You can’t say they’re not persistent: Organizers of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival apparently continue to make offers to land a reunion of The Smiths to headline the annual festival, with Morrissey reporting this week that he has yet again turned down an offer to have the defunct indie giants top the 2013 bill.
According to a statement posted to fansite True To You, which long has been Moz’s preferred venue for all variety of news and announcements, “Morrissey has refused a Smiths headline offer for this year’s Coachella Festival.” No further elaboration was offered on that claim.
Rumors of The Smiths headlining Coachella are nothing new, nor are reports of the festival’s attempts to land the classic act — a booking that no doubt would be the event’s greatest coup.
Last fall, a new round of reunion speculation bubbled up after Morrissey was quoted as saying that following his famously meat-marred 2009 appearance at the California festival, “The agents for Coachella offered a 100-percent vegetarian event for the following year if I would agree to headline with Johnny Marr as the Smiths.”
Representatives for Morrissey and Marr in October denied all plans for a Smiths reunion.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS:
- Morrissey to play ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ next week on eve of U.S. tour
- Morrissey reschedules U.S. tour, adds 8 dates, replaces Stooges with Patti Smith in L.A.
- Morrissey to resume U.S. tour in early January following dates in Australia, New Zealand
- Morrissey cancels remainder of U.S. tour over ailing mother, promises to reschedule
- Morrissey announces 33-date U.S. tour — including L.A. show with Iggy & The Stooges
- ‘The Smiths — Complete’ box set: 8 albums on vinyl, CD; plus 25 7-inch singles, DVD
After the law suites I can’t imiagine there is a lot of love between them.
This isn’t ever going to happen, so I’m not sure why anyone asks. Would Marr get up on stage somewhere and do a song or two with Morrissey? Maybe, but when you think about it, having guest stars and cameo appearances is really not Morrissey’s style. Hell, not having anyone other than Kristen Young (or whatever her name is) open for him is not really an option. Morrissey isn’t a man who’s known for his flexibility…. And a reunion with Joyce and Rourke? Forget about it…
This is about as likely as a Hukser Du reunion. The Jam is far more likely than this.
I would prefer this not happen at all at this point, so thank you Morrissey. Moz still has the ability to create great music, unlike Marr sadly, but he looks like such a cheese ball now that it would probably wreck my memories of the band. All he needs is a gold necklace with a greek coin hangin’ from it and his conversion to creepy old man will be complete.
I’ll disagree w/ Charles about Marr vs. Morrissey, post-Smiths (yes, I know I’m in the minority) but I think his work with Electronic, Modest Mouse, The The, The Cribs & his solo stuff is netter than what Mozz has produced. Sure, it’s very uneven, AND, you have to pay attention, his contributions are subtle, since he isn’t, usually, singing or strutting–but I’ll take Marr. Frankly, the Electronic albums are better than anything Mozz has made. Also, it’s funny how everyone always takes it for granted that Marr would reunion in an instant–despite the fact he has consistently said he’s not interested.
I agree the Electronic stuff was decent and quite frankly, the album he did with Modest Mouse is the best thing he has been associated with since The Smiths. However, except for Electronic, he didn’t really have a huge role in writing the material, he was mainly a band memeber and hired ax. Whenever he tries to do a pure solo project it turns out less than stellar. The Healers album was just terrible and his recent new single isn’t giving me hope for anything different.
Oh–and one more thing, isn’t it just SO Morrissey (I do love him!) that he must announce his disinterest, each time he’s asked? I think, for him, saying NO is worth more than the million dollars.
Having seen Morrissey live about a month ago I have to say that the man has absolutely no need to reunite with Marr. The six Smiths songs he performed for us were head and shoulders more electrifying than any Smiths live material I’ve come across. Shoplifters, How Soon, Still Ill, Please Please, Meat and I Know It’s Over came across as crackling rock classics that are still living and breathing entities. The band he’s touring with are pure class. I left feeling like I’d been the best gig ever. A bit like seeing Elvis crossed with the Pope. Why would he take a step backwards for cash, of all things?
Exactly. He can play the songs any time he wants.
You have to admire Morrissey for sticking to his guns. With every year that passes, one band or another takes a shot at reuniting or the big comeback, but few, if any do so with dignity. I don’t think the Smiths could ever record anything new that would be worthwhile and any show/tour would just be a shadow of former glories, so why bother? Let the Smiths legacy stand as is and forget any chance of reunion.