Morrissey’s previous North American tours were derailed due to an array of health issues. Now, just two days into his latest jaunt, he’s found himself facing an entirely different obstacle: other bands.

Moz is due to play The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA this evening. Inside the venue is a second music space, dubbed The Constellation Room, where We Are Scientists and PAWS are scheduled to perform. According to PAWS’ Facebook page, Morrissey made an attempt to have their show canceled, “because he is playing in another room in the same venue and wishes for their to be no other artists performing in his vicinity.”



Update – Friday, 5:30am PT: Paws has issued a detailed account of last night’s events. Read it here.

Update – Thursday, 5:00pm PT: PAWS has removed their Facebook post. According to the band’s publicist, the band will, in fact, perform tonight as originally planned.

Meanwhile, We Are Scientists said they’ve changed their set times to accommodate Morrissey’s “bedtime.” They expanded on the day’s events in an issued statement:

Chris from W.A.S. here. Happy to confirm that PAWS’ are back on. When it became apparent that Morrissey’s set was going to overlap with the WAS/PAWS bill, everybody really did agree that couldn’t work — even though the two venues are separated by a reasonably thick wall, Moz fans wouldn’t have been able to hear a lick of what they’d paid to see. Both bands on our bill play at nuclear volume, triumphant volume, and it goes right through walls. Putting on the two shows simultaneously would be like screening a mumblecore film and a Michael Bay movie in theaters divided by a cotton bed sheet. So we’ve moved the WAS/PAWS show a little later, which will probably come as a nice surprise to our fans, many of whom have had to set their alarms especially early this afternoon in order to make the show.

Read the entirety of PAWS’ original posting below:

Morrissey is currently trying to have our slot at tonights show in Santa Ana, California cancelled because he is playing in another room in the same venue and wishes for their to be no other artists performing in his vicinity. This is an unbelievable act of complete and utter selfishness that should not be tolerated. This rich, has-been, ego maniac acting like a baby throwing toys from a pram. To satisfy his little power hungry brain. A complete disregard for others and a baffling lack of support/respect for young, hard working musicians. People like this, with attitudes like this displays a classic example of why the music industry is still awash with disgusting garbage that should by now have been snuffed out. Pedestals, self righteous entitlement, disrespect and “competition”. Geez. It’s not like we’ve come all the way from Scotland to play for nothin’… I’m just going to leave this photo and sentiment with you and we’ll report back with developments. We won’t go out without a fight! What do you all think?