Everyone remembers the first time they come across the weird and wonderful world of Steven Patrick Morrissey, it is a date way more important than some Princess dying in a car crash or some politician named after an airport in New York being assassinated, his words have literally saved the lives of millions of people all over the world.

My first experience was early on in his musical career, accidentally on Top of The Pops in between the hair sprayed nothingness of Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, The Smiths were on, they were playing ‘Heaven knows it’s miserable now’ and I was transfixed.

Even though I was only 9, I knew there was something different about this band, something special, the supreme musicianship being the perfect backing for someone who even back then was an intoxicating performer, the oversized unbuttoned shirt, the immaculate quaff, the wanton pathos of this beautiful freak splits opinion as much as Marmite, you either love (and these being Smiths fans…REALLY love) or hate him.

Throughout the years his fans have stuck by him through thick and thin and there has been plenty of thin but these being Morrissey fans, they will lap all of it up with rabid aplomb, even the average albums like 1995’s ‘Southpaw Grammar’ or even worse; 1997s ‘Maladjusted’ will have Morrissey fans gushing with praise although probably quieter than his many other better sol efforts.

Though his solo material has had its patchy moments, Morrissey has never failed in giving great copy. Slap him on the cover of your magazine and watch the sales fly, the NME know this only too well which is why they’ve stitched him up not once but twice, the latest time being due in court very soon.

In 1992 Stephen Wells who was writing for the NME then had a lapse from his great writing to imply that because Morrissey waved a Union Jack flag at Madness’ 1992 reunion gig, he was a fascist, Morrissey chose not to comment about this and still hasn’t further fuelling the fire.

What was unfortunate is that his album of that year which happens to be is best; “Your Arsenal”, had a track on it named ‘National Front Disco’, although slightly ambiguous of title, the so called racist connotations were based on the lyric; “There’s a country, you don’t live there but one day you would like to”, Morrissey adopts the character of a National Front speaker, very similar to the mini rally held in the car lot in the film ‘This Is England’, it’s a speech delivered to a young impressionable boy, encouraging him to join the party and ‘Do his bit’ only Morrissey’s lyric was not an acclaimed film and was written fifteen years too early.

That was pretty much what the NME based their “Morrissey is a racist” story on, ironic as 1992 was the year that Suede broke but their flag waving was seen as acceptable because they were the hot new things whilst they treated Morrissey like yesterdays chip paper showing their taste for contradictions, gutter journalism and tabloid sensationalism, something they continue to do to this day.

In December 07 for some inexplicable reason the NME asked him what he thought of the government’s immigration process, knowing full well he would probably respond in an incendiary manner and despite him not living in the country for many years.

He answered it honestly, too honestly. Even though he wasn’t touring and didn’t have a record out, they put the story on the front cover with the headline “The NME and Morrissey fall out…again”

It makes you wonder if they would ask Alex Turner this question, I’d love to know what the opinion of the drummer from The Fratellis would be.

The six Roundhouse gigs are obviously scheduled to push yet another greatest hits compilation of Mozzers which is one of the most bizarre and pointless ‘greatest hits’ compilations ever, it isn’t even greatest hits, it’s the singles from his last two albums plus a couple of old ones, no-one will buy it, even Morrissey fans will see this as a cynical ploy by Polydor, his new label to rake in some dirty cash hence the inclusion of two new songs.

From his comeback albums, 2004’s ‘You are the quarry’ and 2006’s ‘Ringleader of the tormentors’ he has gained a brand new fan base who may not be aware of his past efforts, this is not the way to discover them, you can either pay £15 for this one of a fiver for one of many others on the market which do actually feature some of his finest tracks…totally pointless.

As it stands, he is the last great showman this country has given the world, he has created his own legend and not had to die in the process to get that status, there is no-one to take his place.

From the current crop of singers not one of them will pass your lips in 25 years and could quite easily have been forgotten about in 5; James Morrison? James Blunt? Mika?

Only Robbie (80 million pounds just isn’t enough) Williams looks likely to come anywhere near to the lofty position of Morrissey but that’s just one of many things wrong with the record buying public of the UK and with the latest news that Robbie will be going on strike as EMI have demanded that their artists work harder for their money, it could mean that we have finally heard the last of Williams’ vocal impersonation of finger nails down a chalk board.

A Morrissey gig is a celebration of the underdog, the different, if you don’t fit in elsewhere, you will here, his live gigs are electrifying experiences where the euphoria levels are so high it’s the nearest thing to taking drugs without breaking the law.