet for me because I love the music. I feel the song. If you’re not having fun in the audience, then I’m not doing my job.’76 Later, I think of what Edgar said here as I read the following from Georgina Gregory’s Send in the Clones, in which she describes the ‘dramaturgic challenge’ in playing Morrissey: ‘This is because playing Morrissey requires a respectful and sensitive approach, where care must be exercised to avoid falling into the trap of lampooning or parody.’ Edgar takes to heart this ‘dramaturgic challenge’ of giving us a heartfelt and sincere Morrisseyesque performance each time he takes the stage with Maladjusted.

On the Mexican connection to Morrissey:

‘The white people love the Smiths, and all the Mexicans want to hear the Morrissey stuff.’ At the rehearsal I sat in, Edgar half-jokingly made this remark, and at least three other Maladjusted members chuckled in agreement. While this comment is a generalization that risks oversimplifying fans’ race-based preferences, if they even exist, I couldn’t help but nod in some kind of affirmation that yes, it’s probably true what they say, ‘Mexicans love Morrissey,’ because one rarely hears it the other way: we never see the headline, ‘Mexicans love the Smiths.’ Just Morrissey. And yet, from their gigs in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and all over Los Angeles, Maladjusted has also found some truth in that statement—we can look to the Mexican all-star tribute outfit, Mexrrissey, for some confirmation of this fact: their debut album, ¡No Manchester! Mexico Goes Morrissey, is a collection of Mexified solo Morrissey songs, none from the Smiths.77

On their own fandom:

‘We are fans first,’ say members of Maladjusted. They listen to plenty of other bands, singers, and genres of music: Edgar favors Mexican crooner and icon, Luis Miguel, while Chuy loves Pink Floyd. Maladjusted’s members all grew up in the LA area on a healthy mix of alternative rock en español and US/UK rock from the 1970s and 1980s. Bands like Depeche Mode, Psychedelic Furs, and Café Tacuba are all-around favorites. But Smiths and Morrissey top the list, as they must. Each band member expresses their fandom in their own personal ways. Edgar prefers the slow, dramatic ballads of Morrissey’s solo years; Life Is A Pigsty is a personal favorite.

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