NME respond to Morrissey: 'we didn't pull Love Music Hate Racism support'

Ping pong - Morrissey released a statement last Friday revealing that he’d donated enough cash to the Love Music Hate Racism festival to “make up the majority of the £75,000 deficit LMHR was faced with after a major sponsor pulled out”.

The implication seemed to be that the major sponsor in question was the NME, these comments from the former Smiths man immediately following the quote above in the press release distributed through the media:

“Love Music Hate Racism got in touch and explained that the NME had pulled support, possibly as a result of their association with me, and asked if I could help as they had not been able to replace them.

“This is something I am commited [sic] to and we appreciate everyone coming together so quickly to make it happen."

Well, it turns out that major sponsor wasn’t NME - in fact they got in touch to “categorically confirm that NME is not the ‘major sponsor’ which Love Music Hate Racism alludes to.

“While supporting Love Music Hate Racism on a number of fronts in the last year,” the statement continues, “including giving away a themed covermounted CD album… NME had no planned commercial participation in this weekend’s Carnival.”

IPC media contacted DrownedinSound with their concern that what they describe as a “very carefully worded” statement may have misled fans into believing they had mystifyingly dropped LMHR in the mire at the last minute.

To reiterate on their behalf – this wasn't the case. DrownedinSound has contacted Love Music Hate Racism for answers on who actually pulled the funding and we'll let you know as and when we get information back from them.