Did The Smiths ever open for other bands?

[CrystalGeezer]

Perhaps my ignorance of Smiths Lore is showing, but I have zero idea.

 

[realitybites]

From Passions Just Like Mine:

These [early] gigs [1982, 83] don't form a tour. They are the first 17 concerts the Smiths played before they started doing mini college tours in the middle of 1983. For most of these shows the Smiths were the warm-up band. It is very interesting to see how in just 6 months the band went from being completely unknown to outshining the groups they were opening for. Actually the 24 July show was allegedly cancelled because headliners Altered Images didn't want an opening band that would take the spotlight away from them.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Is there a list of the names of the bands?

 

[Famous when dead]

Sisters of Mercy and Altered Images, 83...London.
Those come to mind...
Regards,
FWD

 

[MORRIZSEY]

I think their first gig was before Blue Rondo, and they refused to support The Police a while later because they didn't want that tag. Don't think there is any list to be honest

 

[Kewpie]

Is there a list of the names of the bands?

You know 90% of Smiths live history details are found in passionsjustlikemine.com

Also you should get a copy of Mozipedia.

They also supported The Fall in 1983 just before their debut album tour.

 

[realitybites]

You know 90% of Smiths live history details are found in passionsjustlikemine.com

Also you should get a copy of Mozipedia.

They also supported The Fall in 1983 just before their debut album tour.

Is that 90% exactly. Where is the other 10% to be found?

Had no clue until today that Geezer is Smiths illiterate. Interesting.

 

[Kewpie]

Is that 90% exactly. Where is the other 10% to be found?

Had no clue until today that Geezer is Smiths illiterate. Interesting.

Some information still hasn't been emerged yet.

For example 2nd June 1983 live set list is unknown, just brief details about the gig.

 

[realitybites]

Some information still hasn't been emerged yet.

For example 2nd June 1983 live set list is unknown, just brief details about the gig.

OK. Thanks.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Is that 90% exactly. Where is the other 10% to be found?

Had no clue until today that Geezer is Smiths illiterate. Interesting.

I know the lyrics and the notes to all his songs. The details never factored into my listening experience so I don't commit them to memory.

 

[realitybites]

I know the lyrics and the notes to all his songs. The details never factored into my listening experience so I don't commit them to memory.

Maybe that is why you did not understand what Morrissey meant by the fourth sex. Yes, couldn't have said it better, myself. Not having these details did shape your listening experience. It was missing something important... historical relevance and an understanding of the young man who penned the lyrics. All the early interviews are online. I suggest you read them.

Signed,
Kewpie's Sister

 

[MORRIZSEY]

Is that 90% exactly. Where is the other 10% to be found?

Had no clue until today that Geezer is Smiths illiterate. Interesting.

You didn't exactly provide a full answer yourself, but you chose to chip in on a thread all the same and criticise other replies. How does that help?

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Also you should get a copy of Mozipedia.

Here's my problem with Mozipedia. I looked at it, my friend has one on her coffee table. It's marketed as an exhaustive resource for all things Morrissey, and it does a good job on a lot of stuff. But it lists potentially true things as fact. I'll play around with the idea that there's a slight veneer or tarot imagery in some of his lyrics and link that to God, but epistemologically. I'm not saying the girl least likely to IS the high priestess, just that there's symbolic allusion to that. But Simon Goddard will say that Morrissey pulled a lyric from a British soap opera line, like he sat and copied it down and worked it into his songs on purpose. That bugs me. Maybe he heard it playing in the living room and three days later it sort of came to the surface in his poetry, but he didn't crib it. And passage after passage of Mozipedia HAS MORRISSEY ALL FIGURED OUT and I don't think it's exactly...I dunno. Objective. That's not to say that the information isn't useful, it just rubbed me the wrong way.

But anyway, not here to talk about Mozipedia. Just wanted to start a discussion on the bands Morrissey has opened for.

 

[MORRIZSEY]

Here's my problem with Mozipedia. I looked at it, my friend has one on her coffee table. It's marketed as an exhaustive resource for all things Morrissey, and it does a good job on a lot of stuff. But it lists potentially true things as fact. I'll play around with the idea that there's a slight veneer or tarot imagery in some of his lyrics and link that to God, but epistemologically. I'm not saying the girl least likely to IS the high priestess, just that there's symbolic allusion to that. But Simon Goddard will say that Morrissey pulled a lyric from a British soap opera line, like he sat and copied it down and worked it into his songs on purpose. That bugs me. Maybe he heard it playing in the living room and three days later it sort of came to the surface in his poetry, but he didn't crib it. And passage after passage of Mozipedia HAS MORRISSEY ALL FIGURED OUT and I don't think it's exactly...I dunno. Objective. That's not to say that the information isn't useful, it just rubbed me the wrong way.

But anyway, not here to talk about Mozipedia. Just wanted to start a discussion on the bands Morrissey has opened for.

Mozipedia doesn't hold a lot of answers to this particular question, it doesn't even have The Ritz indexed as far as I remember

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Maybe that is why you did not understand what Morrissey meant by the fourth sex. Yes, couldn't have said it better, myself. Not having these details did shape your listening experience. It was missing something important... historical relevance and an understanding of the young man who penned the lyrics. All the early interviews are online. I suggest you read them.

Signed,
Kewpie's Sister

I have my opinion on the fourth sex and you have yours. Okay? Let's not derail my thread so we can talk about how educated you think you sound. You wouldn't have even glanced at this thread three weeks ago.

 

[Famous when dead]

I don't do adverts normally!
However, this site is very comprehensive and may help fill some gaps Mozipedia leaves out.
Regards,
FWD

http://www.plunderingdesire.com/

 

[CrystalGeezer]

I don't do adverts normally!
However, this site is very comprehensive and may help fill some gaps Mozipedia leaves out.
Regards,
FWD

http://www.plunderingdesire.com/

Thanks, FWD.

I recall reading he opened for Madonna in New York? Or she opened for them? I wonder what other American bands. Or any bands, even the ones that didn't make it.

 

[MORRIZSEY]

Thanks, FWD.

I recall reading he opened for Madonna in New York? Or she opened for them? I wonder what other American bands. Or any bands, even the ones that didn't make it.

Madonna supported The Smiths

 

[Famous when dead]

No problem,
I've not had time to go through the site fully as it's vast and I'm impressed by how fully it has collated things I probably read at the time.
To be fair, you raise a fair point as most aspects are well catalogued and it should be easy to simply find a list of gigs with support info etc, but no - the aforementioned site evidences that certain 'encyclopedias' might not be as well researched as they would like us to think!
Cheers,
FWD

 

[Cornflakes]

Madonna supported The Smiths

According to Johnny Marr. According to other eye-witnesses she was working at the club but did not perform. I'm not saying who is right.

The Smiths supported:

Blue Rondo A La Turk (4/10/82, Hacienda)

52nd Street (4/2/83, Hacienda)

Sisters Of Mercy (6/5/83, ULU)

The Fall (21/5/83, Camden Electric Ballroom)

Aztec Camera (30/6/83, University of Warwick) - Craig Gannon on guitar

Altered Images (24/7/83, Hammersmith Palais - cancelled)

Howard Devoto (7/8/83, London Lyceum)

Gang Of Four (25/9/83, London Lyceum)

Quando Quango (5/10/83, ICA, London)

New Order (19/7/86, G-Mex, Manchester)