The Smiths

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Sat, 14 Nov 2026
Deep Dive The Cure The Smiths New Order Joy Divisionon the line-up
The New Headingley Club · Leeds
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About

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass), and Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British independent music. The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983 and released their debut album, The Smiths, in 1984. Their focus on a guitar, bass, and drum sound, fusing 1960s rock and post-punk, was a rejection of the synth-pop sound predominant at the time. Several of the band's singles reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart, and all their studio albums reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart, including the number-one album Meat Is Murder (1985). The band achieved mainstream success in Europe with The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987), which both entered the top 20 of the European Albums Chart. In 1986, the Smiths briefly expanded to a five-piece with the addition of guitarist Craig Gannon, but internal tensions eventually led to their breakup the following year. The split was followed by heavily publicized lawsuits over royalties, and the band members have consistently rejected numerous offers to reunite in the years since. Bassist Andy Rourke died in 2023. History. 1982: Formation and early performances. In May 1982, Johnny Marr and his friend Steve Pomfret went to the home of Steven Morrissey in Stretford to invite him to form a band. Marr and Morrissey had met at a Patti Smith gig at Manchester's Apollo Theatre on 31 August 1978, when Marr was 14 and Morrissey was 19. They bonded through their love of poetry and literature.

Source: Last.fm

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