Morrissey is infamous for his hard vegan stance, having canceled shows and walked off stages for meat being served in venues where he’s scheduled to perform. Well, score one for the Moz, because he’s apparently gotten New York City’s Madison Square Garden to agree to go vegan for his June 27th performance.
Tucked away in an open letter he wrote to Al Gore asking him to go animal-product free at Live Earth 2015, Morrissey revealed that MSG would avoid serving any meat or dairy products at his show. “Not only is it possible for venues to provide a 100 percent meat-free menu,” he wrote, “as is done now at every concert venue in which I perform, including Madison Square Garden, where I have a show at the end of June — it’s also a moral duty.”
The New York Post reached out to MSG officials, who denied comment. However, a few staffers at the world-famous venue were shocked by the news. “We’d have to close half the floor,” said one staffer. Another, Daily Burger owner Drew Nieporent, also was taken by surprise, but said he’d happily shut down for the night. “This is the first time I’m hearing about it,” he said. “But I love my man Morrissey. He’s a wonderful artist, so I wouldn’t mind. He can do whatever he wants.” Rather than preparing a vegan menu, Nieporent said he’d rather “just go and enjoy the music.”
Morrissey’s letter to Gore and Live Earth co-founder Kevin Wall asserted that serving meat at a climate change event amounted to “greenwashing.” “Serving meat and dairy products at an event to combat climate change is like selling pistols at a gun-control rally,” read the letter. “Your responsibility is to alert people to a crisis, not sell out to the vendors responsible for it.” Read the full letter below.
One of many stops on his newly-announced tour, the MSG show will see Moz team up with Blondie. He also has a date at Firefly Music Festival, whom we seriously doubt will go meat-free for the The Smiths singer. See his full itinerary here.
Dear Mr. Gore and Mr. Wall,
I am writing to ask you to do the one thing that will do the most good for the planet and the majority of its inhabitants: not serve meat or dairy products at Live Earth 2015. I don’t mean offering a vegan option-I mean not serving animal products at all. Otherwise, the event will make no sense-it’ll be “greenwashing.” Serving meat and dairy products at an event to combat climate change is like selling pistols at a gun-control rally. Your responsibility is to alert people to a crisis, not sell out to the vendors responsible for it.
AdvertisementNot only is it possible for venues to provide a 100 percent meat-free menu-as is done now at every concert venue in which I perform, including Madison Square Garden, where I have a show at the end of June-it’s also a moral duty.
We already know that raising animals for food is a leading cause of climate change and that moving toward a vegan diet is necessary to combat climate change’s worst effects. Animal agriculture severely affects the world’s freshwater supply and is a major contributor to global greenhouse-gas emissions, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and air and water pollution, among many other harmful effects.
Since you can’t miss the fact that meat consumption is killing the planet-your own sponsor organization, the United Nations, states this-and since venues can and will cater vegan food for events, if you choose to serve animal flesh at Live Earth, you’ll be making a mockery of the very concept of the event, in which case it should be renamed “Dead Earth: We Contributed!”
AdvertisementDon’t be a denier of the causes of climate change. You know the facts. Make the right choice.
Sincerely, Morrissey
