Kevin Cummins is staging an exhibition of his Smiths photographs at London’s Proud Camden Gallery up until July 15. Manchester: So Much To Answer features shots that the former NME staffer took throughout the band’s illustrious career.
See [link]https://www.proudonline.co.uk/exhibitions.aspx[/link] for more details.
Also running at the sister Proud Chelsea gallery until July 8 is Justin de Villeneuve’s Faces From The Sixties, which includes the iconic image of Twiggy and David Bowie, which graced his Pin-Ups covers album.
Returning to The Smiths and Morrissey has lambasted the Royal Family again in a statement about the Diamond Jubilee.
“The soul is tried all over again as the jackboot of dictatorship strangles England,” he vents. “This week, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee presents a new lesson in the force of tyranny, and is an expression of loathing and abhorrence of the British poor - and all done, quite naturally, at the public's expense! It is degrading to anyone of intelligence. While dictatorships throughout the Middle East are gently condemned by the British government, there is no examination of the extremism enforced by the British 'royals', who remain the most overpaid and most utterly useless people on the planet. Having done nothing to earn our respect, they demand everything by return. It is a cunning and extravagant form of benefit fraud. I should mention that I am frequently asked to appear on BBC television's Question Time to air my views. But is it possible to engage with the British media and not be carved-up? I doubt it.”

The above image of Morrissey at Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester was taken in September 1983 and is the copyright (©) of Kevin Cummins.