While Oasis fans have plenty of cause to celebrate this week, the outlook doesn’t look so positive for longtime fans of The Smiths after Johnny Marr dismissed calls for a reunion.
In light of the Oasis reunion, one hopeful fan tweeted, “If Oasis can do it, The Smiths can too (I’m delusional).” Marr replied with a photo of right-wing UK Parliament member Nigel Farage, who Morrissey suggested as a good candidate for Prime Minister a decade ago. Farage is known for his role in bringing Brexit to fruition.
Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, Morrissey described Brexit as “magnificent,” a declaration that prompted Marr to further distance himself from his former bandmate. Sans caption, the implication of Marr’s post is that Morrissey’s political views pose too much of a conflict to ever make room for a reunion.
In 1987, The Smiths disbanded following insurmountable tension between Marr and Morrissey, and Morrissey has only increased his historically inflammatory behavior in the decades since. Unable to let bygones be bygones, Morrissey once asked Marr to stop mentioning him in interviews through a 2022 “open letter,” prompting the latter to reply, “This fake news business… a bit 2021, yeah?”
The band’s original bassist, Andy Rourke, also passed away in 2023 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Last year, Morrissey sat down for an especially melodramatic and self-pitying interview, then claimed that the media was trying to “delete” his contributions to The Smiths from history. Marr, meanwhile, has been spending his time working with longtime friend and Oasis member Noel Gallagher, jumping onstage with Dave Grohl and Pretenders, and reimagining The Smiths cuts with a 30-piece orchestra.
While there’s no immediate hope of seeing The Smiths members onstage anytime soon, Marr is heading out on the road this fall for a different reunion of sorts with fellow Manchester rock act James. Grab tickets here.
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) August 26, 2024