"Johnny Marr says The Smiths had a “blind spot” of being obsessed with media and notoriety" - NME (July 5, 2021)

shoplifterromo sends the link:

"Particularly one certain member of the group"

Excerpt:

Speaking to Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for the new BBC Radio 4 series The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Marr said that the band could have done with “less” coverage at the height of their 1980s fame.

Discussing how it became their blind spot, Marr said: “I was in a very very big ‘music press’ band, which now I’m older I think we could’ve done with less of that.

“I wouldn’t say it was our downfall but I think it was a blind spot of The Smiths, being so occupied with the media and notoriety – particularly one certain member of the group. I think that could’ve been dialled down a bit and would’ve helped the group out.”


Related item:
 
Not so sure, he struggled selling the only northern gig (which you went to) last time he played here so he may have a re think.

Leeds review in The Yorkshire Post - Where he would once fill venues such as the First Direct Arena in Leeds, his appeal has apparently lessened with the crowd far from capacity.

If the new album (if released) is successful, it probably will be the bigger venues again.
Despite larger crowds in 2015 &
2018, the Leeds arena didn’t sell on any of his visits. In recent times in the U.K. only the o2 )ofnthesold out, eve the MEN in 2016 relied upon free tickets handed out in town, including restaurants - San Carlo etc
But if it means a return to KGH and smaller venues, then brilliant, it’s what most of us are and have been, waiting for.
Bridlington Spa
Victoria Hall (Hanley & Halifax)
Town Hall, Middlesborough
Barbican, York
Grimsby Auditorium
Bridgwater & Opera Manchester
ironworks
Alhambra

Just a few we could hope to see 🥰🥰🥰🥰
 
Despite larger crowds in 2015 &
2018, the Leeds arena didn’t sell on any of his visits. In recent times in the U.K. only the o2 )ofnthesold out, eve the MEN in 2016 relied upon free tickets handed out in town, including restaurants - San Carlo etc
But if it means a return to KGH and smaller venues, then brilliant, it’s what most of us are and have been, waiting for.
Bridlington Spa
Victoria Hall (Hanley & Halifax)
Town Hall, Middlesborough
Barbican, York
Grimsby Auditorium
Bridgwater & Opera Manchester
ironworks
Alhambra

Just a few we could hope to see 🥰🥰🥰🥰

Agree, saw him at King George’s, Victoria Theatre and Bridgewater from your list, also Blackpool Emprees Ballroom, Bradford St Georges Hall, Sheffield City Hall, all were far better than any arena gig I’ve seen him at.
 
:mad:

what a budala this :handpointright::guardsman::handpointleft:.
"with the Cvnteneers":seat:
as if they were opening act:hammer:
 
No doubt a lot of the 50000 people at Old Trafford will be up for The Smiths/Electronic tunes Johnny will play while supporting The Courteeners at his home town gig. . Wouldn't surprise me if Bernard turned up for a couple of Electronic songs, maybe Getting away with it and Get The Message which they've done on a number of occasions over the last few years.

The Courteeners
The Killers
The Kaisers Chiefs
The Kooks
...

jeez, how many shit 'background-music-for-driving' bands have there been in the past 20 years, who look and sound stupefyingly bland, and have singers who all sound identical?

And why do they all seem t0 have names that start with a 'k' sound? Couldn't at least one of them raise their game and call themselves something like 'The New Originals'?

I wasn't really sure I'd heard The Courteeners before, so I googled what was apparently their biggest hit 'Not Nineteen Forever' or something, and went on youtube. Somehow I knew in advance what to expect - sure enough, a bunch of moody, beardy middle class blokes who all look like they're on a gap year in pop music before settling down to respectable careers in insurance companies, with guitars and vocals that couldn't have sounded more generic if they'd been programmed by a computer - which they probably were.

And now Johnny Marr's reduced to playing support acts for crud like this. What a come down.
 
The Courteeners
The Killers
The Kaisers Chiefs
The Kooks
...

jeez, how many shit 'background-music-for-driving' bands have there been in the past 20 years, who look and sound stupefyingly bland, and have singers who all sound identical?

And why do they all seem t0 have names that start with a 'k' sound? Couldn't at least one of them raise their game and call themselves something like 'The New Originals'?

I wasn't really sure I'd heard The Courteeners before, so I googled what was apparently their biggest hit 'Not Nineteen Forever' or something, and went on youtube. Somehow I knew in advance what to expect - sure enough, a bunch of moody, beardy middle class blokes who all look like they're on a gap year in pop music before settling down to respectable careers in insurance companies, with guitars and vocals that couldn't have sounded more generic if they'd been programmed by a computer - which they probably were.

And now Johnny Marr's reduced to playing support acts for crud like this. What a come down.

Yes a real come down, with The Killers and Courteeners support slots, Johnny's going to be playing to a potential 700k gig goers.
 
The Courteeners
The Killers
The Kaisers Chiefs
The Kooks
...

jeez, how many shit 'background-music-for-driving' bands have there been in the past 20 years, who look and sound stupefyingly bland, and have singers who all sound identical?

And why do they all seem t0 have names that start with a 'k' sound? Couldn't at least one of them raise their game and call themselves something like 'The New Originals'?

I wasn't really sure I'd heard The Courteeners before, so I googled what was apparently their biggest hit 'Not Nineteen Forever' or something, and went on youtube. Somehow I knew in advance what to expect - sure enough, a bunch of moody, beardy middle class blokes who all look like they're on a gap year in pop music before settling down to respectable careers in insurance companies, with guitars and vocals that couldn't have sounded more generic if they'd been programmed by a computer - which they probably were.

And now Johnny Marr's reduced to playing support acts for crud like this. What a come down.

yes a tragic trajectory for :handpointright::guardsman::handpointleft:
and his docile trolls
60 yr old opening for soco kid bands:hammer:
 
Yes a real come down, with The Killers and Courteeners support slots, Johnny's going to be playing to a potential 700k gig goers.

By that logic, he might as well be a support act to Coldplay.

Playing to massive crowds when those massive crowds are - to judge by who they've paid tickets to see (the headline act) - tasteless morons, is a not an achievement.

Playing support act 40 years into your career, when you started your career playing in The Smiths, is indeed a comedown.

Playing support act to bands who make bland middle-class music for bland middle-class people is just adding insult to injury.
 
The Courteeners
The Killers
The Kaisers Chiefs
The Kooks
...

jeez, how many shit 'background-music-for-driving' bands have there been in the past 20 years, who look and sound stupefyingly bland, and have singers who all sound identical?

And why do they all seem t0 have names that start with a 'k' sound? Couldn't at least one of them raise their game and call themselves something like 'The New Originals'?

I wasn't really sure I'd heard The Courteeners before, so I googled what was apparently their biggest hit 'Not Nineteen Forever' or something, and went on youtube. Somehow I knew in advance what to expect - sure enough, a bunch of moody, beardy middle class blokes who all look like they're on a gap year in pop music before settling down to respectable careers in insurance companies, with guitars and vocals that couldn't have sounded more generic if they'd been programmed by a computer - which they probably were.

And now Johnny Marr's reduced to playing support acts for crud like this. What a come down.

I don't know, have you taken a look at Morrissey's Las Vegas shows? Only half sold and tickets going for $20 now. I'd say that's even more of a come down, poor guy.
 
By that logic, he might as well be a support act to Coldplay.

Playing to massive crowds when those massive crowds are - to judge by who they've paid tickets to see (the headline act) - tasteless morons, is a not an achievement.

Playing support act 40 years into your career, when you started your career playing in The Smiths, is indeed a comedown.

Playing support act to bands who make bland middle-class music for bland middle-class people is just adding insult to injury.

If that's your option that's fine. Apart from the shite Boomslang in 2003, he's actually only 7 years into a proper solo career and his last 3 albums have charted at 10, 9 and 7 which indicates an upward trajectory in his career, playing to over 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase particularly with the 50K he will be playing to in his home town in September.
 
If that's your option that's fine. Apart from the shite Boomslang in 2003, he's actually only 7 years into a proper solo career and his last 3 albums have charted at 10, 9 and 7 which indicates an upward trajectory in his career, playing to over 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase particularly with the 50K he will be playing to in his home town in September.
Oh, lordy, where to begin...?

If 'solo career' is to be defined by his doing lead vocals and singing his own songs, then his solo career began in 2003. I agree 'Boomslang' was shite, but then so were his follow-up 'solo' albums.

"7 years into a proper solo career"?? How many years do you need? And that's 2 years longer than The Smiths were together.

"Playing to 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase". No, it won't "obviously" grow his fanbase. They haven't turned up to see him. On the other hand, they have turned up to see The Courteeners, so admittedly these are not discriminating people. If they think he looks cool, I guess they'll buy his records.

"particularly with the 50K he'll be playing to in his home town". Sorry, but if your prophecies haven't been recognised in your home town "7 years" into your solo career, then I doubt that playing a support gig is going to win many new converts.
 
Oh, lordy, where to begin...?

If 'solo career' is to be defined by his doing lead vocals and singing his own songs, then his solo career began in 2003. I agree 'Boomslang' was shite, but then so were his follow-up 'solo' albums.

"7 years into a proper solo career"?? How many years do you need? And that's 2 years longer than The Smiths were together.

"Playing to 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase". No, it won't "obviously" grow his fanbase. They haven't turned up to see him. On the other hand, they have turned up to see The Courteeners, so admittedly these are not discriminating people. If they think he looks cool, I guess they'll buy his records.

"particularly with the 50K he'll be playing to in his home town". Sorry, but if your prophecies haven't been recognised in your home town "7 years" into your solo career, then I doubt that playing a support gig is going to win many new converts.
You are wrong on many levels. But entitled to your opinion of course. Tom Jones also played as a support to Morrissey, still he's way more famous and will be a bigger icon once both are gone (regardless of which one you or I prefer).
 
Oh, lordy, where to begin...?

If 'solo career' is to be defined by his doing lead vocals and singing his own songs, then his solo career began in 2003. I agree 'Boomslang' was shite, but then so were his follow-up 'solo' albums.

"7 years into a proper solo career"?? How many years do you need? And that's 2 years longer than The Smiths were together.

"Playing to 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase". No, it won't "obviously" grow his fanbase. They haven't turned up to see him. On the other hand, they have turned up to see The Courteeners, so admittedly these are not discriminating people. If they think he looks cool, I guess they'll buy his records.

"particularly with the 50K he'll be playing to in his home town". Sorry, but if your prophecies haven't been recognised in your home town "7 years" into your solo career, then I doubt that playing a support gig is going to win many new converts.

As I said if that's your opinion that's fine, I happen to think he's doing great.
 
:)

chances of tom jones opening for :handpointright::guardsman::handpointleft: are negative ten billion trillion:lbf:
but he ll send an email to his docile trolls making it look like he is the star
of the show when in
fact nobody knows who he is.:hammer:
 
Oh, lordy, where to begin...?

If 'solo career' is to be defined by his doing lead vocals and singing his own songs, then his solo career began in 2003. I agree 'Boomslang' was shite, but then so were his follow-up 'solo' albums.

"7 years into a proper solo career"?? How many years do you need? And that's 2 years longer than The Smiths were together.

"Playing to 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase". No, it won't "obviously" grow his fanbase. They haven't turned up to see him. On the other hand, they have turned up to see The Courteeners, so admittedly these are not discriminating people. If they think he looks cool, I guess they'll buy his records.

"particularly with the 50K he'll be playing to in his home town". Sorry, but if your prophecies haven't been recognised in your home town "7 years" into your solo career, then I doubt that playing a support gig is going to win many new converts.
 
Oh, lordy, where to begin...?

If 'solo career' is to be defined by his doing lead vocals and singing his own songs, then his solo career began in 2003. I agree 'Boomslang' was shite, but then so were his follow-up 'solo' albums.

"7 years into a proper solo career"?? How many years do you need? And that's 2 years longer than The Smiths were together.

"Playing to 700k people will obviously grow his fanbase". No, it won't "obviously" grow his fanbase. They haven't turned up to see him. On the other hand, they have turned up to see The Courteeners, so admittedly these are not discriminating people. If they think he looks cool, I guess they'll buy his records.

"particularly with the 50K he'll be playing to in his home town". Sorry, but if your prophecies haven't been recognised in your home town "7 years" into your solo career, then I doubt that playing a support gig is going to win many new converts.
:)
very good shout:satellite:
he s been rubbering with docility to successful suco groups for 7 years
but the tragic trajectory towards outright katastrofsa continues
its downward spiral:hammer:
 
:rolleyes:
FFS great musicians who cant sing or play the right notes(n)
what a katastrofa:hammer:
 
Johnny is an absolute legend and an absolute gent. He's a genius, end of. It's music folks, not sport - you don't have to pick a team.
 
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